DETAILED ACTION
This communication is response to the amendment filed 01/15/2026. Claims 7 and 9-11 are pending and presented for examination.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 7 and 9-11 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.
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.
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) 7 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2016/0366618 to Quan et al. (hereafter Quan) in view of US 2022/0070918 to FAN et al. (hereafter Fan) and further in view of US 2020/0092861 to Xu et al. (hereafter Xu).
Regarding claim 7, Quan discloses a terminal comprising:
a transmitter (see Quan, Fig 4, Reporting module 11) that transmits capability information of the terminal indicating, in each of frequency bands, whether a function for an unlicensed frequency band is supported (see Quan, ¶ 0008: a reporting module, configured to report an unlicensed spectrum capability parameter of the UE to a serving base station of the UE, where the unlicensed spectrum capability parameter is used to indicate information about an unlicensed spectrum supported by the UE; ¶ 0052: a reporting module 11, configured to report an unlicensed spectrum capability parameter of the UE to a serving base station of the UE, where the unlicensed spectrum capability parameter is used to indicate information about an unlicensed spectrum supported by the UE; ¶ 0062: receiving module 21 is further configured to: receive the unlicensed spectrum capability parameter sent by the UE when the UE is in a dual-connected state, where the dual-connected state refers to a state in which the UE is simultaneously served by two or more base stations), wherein the frequency bands comprise the unlicensed frequency band and a licensed frequency band (see Quan, ¶ 0054: the reporting module 11 is further configured to report the unlicensed spectrum capability parameter that includes one or more of the following: a quantity of unlicensed spectrums that can be used simultaneously by a serving cell that can be supported by the UE, a quantity of unlicensed spectrums and licensed spectrums that can be used simultaneously by a serving cell that can be supported by the UE……a spectrum range of an unlicensed spectrum and a licensed spectrum that can be used by a serving cell that can be supported by the UE); and a
processor that controls, based on the capability information, reception of configuration information related to the function for the unlicensed frequency band (see Quan, ¶ 0018: receive configuration information sent by a secondary base station, where the configuration information refers to information about an unlicensed spectrum cell that the secondary base station configures for the UE according to the received unlicensed spectrum capability parameter; ¶ 0020: notify the UE of the unlicensed spectrum cells that are configured for the UE separately by the base station and the secondary base station, so that the UE can perform data transmission by using the unlicensed spectrum cells configured by the base station and the secondary base station; ¶ 0029: receiving, by the base station, an unlicensed spectrum capability parameter sent by the UE, and configuring an unlicensed spectrum serving cell for the UE according to the unlicensed spectrum capability parameter; ¶ 0041: notifying, by the master base station, the UE of the unlicensed spectrum cells that are configured for the UE separately by the master base station and the secondary base station, so that the UE can perform data transmission by using the unlicensed spectrum cells configured by the master base station and the secondary base station; ¶ 0062: receive configuration information sent by the secondary base station, where the configuration information refers to information about an unlicensed spectrum cell that the secondary base station configures for the UE according to received unlicensed spectrum capability parameter; ¶ 0064: the notification module 25 is configured to send the unlicensed spectrum capability parameter to the secondary base station; and notify the UE of the unlicensed spectrum cells that are configured for the UE separately by the master base station and the secondary base station, so that the UE can perform data transmission by using the unlicensed spectrum cells configured by the master base station and the secondary base station; ¶ 0065: UE reports a list, of unlicensed spectrums that can be supported by the UE and a maximum bandwidth value of each unlicensed spectrum to a serving base station of the UE; by using this method, the serving base station of the UE can configure an unlicensed spectrum resource for the UE according to a received unlicensed spectrum capability parameter. Therefore, a base station can configure an unlicensed spectrum resource according to unlicensed spectrum capabilities that can be supported by different UEs; ¶ 0097),
Quan does not explicitly disclose “wherein the configuration information, which is related to the function for the unlicensed frequency band, comprises information, which is associated with a slot format relating to a group common downlink control channel, indicating a bit position in downlink control information where information related to the group common downlink control channel is included”.
However, Fan discloses wherein the configuration information, which is related to the function for the unlicensed frequency band (see Fan, ¶ 0008: The network device in the communications system may send first configuration information, to indicate a channel access mode used when a terminal device performs sidelink communication in the unlicensed frequency band. In this way, after receiving the configuration information, the terminal device that accesses the network device may perform sidelink communication in the unlicensed frequency band based on the channel access mode indicated by the configuration information; ¶ 0021: the network device sends second configuration information, where the second configuration information includes at least one or a combination of the following: configuration information of sidelink communication duration, maximum transmit power, and indication information of a frequency domain resource used for sidelink communication, where the frequency domain resource is in the unlicensed frequency band), comprises information, which is associated with a slot format relating to a group common downlink control channel, in downlink control information where information related to the group common downlink control channel is included (see Fan, ¶ 0159: The network device broadcasts downlink control information (DCI), where the includes the first configuration information, and the DCI is sent through a group common physical downlink control channel (GC-PDCCH). For example, the network device may use a slot format indication (SH) on the GC-PDCCH to carry the first configuration information).
Thus, 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 above teaching as taught by Fan and incorporate it into the system of Quan to increase a capacity of the communications system and reduce pressure of a shortage of the licensed spectrum resource (see Fan, ¶ 0006). Quan in view of Fan does not explicitly disclose indicating bit position in downlink control information.
However, configuration information comprises information, which is associated with a slot format indicating a bit position in downlink control information (see Xu, ¶ 0481: a wireless device may receive RRC message(s) comprising slot format combinations, a value of MCOT-RNTI, and an indication of a bit-field position in a DCI for a configured carrier or cell. The wireless device may receive the DCI from a gNB. The DCI may comprise a downlink grant (or downlink assignment), an uplink grant, or control information transmitted in a group common PDCCH).
Thus, 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 above teaching as taught by Xu and incorporate it into the system of Quan for efficient operation of channel access (see Xu, ¶ 0036).
Regarding claim 9, it is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 7. Applicant is merely claiming receiver side of the invention.
Regarding claim 10, it is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 7. Although phrased as a method claim, the claim is nevertheless simple repetitions of the subject matter of claim 7.
Regarding claim 11, it is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 7. Although phrased as system claim, the claim is nevertheless simple repetitions of the subject matter of claim 7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2020/0389894 to PAN et al. discloses a method for detecting slot format indication is applied to a terminal and includes: obtaining a bit length of SFI index information of a target cell or a target carrier and a slot format configuration set corresponding to the bit length; detecting the SFI index information of the target cell or the target carrier; and determining a slot format configuration corresponding to the detected SFI index information based on the detected SFI index information and the slot format configuration set corresponding to the bit length of the detected SFI index information.
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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/RASHEED GIDADO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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