DETAILED ACTION
Applicant's submission filed on 12 December 2025 has been entered. Claims 6 and 8-10 are currently amended; claims 1-5 and 7 are cancelled; no claims are previously presented; no claims have been added. Claims 6 and 8-10 are pending and ready for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai et al. (US 2018/0376511 A1), hereafter referred Tsai, in view of Islam et al. (US 2019/0327767 A1), hereafter referred Islam, in view of Tian et al. (US 2021/0385054 A1), hereafter referred Tian, further in view of Xu et al. (US 2020/0228966 A1), hereafter referred Xu.
Regarding claim 6, Tsai teaches a terminal comprising:
a reception unit that receives broadcast information including a configured value of a control resource set (Tsai, [0036]; CORESET configuration for PDCCHs in a RACH procedure is provided to the UE through a higher layer signaling); and
a control unit that determines a number of resource blocks and a number of symbols of a control resource set for a cell search based on first information, wherein the first information is specified for a first frequency range, and the first information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; the first CORESET configuration indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols), and the second information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0037]; the second CORESET configuration is provided and indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols).
Tsai does not expressly teach wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range.
However, Islam teaches wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range (Islam, [0114]-[0121]; a UE determines the GSCN of a second SS/PBCH block having a CORESET for an associated RMSI search space for FR1 and FR2 where FR1 can correspond to 450 MHz to 6000 MHz and FR2 can correspond to 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai to include the above recited limitations as taught by Islam in order to efficiently determine resources on which to receive the PDCCH transmissions (Islam, [0004]).
Tsai in view of Islam does not expressly teach wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set.
However, Tian teaches wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set (Tian, Fig. 2-4, [0041]-[0046]; the relationship between Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and CORESET of RMSI can manifest in different patterns, where Fig. 2 illustrates a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) relationship called pattern 1, Fig. 3 illustrates a relatively fixed relationship called patter 2 and Fig. 4 illustrates a Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) relationship called pattern 3, where the terminal device may acquire a current pattern situation along with the CORESET configuration information that includes number of resource blocks, number of symbols, and a relative frequency domain offset).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam to include the above recited limitations as taught by Tian in order to determine a frequency domain position of a CORESET of RMSI associated with SSB on an asynchronous raster (Tian, [0005]).
Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian does not expressly teach wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing.
However, Xu teaches wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing (Xu, Fig. 2A, [0043]-[0044]; the control information of the DCI indicate the subcarrier to be FDD or TDD for a particular set of subcarriers).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian to include the above recited limitations as taught by Xu in order to determine a configuration of an initial CORESET (Xu, [0042]).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai teaches a base station comprising:
a transmission unit that transmits, to a terminal, broadcast information including a configured value of a control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; base station may provide a CORESET configuration and a search space configuration to the UE by its transmitter); and
a control unit that assumes that a number of resource blocks and a number of symbols of a control resource set for a cell search are determined based on first information, wherein the first information is specified for a first frequency range, and the first information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; the first CORESET configuration indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols), and the second information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0037]; the second CORESET configuration is provided and indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols).
Tsai does not expressly teach wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range.
However, Islam teaches wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range (Islam, [0114]-[0121]; a UE determines the GSCN of a second SS/PBCH block having a CORESET for an associated RMSI search space for FR1 and FR2 where FR1 can correspond to 450 MHz to 6000 MHz and FR2 can correspond to 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai to include the above recited limitations as taught by Islam in order to efficiently determine resources on which to receive the PDCCH transmissions (Islam, [0004]).
Tsai in view of Islam does not expressly teach wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set.
However, Tian teaches wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set (Tian, Fig. 2-4, [0041]-[0046]; the relationship between Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and CORESET of RMSI can manifest in different patterns, where Fig. 2 illustrates a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) relationship called pattern 1, Fig. 3 illustrates a relatively fixed relationship called patter 2 and Fig. 4 illustrates a Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) relationship called pattern 3, where the terminal device may acquire a current pattern situation along with the CORESET configuration information that includes number of resource blocks, number of symbols, and a relative frequency domain offset).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam to include the above recited limitations as taught by Tian in order to determine a frequency domain position of a CORESET of RMSI associated with SSB on an asynchronous raster (Tian, [0005]).
Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian does not expressly teach wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing.
However, Xu teaches wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing (Xu, Fig. 2A, [0043]-[0044]; the control information of the DCI indicate the subcarrier to be FDD or TDD for a particular set of subcarriers).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian to include the above recited limitations as taught by Xu in order to determine a configuration of an initial CORESET (Xu, [0042]).
Regarding claim 9, Tsai teaches a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising:
receiving broadcast information including a configured value of a control resource set (Tsai, [0036]; CORESET configuration for PDCCHs in a RACH procedure is provided to the UE through a higher layer signaling); and
determining a number of resource blocks and a number of symbols of a control resource set for a cell search based on first information, wherein the first information is specified for a first frequency range, and the first information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; the first CORESET configuration indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols), and the second information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0037]; the second CORESET configuration is provided and indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols).
Tsai does not expressly teach wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range.
However, Islam teaches wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range (Islam, [0114]-[0121]; a UE determines the GSCN of a second SS/PBCH block having a CORESET for an associated RMSI search space for FR1 and FR2 where FR1 can correspond to 450 MHz to 6000 MHz and FR2 can correspond to 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai to include the above recited limitations as taught by Islam in order to efficiently determine resources on which to receive the PDCCH transmissions (Islam, [0004]).
Tsai in view of Islam does not expressly teach wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set.
However, Tian teaches wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set (Tian, Fig. 2-4, [0041]-[0046]; the relationship between Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and CORESET of RMSI can manifest in different patterns, where Fig. 2 illustrates a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) relationship called pattern 1, Fig. 3 illustrates a relatively fixed relationship called patter 2 and Fig. 4 illustrates a Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) relationship called pattern 3, where the terminal device may acquire a current pattern situation along with the CORESET configuration information that includes number of resource blocks, number of symbols, and a relative frequency domain offset).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam to include the above recited limitations as taught by Tian in order to determine a frequency domain position of a CORESET of RMSI associated with SSB on an asynchronous raster (Tian, [0005]).
Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian does not expressly teach wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing.
However, Xu teaches wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing (Xu, Fig. 2A, [0043]-[0044]; the control information of the DCI indicate the subcarrier to be FDD or TDD for a particular set of subcarriers).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian to include the above recited limitations as taught by Xu in order to determine a configuration of an initial CORESET (Xu, [0042]).
Regarding claim 10, Tsai teaches a communication system comprising:
a base station (Tsai, Fig. 1; base station 110); and
a terminal (Tsai, Fig. 1; user equipment 120),
wherein the base station includes a transmission unit that transmits, to a terminal, broadcast information including a configured value of a control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; base station may provide a CORESET configuration and a search space configuration to the UE by its transmitter); and
a control unit that assumes that a number of resource blocks and a number of symbols of a control resource set for a cell search are determined based on first information (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; the first CORESET configuration indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols),
wherein the terminal includes
a reception unit that receives, from the base station, the broadcast information including the configured value of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; base station may provide a CORESET configuration and a search space configuration to the UE by its transmitter); and
a control unit that determines the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set for the cell search based on the first information (Tsai, [0033]-[0036]; the first CORESET configuration indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols), and
wherein the second information associates the configured value of the control resource set with the number of resource blocks and the number of symbols of the control resource set (Tsai, [0033]-[0037]; the second CORESET configuration is provided and indicates related information of the CORESET including number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and number of OFDM symbols).
Tsai does not expressly teach wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range.
However, Islam teaches wherein the first information differs from second information, the second information is specified for a second frequency range that is lower than the first frequency range (Islam, [0114]-[0121]; a UE determines the GSCN of a second SS/PBCH block having a CORESET for an associated RMSI search space for FR1 and FR2 where FR1 can correspond to 450 MHz to 6000 MHz and FR2 can correspond to 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai to include the above recited limitations as taught by Islam in order to efficiently determine resources on which to receive the PDCCH transmissions (Islam, [0004]).
Tsai in view of Islam does not expressly teach wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set.
However, Tian teaches wherein the first information includes only information indicating time division multiplexing and information indicating frequency division multiplexing as information indicating patterns of multiplexing a synchronization signal block and the control resource set (Tian, Fig. 2-4, [0041]-[0046]; the relationship between Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and CORESET of RMSI can manifest in different patterns, where Fig. 2 illustrates a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) relationship called pattern 1, Fig. 3 illustrates a relatively fixed relationship called patter 2 and Fig. 4 illustrates a Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) relationship called pattern 3, where the terminal device may acquire a current pattern situation along with the CORESET configuration information that includes number of resource blocks, number of symbols, and a relative frequency domain offset).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam to include the above recited limitations as taught by Tian in order to determine a frequency domain position of a CORESET of RMSI associated with SSB on an asynchronous raster (Tian, [0005]).
Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian does not expressly teach wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing.
However, Xu teaches wherein the first information does not include information indicating both the time division duplexing and the frequency division duplexing (Xu, Fig. 2A, [0043]-[0044]; the control information of the DCI indicate the subcarrier to be FDD or TDD for a particular set of subcarriers).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Tsai in view of Islam further in view of Tian to include the above recited limitations as taught by Xu in order to determine a configuration of an initial CORESET (Xu, [0042]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
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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/R.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/NOEL R BEHARRY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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