DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
This action is responsive to the RCE filed on 7/6/26.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-12, 14-20 is/are presented for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-12, 14-20 is/are unclear to the examiner; what does it mean by stating “identifying a second configured UL grant corresponding to a second SSB having a same SSB index as the first SSB; and autonomously performing a retransmission of the initial CG-SDT via the second configured UL grant after determining, at least, that the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI has not been received”? The claim languages are not very clear of what is a reason identifying the UL with the same SSB index? For whatever reason? How is that related to the performing the retransmission of the CG-SDT with the SSB index? What exactly is the claimed invention? Please clarify
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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) 1-2, 4-12, 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20230039648A1 in view of Xiong, US 2024/0163868 A1, and further in view of Abedini, US 2022/0368474 A1.
As to claim 1, Wang teaches a method for a User Equipment (UE) to perform a Configured Grant-based Small Data Transmission (CG-SDT) to a Base Station (BS), the method comprising:
performing the initial via a first configured Uplink (UL) grant associated with a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process (Wang, page 8, paragraph 108; i.e., [0108] HARQ retransmissions must obtain dynamic grants via PDCCH (e.g., addressed to CS-RNTI));
determining whether a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) addressed to a Cell-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) has been received from the BS for the initial CG-SDT via the first configured UL grant associated with the HARQ process (Wang, page 3, paragraph 25; i.e., [0025] a hybridARQ (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK or NACK) of the TB) (Wang, page 8, paragraph 107-108; i.e., [0107] a transmitter (e.g., a UE) can use hybrid ARQ (HARQ) techniques to improve reliability of data transmission. In HARQ, the transmitter can perform an initial transmission of a TB block of data, then perform one or more retransmissions of the same TB if the transmitter receives a negative acknowledgement (NACK) --or no response-from the receiver. [0108] HARQ retransmissions must obtain dynamic grants via PDCCH (e.g., addressed to CS-RNTI)); and
performing a retransmission via the second configured UL grant (Wang, page 2, paragraph 10; page 8, paragraph 107-108 & 126; i.e., [0010] Uplink (i.e., UE to eNB) physical channels provided by the LTE PHY include Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH)); [0107] a transmitter (e.g., a UE) can use hybrid ARQ (HARQ) techniques to improve reliability of data transmission. In HARQ, the transmitter can perform an initial transmission of a TB block of data, then perform one or more retransmissions of the same TB if the transmitter receives a negative acknowledgement (NACK) --or no response-from the receiver. [0108] HARQ retransmissions must obtain dynamic grants via PDCCH; [0126] the retransmission can use the same HARQ process for both transmission and retransmission of a transport block (TB) of UL data).
But Wang failed to teach the claim limitation wherein selecting a first Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) for an initial CG-SDT; initial CG-SDT; wherein the first configured UL grant further corresponds to the first SSB; identifying a second configured UL grant corresponding to a second SSB having a same SSB index as the first SSB; autonomously performing a retransmission after determining, at least, that the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI has not been received.
However, Abedini teaches the limitation wherein autonomously performing a retransmission after determining, at least, that the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI has not been received (Abedini, page 16, paragraph 172-175; i.e., [0172] a first communication (FH-PDCCH-11205 and FH-PDSCH-11210) from the first wireless node 505. As shown by the dashed arrows 1215, the first communication may schedule a second communication (FH-PDCCH2 1220 and FH-PDSCH2 1225); [0175] if the first relay node receives feedback from a second relay node, the first relay node may defer relaying the feedback. In this way, relay nodes can autonomously perform retransmission of failed communications based on early feedback without triggering end-to-end retransmission of the first communication).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Wang to substitute TRP from Abedini for provide a connnon protocol that enables different UEs to connnunicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global
level (Abedini, page 1, paragraph 4).
However, Xiong teaches the limitation wherein the first configured UL grant further corresponds to the first SSB (Xiong, page 8, paragraph 113; page 2, paragraph 21-23; i.e., [0021] a number of SS/PBCH block indexes to map to valid PUSCH occasions. The UE may also map the number of SS/PBCH block indexes to the valid PUSCH; [0022] mapped to the SS/PBCH block indexes after an integer number of SS/PBCH block indexes, the UE may refrain from further mapping the SS/PBCH block indexes to the set of PUSCH); selecting a first Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) for an initial CG-SDT; initial CG-SDT (Xiong, page 8, paragraph 113; i.e., [0113] a list of SSB indexes and DMRS APs can be configured. The number of SSB indexes for CG-SDT operation. Assuming 2 SSB indexes are configured for CG-SDT operation, the first SSB index is associated with the first DMRS AP, and the second SSB index); identifying a second configured UL grant corresponding to a second SSB having a same SSB index as the first SSB (Xiong, page 8, paragraph 113; page 2, paragraph 21-23; i.e., [0021] a CG-PUSCH configuration that indicates a number of SS/PBCH block indexes to map to valid PUSCH occasions and associated DM-RS resources for transmission of the PUSCH. The UE may also map the number of SS/PBCH block indexes to the valid PUSCH; [0022] mapped to the SS/PBCH block indexes after an integer number of SS/PBCH block indexes to PUSCH occasions and associated DM-RS resources mapping cycles within the association period, the UE may refrain from further mapping the SS/PBCH block indexes to the set of PUSCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Wang to substitute CG-PUSCH from Xiong for to enrich people's lives with seamless wireless connectivity solutions delivering fast, rich content and services (Xiong, page 1, paragraph 3).
As to claim 2, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 1. But Wang-Gong failed to teach the claim limitation wherein CG-SDT comprises a Common Control Channel (CCCH) message.
However, Xiong teaches the limitation wherein CG-SDT comprises a Common Control Channel (CCCH) message (Xiong, page 8, paragraph 113; i.e., [0113] a list of SSB indexes and DMRS APs can be configured. The number of SSB indexes for CG-SDT operation. Assuming 2 SSB indexes are configured for CG-SDT operation, the first SSB index is associated with the first DMRS AP, and the second SSB index).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Wang to substitute CG-PUSCH from Xiong for to enrich people's lives with seamless wireless connectivity solutions delivering fast, rich content and services (Xiong, page 1, paragraph 3).
As to claim 4, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the retransmission of the initial CG-SDT comprises performing the retransmission of the initial CG-SDT via the second configured UL grant after determining that the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI is not received and a configured CG-SDT retransmission timer is not running (Wang, page 8, paragraph 107-108; page 12, paragraph 190; i.e., [0107] In HARQ, the transmitter can perform an initial transmission of a TB block of data, then perform one or more retransmissions of the same TB if the transmitter receives a negative acknowledgement (NACK) --or no response-from the receiver. [0108] HARQ retransmissions must obtain dynamic grants via PDCCH (e.g., addressed to CS-RNTI); [[0190] expiration of a timer corresponding to a maximum number of autonomous retransmissions for an HARQ process).
As to claim 5, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of the UE indicates a failure of performing a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the UE if a configured grant timer for the HARQ process expires and the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI has not been received after the initial CG-SDT (Wang, page 9, paragraph 135; i.e., [0135] When configuredGrantTimer expires, the UE should stop the CGretransmission timer (CGRT) if it is still running).
As to claim 6, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: stopping a CG-SDT retransmission timer for the HARQ process if the UE receives a specific UL grant (Wang, page 9, paragraph 135; i.e., [0135] When configuredGrantTimer expires, the UE should stop the CGretransmission timer (CGRT) if it is still running).
As to claim 7, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 6, wherein the specific UL grant is received on the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI (Wang, page 8, paragraph 107-108; i.e., [0107] In HARQ, the transmitter can perform an initial transmission of a TB block of data, then perform one or more retransmissions of the same TB if the transmitter receives a negative acknowledgement (NACK) --or no response-from the receiver. In such cases, different redundancy versions (RVs) of the TB can be sent in the respective repetitions [0108] HARQ retransmissions must obtain dynamic grants via PDCCH (e.g., addressed to CS-RNTI)).
As to claim 8, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: stopping a configured grant timer for the HARQ process if the UE receives a specific UL grant (Wang, page 9, paragraph 135; i.e., [0135] When configuredGrantTimer expires, the UE should stop the CGretransmission timer (CGRT) if it is still running).
As to claim 9, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 8, wherein the specific UL grant is received on the PDCCH addressed to the C-RNTI (Wang, page 9, paragraph 135; i.e., [0135] When configuredGrantTimer expires, the UE should stop the CGretransmission timer (CGRT) if it is still running).
As to claim 10, Wang-Xiong-Abedini teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein starting or restarting a CG-SDT retransmission timer for the HARQ process at a time of initiating the initial CG-SDT or the retransmission of the initial CG-SDT (Wang, page 9, paragraph 127; i.e., [0127] In HARQ, the transmitter can perform an initial transmission of a TB block of data, then perform one or more retransmissions of the same TB if the transmitter receives a negative acknowledgement (NACK) --or no response-from the receiver. In such cases, different redundancy versions (RVs) of the TB can be sent in the respective repetitions [0108] HARQ retransmissions must obtain dynamic grants via PDCCH (e.g., addressed to CS-RNTI)).
Claim(s) 11-20 is/are directed to a system claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 1-10. Therefore, claim(s) 11-20 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 1-20.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4-12, 14-20 has/have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Applicant’s arguments include the failure of previously applied art to expressly disclose “identifying a second configured UL grant corresponding to a second SSB having a same SSB index as the first SSB” (see Applicant’s response, 7/6/26, page 8-9). It is evident from the detailed mappings found in the above rejection(s) that Xiong disclosed this functionality (see Xiong, page 8, paragraph 113; page 2, paragraph 21-23). Further, it is clear from the numerous teachings (previously and currently cited) that the provision for “identifying a second configured UL grant corresponding to a second SSB having a same SSB index as the first SSB” was widely implemented in the networking art. Thus, Applicant’s arguments drawn toward distinction of the claimed invention and the prior art teachings on this point are not considered persuasive.
Listing of Relevant Arts
Seo, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20220338119 A1 discloses retransmission after transmitting a NACK.
Latheef, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20170339744 A1 discloses PDCCH missed by the UE after the HARQ RTT time.
Contact Information
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
THUONG NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:00-6:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THUONG NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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