DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s response filed on 02/10/2026 has been entered and made of record.
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 Status
Claims 21, 24, 30, 33 and 39-40 are amended.
No new claim is/are added.
Claims 21-22, 24, 26-28, 30-31, 33, 35-37 and 39-40 are pending for examination.
Applicant Argument
Applicant’s argument (remark page 8-9), filed on 02/10/2026, with respect to claims 21-22, 24, 26-28, 30-31, 33, 35-37 and 39-40 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground of rejection below which better address the claimed invention as amended.
This Office Action is made Final.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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.
Claims 21-22, 24, 26-28, 30-31, 33, 35-37 and 39-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 20220394737 A1), hereinafter “Liu”, in view of Matsumura et al. (US 20220322410 A1), hereinafter “Matsumura”.
Per claim 21, 30 and 39:
Regarding claim 21, Liu teaches ‘An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node’ (Liu:[FIG.3]: “IAB node”; [FIG.4]: “IAB node” in wireless communication); ‘the apparatus further comprising: at least one memory and at least one processor’ (Liu: [FIG.13]: “Processor”, “memory”); ‘coupled with the at least one memory’ (this is implied);
‘configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a second IAB node, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) that indicates a quasi-collocation (QCL) indication and a set of resources’ (Liu: [0174]: “the second node may send the first configuration information to the first node by using semi-static signaling (for example, the RRC signaling or the MAC CE)”; [0010]: “The first node receives first configuration information from the second node, where the first configuration information is used to indicate a transmission resource of the MT … indicate the transmission resource based on the capability of the MT and the DU that are of the IAB node, the transmission parameter requirement”; [0153]: “The receive beam ID or the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL) identifier … a spatial receive parameter”; [0020]: “transmission parameters such as the transmission power, the DMRS port, the timing mode, or a beam”; receive MAC CE indicates a set of resources). However, Liu fails to expressly teach MAC CE indicates a QCL indication;
‘determine, for an IAB distributed unit (IAB-DU) of the IAB node, whether to perform a communication based on the QCL indication and whether the communication is concurrent with the set of resources’ (Liu: [FIG.7]: “DU of an IAB node”; [0009]: “the resource multiplexing capability of the MT and the DU that are of the IAB node and a condition that needs to be met for the resource multiplexing capability supported by the MT and the DU”; [0008]: “The resource multiplexing capability includes … that the MT and the DU can receive a signal simultaneously”; [0121]: “When the DU performs downlink sending, the MT may perform uplink sending on a corresponding resource; or when the DU performs uplink receiving, the MT may perform downlink receiving on a corresponding resource”; [0151]: “an identifier of spatial relationship information”; [0153]: “the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL) identifier, and the quasi co-location identifier is generally a reference signal identifier. Signals corresponding to antenna ports having a QCL relationship may have a same or similar channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter). Alternatively, a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of an antenna port may be used to determine a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of another antenna port that has a QCL relationship with the antenna port”; determine communication based on QCL indication and concurrent with the set of resources);
‘select a first panel, beam, or transmission configuration indication (TCI) state for the communication based at least in part on an upstream TCI state used for an upstream communication of the IAB node’ (Liu: [FIG.1]: panel “0” for upstream communication of the “IAB node” to “Parent node”; [0005]: “The IAB node may include two parts of functional units: a mobile termination (mobile terminal, MT) and a distributed unit (Distributed unit, DU). The MT is configured for communication between the IAB node and the parent node, and the DU is configured for communication between the IAB node and the child node or the UE”; [0138]-[0152]: “It should be noted that for different resource multiplexing capabilities supported by the MT carriers and the DU cells of the first node, different conditions need to be met. When the MT carriers or the DU cells of the first node support a resource multiplexing capability, further, the first node can use, completely according to a corresponding multiplexing rule, an MT resource and/or a DU resource allocated to the first node only when the resource configured for the first node meets a corresponding condition … Condition (f) is a downlink receive beam identifier or a transmission configuration indicator state (transmission configuration indicator state, TCI-state) identifier supported by the MT”, based on TCI state used for upstream communication; [0130]: “the resource multiplexing capability supported by the one or more carriers of the MT of the first node and the one or more cells of the DU of the first node may be understood as resource multiplexing performed by the MT and the DU of the first node when the MT and the DU transmit signals on a corresponding resource such as each antenna panel”);
‘select a second panel or TCI state for a downstream communication based on the upstream TCI state’ (Liu: [FIG.1]: panel “1” for downstream communication of “IAB node” to “Child node”; [0138]-[0152]: “It should be noted that for different resource multiplexing capabilities supported by the MT carriers and the DU cells of the first node, different conditions need to be met. When the MT carriers or the DU cells of the first node support a resource multiplexing capability, further, the first node can use, completely according to a corresponding multiplexing rule, an MT resource and/or a DU resource allocated to the first node only when the resource configured for the first node meets a corresponding condition … Condition (f) is a downlink receive beam identifier or a transmission configuration indicator state (transmission configuration indicator state, TCI-state) identifier supported by the MT”; based on upstream TCI state).
However, Matsumura in the same field of endeavor teaches MAC CE indicates a TCI state information about a QCL indication and perform communications based on an active TCI state (Matsumura: [0049]: “The UE may activate each of the one or the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET by using the MAC CE. The MAC CE may be referred to as a TCI state indication MAC CE for UE-specific PDCCH (TCI State Indication for UE-specific PDCCH MAC CE). The UE may perform monitoring of the CORESET, based on an active TCI state corresponding to the CORESET”; [FIG.5A]: “TCI states” <-> Quasi-co-located”; [0026]: “The TCI state is information related to quasi-co-location (QCL) of the signal/channel, and may be referred to as a spatial reception parameter, spatial relation information (SRI), or the like”; [FIG.6A], [FIG.6B]; [0070]-[0081]; [0008]: “provide a terminal and a radio communication method that can perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Matsumura’s teaching with that of Liu in order to perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used (see reference quotes in element above).
Regarding claim 30, claim 30 recites the method implemented by the apparatus of claim 21 (see rejection of claim 21 above).
Regarding claim 39, Liu teaches ‘An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node’ (Liu:[FIG.3]: “IAB node”; [FIG.4]: “IAB node” in wireless communication); ‘the apparatus further comprising: at least one memory and at least one processor’ (Liu: [FIG.13]: “Processor”, “memory”); ‘coupled with the at least one memory’ (this is implied);
‘configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) from a parent IAB node’ (Liu: [0174]: “the second node may send the first configuration information to the first node by using semi-static signaling (for example, the RRC signaling or the MAC CE)”; [0128]: “The second node is a parent node, a donor node, or a parent node (parent node) of the first node”);
‘wherein the MAC CE indicates a quasi-collocation (QCL) indication and a set of resources’ (Liu: [0010]: “The first node receives first configuration information from the second node, where the first configuration information is used to indicate a transmission resource of the MT … indicate the transmission resource based on the capability of the MT and the DU that are of the IAB node, the transmission parameter requirement”; [0153]: “The receive beam ID or the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL) identifier … a spatial receive parameter”; [0020]: “transmission parameters such as the transmission power, the DMRS port, the timing mode, or a beam”; receive MAC CE indicates a set of resources). However, Liu fails to expressly teach MAC CE indicates a QCL indication;
‘determine, for an IAB distributed unit (IAB-DU) of the IAB node, whether to perform a transmission, a reception, or a combination thereof based at least in part on the QCL indication and whether the transmission, the reception, or the combination thereof is concurrent with the set of resources’ (Liu: [FIG.7]: “DU of an IAB node”; [0009]: “the resource multiplexing capability of the MT and the DU that are of the IAB node and a condition that needs to be met for the resource multiplexing capability supported by the MT and the DU”; [0008]: “The resource multiplexing capability includes … that the MT and the DU can receive a signal simultaneously”; [0121]: “When the DU performs downlink sending, the MT may perform uplink sending on a corresponding resource; or when the DU performs uplink receiving, the MT may perform downlink receiving on a corresponding resource”; [0151]: “an identifier of spatial relationship information”; [0153]: “the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL) identifier, and the quasi co-location identifier is generally a reference signal identifier. Signals corresponding to antenna ports having a QCL relationship may have a same or similar channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter). Alternatively, a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of an antenna port may be used to determine a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of another antenna port that has a QCL relationship with the antenna port”; determine communication based on QCL indication and concurrent with the set of resources);
‘select a first panel, beam, or transmission configuration indication (TCI) state for the communication based at least in part on an upstream TCI state used for an upstream communication of the IAB node’ (Liu: [FIG.1]: panel “0” for upstream communication of the “IAB node” to “Parent node”; [0005]: “The IAB node may include two parts of functional units: a mobile termination (mobile terminal, MT) and a distributed unit (Distributed unit, DU). The MT is configured for communication between the IAB node and the parent node, and the DU is configured for communication between the IAB node and the child node or the UE”; [0138]-[0152]: “It should be noted that for different resource multiplexing capabilities supported by the MT carriers and the DU cells of the first node, different conditions need to be met. When the MT carriers or the DU cells of the first node support a resource multiplexing capability, further, the first node can use, completely according to a corresponding multiplexing rule, an MT resource and/or a DU resource allocated to the first node only when the resource configured for the first node meets a corresponding condition … Condition (f) is a downlink receive beam identifier or a transmission configuration indicator state (transmission configuration indicator state, TCI-state) identifier supported by the MT”, based on TCI state used for upstream communication; [0130]: “the resource multiplexing capability supported by the one or more carriers of the MT of the first node and the one or more cells of the DU of the first node may be understood as resource multiplexing performed by the MT and the DU of the first node when the MT and the DU transmit signals on a corresponding resource such as each antenna panel”);
‘select a second panel or TCI state for a downstream communication based on the upstream TCI state’ (Liu: [FIG.1]: panel “1” for downstream communication of “IAB node” to “Child node”; [0138]-[0152]: “It should be noted that for different resource multiplexing capabilities supported by the MT carriers and the DU cells of the first node, different conditions need to be met. When the MT carriers or the DU cells of the first node support a resource multiplexing capability, further, the first node can use, completely according to a corresponding multiplexing rule, an MT resource and/or a DU resource allocated to the first node only when the resource configured for the first node meets a corresponding condition … Condition (f) is a downlink receive beam identifier or a transmission configuration indicator state (transmission configuration indicator state, TCI-state) identifier supported by the MT”; based on upstream TCI state).
However, Matsumura in the same field of endeavor teaches MAC CE indicates a TCI state information about a QCL indication and perform communications based on an active TCI state (Matsumura: [0049]: “The UE may activate each of the one or the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET by using the MAC CE. The MAC CE may be referred to as a TCI state indication MAC CE for UE-specific PDCCH (TCI State Indication for UE-specific PDCCH MAC CE). The UE may perform monitoring of the CORESET, based on an active TCI state corresponding to the CORESET”; [FIG.5A]: “TCI states” <-> Quasi-co-located”; [0026]: “The TCI state is information related to quasi-co-location (QCL) of the signal/channel, and may be referred to as a spatial reception parameter, spatial relation information (SRI), or the like”; [FIG.6A], [FIG.6B]; [0070]-[0081]; [0008]: “provide a terminal and a radio communication method that can perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Matsumura’s teaching with that of Liu in order to perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used (see reference quotes in element above).
Per claim 22 and 31:
Regarding claim 22, combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches the apparatus of claim 21 (discussed above).
Liu teaches ‘wherein the second IAB node is a parent node of the first IAB node’ (Liu: [0128]: “The second node is a parent node, a donor node, or a parent node (parent node) of the first node”).
Regarding claim 31, claim 31 recites the method implemented by the apparatus of claim 22 (see rejection of claim 22 above).
Per claim 24 and 33:
Regarding claim 24, combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches the apparatus of claim 21 (discussed above).
Combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches ‘wherein the MAC CE indicates a TCI state associated with an IAB mobile terminal (IAB-MT) of the IAB node’ (Liu: [FIG.7]: “MT of an IAB node”; [0153]: “a downlink beam received by the MT … TCI-state identification information of a downlink receive beam”. Matsumura: [0049]: “The UE may activate each of the one or the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET by using the MAC CE. The MAC CE may be referred to as a TCI state indication MAC CE”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Matsumura’s teaching of a TCI state indication MAC CE with that of Liu in order to perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used (Matsumura: [0008]: “provide a terminal and a radio communication method that can perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used”; [FIG.6A], [FIG.6B]).
Regarding claim 33, claim 33 recites the method implemented by the apparatus of claim 24 (see rejection of claim 24 above).
Per claim 26 and 35:
Regarding claim 26, combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches the apparatus of claim 21 (discussed above).
Liu teaches ‘wherein the communication is a transmission, a reception, or a combination thereof’ (Liu: [0009]: “the capability 2 indicates that the DU can receive a signal while the MT sends a signal”).
Regarding claim 35, claim 35 recites the method implemented by the apparatus of claim 26 (see rejection of claim 26 above).
Per claim 27 and 36:
Regarding claim 27, combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches the apparatus of claim 21 (discussed above).
Liu teaches ‘determine whether to perform the communication based on the QCL indication’ (Liu: [0153]: “the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL) identifier, and the quasi co-location identifier is generally a reference signal identifier. Signals corresponding to antenna ports having a QCL relationship may have a same or similar channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter). Alternatively, a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of an antenna port may be used to determine a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of another antenna port that has a QCL relationship with the antenna port”; determine communication based on QCL indication);
‘whether the communication is concurrent with the set of resources is further based on whether the communication is on a second frequency that is separate from a first frequency associated with the set of resources’ (Liu: [0119]: “the resource multiplexing manner may include but is not limited to TDM, SDM, frequency division multiplexing … if the MT and the DU support SDM or FDM, the DU may receive a signal while the MT sends a signal, or the DU may send a signal while the MT receives a signal”, with FDM, communication may be on a second frequency that is separate from a first frequency).
Regarding claim 36, claim 36 recites the method implemented by the apparatus of claim 27 (see rejection of claim 27 above).
Per claim 28 and 37:
Regarding claim 28, combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches the apparatus of claim 21 (discussed above).
Liu teaches ‘determine whether to perform the communication based on the QCL indication’ (Liu: [0153]: “the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL) identifier, and the quasi co-location identifier is generally a reference signal identifier. Signals corresponding to antenna ports having a QCL relationship may have a same or similar channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter). Alternatively, a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of an antenna port may be used to determine a channel large-scale property parameter (or referred to as a parameter) of another antenna port that has a QCL relationship with the antenna port”; determine communication based on QCL indication);
‘whether the communication is concurrent with the set of resources is further based on whether the communication overlaps with the set of resources’ (Liu: [0121]: “SDM is applied to the MT and the DU of the relay node … When the DU performs downlink sending, the MT may perform uplink sending on a corresponding resource; or when the DU performs uplink receiving, the MT may perform downlink receiving on a corresponding resource”, with SDM, communication may overlap with the set of resources).
Regarding claim 37, claim 37 recites the method implemented by the apparatus of claim 28 (see rejection of claim 28 above).
Regarding claim 40, combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches the apparatus of claim 39 (see rejection of claim 39 above).
Combination of Liu and Matsumura teaches ‘wherein the MAC CE further comprises a TCI state associated with an IAB mobile terminal (IAB-MT) of the IAB node’ (Liu: [FIG.7]: “MT of an IAB node”; [0153]: “a downlink beam received by the MT … the TCI-state information may include a quasi co-location (quasi co-location, QCL)”; [0152]: “a transmission configuration indicator state (transmission configuration indicator state, TCI-state) identifier supported by the MT”. Matsumura: [0049]: “The UE may activate each of the one or the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET by using the MAC CE. The MAC CE may be referred to as a TCI state indication MAC CE … The UE may perform monitoring of the CORESET, based on an active TCI state corresponding to the CORESET”);
‘wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to determine whether to perform a transmission, a reception, or a combination thereof further based on the TCI state associated with the IAB-MT’ (Liu [0138]-[0152]: “It should be noted that for different resource multiplexing capabilities supported by the MT carriers and the DU cells of the first node, different conditions need to be met. When the MT carriers or the DU cells of the first node support a resource multiplexing capability, further, the first node can use, completely according to a corresponding multiplexing rule, an MT resource and/or a DU resource allocated to the first node only when the resource configured for the first node meets a corresponding condition … Condition (f) is a downlink receive beam identifier or a transmission configuration indicator state (transmission configuration indicator state, TCI-state) identifier supported by the MT”; [0121]: “When the DU performs downlink sending, the MT may perform uplink sending on a corresponding resource; or when the DU performs uplink receiving, the MT may perform downlink receiving on a corresponding resource”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Matsumura’s teaching of a TCI state indication MAC CE with that of Liu in order to perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used (Matsumura: [0008]: “provide a terminal and a radio communication method that can perform DL communication preferably even when multiple panels/TRPs are used”; [FIG.6A], [FIG.6B]).
Conclusion
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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/G.F./Examiner, Art Unit 2462
/YEMANE MESFIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2462