DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/09/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 16, 22 and 28 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.
Regarding the claimed feature of “obtaining a configuration of random access preambles and random access occasions associated with a capability supported by the UE”, the Applicant argues that Hoglund fails to disclose the claimed “random access occasions” on page 11 of Applicant’s response filed on 03/09/2026. Although the Examiner believes this features would have been obvious based on the previously cited paragraph, but Examiner cited a secondary reference, Zhou, for this claim feature as shown in the rejections below.
Regarding Hoglund, the Applicant further argues that Hoglund is directed to a “capability” being EDT, while the claim invention is directed to a “capability supported by the UE” being “a combination of multiple capabilities including the light capability of the UE and an early data transmission (EDT)”. However, since Hoglund discloses the indication of EDT using indications for eMTC or NB-IoT (see paragraph [0051]), that indication also indicates the capability of supporting eMTC/NB-IoT, both of which are considered to be “light capability of the UE”. As the claimed “multiple capability” only requires the “light capability” and “EDT”, Hoglund is found to meet both requirements of this claim feature and the rejection based on Hoglund is maintained.
Regarding previously cited reference, Gupta, all arguments directed towards the rejections of claims 1, 16, 22 and 28 based on Gupta are moot as Gupta had been replaced by Zhou in the new grounds of rejections.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 16, 22, 28 and 31-32 and 38-41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoglund (US 2023/0199617) in view of Yavuz (US 2016/0205542) and Zhou (US 2019/0141546).
Hoglund discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 1, a method performed by a UE in a communication system (see UE in system of Fig. 1), the method comprising:
obtaining a configuration on a number of random access preambles and random access occasions associated with a capability supported by the UE, wherein the capability corresponds to a combination of a light capability of the UE and EDT (see Fig. 2 and paragraph [0051] and [0056], wherein the UE receives an EDT indication for eMTC or NB-IoT, wherein eMTC and NB-IoT are considered light capability for limited capability UEs, i.e. paragraph [0003]; and see “preamble/(N)PRACH resource range” recited in paragraph [0060], wherein the preamble resource is also an occasion for transmitting the preambles);
transmitting, to a base station, a random access preamble based on the configuration (see “As part of the UE-specific indication, not only may it be indicated that the UE is allowed to use EDT, but also the preamble/(N)PRACH resource to use for EDT may be indicated” recited in paragraph [0060]; and see preamble transmission to an eNB in Fig. 1), wherein the random access preamble is associated with the capability supported by the UE (see “As part of the UE-specific indication, not only may it be indicated that the UE is allowed to use EDT, but also the preamble/(N)PRACH resource to use for EDT may be indicated” recited in paragraph [0060], wherein the random access preamble being associated with the EDT, which is part of the capability supported by the UE);
receiving, from the base station, a random access response in response to the random access preamble (see step 2 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE receives the RAR from the eNB);
transmitting, to the base station, a message 3 (see step 3 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE transmits msg3 to the eNB).
Regarding claim 16, a method performed by a base station in a communication system (see eNB in system of Fig. 1), the method comprising:
identifying a configuration on a number of random access preambles and random access occasions associated with a capability supported by the UE, wherein the capability corresponds to a combination of a light capability of the UE and EDT (see Fig. 2 and paragraph [0051] and [0056], wherein the UE receives an EDT indication for eMTC or NB-IoT, wherein eMTC and NB-IoT are considered light capability for limited capability UEs, i.e. paragraph [0003]; and see “preamble/(N)PRACH resource range” recited in paragraph [0060], wherein the preamble resource is also an occasion for transmitting the preambles);
receiving, from the UE, a random access preamble based on the configuration (see “As part of the UE-specific indication, not only may it be indicated that the UE is allowed to use EDT, but also the preamble/(N)PRACH resource to use for EDT may be indicated” recited in paragraph [0060]; and see preamble transmission to an eNB in Fig. 1);
transmitting, to the UE, a random access response in response to the random access preamble (see step 2 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE receives the RAR from the eNB);
receiving, from the UE, a message 3 (see step 3 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE transmits msg3 to the eNB).
Regarding claim 22, a UE in a communication system (see UE in system of Fig. 1), the UE comprising:
a transceiver; and
at least one processor coupled with the transceiver (see wireless device 410 in Fig. 4 including processing circuitry 420 and transceiver circuitry 422) and configured to:
obtain a configuration on a number of random access preambles and random access occasions associated with a capability supported by the UE, wherein the capability corresponds to a combination of a light capability of the UE and EDT (see Fig. 2 and paragraph [0051] and [0056], wherein the UE receives an EDT indication for eMTC or NB-IoT, wherein eMTC and NB-IoT are considered light capability for limited capability UEs, i.e. paragraph [0003]; and see “preamble/(N)PRACH resource range” recited in paragraph [0060], wherein the preamble resource is also an occasion for transmitting the preambles);
transmit, to a base station, a random access preamble based on the configuration (see “As part of the UE-specific indication, not only may it be indicated that the UE is allowed to use EDT, but also the preamble/(N)PRACH resource to use for EDT may be indicated” recited in paragraph [0060]; and see preamble transmission to an eNB in Fig. 1), wherein the random access preamble is associated with the capability supported by the UE (see “As part of the UE-specific indication, not only may it be indicated that the UE is allowed to use EDT, but also the preamble/(N)PRACH resource to use for EDT may be indicated” recited in paragraph [0060], wherein the random access preamble being associated with the EDT, which is part of the capability supported by the UE);
receive, from the base station, a random access response in response to the random access preamble (see step 2 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE receives the RAR from the eNB);
transmitting, to the base station, a message 3 (see step 3 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE transmits msg3 to the eNB).
Regarding claim 28, a base station in a communication system (see eNB in system of Fig. 1), the base station comprising:
a transceiver; and
at least one processor coupled with the transceiver (see network device 450 in Fig. 4 including processing circuitry 470 and transceiver circuitry 472) and configured to:
identify a configuration on a number of random access preambles and random access occasions associated with a capability supported by the UE, wherein the capability corresponds to a combination of a light capability of the UE and EDT (see Fig. 2 and paragraph [0051] and [0056], wherein the UE receives an EDT indication for eMTC or NB-IoT, wherein eMTC and NB-IoT are considered light capability for limited capability UEs, i.e. paragraph [0003]; and see “preamble/(N)PRACH resource range” recited in paragraph [0060], wherein the preamble resource is also an occasion for transmitting the preambles);
receive, from the UE, a random access preamble based on the configuration (see “As part of the UE-specific indication, not only may it be indicated that the UE is allowed to use EDT, but also the preamble/(N)PRACH resource to use for EDT may be indicated” recited in paragraph [0060]; and see preamble transmission to an eNB in Fig. 1);
transmit, to the UE, a random access response in response to the random access preamble (see step 2 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE receives the RAR from the eNB);
receive, from the UE, a message 3 (see step 3 in Fig. 1, wherein the UE transmits msg3 to the eNB).
Hoglund does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 1 and 22, obtaining information on a separate initial uplink bandwidth part for a light capability; wherein the preamble is transmitted in the separate initial uplink bandwidth part for the light capability; obtaining random access occasions associated with the capability supported by the UE (Hoglund discloses obtaining (N)PRACH resource to use for EDT in paragraph [0060], but does not specify that the (N)PRACH being an random access occasion; even though it would have been obvious that an NPRACH being a narrowband physical random access channel, that transmission for EDT on the NPRACH using the NPRACH resource would have include an occasion for random access with narrowband and EDT, a secondary reference teaching this feature is included herein below); transmitting, to the base station, a message 3 including a MAC subheader for the light capability of the UE, wherein the MAC sub header includes a specific LCID for the light capability of the UE; regarding claims 16 and 28, transmitting, to a UE, information on a separate initial uplink bandwidth part for a light capability; wherein the random access preamble is received in the separate initial uplink bandwidth part for the light capability, wherein the random access preamble is associated with the capability supported by the UE; receiving, from the UE, a message 3 including a MAC subheader for the light capability of the UE, wherein the MAC sub header includes a specific LCID for the light capability of the UE.
Yavuz discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1 and 22, transmitting, to the base station, a message 3 including a MAC subheader for the light capability of the UE (see “embodiments herein may use fields in the MAC header in the Msg3 for CCCH Access to signal category restrictions, such as TBS restriction for low complexity UEs, before UE category and capability information may be exchanged” recited in paragraph [0083]), wherein the MAC sub header includes a specific LCID for the light capability of the UE (see “LCID” recited in paragraph [0079]; “an R/R/E/LCID MAC Subheader, which is the shortest available MAC subheader” recited in paragraph [0085]; “Logical Channel IDentity (LCID): The Logical Channel ID field 301 may identify the logical channel CCCH with LCID=00000. This may allow a MAC receiver to determine the message is sent on the CCCH” recited in paragraph [0087] and see “see “embodiments herein may use fields in the MAC header in the Msg3 for CCCH Access to signal category restrictions, such as TBS restriction for low complexity UEs” recited in paragraph [0083] showing that the category restriction being directed towards the CCCH indicated using the LCID).
Regarding claims 16 and 28, receiving, from the UE, a message 3 including a MAC subheader for the light capability of the UE (see “embodiments herein may use fields in the MAC header in the Msg3 for CCCH Access to signal category restrictions, such as TBS restriction for low complexity UEs, before UE category and capability information may be exchanged” recited in paragraph [0083]), wherein the MAC sub header includes a specific LCID for the light capability of the UE (see “LCID” recited in paragraph [0079]; “an R/R/E/LCID MAC Subheader, which is the shortest available MAC subheader” recited in paragraph [0085]; “Logical Channel IDentity (LCID): The Logical Channel ID field 301 may identify the logical channel CCCH with LCID=00000. This may allow a MAC receiver to determine the message is sent on the CCCH” recited in paragraph [0087] and see “see “embodiments herein may use fields in the MAC header in the Msg3 for CCCH Access to signal category restrictions, such as TBS restriction for low complexity UEs” recited in paragraph [0083] showing that the category restriction being directed towards the CCCH indicated using the LCID).
Zhou discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1 and 22, obtaining information on a separate initial uplink bandwidth part for a light capability (see Fig. 43, wherein the UE 4301 receives the BWP configuration from the base station 4302 in step 4303, paragraph [0483] recites “The configuring an initial active UL BWP for a wireless device described above regarding FIG. 43 and/or FIG. 45 may be performed on a PCell (e.g., with a smaller MAC CE and/or for a narrowband BWP)”, wherein the BWP configuration may include an initial active narrowband UL BWP; wherein the narrowband communication may be used for devices with light capability, such as “narrow band-Internet of Things” as shown in paragraph [0364]); wherein the preamble is transmitted in the separate initial uplink bandwidth part for the light capability (see Fig. 43, wherein the PRACH preamble transmission in step 4305 uses the BWP indicated in the BWP configuration in step 4303); and obtaining random access occasions associated with the capability supported by the UE (see “The base station 4302 may transmit the DCI 4304 indicating an RA procedure on an active BWP (e.g., BWP 0), with a preamble index and a preamble resource indication. The wireless device 4301 may transmit, to the base station 4302, a response message 4305 (e.g., preamble 4305) on the active BWP (e.g., BWP 0) such as a PRACH transmission on the active UL BWP indicated in the PDCCH order. The wireless device 4301 may transmit a preamble via the time and/or frequency resource for the active UL BWP (e.g., UL BWP 0) indicated in the DCI 4304” recited in paragraph [0472], wherein the wireless device obtains a time resource for transmitting the random access preamble, the time resource therefore being considered as a random access occasion).
Regarding claims 16 and 28, wherein the random access preamble is received in the separate initial uplink bandwidth part for the light capability, wherein the random access preamble is associated with the capability supported by the UE (see Fig. 43, wherein the UE 4301 receives the BWP configuration from the base station 4302 in step 4303, paragraph [0483] recites “The configuring an initial active UL BWP for a wireless device described above regarding FIG. 43 and/or FIG. 45 may be performed on a PCell (e.g., with a smaller MAC CE and/or for a narrowband BWP)”, wherein the BWP configuration may include an initial active narrowband UL BWP; wherein the narrowband communication may be used for devices with light capability, such as “narrow band-Internet of Things” as shown in paragraph [0364] and see Fig. 43, wherein the PRACH preamble transmission in step 4305 uses the BWP indicated in the BWP configuration in step 4303).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Hoglund using features, as taught by Yavuz and Zhou, in order to provide the network node with any category indication in due time for the network node 110 to act accordingly (see paragraph [0081]-[0082] of Yavuz) and in order to improve spectrum efficiency and reduce blind decoding of a wireless device (see paragraph [0470] of Zhou).
Claim(s) 4-5, 19-20, 25-26, 31-32 and 38-41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoglund, Yavuz and Zhou as applied to claims 1, 16, 22 and 28 above, and further in view of Gupta (US 2019/0261294).
Hoglund, Yavuz and Zhou disclose the features as shown above.
Hoglund does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 4 and 25, obtaining information on a separate initial downlink bandwidth part for the light capability; regarding claims 5 and 26, wherein a physical downlink control channel for receiving the random access response is monitored by using the separate initial downlink bandwidth part; regarding claims 19 and 31, wherein information on a separate initial downlink bandwidth part for the light capability is transmitted to the UE; regarding claims 20 and 32, wherein a physical downlink control channel for transmitting the random access response is transmitted by using the separate initial downlink bandwidth part; regarding claims 38-41, wherein the message 3 is transmitted/received in the separate initial uplink bandwidth part.
Gupta discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 4 and 25, obtaining information on a separate initial downlink bandwidth part for the light capability (see “narrowband operation of IoE devices and MTC UEs …narrow bandwidth 808 can be used for both UL and DL and can be used for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), SIB, and/or paging” recited in paragraph [0073], wherein the IoE devices and MTC UEs are considered to be devices operating with the light capability).
Regarding claims 5 and 26, wherein a physical downlink control channel for receiving the random access response is monitored by using the separate initial downlink bandwidth part (see “narrowband operation of IoE devices and MTC UEs …narrow bandwidth 808 can be used for both UL and DL and can be used for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), SIB, and/or paging” recited in paragraph [0073], wherein the MTC UE must monitor the narrowband to receive the DL transmission).
Regarding claims 19 and 31, wherein information on a separate initial downlink bandwidth part for the light capability is transmitted to the UE (see “narrowband operation of IoE devices and MTC UEs …narrow bandwidth 808 can be used for both UL and DL and can be used for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), SIB, and/or paging” recited in paragraph [0073], wherein the IoE devices and MTC UEs are considered to be devices operating with the light capability).
Regarding claims 20 and 32, wherein a physical downlink control channel for transmitting the random access response is transmitted by using the separate initial downlink bandwidth part (see “narrowband operation of IoE devices and MTC UEs …narrow bandwidth 808 can be used for both UL and DL and can be used for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), SIB, and/or paging” recited in paragraph [0073]).
Regarding claims 38-41, wherein the message 3 is transmitted/received in the separate initial uplink bandwidth part (see “UL random access channel (RACH) messages (e.g., message 1 and message 3) can be communicated by MTC UEs in the UL center frequency 811 to facilitate access to the network… other UL transmissions can be communicated in a bandwidth different from narrow bandwidth 808, such as bandwidth 816” recited in paragraph [0073], wherein the MTC UEs are considered to be UEs with light capability and uses a separate narrow bandwidth 808 which is different from other UL transmissions using other bandwidth part, such as bandwidth 816; Zhou as shown above shows the transmission of the preamble, or message 1, using the separate initial uplink bandwidth part, thus when combined with the teaching of Gupta wherein the message 1 and message3 are communicated using the same narrow bandwidth, it would have been obvious to communicate the message 3 on the separate initial uplink bandwidth part taught by Zhou).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Hoglund, Yavuz and Zhou using features, as taught by Gupta, in order to reduce costs of low complexity UEs (see paragraph [0076] of Gupta).
Claim(s) 3, 18, 24 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoglund, Yavuz and Zhou as applied to claims 1, 16, 22 and 28 above, and further in view of Awadin (US 2023/0140213).
Hoglund, Yavuz and Zhou disclose the features as shown above.
Hoglund does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 3, 18, 24 and 30 transmitting, to the base station/from the UE, capability information including information on a maximum bandwidth for the light capability supported by the UE.
Awadin discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 3, 18, 24 and 30 transmitting, to the base station/from the UE, capability information including information on a maximum bandwidth for the light capability supported by the UE (see “new UE category for reduced capability NR devices may be defined. Among other information, the category may define the maximum number of antennas that can be supported by reduced capability NR devices in addition to the maximum bandwidth that can be supported by such devices. A reduced capability NR device may indicate such capability as early as in RACH procedure” recited in paragraph [0137]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Hoglund, Yavuz and Zhou using features, as taught by Awadin, in order to provide bandwidth capability (see paragraph [0137] of Awadin).
Conclusion
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/JUTAI KAO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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