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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/8/2026 has been entered.
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) 55-61 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muruganathan et al. (US Publication 2022/0407576 A1) further in view of Wong et al. (US Publication 2019/0320395 A1).
The applied reference (Muruganathan) has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
In regards to claim 55, Muruganathan et al. (US Publication 2022/0407576 A1) teaches, a method in a node, comprising: broadcasting system information indicating early channel state information (CSI) reporting ((see figure 17 and paragraph 190; The method begins at step 1700 with configuring a CSI-RS to be used for acquiring early CSI. The method also includes step 1702 with transmitting information related to (I) the CSI-RS for channel measurement, (II) a CSI-IM resource, or (III) both (I) and (II), to a wireless device); and receiving an early CSI report from a first device, wherein the early CSI report is received before completion of a radio resource control (RRC) connection or as part of a random access procedure with the first device (see figure 17 and paragraph 190; step 1706 with receiving a CSI report during the random access procedure, the CSI report comprising at least one of a channel measurement or an interference measurement on at least one of the CSI-RS or the CSI-IM resource; see paragraph 65; There currently exist certain challenge(s). In NR up to Release 16, CSI feedback is only possible once the UE is RRC configured with CSI reporting settings, CSI resource settings, etc. Hence, efficient transmission (including multi-layer transmission) is delayed until connection setup is established and CSI feedback is available. An open problem is how to reduce the delay in acquiring CSI so that efficient data transmission with high spectral efficiency is enabled early; this implies that the early CSI reporting according to Muruganathan is before the RRC completion).
In further regards to claim 55, Muruganatha fails to teach, the CSI report has a high priority.
Wong et al. (US Publication 2019/0320395 A1) teaches a first device has a high priority status (see paragraph 46; one high priority NB-IoT narrowband carrier is provided in the wireless access interface (down-link and/or up-link), which is used for high priority services such as alarm triggering; see paragraph 46; Embodiments can arrange for transmissions in the high priority narrowband to be PSD boosted (possibly to the maximum possible level). As a result a repetition of signals can be reduced in the PSD boosted narrowband, so that high priority NB-IoT devices that are in poor coverage can gain access to the network; also see figure 9, where the confirmation for the priority channel is sent at step 920 once the determination is made and an initiation is made for priority channel after the priority channel is requested as step 901).
Muruganathan and Wong both relate to MTC communications.
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the present application to incorporate the prioritizing of safety transmissions as taught by Wong into the teachings of CSI report Muruganathan. The motivation to do so would be to further enhance emergency public safety transmissions by having additional power in the high priority narrowband.
In regards to claim 56, Muruganathan teaches, early CSI reporting (see figure 17 and paragraph 190; The method begins at step 1700 with configuring a CSI-RS to be used for acquiring early CSI).
However, Muruganathan fails to teach, the broadcasted system information indicates prioritized reporting for devices based on one or more of access identity or access category.
Wong however teaches, the broadcasted system information indicates prioritized reporting for devices based on one or more of access identity or access category (see paragraph 58; After obtaining sync and system information, a UE with high priority service can move (i.e. retune) to the high priority narrowband to access the network (i.e. perform random access, e.g. via a RACH (Random Access Channel) procedure); see paragraph 46; provide an arrangement in which at least one high priority NB-IoT narrowband carrier is provided in the wireless access interface (down-link and/or up-link), which is used for high priority services such as alarm triggering; the alarm reads on access identity or access category).
Muruganathan and Wong both relate to MTC communications.
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the present application to incorporate the prioritizing of safety transmissions as taught by Wong into the teachings of CSI report Muruganathan. The motivation to do so would be to further enhance emergency public safety transmissions by having additional power in the high priority narrowband.
In regards to claim 57, Muruganathan teaches, wherein: (i) the broadcasted system information comprises one or more CSI settings (see figure 17 and paragraph 190; The method begins at step 1700 with configuring a CSI-RS to be used for acquiring early CSI. The method also includes step 1702 with transmitting information related to (I) the CSI-RS for channel measurement, (II) a CSI-IM resource, or (III) both (I) and (II), to a wireless device), and wherein the one or more CSI settings are different for different device priorities or service types; (ii) the broadcasted system information indicates one or more device or service types enabled for early CSI reporting (see paragraph 229; The DQI included in Msg1 represents high or low relative to a specific value among various DQI levels proposed below, and an offset level of the DQI based on the corresponding value may be transmitted to the BS in Msg3 or in other resources at another time); or (iii) the broadcasted system information indicates one or more device or service types disabled for early CSI reporting.
In regards to claim 58, Muruganathan and Wong in combination teach all the limitations of the parent claims as stated above.
However Muruganathan fails to teach, wherein high priority devices are indicated by a parameter in a prioritization field of a broadcast message.
Wong however teaches, wherein high priority devices are indicated by a parameter in a prioritization field of a broadcast message see (paragraph 46; high priority NB-IoT devices that are in poor coverage can gain access to the network (e.g., obtaining synchronization and reading the common channels such as system information, such as the Master Information Block (MIB) and System Information Blocks (SIB)) faster).
Muruganathan and Wong both relate to MTC communications.
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the present application to incorporate the prioritizing of safety transmissions as taught by Wong into the teachings of CSI report Muruganathan. The motivation to do so would be to further enhance emergency public safety transmissions by having additional power in the high priority narrowband.
In regards to claim 59, Muruganathan teaches, wherein the parameter comprises a 2-bit bitmap or the indication further comprises an identification of CSI settings for early CSI reporting (see paragraph 146; the UE receives information on default CSI reporting setting(s) and an associated CSI resource setting(s) from the network (e.g., a gNB for the cell, such as base station 602-1 or 602-2 in FIG. 6) via SIB1 to be used for the purpose of acquiring early CSI).
In regards to claim 60, Muruganathan teaches, further comprising: sending a message from the node to the first device that is configured to override one or more CSI settings sent in a broadcast of system information (see paragraph 156; information on multiple default CSI reporting setting(s) and CSI resource setting(s) are indicated to the UE from the gNB via SIB1. Which particular default CSI reporting setting and CSI resource setting to use for early CSI reporting is selected by a subset of the reserved bits in DCI (with format 1_0) scrambled by RA-RNTI).
In regards to claim 61, Muruganathan teaches, wherein: (i) the early CSI report is received from the first device in a MsgA of a 2-step random access procedure; (ii) the early CSI report is received from the first device in a Msg3 of a 4-step random access procedure (see paragraph 72; sending the CSI report containing the CSI to the network during the random access procedure comprises sending the aperiodic CSI report on Message 3 of the random access procedure to the network) ; (iii) the early CSI report is received from the first device in a Msg3 of a fallback random access procedure; (iv) the early CSI report is received from the first device in an acknowledgement feedback for successful reception of contention resolution in a 4-step random access procedure; or (v) the early CSI report is received from the first device in an acknowledgement feedback for successful reception of RAR in a 2-step random access procedure.
This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 46, 48-54, 62 and 64-65 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
In regards to the claims, they are allowable in view of the remarks and amendment filed on 5/8/2026.
Prior art Xu et al. (US Publication 2021/0195623 A1) teaches, “determine a first resource to be transmitted according to at least one of a priority of a logical channel triggering the scheduling requests, an identifier of a logical channel triggering the scheduling requests, a priority of a service triggering the scheduling requests, an identifier of a service triggering the scheduling requests, an identifier of a service corresponding to HARQ feedback, an identifier of a logical channel corresponding to HARQ feedback, an identifier corresponding to HARQ feedback, a priority of a service corresponding to HARQ feedback, a priority of a logical channel corresponding to HARQ feedback, a priority corresponding to HARQ feedback, an identifier of a service corresponding to a CSI-RS, an identifier of a logical channel corresponding to a CSI-RS, an identifier corresponding to a CSI-RS, a priority of a service corresponding to a CSI-RS, a priority of a logical channel corresponding to a CSI-RS, a priority corresponding to a CSI-RS, the second information from the network, an identifier of a service corresponding to UCI, a priority corresponding to UCI, the first information, and a priority/an identifier of a logical channel/a service/data to be transmitted triggering a PRACH; wherein the first resource is at least one of a scheduling request (SR), a PUSCH, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback and a PRACH” (see paragraph 362).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY P PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-3086. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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