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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 December 22, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 22, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicants’ assertion on Page 10 of Applicants’ remarks-In contrast, the claims of the present application defines a distinct scheme for indicating TCI states via a combination of RRC + MAC CE + DCI, which is a three-step process using RRC, MAC CE, and DCI to indicate TCI states, i.e.: receiving RRC signaling... activating, via a MAC CE, K TCT states..., determining a target TCI state from the K TCI states according to TCI-state indication information in DCI. This RRC + MAC CE + DCI sequence is a materially different technical approach to the RRC + DCI scheme described in paragraph [0254] of Xu. Therefore, it is entirely different from the scheme in paragraph 254 of the cited document, which indicates TCI states in two steps via RRC and DCI-
Xu teaches the first step of receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling, wherein the RRC signaling comprises a correspondence between M transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and power control parameters, M being an integer and M>=1 (the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters, which is the correspondence between the TCI states and the power control parameters, is indicated via RRC signaling (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28)). Xu teaches the second step of activating, via a media access control-control element (MAC CE), K TCI states from the M TCI states, K<M (Col. 26 lines 58 – 60, renders a scenario wherein there are TCI states out of a plurality of TCI states that are activated via MAC CE). Xu also teaches the third step of determining a target TCI state for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) from the K TCI states according to TCI-state indication information in downlink control information (DCI) (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, power control parameters comprise P0-PUSCH-Alphasets thus the TCI states can be for PUSCHs). Xu therefore teaches the claimed three steps.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 10, 15, 19, 22, 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (US 11,234,199) in view of Cirik et al. (US 2020/0146059) and in further view of Yao (WO 2019/096317)
Regarding Claim 1, Xu teaches a method for power control parameter determination, comprising: receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling, wherein the RRC signaling comprises a correspondence between M transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and power control parameters, M being an integer and M>=1 (the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters, which is the correspondence between the TCI states and the power control parameters, is indicated via RRC signaling (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there appears to be typographical errors in this particular section of the prior art but Examiner has determined that this section indicates that the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters is by RRC signaling)); activating, via a media access control-control element (MAC CE), K TCI states from the M TCI states, K<M (Col. 26 lines 58 – 60, renders a scenario wherein there are TCI states out of a plurality of TCI states that are activated via MAC CE); determining a target TCI state for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) from the K TCI states according to TCI-state indication information in downlink control information (DCI) (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, power control parameters comprise P0-PUSCH-Alphasets thus the TCI states can be for PUSCHs), wherein each indication value of the TCI- state indication information corresponds to one or more TCI states among the K TCI states (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there are a plurality of TCI states), wherein the target TCI state is a TCI state indicated by the TCI-state indication information from the K TCI state that is used for PUSCH transmission (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28) and activated via the MAC CE (Col. 26 lines 58 – 60), wherein each indication value of the TCI- state indication information corresponds to one or more TCI states among the K TCI states (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there are a plurality of TCI states); and determining a power control parameter of the PUSCH according to the target TCI state and the correspondence between M TCI states and power control parameters in the RRC signaling (Col. 56 lines 42 – 45).
Xu does not teach wherein each of the M TCI states comprises: a quasi co-location (QCL) type, a source reference signal, a reference serving cell, and a reference bandwidth part (BWP) and wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state.
Cirik, which also teaches random access, teaches wherein each of the M TCI states comprises: a quasi co-location (QCL) type, a source reference signal, a reference serving cell, and a reference bandwidth part (BWP) (Section 0376).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Xu with the above features of Cirik for the purpose of providing carrier optimization thus providing random access to the most appropriate carrier ensuring better performance as taught by Cirik.
Xu combination does not teach wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state.
Yao, which also teaches power control, teaches wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state (Section 0065, the pathloss factor reads on the pathloss weight factor).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of the Xu combination with the above features of Yao for the purpose of flexibly supporting the difference in power control requirements of multiple SRSs with reasonable overhead as taught by Yao.
Regarding Claim 10, Xu teaches a terminal, comprising: a transceiver; a memory storing computer programs; and a processor configured to invoke and execute the computer programs to: cause the transceiver to receive RRC signaling, wherein the RRC signaling comprises a correspondence between M transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and power control parameters, M being an integer and M>=1 (the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters, which is the correspondence between the TCI states and the power control parameters, is indicated via RRC signaling (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there appears to be typographical errors in this particular section of the prior art but Examiner has determined that this section indicates that the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters is by RRC signaling), typical UEs comprise processors that run executable code stored in memory and transceivers (Figure 15, TX/RX processing (Transceiver)); activate, via a media access control-control element (MAC CE), K TCI states from the M TCI states, K<M (Col. 26 lines 58 – 60, renders a scenario wherein there are TCI states out of a plurality of TCI states that are activated via MAC CE); determine a target TCI state for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) from the K TCI states according to TCI-state indication information in downlink control information (DCI) (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, power control parameters comprise P0-PUSCH-Alphasets thus the TCI states can be for PUSCHs), , wherein each indication value of the TCI- state indication information corresponds to one or more TCI states among the K TCI states (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there are a plurality of TCI states), wherein each indication value of the TCI- state indication information corresponds to one or more TCI states among the K TCI states (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there are a plurality of TCI states); and determine a power control parameter of the PUSCH according to the target TCI state and the correspondence between M TCI states and power control parameters in the higher-layer signaling (Col. 56 lines 42 – 45).
Xu does not teach wherein each of the M TCI states comprises: a quasi co-location (QCL) type, a source reference signal, a reference serving cell, and a reference bandwidth part (BWP) and wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state.
Cirik, which also teaches random access, teaches wherein each of the M TCI states comprises: a quasi co-location (QCL) type, a source reference signal, a reference serving cell, and a reference bandwidth part (BWP) (Section 0376).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Xu with the above features of Cirik for the purpose of providing carrier optimization thus providing random access to the most appropriate carrier ensuring better performance as taught by Cirik.
Xu combination does not teach wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state.
Yao, which also teaches power control, teaches wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state (Section 0065, the pathloss factor reads on the pathloss weight factor).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of the Xu combination with the above features of Yao for the purpose of flexibly supporting the difference in power control requirements of multiple SRSs with reasonable overhead as taught by Yao.
Regarding Claim 19, Xu teaches a network device, comprising: a transceiver; a memory storing computer programs; and a processor configured to invoke and execute the computer programs to: configure for a terminal a correspondence between M transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and power control via RRC signaling, wherein M is an integer and M>=1 (the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters, which is the correspondence between the TCI states and the power control parameters, is indicated via RRC signaling (Col. 56 lines 13 – 28, there appears to be typographical errors in this particular section of the prior art but Examiner has determined that this section indicates that the association between the TCI states and the power control parameters is by RRC signaling), typical base stations comprise transceivers for communicating with mobiles or UEs (Figure 15, TX/RX processing (Transceiver)), configure for the terminal a target TCI state for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) via downlink control information (DCI) (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28), wherein the target TCI state and the correspondence are used for the terminal to determine a power control parameter of the PUSCH (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, power control parameters comprise P0-PUSCH-Alphasets thus the TCI states can be for PUSCHs); the DCI comprises TCI-state indication information, and each indication value of the TCl-state indication information corresponds to one or more TCI states among K TCI, wherein the target TCI state belongs to the K TCI states (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, there are a plurality of TCI states), and the K TCI states belong to the M TCI states and are to be activated by the terminal via a media access control-control element (MAC CE), K<M (Col. 26 lines 58 – 60, renders a scenario wherein there are TCI states out of a plurality of TCI states that are activated via MAC CE).
Xu does not teach wherein each of the M TCI states comprises: a quasi co-location (QCL) type, a source reference signal, a reference serving cell, and a reference bandwidth part (BWP) and wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state.
Cirik, which also teaches random access, teaches wherein each of the M TCI states comprises: a quasi co-location (QCL) type, a source reference signal, a reference serving cell, and a reference bandwidth part (BWP) (Section 0376).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Xu with the above features of Cirik for the purpose of providing carrier optimization thus providing random access to the most appropriate carrier ensuring better performance as taught by Cirik.
Xu combination does not teach wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state.
Yao, which also teaches power control, teaches wherein each of the power control parameters comprises a parameter used for determining a target receive power, a parameter used for determining a pathloss weight factor, and a parameter used for determining a closed-loop power control adjustment state (Section 0065, the pathloss factor reads on the pathloss weight factor).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of the Xu combination with the above features of Yao for the purpose of flexibly supporting the difference in power control requirements of multiple SRSs with reasonable overhead as taught by Yao.
Regarding Claim 6, 15, The above Xu combination teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 1, 10. Xu further teaches wherein the target TCI state is a TCI state indicated by the TCI- state indication information from the K TCI state that is used for PUSCH transmission and activated via the MAC CE (Col. 26 lines 58 – 60, power control parameters comprise P0-PUSCH-Alphasets thus the TCI states can be for PUSCHs (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28)).
Regarding Claims 22, 24, The above Xu combination teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 1, 10. Xu further teaches wherein the higher-layer signaling is radio resource control (RRC) signaling (Col. 56 lines 19 – 28, RRC messages which is RRC signaling).
Claim(s) 21, 23, 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (US 11,234,199) in view of Cirik et al. (US 2020/0146059) in view of Yao (WO 2019/096317), as applied to Claims 1, 10, 19 set forth above, and in further view of Zhou et al. (US 2020/0351039)
Regarding Claim 21, 23, 25, The above Xu combination teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 1, 10, 19. Xu combination does not teach receiving a carrier set configured by a network device, wherein at least one PUSCH on each carrier in the carrier set that is of the same type as the PUSCH also corresponds to the target TCI state or at least one PUSCH on each carrier in the carrier set that is of the same type as the PUSCH corresponds to a TCI state with the same TCI state ID as the target TCI state.
Zhou, which also teaches the use of TCls, teaches receiving/receive/transmit a carrier set configured by a network device, wherein at least one uplink signal on each carrier in the carrier set that is of a same type as the uplink signal also corresponds to the target TCI state (Section 0006, a subset of component carriers is the carrier set, each component carrier can have an uplink signal which can be a data type).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Xu combination with the above features of Zhou for the purpose of increasing capacity as taught by Zhou.
Claim(s) 26 – 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (US 11,234,199) in view of Cirik et al. (US 2020/0146059) in view of Yao (WO 2019/096317), as applied to Claims 1, 10, 19 set forth above, and in further view of Sun et al. (US 2022/0295417)
Regarding Claims 26, 28, 30, The above Xu combination teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 1, 10, 19. Xu combination does not teach wherein the closed-loop power control adjustment state comprises: P0-AlphaSetld and ClosedLoopIndex.
Sun, which also teaches power control, teaches wherein the closed-loop power control adjustment state comprises: P0-AlphaSetld and ClosedLoopIndex (Section 0093, Table 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Xu combination with the above features of Sun for the purpose of preventing degraded uplink transmission performance as taught by Sun.
Regarding Claims 27, 29, 31, The above Xu combination teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 26, 28, 30. Xu combination does not teach wherein the ClosedLoopIndex is enumerated as {i0, i1}.
Sun, which also teaches power control, teaches wherein the ClosedLoopIndex is enumerated as {i0, i1} (Section 0093, Table 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Xu combination with the above features of Sun for the purpose of preventing degraded uplink transmission performance as taught by Sun.
Conclusion
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/RAYMOND S DEAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645 Raymond S. Dean
January 29, 2026