DETAILED ACTION
This office action is responsive to communications filed on November 13, 2025. Claims 1, 10, 15, and 22 have been amended. Claims 26-29 have been canceled. Claims 1, 3-6, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17-20, 22, 24, and 25 are pending in the application.
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 .
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.
Claims 1, 4, 6, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohuchi et al. (US 2020/0236574) in view of 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #97 R1-1906375 “Discussion on initial access and mobility in NR-U” (hereinafter, 3GPP) and Zhang et al. (US 2019/0246410).
Regarding Claim 1, Ohuchi teaches a method of wireless communication, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device, synchronization signal block (SSB) quasi-co-location (QCL) index, and determining a SSB with the SSB QCL index as a target pathloss reference signal (“The QCL index is information indicating which base station apparatus (or different base station apparatus or antenna port at which location (in which geographic region)) transmits. QCL is associated with Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread” – See [0248]; “One SS block in the serving cell c may correspond to one beam index and/or one QCL index. In other words, in a case that SS blocks in the serving cell c differ, a corresponding beam index and/or QCL index may differ” – See [0249]; “a correspondence relationship (Linkage) between the beam index and/or QCL index and the path loss reference may be indicated by higher layer parameters” – See [0271]; The terminal receives a SS block QCL index and determines a corresponding SS block as a path loss reference signal); and
measuring, by the terminal device, the target pathloss reference signal to determine a path loss between the terminal device and a network device (“The downlink path loss may be calculated based on the transmit power (transmit power of the base station apparatus 2) of the (downlink) path loss reference (for example, SS block or CSI-RS) and the RSRP (measurement result of the path loss reference in the terminal apparatus 1)” – See [0161]; The terminal measures the downlink path loss between the base station (network device) and the terminal based on the SS block/path loss reference signal).
Ohuchi does not explicitly teach that the SSB QCL index is determined according to an SSB position index, wherein a value range of the SSB position index is determined according to the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window, the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window is determined according to a parameter configured by the network device, wherein the parameter configured by the network device comprises a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the SSB.
However, 3GPP teaches that the SSB QCL index is determined according to an SSB position index, wherein a value range of the SSB position index is determined according to the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window (“UE may assume a QCL relation between SS/PBCH blocks which are detected across DRS transmission windows and have the same value of modulo(SS/PBCH candidate position index, N), where N is the number of non-QCL SSBs, N ≤ X” – See p. 7; “The maximum number of candidate SSB positions within a DRS transmission window, Y” – See p. 1; “the SSB candidate positions within the DRS transmission window are indexed from 0, …, Y-1” – See p. 2; The QCL index is a result of the modulo of the SSB position index and N. Thus, the QCL index is determined based on the SSB position index. Furthermore, a value range of the SSB position index determined according to Y (a maximum number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window), such that the SSB position index is 0, …, Y-1),
the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window determined according to a parameter configured by the network device, wherein the parameter configured by the network device comprises a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the SSB (“where Y=10 for 15kHz SCS and Y=20 for 30kHz SCS” – See p. 1; “SCS indication in MIB” – See p. 2; The number of candidate positions, Y, is determined according to the SCS, wherein the SCS is configured by the network in the MIB).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ohuchi such that the SSB QCL index is determined according to an SSB position index, wherein a value range of the SSB position index is determined according to the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window, the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window is determined according to a parameter configured by the network device, wherein the parameter configured by the network device comprises a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the SSB. Motivation for doing so would be to allow the UE to know that some SSBs within a burst set are QCLed. Accordingly, the UE can average the measurements for the QCLed SSBs which can overcome a lack of RSRP samples due to LBT failure and measurement accuracy is improved (See 3GPP, p. 7).
Ohuchi does not explicitly teach that the parameter configured by the network device comprises a size of the time-window, wherein the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window is further determined according to the size of the time-window.
However, Zhang teaches that that the parameter configured by the network device comprises a size of the time-window, wherein the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window is determined according to the size of the time-window (“At block 400, a UE receives an SSB configuration for a discovery signal detection window having a plurality of communication slots” – See [0074]; “The number of potential SSB locations within DMTC window 702 may exceed the maximum number, L, depending on the length of DMTC window 702. For example, with a 240 KHz SSB subcarrier spacing (SCS), base station 105a can accommodate up to 64 SSBs within 2.5 ms. If the length of DMTC window 702 can be up to 10 ms, 64*4 potential SSB locations can be found within DMTC window 702, even though base station 105a would only transmit up to L such SSBs” – See [0086]; The network device configures a time window, wherein the number of potential (candidate) SSB positions is determined according to the length of the time window).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ohuchi such that the parameter configured by the network device comprises a size of the time-window, wherein the number of candidate positions used for SSB transmission in one time-window is further determined according to the size of the time-window. Motivation for doing so would be to enable additional opportunistic SSBs to be transmitted, resulting in faster initial acquisition (See Zhang, [0093]).
Regarding Claim 4, Ohuchi in view of 3GPP and Zhang teaches the method of Claim 1. 3GPP further teaches that the SSB QCL index is a result of a modulo operation on the SSB position index and a parameter Q, wherein the parameter Q is used for determining a QCL relationship of an SSB, and is a maximum number of SSBs that are transmitted in one time-window and are not in a QCL relationship (“UE may assume a QCL relation between SS/PBCH blocks which are detected across DRS transmission windows and have the same value of modulo(SS/PBCH candidate position index, N), where N is the number of non-QCL SSBs, N ≤ X” – See p. 7; “Maximum number of transmitted SSBs is [X] within DRS transmission window” – See p. 1; The QCL index is a result of the modulo of the SSB index and N, where N, being a maximum number of SSBs that are transmitted in one time-window and are not in a QCL relationship, is equivalent to Q).
Regarding Claim 6, Ohuchi in view of 3GPP and Zhang teaches the method of Claim 1. Ohuchi further teaches determining, by the terminal device, a transmission power of an uplink channel or a transmission power of an uplink signal according to the path loss, wherein the uplink channel comprises a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and/or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and the uplink signal comprises a sounding reference signal (SRS) (“a path loss reference for evaluating the path loss value used for the transmit power in each of the uplink physical channel and/or the uplink physical signal (that is, uplink signal)” – See [0261]; “the uplink signal may be at least one or more of the PUSCH, the PUCCH, the PRACH, the ULDMRS, and the SRS” – See [0178]; The terminal determines an uplink transmission power of a PUSCH, PUCCH, or SRS based on the determined path loss).
Claims 10, 15, and 22 are rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 1.
Claims 13 and 18 are rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 4.
Claim 20 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 6.
Regarding Claim 25, Ohuchi in view of 3GPP and Zhang teaches the network device of Claim 22. Ohuchi further teaches that the path loss is used for the terminal device to determine a transmission power of an uplink channel or a transmission power of an uplink signal (“the terminal apparatus 1 may appropriately set the uplink transmit power, based on the path loss reference” – See [0232]; The terminal sets an uplink transmit power based on the determined path loss).
3GPP further teaches that the SSB QCL index is a result of a modulo operation on the SSB position index and a parameter Q, wherein the parameter Q is used for determining a QCL relationship of an SSB (“UE may assume a QCL relation between SS/PBCH blocks which are detected across DRS transmission windows and have the same value of modulo(SS/PBCH candidate position index, N), where N is the number of non-QCL SSBs, N ≤ X” – See p. 7; “Maximum number of transmitted SSBs is [X] within DRS transmission window” – See p. 1; The QCL index is a result of the modulo of the SSB index and N, where N is equivalent to Q).
Claims 3, 5, 12, 17, 19, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohuchi et al. (US 2020/0236574) in view of 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #97 R1-1906375 “Discussion on initial access and mobility in NR-U” (hereinafter, 3GPP) and Zhang et al. (US 2019/0246410) and further in view of Tang (WO 2018/195777, see attached translation).
Regarding Claim 3, Ohuchi in view of 3GPP and Zhang teaches the method of Claim 1. Ohuchi further teaches that SSBs having different SSB QCL indexes are not in a QCL relationship (“in a case that SS blocks in the serving cell c differ, a corresponding beam index and/or QCL index may differ” – See [0249]; SS blocks).
Ohuchi does not explicitly teach that SSBs having a same SSB QCL index are in a QCL relationship.
However, Tang teaches that SSBs having a same SSB QCL index are in a QCL relationship (“During specific implementation, the quasi co-located ports may correspond to the same QCL ID, and the quasi co-located ports and other ports respectively correspond to different QCL IDs” – See [0007]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ohuchi such that SSBs having a same SSB QCL index are in a QCL relationship. Motivation for doing so would be to provide improved channel estimation performance based on a large scale property of the channel (See Tang, [0002]).
Regarding Claim 5, Ohuchi in view of 3GPP, Zhang, and Tang teaches the method of Claim 3. 3GPP further teaches that the SSB carries the SSB position index, for the terminal device to obtain a transmit position of the SSB (“Alt-1: The SS/PBCH block position index is detected using a combination of PBCH DMRS sequence and [2] bits in the PBCH payload, and potentially repurpose bits in MIB Alt-1a: The candidate SSB positions within the DRS transmission window are indexed from 0,…,Y-1 using 3 bits in PBCH DMRS sequence and [2] bits in PBCH payload. UE determines serving cell timing from the SSB candidate position index based on Rel-15 procedure … Alt-2: The SS/PBCH block position index is detected using PBCH DMRS sequence only FFS: If number of PBCH DMRS sequences is increased beyond 8 Note: Y is limited to 8 if number of DMRS sequences is not increased Alt-4: SS/PBCH block position index is derived with the combination of PBCH DMRS sequence and the phase difference between PBCH DMRS and SSS.” – See p. 2; The SSB position index is indicated by the PBCH sequence, wherein the PBCH is part of the SSB. Thus, the SSB carries the SSB position index).
Claims 12, 17, and 24 are rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 3.
Claim 19 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 5.
Response to Arguments
On pages 7-8 of the remarks, Applicant argues in substance that Tang and Gong do not teach “receiving, by a terminal device, synchronization signal block (SSB) quasi-co-location (QCL) index; determining a SSB with the SSB QCL index as a target pathloss reference signal,” as recited in independent claims 1, 10, 15, and 22. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot based on the new grounds of rejection. In response to the amended limitations, the Examiner relies upon the newly-cited Ohuchi reference.
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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/SCOTT M SCIACCA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478