DETAILED ACTION
1. Applicant’s response filed on 02/25/2026 has been entered and made of record.
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 Status
Claims 1, 3-13, 15-24, 26-27, and 29-34 are currently pending for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument (remarks filed on 02/25/2026) regarding the availability of the reference - Venugopal et al. (US 2022/0174714 A1) as a prior art is persuasive. Thus, the previous rejection has been withdrawn and a new ground of rejection has been applied. Please refer to the rejection below for details.
Claim Objections
Claims 17 objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 17: The claim, as recited, seems to have a typographical error (“second beam indication type… higher priority than… second beam indication type” (claim 17, claim line 4) - which likely should be “first beam indication type” For examination purposes, the claim will be interpreted as best understood in light of the support in the disclosure.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3-5, 8-13, 15-16, 18-24, 26-27, and 29-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al., (US 20240063979 A1) hereinafter “Li”.
Regarding claims 1 and 24, Li discloses a base station for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories (¶[0135]: “a network device is provided, including: a processor; and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor”; ¶[0005]: “a method for beam indication is performed by a network device”), the one or more memories and the one or more processors configured to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a set of one or more beam indications, associated with a set of one or more beam indication type for a set of beams to use for communication via a set of channels (¶[0005]: “a method for beam indication is performed by a network device. The method includes: sending first indication information”; ¶[0041 “sending first indication information, wherein the first indication information is configured to indicate one or more common TCI states”, see also claim 17), wherein the set of one or more beam indications includes a first beam indication, associated with a first beam indication type, that indicates to use a first beam for communication via at least a first channel of the set of channels (“the common TCI state comprises a UL & DL common TCI state applicable to UL and DL”, see claim 1, ¶¶[0030][0034]);
select, a second beam indication type for transmission of a second beam indication that indicates to use a second beam for communication via at least the first channel of the set of channels (¶[0038], “the first indication information sent for one time may indicate the DL common beam, or the UL common beam, or both”); and
transmit the second beam indication using the second beam indication type, wherein the first beam indication type indicates a joint uplink and downlink transmission configuration information (TCI) state that indicates a common beam for a downlink channel and an uplink channel (¶¶[0030][0034) and wherein the second beam indication type indicates a separate downlink TCI state that indicates a common beam for at least two downlink channels (see claim 17, ¶[0090 - “sending first indication information” with “second indication field is used to indicate the DL common TCI state”; ¶[0036]: “The common TCI state includes… a DL common TCI state applicable to DL”; ¶[0067]: “the terminal instructs through the RRC signaling and/or MAC CE signaling that, the DL common TCI state is used to indicate which beams perform downlink transmission).
Regarding claims 3 and 26, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the first beam indication type is a different beam indication type than the second beam indication type and wherein the one or more processors , (different types of common TCI states: ¶[0047, “the first indication field is different from the second indication field”; ¶[0087]: “the first indication field is used to indicate the UL common TCI state and the second indication field is used to indicate the DL common TCI state”; ¶[0088]-[0089]: discussing first and second indication fields for different TCI state types) when selecting the second beam indication type, are configured to select the second beam indication type based at least in part on the second beam indication type being compatible with the first beam indication type(¶[0108]: “In the method for beam indication according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, indication information may be used to instruct whether to use one UL&DL common TCI state, or whether to use the DL common TCI state and the UL common TCI state for separate indication”; ¶[0113] - “Whether it is used alone or in combination with the foregoing embodiments” which implies compatibility considerations).
Regarding claims 4 and 31, Li discloses the base station of claim 3, wherein the second beam indication type is compatible with the first beam indication type based at least in part on one or more of: the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a common beam for a set of at least two channels , (¶[0027 - “the common beam may be used to indicate uplink and downlink channels”; “at least two items among…” see also ¶¶[0068-0069] ) the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a single beam for at least one uplink channel and at least one downlink channel , (¶[0034], claim 1 - “a UL & DL common TCI state applicable to UL and DL”) the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a TCI state for the uplink channel, or the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a spatial relation for the uplink channel ((¶[0034], claim 1 , “UL common TCI state applicable to UL”).
Regarding claims 5 and 32, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: disable one or more beam indication types for the set of channels based at least in part on transmission of the set of one or more beam indications (¶[0081], “the MAC CE signaling must activate X TCI states, and may optionally activate Y TCI states” - activation/deactivation of TCI states) wherein the one or more processors, when selecting the second beam indication type, are configured to select the second beam indication type from a set of beam indication types that are not disabled (¶[0081]. “When only the X TCI states are activated… When the Y TCI states are also activated” - selection based on activated states).
Regarding claim 6, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more beam indication types includes a third beam indication type associated with a second channel , ( ¶[0064] & claim 3, “the second indication information is configured to indicate a channel and/or a reference signal to which the common TCI state is applicable” - different beam indication types for different channels) and wherein the first beam indication type and the third beam indication type are incompatible for a same channel (¶[0038, “When the same TCI state is applicable to UL and DL… When the UL and DL need to use different common TCI states” - implicitly addresses compatibility constraints).
Regarding claim 8, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the first beam indication also indicates to use the first beam for a second channel, and wherein the second beam indication is configured to indicate to use the second beam for communication via the first channel and not to use the second beam for communication via the second channel (¶[0068] –[0069], “apply the second beam indication to the one or more channels”; selective channel application”).
Regarding claim 9, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the first beam indication also indicates to use the first beam for a second channel, and wherein the second beam indication is configured to indicate to use the second beam for communication via the first channel and for communication via the second channel (Li discloses applying TCI states to specific channels : ¶¶[0027] [0069], “the common beam may be used for uplink and downlink channels”- common beam applicable to multiple channels; ¶[0065]: “the second indication information is configured to indicate a channel and/or a reference signal to which the common TCI state is applicable”; ¶[0067]-[0069]: discussing which specific channels the DL/UL common TCI states apply to).
As per claim 10, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit an indication of one or more beam indication types that are enabled for subsequent beam indications (indication information for instructing TCI state types. [Li, ¶[0109]: “the fourth indication information is configured to instruct that the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the UL&DL common TCI state, the DL common TCI state, and the UL common TCI state”]), wherein the one or more processors, when transmitting the indication of the one or more beam indication types that are enabled for the subsequent beam indications, are configured to transmit the indication via one or more of: radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, or downlink control information signaling (¶¶[0080]-[0081], “the fourth indication information may be the RRC signaling and/or MAC signaling” - RRC and/or MAC signaling for indicating enabled types; ¶[0110]: “the fourth indication information may be the RRC signaling and/or MAC signaling”).
Regarding claim 11, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit an indication of one or more beam indication types that are enabled for subsequent beam indications, wherein the one or more processors, when transmitting the indication of the one or more beam indication types that are enabled for the subsequent beam indications, are configured to transmit an implied indication via one or more of: configuration information associated with the one or more beam indication types (¶[0081, “configuration information associated with the one or more beam indication types” - configuration information provides implied indication), beam indication type indicators associated with candidate beam indications, or operation parameters, associated with an uplink transmission or a downlink transmission, signaled with the set of one or more beam indications (¶¶[0076]-[0078], “the MAC CE provides a corresponding relationship between the code point and one or two DL common TCI states” - code point mappings provide implicit indication; see also ¶[0110]: “the MAC CE signaling must activate X TCI states, and may optionally activate Y TCI states… When only the x TCI states are activated, it means the common TCI state, i.e., a joint DL/UL beam indication… When the Y TCI states are also activated, it means separate DL/UL beam indication”).
Regarding claim 12, Li discloses the base station of claim 1, wherein the set of channels comprises one or more of: an uplink data channel, a downlink data channel, an uplink control channel, a downlink control channel, a channel associated with transmission or reception of reference signals, or one or more resources for transmission or reception of control information or the reference signals (¶¶[0067]-[0069, comprehensive list of channels and reference signals).
Regarding claims 13 and 27, Li discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories (¶[0135]: “a network device is provided, including: a processor; and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor”), the one or more memories and the one or more processors configured to: receive a set of one or more beam indications associated with a set of one or more beam indication types for a set of beams to use for communication via a set of channels , (UE receives indication information “receiving first indication information, wherein the first indication information is configured to indicate one or more common TCI states”, ¶[0034]; ¶[0004]: “a method for beam indication is performed by a terminal. The method includes: receiving first indication information” ) wherein the set of one or more beam indications includes a first beam indication, associated with a first beam indication type , that indicates to use a first beam for communication via at least a first channel of the set of channels (¶[0005]: “a method for beam indication is performed by a network device. The method includes: sending first indication information”; ¶[0041 “sending first indication information, wherein the first indication information is configured to indicate one or more common TCI states”, see also claim 17); receive, based at least in part on receiving the first beam indication , a second beam indication, associated with a second beam indication type, that indicates to use a second beam for communication via at least the first channel, wherein the first beam indication type indicates a joint uplink and downlink transmission configuration information (TCI) state ((¶¶[0030][0034 & claim 1 - “the common TCI state comprises a UL & DL common TCI state applicable to UL and DL”) that indicates a common beam for a downlink channel and an uplink channel and wherein the second beam indication type indicates a separate downlink TCI state that indicates a common beam for at least two downlink channels (¶¶[0030][0034 & claim 1, “a DL common TCI state applicable to DL”; see also ¶[0008], ¶[0035], ¶[0087]); and communicate via the set of channels based at least in part on application of the second beam indication to one or more channels of the set of channels (¶¶[0068]-[0069], “apply the second beam indication to the one or more channels of the set of channels” - application of beam indication to channels), wherein the set of channels comprises at least the two downlink channels (¶[0068], “at least two items among the PDCCH, PDSCH, PBCH…” – multiple DL channels).
Regarding claims 15 and 29, Li discloses the UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors, when communicating via the set of channels based at least in part on the application of the second beam indication to the one or more channels of the set of channels are configured to: apply the second beam indication to the one or more channels of the set of channels based at least in part on the second beam indication type being compatible with the first beam indication type (¶[0108]: “In the method for beam indication according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, indication information may be used to instruct whether to use one UL&DL common TCI state, or whether to use the DL common TCI state and the UL common TCI state for separate indication”; ¶[0113] - “Whether it is used alone or in combination with the foregoing embodiments” which implies compatibility considerations).
Regarding claim 16, Li discloses the UE of claim 15, wherein the second beam indication type is compatible with the first beam indication type based at least in part on one or more of: the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a common beam for a set of at least two channels, the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a single beam for at least one uplink channel and at least one downlink channel (UL&DL common TCI state indicates beam for both UL and DL - ¶[0069]: “the UL & DL common TCI state is used to indicate which beams for uplink and downlink transmission… a beam of at least two items among the PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH…”), the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a TCI state for the uplink channel (¶[0087]: “the first indication field is used to indicate the UL common TCI state or the UL&DL common TCI state”), or the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a spatial relation for the uplink channel spatial relation for the uplink channel (¶[0031]: “the UL common Beam may also be used interchangeably with UL common SpatialRelationInfo”)
Regarding claim 18, Li discloses, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a first indication of one or more beam indication types that are enabled for the set of channels, receive a second indication of compatibility of different beam indication types, of the set of one or more beam indication types, for the first channel, or receive the first indication and the second indication (receiving indication information about enabled TCI state types. [Li, ¶[0079]: “the terminal receives fourth indication information, in which the fourth indication information is configured to indicate that the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the UL&DL common TCI state, the DL common TCI state, and the UL common TCI state”; ¶[0108]: “indication information may be used to instruct whether to use one UL&DL common TCI state, or whether to use the DL common TCI state and the UL common TCI state for separate indication”)
Regarding claim 19, Li discloses the UE of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors, when receiving the first indication or receiving the second indication, are configured to receive the first indication or the second indication via one or more of: radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, or downlink control information signaling (RRC, MAC CE, and DCI signaling - ¶[0012]: “receiving second indication information, wherein the second indication information is configured to indicate a channel and/or a reference signal to which the common TCI state is applicable. The second indication information may be a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a MAC CE signaling”; ¶[0066]: “The second indication information may be a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or a MAC CE signaling”; ¶[0080]: “the fourth indication information may be the RRC signaling and/or MAC signaling”]).
Regarding claim 20, Li discloses the UE of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors, when receiving the first indication or the second indication, are configured to receive an implied indication via one or more of: configuration information associated with the one or more beam indication types, beam indication type indicators associated with candidate beam indications, or operation parameters, associated with an uplink transmission or a downlink transmission, signaled with the set of one or more beam indications (configuration information and parameters that imply TCI state types. [Li, ¶[0080]: “the MAC CE signaling must activate X TCI states, and may optionally activate Y TCI states… When only the x TCI states are activated, it means the common TCI state, i.e., a joint DL/UL beam indication… When the Y TCI states are also activated, it means separate DL/UL beam indication”; ¶[0081]: “the RRC and/or MAC signaling instructs at least one item of a of bit field position and a number of bits used for common TCI state indication in the DCI under different circumstances”]).
Regarding claim 21, Li discloses the UE of claim 13, wherein the first beam indication indicates to use the first beam for communication via a second channel of the set of channels, and wherein the one or more processors, when communicating via the set of channels based at least in part on the application of the second beam indication to the one or more channels of the set of channels, are configured to: apply the second beam indication to the first channel and not to the second channel (applying TCI states selectively to specific channels - ¶[0065]: “second indication information is received, in which the second indication information is configured to indicate a channel and/or a reference signal to which the common TCI state is applicable”; ¶[0067]-[0069]: specifying which channels each TCI state type applies to]).
Regarding claim 22, Li discloses the UE of claim 13, wherein the first beam indication indicates to use the first beam for communication via a second channel of the set of channels, and wherein the one or more processors, when communicating via the set of channels based at least in part on the application of the second beam indication to the one or more channels of the set of channels, are configured to: apply the second beam indication to the first channel and to the second channel (¶[0067]: “the DL common TCI state is used to indicate a beam of at least two items among the PDCCH, PDSCH, physical broadcast channel (PBCH)”; ¶[0069]: “the UL & DL common TCI state is used to indicate which beams for uplink and downlink transmission… a beam of at least two items among the PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH, PRACH, PBCH, SSB, DMRS, CSI-RS, PRS, TRS, SRS”]).
Regarding claim 23, Li discloses the UE of claim 13, wherein the set of channels comprises one or more of: an uplink data channel, a downlink data channel, an uplink control channel, a downlink control channel, a channel associated with transmission or reception of reference signals, or one or more resources for transmission or reception of control information or the reference signals (same as claim 12 - Li ¶[0067]: “PDCCH, PDSCH, PBCH, SSB, DMRS, CSI-RS, PRS, TRS”; ¶[0068]: “PUCCH, PUSCH, PRACH, SRS”; ¶[0069]: comprehensive list including all mentioned channels]).
Regarding claim 30, Li discloses the method of claim 29, wherein the second beam indication type is compatible with the first beam indication type based at least in part on one or more of: the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a common beam for a set of at least two channels (¶[0027 - “the common beam may be used to indicate uplink and downlink channels”; “at least two items among…” see also ¶¶[0068-0069] ), the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a single beam for at least one uplink channel and at least one downlink channel (¶[0034], claim 1 - “a UL & DL common TCI state applicable to UL and DL”), the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a TCI state for the uplink channel, or the first beam indication type and the second beam indication type each being configured to indicate a spatial relation for the uplink channel (¶[0034], claim 1 , “UL common TCI state applicable to UL”).
Regarding claim 33, Li discloses the method of claim 27, further comprising: disabling one or more beam indication types for the set of channels based at least in part on transmission of the set of one or more beam indications, wherein selecting the second beam indication type comprises selecting the second beam indication type from a set of beam indication types that are not disabled (same as in claim 5 above from UE perspective where Li discusses configuration/instruction to use certain types; ¶[0079]-[0081] discussing terminal receiving configuration of TCI state types).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 6, 7, 17 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Li in view of Tidestav et al. (US 2021/0359746 A1), hereinafter “Tidestav”.
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Li discloses the claimed invention substantially as recited. However, Li does not explicitly teach selecting the second beam indication type based at least in part on the second beam indication type being associated with a higher priority than a priority associated with the first beam indication type. However, as evidenced by the teachings of Chen Tidestav, to “select the second beam indication type based at least in part on the second beam indication type being associated with a higher priority than a priority associated with the first beam indication type” was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (see Tidestav ¶[0061], “Embodiments described herein overcome these deficiencies by establishing a priority of signal types to be transmitted on a beam.” and ¶[0069], “A network node 16 is configured to include a beam selection unit 32 which is configured to select a first transmit beam of a plurality of transmit beams on which to transmit a signal of a signal type having a highest priority).
Thus, it is respectively submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to implement the prioritization of signal types as detailed in Tidestav, onto the teachings of Li, in order to provide improved quality on received signals during multibeam reception (see Tidestav ¶¶[0060-0061], “This would result in one or all of the signals not being received with sufficient quality. Embodiments described herein overcome these deficiencies …”).
Regarding claims 6 and 34, Li discloses the invention substantially as recited, wherein the set of one or more beam indication types includes a third beam indication type associated with a second channel , ( ¶[0064] & claim 3, “the second indication information is configured to indicate a channel and/or a reference signal to which the common TCI state is applicable” - different beam indication types for different channels) and wherein the first beam indication type and the third beam indication type are incompatible for a same channel (¶[0038, “When the same TCI state is applicable to UL and DL… When the UL and DL need to use different common TCI states”). Although Li does seem to implicitly addresses compatibility constraints, Li does not explicitly disclose wherein the first beam indication type and the third beam indication type are incompatible for a same channel. However, Tidestav discloses a solution for conflicting beam indications (see Tidestav [Pg. 1, ¶0012], “If a WD is provided with several conflicting beam indications for receiving two or more channels, the WD should apply the beam indications based on the priority of the channels.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to implement the solution for conflicting beam indications as detailed by Tidestav, onto the teachings of Li, in order to indicate wherein a beam indication type is incompatible with another beam indication type for a same channel and then prioritize one over the other by determination or by recommendation (see Tidestav ¶[0012], “If the WD is provided with beam indications for PDSCH and CSI-RS and cannot follow both indications at the same time, the WD may use the beam indication for PDSCH, following the recommendation of the network node.”).
Conclusion
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/YEMANE MESFIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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