Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to applicant’s 04/30/2026 amendment(s) or response(s) in the application of CIRIK et al. for “CONTORL CHANNEL REPETITION” filed 08/06/2021. The amendments/response to the claims have been entered. No claims have been canceled. No claims have been added. Claims 1-22 are now pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 4-8, 11-14, 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHIEN et al. (US 2018/0278371 A1), hereinafter CHIEN, in view of GAO et al. (US 2023/0074645 A1), hereinafter GAO.
Regarding claim 1, CHIEN discloses a method comprising:
receiving, by a wireless device via at least one transmission occasion of a plurality of transmission occasions, at least one downlink control information (DCI) 202 from the base station 2. The dynamic indication message 202 may be downlink control information (DCI) carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or any indication message dynamically generated in response to the uplink data transmitted by the user equipment and carried on any physical downlink channel, see ¶ 0025);
determining a transmission parameter used for the previous successful uplink transmission (the repetition transmission parameter updating rule indicates that the user equipment 1 may keep using the current data repetition transmission parameter for subsequent uplink signal transmission when the decoding correctness indicator received by the user equipment 1 indicates ACK, see ¶ 0051, where ACK indicates successfully receive the data); and
transmitting, based on the transmission parameter, at least one transport block (the repetition transmission parameter updating rule indicates that the user equipment 1 may keep using the current data repetition transmission parameter for subsequent uplink signal transmission when the decoding correctness indicator received by the user equipment 1 indicates ACK, see ¶ 0051).
CHIEN fails to explicitly disclose that at least one to the DCI is one of the DCI repetitions and that includes sounding reference signal (SRS) uplink resource and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission.
In the same field of endeavor, GAO discloses as shown in FIG. 5, in response to PDCCH repetitions being enabled, the network device 110 may transmit a set of PDCCH repetitions (that is, repeated DCI) 510 and 520 to the terminal device 120, for scheduling a transmission 530 (such as, PUSCH/PUCCH/SRS/CSI transmission) from the terminal device 120 to the network device 110. Each of the set of PDCCH repetitions 510 and 520 may comprise a same TPC command for power control of the transmission 530, see ¶ 0081).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement GAO’s teaching in the network taught by CHIEN for DCI repetition improves reliability in wireless networks by transmitting the same control information multiple times, particularly for devices in poor coverage scenarios. It allows User Equipments (UEs) to aggregate or combine repeated signals to enhance detection probability.
Regarding claim 4, CHIEN discloses the determining the transmission parameter comprises determining a most recent transmission parameter used prior to the at least one transmission occasion (the user equipment 1 may keep using the current data repetition transmission parameter for subsequent uplink signal transmission when the decoding correctness indicator received by the user equipment 1 indicates ACK, see ¶ 0051).
Regarding claim 5, CHIEN discloses the transmission parameter comprises an indication of at least one of: a spatial relation; a beam; a precoder; or a power (beamforming, which may also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception, is a signal processing technique that may be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (transmission parameter includes a transmission power see ¶ 0026).
Regarding claim 6, CHIEN discloses receiving second DCI, wherein the second DCI is for scheduling transmission of a second transport block and indicates a second uplink resource; and transmitting the second transport block, wherein the transmitting the second transport block is based on one or more transmission parameters used for an uplink transmission, via the second uplink resource, prior to the receiving the second DCI (user equipment 1 receiving another dynamic indication message 202 in T2 from Base Station 2 via DCI in PDCCH and adjusting the transmission parameters, see ¶ 0030, 0031, 0033, and figure 3A).
Regarding claim 7, HOSSEINI discloses the plurality of DCI repetitions comprises at least one of: time domain control channel repetitions; or frequency domain control channel repetitions (repetitions are in time period -time domain, see ¶ 0076).
Regarding claim 21, CHIEN discloses the at least one transmission occasion is the earliest of the plurality of transmission occasions (the uplink signals D1-1 to D1-2 may be regarded as the first uplink signal 102 which is transmitted based on the data repetition transmission parameter before the updating (i.e., the current data repetition transmission parameter), and the uplink signals D1-3 to D1-4 and the uplink signals D2-1 to D2-4 may be regarded as the second uplink signal 104 which is transmitted based on the data repetition transmission parameter after the updating (i.e., the updated data repetition transmission parameter), see ¶ 0030 and figure 3A).
Regarding claim 8, CHIEN discloses a method comprising:
transmitting, by a base station via at least one transmission occasion of a plurality of transmission occasions, at least one downlink control information (DCI) repetition, of a plurality of DCI repetitions, that indicates an uplink resource of a previous successful uplink transmission before an earliest of the plurality of transmission occasions (the UE receives a dynamic indication message 202 from the base station 2. The dynamic indication message 202 may be downlink control information (DCI) carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or any indication message dynamically generated in response to the uplink data transmitted by the user equipment and carried on any physical downlink channel, see ¶ 0025);
determining a reception parameter used for the previous successful uplink transmission (the repetition transmission parameter updating rule indicates that the user equipment 1 may keep using the current data repetition transmission parameter for subsequent uplink signal transmission when the decoding correctness indicator received by the user equipment 1 indicates ACK, see ¶ 0051, where ACK indicates successfully receive the data); and
receiving, based on the transmission parameter, at least one transport block (the repetition transmission parameter updating rule indicates that the user equipment 1 may keep using the current data repetition transmission parameter for subsequent uplink signal transmission when the decoding correctness indicator received by the user equipment 1 indicates ACK, see ¶ 0051).
CHIEN fails to explicitly disclose that at least one to the DCI is one of the DCI repetitions and that includes sounding reference signal (SRS) uplink resource and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission.
In the same field of endeavor, GAO discloses as shown in FIG. 5, in response to PDCCH repetitions being enabled, the network device 110 may transmit a set of PDCCH repetitions (that is, repeated DCI) 510 and 520 to the terminal device 120, for scheduling a transmission 530 (such as, PUSCH/PUCCH/SRS/CSI transmission) from the terminal device 120 to the network device 110. Each of the set of PDCCH repetitions 510 and 520 may comprise a same TPC command for power control of the transmission 530, see ¶ 0081).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement GAO’s teaching in the network taught by CHIEN for DCI repetition improves reliability in wireless networks by transmitting the same control information multiple times, particularly for devices in poor coverage scenarios. It allows User Equipments (UEs) to aggregate or combine repeated signals to enhance detection probability.
Regarding claim 11, CHIEN discloses the determining the transmission parameter comprises determining a most recent transmission parameter used prior to the at least one transmission occasion (the user equipment 1 may keep using the current data repetition transmission parameter for subsequent uplink signal transmission when the decoding correctness indicator received by the user equipment 1 indicates ACK, see ¶ 0051).
Regarding claim 12, CHIEN discloses the transmission parameter comprises an indication of at least one of: a spatial relation; a beam; a precoder; or a power (transmission parameter includes a transmission power, see ¶ 0026).
Regarding claim 13, CHIEN discloses receiving second DCI, wherein the second DCI is for scheduling transmission of a second transport block and indicates a second uplink resource; and transmitting the second transport block, wherein the transmitting the second transport block is based on one or more transmission parameters used for an uplink transmission, via the second uplink resource, prior to the receiving the second DCI (user equipment 1 receiving another dynamic indication message 202 in T2 from Base Station 2 via DCI in PDCCH and adjusting the transmission parameters, see ¶ 0030, 0031, 0033, and figure 3A).
Regarding claim 14, HOSSEINI discloses the plurality of DCI repetitions comprises at least one of: time domain control channel repetitions; or frequency domain control channel repetitions (repetitions are in time period -time domain, see ¶ 0076).
Regarding claim 22, CHIEN discloses the at least one transmission occasion is the earliest of the plurality of transmission occasions (the uplink signals D1-1 to D1-2 may be regarded as the first uplink signal 102 which is transmitted based on the data repetition transmission parameter before the updating (i.e., the current data repetition transmission parameter), and the uplink signals D1-3 to D1-4 and the uplink signals D2-1 to D2-4 may be regarded as the second uplink signal 104 which is transmitted based on the data repetition transmission parameter after the updating (i.e., the updated data repetition transmission parameter), see ¶ 0030 and figure 3A).
Regarding claim 23, HOSSEINI discloses each DCI repetition, of the plurality of DCI repetitions, comprises the same DCI information (the downlink control information may be repeated in two or more of the TTIs and a UE may identify uplink resources for transmitting uplink control information based on the downlink control information, see ¶ 0007).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of CHIEN-GAO in view of CHENG et al. (US 2019/0020506 A1), hereinafter CHENG.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of CHIEN-GAO fails to disclose that monitoring control resource sets (CORESET) for the plurality of DCI repetitions.
In the same filed of endeavor, CHENG discloses that transmitting multiple control resource sets (CORESTs) containing repetition downlink control information (DCI) in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for scheduling the dame data in PDSCH.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement CHENG’s teaching in the communication method taught by the combination of CHIEN-GAO in order to schedule resources to the user device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Claims 2, 9-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4-8, 11-14, 21-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bob A. Phunkulh whose telephone number is (571) 272-3083. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (first week of the bi-week) and Monday-Friday (for second week of the bi-week).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor CHARLES C. JIANG can be reach on (571) 270-7191.
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/BOB A PHUNKULH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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