DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on 12/30/2025. Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 20-24, 26, 27, 42, 64, 83, 87, 89, 90, 93-96, 98, and 99 are now pending.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 4, 23, 26, 42, 64, 83, 89 and 98 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon et al (US 20200351955 A1, hereinafter Jeon-955) in view of Lin et al (US 20220369375 A1, hereinafter Lin).
Consider claim 1, 42, and 83 Jeon-955 discloses a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) comprising a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor (Wireless Device 110 Fig. 3), comprising:
receiving a message indicating a resource allocation for a first message of a two- step random access channel procedure comprising a Message-A transmission and a Message-B reception, the message jointly scheduling a single random access occasion (RO) for the Message-A transmission and a quantity of multiple physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) occasions (POs) corresponding to the single RO for transmission in a plurality of uplink transmission time intervals (For a two-step RA procedure, a resource allocation for a payload transmission in a PUSCH occasion may be predefined and/or configured, paragraph 335; For example, a base station may configure a wireless device with one or more parameters indicating a starting point of time and/re frequency for a PUSCH occasion, a number of resource groups, and a size of each of the resource groups. An index of each of the resource groups may be mapped to a preamble index (e.g., a particular preamble) and/or a particular PPRACH occasion, paragraph 336; FIG. 18A, FIG. 18B, and FIG. 18C are examples of radio resource allocations of a PRACH resource and one or more associated UL radio resources based on a time offset, a frequency offset, and a combination of a time offset and a frequency offset, respectively. For example, a PRACH occasion and one or more associated UL radio resources (e.g., PUSCH occasions) for a two-step Msg1 may be allocated with a time offset and/or frequency offset, e.g., provided by RRC messages (as a part of RACH config.) and/or predefined (e.g., as a mapping table), paragraph 343);
transmitting, based at least in part on the message, a first random access preamble of the first message within the single RO (Based on configured two-step RA configuration parameters, a wireless device may transmit MsgA, e.g., comprising at least one preamble via a PRACH occasion and/or a payload via a PUSCH occasion, to a base station, paragraph 341); and
transmitting a repetition of a first PUSCH data for the Message-A transmission of the first message in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs that are associated with and occur after the first single RO in accordance with the resource allocation and the quantity of multiple POs (HARQ for MsgA may combine between an initial transmission of Msg.A and one or more retransmissions of Msg.A PUSCH, paragraph 341).
However, Jeon-955 does not expressly disclose wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises:
transmitting a first repetition of the first PUSCH data at a frequency offset relative to a second repetition of the first PUSCH data, wherein the frequency offset is configured by a requested minimum system information (RMSI)parameter.
In the same field of endeavor, Lin discloses wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises:
transmitting a first repetition of the first PUSCH data at a frequency offset relative to a second repetition of the first PUSCH data, wherein the frequency offset is configured by a requested minimum system information (RMSI) parameter (Inter-slot frequency hopping and repetition for msgA PUSCH may be supported, paragraph 136; msgA PUSCH frequency hopping and/or a frequency offset between different hops can be configured in RRC messages, which can be cell-specific messages (e.g. in SIB1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Lin with the teachings of Jeon-955 to enhance the configuration and performance of the RA procedure.
Consider claim 23 and 64 Jeon-955 discloses a discloses a method for wireless communication by a base station comprising a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor (Base Station 120A,B Fig. 3), comprising:
transmitting a message indicating a resource allocation for a first message of a two- step random access channel procedure comprising a Message-A reception and a Message-B transmission, the message jointly scheduling a single random access occasion (RO) for the Message-A reception and a quantity of multiple physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) occasions (POs) corresponding to the single RO for transmission in a plurality of uplink transmission time intervals (For a two-step RA procedure, a resource allocation for a payload transmission in a PUSCH occasion may be predefined and/or configured, paragraph 335; For example, a base station may configure a wireless device with one or more parameters indicating a starting point of time and/re frequency for a PUSCH occasion, a number of resource groups, and a size of each of the resource groups. An index of each of the resource groups may be mapped to a preamble index (e.g., a particular preamble) and/or a particular PPRACH occasion, paragraph 336; FIG. 18A, FIG. 18B, and FIG. 18C are examples of radio resource allocations of a PRACH resource and one or more associated UL radio resources based on a time offset, a frequency offset, and a combination of a time offset and a frequency offset, respectively. For example, a PRACH occasion and one or more associated UL radio resources (e.g., PUSCH occasions) for a two-step Msg1 may be allocated with a time offset and/or frequency offset, e.g., provided by RRC messages (as a part of RACH config.) and/or predefined (e.g., as a mapping table), paragraph 343);
receiving, based at least in part on the message, a first random access preamble of the first message within the single RO (Based on configured two-step RA configuration parameters, a wireless device may transmit MsgA, e.g., comprising at least one preamble via a PRACH occasion and/or a payload via a PUSCH occasion, to a base station, paragraph 341); and
receiving a repetition of a first PUSCH data for the Message-A reception of the first message in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs that are associated with and occur after the first single RO in accordance with the resource allocation and the quantity of multiple POs (HARQ for MsgA may combine between an initial transmission of Msg.A and one or more retransmissions of Msg.A PUSCH, paragraph 341).
However, Jeon-955 does not expressly disclose wherein receiving the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: receiving a first repetition of the first PUSCH data at a frequency offset relative to a second repetition of the first PUSCH data, wherein the frequency offset is configured by a requested minimum system information (RMSI)parameter.
In the same field of endeavor, Lin discloses wherein receiving the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: receiving a first repetition of the first PUSCH data at a frequency offset relative to a second repetition of the first PUSCH data, wherein the frequency offset is configured by a requested minimum system information (RMSI)parameter (Inter-slot frequency hopping and repetition for msgA PUSCH may be supported, paragraph 136; msgA PUSCH frequency hopping and/or a frequency offset between different hops can be configured in RRC messages, which can be cell-specific messages (e.g. in SIB1)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Lin with the teachings of Jeon-955 to enhance the configuration and performance of the RA procedure.
Consider claims 4, 26, 89 and 98, and as applied to claims 1, 23, 42 and 64 respectively above, Lin discloses wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: transmitting a respective repetition of the first PUSCH data in accordance with a frequency hopping pattern (Inter-slot frequency hopping and repetition for msgA PUSCH may be supported, paragraph 136).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Lin with the teachings of Jeon-955 to enhance the configuration and performance of the RA procedure.
Claims 2, 24, 87 and 96 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon-955 in view of Lin, and further in view of Takeda et al (US 20220159739 A1, hereinafter Takeda).
Consider claims 2, 24, 87 and 96, and as applied to claims 1, 23, 42 and 64 respectively above, the combination of Jeon-955 and Lin does not expressly disclose wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: transmitting each repetition of the first PUSCH data of the quantity of multiple POs in consecutive uplink transmission time intervals.
In the same field of endeavor, Takeda discloses wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: transmitting each repetition of the first PUSCH data of the quantity of multiple POs in consecutive uplink transmission time intervals (For example, the UE repeatedly transmits message A in successive time intervals, paragraph 94).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Takeda with the teachings of Jeon-955 and Lin to improve 2-step random access procedure.
Claims 5, 27, 90 and 99 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon-955 in view of Lin, and further in view of HUAWEI et al., "Discussion on Channel Structure of 2-step RACH", 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #98, R11908033, 3rdGenerationPartnershipProject, Mobile Competence Centre, 650,RouteDesLucioles, F-06921 Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France, Vol. RAN WG1, No. Prague, Czech Republic, 20190826 - 20190830, 17August 2019,12 Pages, hereinafter R1-1908033.
Consider claims 5, 27, 90 and 99, and as applied to claims 1, 23, 42 and 64 respectively above, the combination of Jeon-955 and Lin does not expressly disclose wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: transmitting each repetition of the first PUSCH data with one or more intervening downlink transmission time intervals, special subframe transmission time intervals, or both.
In the same field of endeavor, R1-1908033 discloses wherein transmitting the repetition of the first PUSCH data in each PO of the quantity of multiple POs comprises: transmitting each repetition of the first PUSCH data with one or more intervening downlink transmission time intervals, special subframe transmission time intervals, or both (slot configuration period is 10 ms, with first 4 slots being DL and last 6 slots being UL, see section 2.1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of R1-1908033 with the teachings of Jeon-955 and Lin to configure PUSCH occasions with reduced signaling overhead.
Claims 20 and 93 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon-955 in view of Lin , and further in view of Lee et al (US 20230269777 A1, hereinafter Lee).
Consider claims 20 and 93, and as applied to claims 1 and 42 respectively above, the combination of Jeon-955 and Lin does not expressly disclose wherein a mapping ratio for each repetition of the first PUSCH data is based on a ratio between a number of valid Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource unit sets and a number of valid random access preambles.
In the same field of endeavor, Lee discloses wherein a mapping ratio for each repetition of the first PUSCH data is based on a ratio between a number of valid Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource unit sets and a number of valid random access preambles (First, a UE may transmit a Msg A PUSCH only considering that a Msg A PRACH preamble was already transmitted. In this case, a Tx timing of the Msg A PUSCH is performed on a resource of a next PO when a Msg A PRACH preamble and a PO are in multiple-to-one mapping relation or one-to-one mapping relation, paragraph 311).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Lee with the teachings of Jeon-955 and Lin to receive a downlink signal by a user equipment based on a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) operation by performing a 2-step random access procedure.
Claims 21-22 and 94-95 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon-955 in view of Lin, and further in view of Zhang et al (US 20220418000 A1, hereinafter Zhang).
Consider claims 21 and 94, and as applied to claims 1 and 42 respectively above, the combination of Jeon-955 and Lin does not expressly disclose wherein the UE is a New Radio Light UE comprising a lower complexity than other NR UEs.
In the same field of endeavor, Zhang discloses wherein the UE is a New Radio Light UE comprising a lower complexity than other NR UEs (The NR-Light UE may refer to a UE that can perform signal transmission (e.g. downlink (DL) transmission) within a relatively less bandwidth (e.g. from some Mbps to tens of Mbps), operate with less power consumption, operate with less resource, or operate with flexible latency requirement, etc., paragraph 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Zhang with the teachings of Jeon-955 and Lin to facilitate the implementation of the random access procedure for the NR-Light UE.
Consider claims 22 and 95, and as applied to claims 1 and 42 respectively above, the combination of Jeon-955 and Lin does not expressly disclose wherein the repetition of the first PUSCH data is a default UE capability for New Radio Light UEs.
In the same field of endeavor, Zhang discloses wherein the repetition of the first PUSCH data is a default UE capability for New Radio Light UEs (Zhang discloses that a new random access procedure should be required for NR-Light UE, paragraph 4; and that MsgA message may include data (for example, UE ID) transmitted on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), paragraph 75).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use to combine the teachings of Zhang with the teachings of Jeon-955 and Lin in order to facilitate the implementation of the random access procedure for the NR-Light UE.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 12/30/2025 with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 6, 7, 28, 29, 91, 92, 100, and 101 under Jeon 736 have been fully considered and are persuasive. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Lin et al (US 20220369375 A1) .
Conclusion
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/GERMAN VIANA DI PRISCO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642