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 .
Priority
1. The present application is a national stage entry of PCT/CN2021/093257 filed 05/15/2020.
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. a. Certified copy of application CN202010413837.4 was received on 11/15/2022.
Response to Arguments/Amendments
3. Regarding the 35 USC § 112(b) rejection of claims 19 - 24, the Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered, but are not persuasive. See below for details.
4. Regarding the 35 USC § 112(b) rejection of claim 28, the Applicant’s amendments have been fully considered, and are persuasive.
5. Regarding the prior art rejection, the Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered, but are not persuasive. The Applicant argues that the previously cited prior art, Sun (US 20220272732 A1), does not teach the amended claim language. The Examiner disagrees, and points out that Sun discloses determining the number of PDCCH repetitions based on device BW or antenna numbers. Specifically, at paragraph [0006], Sun discusses the problem the invention is trying to solve, that MTC/MBIOT devices have low BW/fewer antennas, and therefore poor coverage that needs improving. At paragraph [0270], Sun discloses that in order to improve coverage, PDCCH repetitions are used.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
6. Claims 19 and 21 - 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 19 recites: “determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on parameter M in a table corresponding to the search space set, wherein the parameter M is a time expansion factor corresponding to a start slot of a PDCCH monitoring occasion.” It is unclear to the Examiner which of 1) the number of PDCCH repetitions, b) the parameter M, or c) the table corresponds to the search set. The claim is therefore indefinite, and rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
7. Claim(s) 1 – 2, 4 – 5, 29 – 30, 32 - 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sun (US 20220272732 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Sun discloses subject matter relating to PDCCH repetitions. Specifically, Sun discloses a method for determining configuration of a search space set, comprising:
receiving signaling (MIB; see paragraph [0349]); and
determining the configuration of the search space set based on the signaling (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]).;
wherein said determining the configuration of the search space set comprises:
determining Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) configuration for the search space set (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]) wherein said determining PDCCH configuration for the search space set comprises:
determining a number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set (PDCCH repetitions for the SS bundle is determined; see Claim 16) wherein said determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set comprises at least one of the following:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a coverage recovery value
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on at least one of bandwidth of a User Equipment (UE) and a number of receiving antennas of the UE (MTC/NBIOT devices are lower BW/have fewer antennas, and therefore have poor coverage that needs to be improved; see paragraph [0006]; to improve coverage, PDCCH repetitions are used; see paragraph [0270])
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on bandwidth of a control resource set, a duration of the control resource set, and the number of receiving antennas of the UE:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a maximum aggregation level and the number of receiving antennas of the UE: or
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a type of the UE:
wherein the type of the UE is determined by at least one of the following:
the coverage recovery value; or the maximum aggregation level and the number of the receiving antennas of the UE.
Regarding claim 2, Sun discloses the subject matter of the parent claim(s). Sun further discloses:
wherein the signaling is Master Information Block (MIB) signaling (MIB; see paragraph [0349])
Regarding claim 4, Sun discloses the subject matter of the parent claim(s). Sun further discloses wherein said determining PDCCH configuration for the search space set comprises:
determining PDCCH configuration for the search space set with an identity of 0 (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]; search space can be type 0; see paragraph [0377]).
Regarding claim 5, Sun discloses the subject matter of the parent claim(s). Sun further discloses wherein said determining PDCCH configuration for the search space set with an identity of 0 comprises:
determining a number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set with the identity of 0 (PDCCH repetitions are determined; see paragraphs [0361] and Claim 16)
Regarding claim 29, Sun discloses the subject matter of the parent claim(s). Sun further discloses
wherein following determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set, the method further comprises: determining a monitoring occasion of a PDCCH. (UE monitors PDCCH based on configuration by BS; see paragraph [0386] and Fig. 22)
Regarding claim 30, Sun discloses the subject matter of the parent claim(s). Sun further discloses
wherein said determining a monitoring occasion of a PDCCH comprises: determining a start time slot and a start symbol corresponding to the monitoring occasion of the PDCCH, and determining to perform W times of consecutive monitoring, where W is a number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set (UE monitors PDCCH based on configuration by BS; see paragraph [0386] and Fig. 22; the Examiner notes that in order to monitor the PDCCH, one needs to know the time slot, start symbol, and repetition number)
Regarding claim 32, Sun discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor (memory with programs executed by a processor; see paragraph [0025]), cause the processor to:
receive signaling (MIB; see paragraph [0349]); and
determine configuration of a search space set based on the signaling (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]).
Wherein the processor is further caused to:
determine Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) configuration for the search space set (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]) wherein said determining PDCCH configuration for the search space set comprises:
determining a number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set (PDCCH repetitions for the SS bundle is determined; see Claim 16) wherein said determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set comprises at least one of the following:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a coverage recovery value
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on at least one of bandwidth of a User Equipment (UE) and a number of receiving antennas of the UE (MTC/NBIOT devices are lower BW/have fewer antennas, and therefore have poor coverage that needs to be improved; see paragraph [0006]; to improve coverage, PDCCH repetitions are used; see paragraph [0270])
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on bandwidth of a control resource set, a duration of the control resource set, and the number of receiving antennas of the UE:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a maximum aggregation level and the number of receiving antennas of the UE: or
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a type of the UE:
wherein the type of the UE is determined by at least one of the following:
the coverage recovery value; or the maximum aggregation level and the number of the receiving antennas of the UE.
Regarding claim 33, Sun discloses an apparatus for determining configuration of a search space set, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor (memory with programs executed by a processor; see paragraph [0025]), cause the processor to:
receive signaling (MIB; see paragraph [0349]); and
determine the configuration of the search space set based on the signaling (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]).
Wherein the processor is further caused to:
determine Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) configuration for the search space set (UE receives configuration information of a PDCCH incl. SS info; see paragraph [0349]) wherein said determining PDCCH configuration for the search space set comprises:
determining a number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set (PDCCH repetitions for the SS bundle is determined; see Claim 16) wherein said determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set comprises at least one of the following:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a coverage recovery value
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on at least one of bandwidth of a User Equipment (UE) and a number of receiving antennas of the UE (MTC/NBIOT devices are lower BW/have fewer antennas, and therefore have poor coverage that needs to be improved; see paragraph [0006]; to improve coverage, PDCCH repetitions are used; see paragraph [0270])
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on bandwidth of a control resource set, a duration of the control resource set, and the number of receiving antennas of the UE:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a maximum aggregation level and the number of receiving antennas of the UE: or
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a type of the UE:
wherein the type of the UE is determined by at least one of the following:
the coverage recovery value; or the maximum aggregation level and the number of the receiving antennas of the UE.
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.
8. Claim(s) 27 – 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (US 20220272732 A1) in view of Kim (US 20200413412 A1)
Regarding claim 27, Sun discloses the subject matter of the parent claim(s). Sun does not explicitly disclose the limitations of claim 27.
Kim discloses subject matter relating to PDCCH repetitions. Specifically, Kim discloses: wherein said determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set comprises:
determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a Quasi Co-Location (QCL) parameter of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) (PDCCH repetitions are related to number of SS blocks, which is based on QCL relations; see paragraph [0266])
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to combine the disclosure of Sun with Kim by specifying that the PDCCH repetitions be determined by QCL/SSB related parameters. One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to do so, as if beams are QCL, the general parameters of one should be the same as the other, allowing for less resources to be spent determining the proper repetition number. Finally, the choice of transmitting the PSS over the low or high frequency carrier is a selection between a finite number of options, with a reasonable expectation of success, which has been determined by the Supreme Court (see KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007)) to be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 28, Sun and Kim teaches the subject matter of the parent claim(s), as noted above. Sun does not explicitly disclose the limitations of claim 28. However, Kim discloses wherein said determining the number of PDCCH repetitions for the search space set based on a QCL parameter of SSBs comprises:
determining that PDCCH monitoring occasions associated with the SSBs have a QCL relation overlap (PDCCH monitoring occasions can be assumed to be QCL; see paragraph [0266])
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to combine the disclosure of Sun with Kim by specifying that the PDCCH monitoring occasions associated with SSBs have a QCL relation. One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to do so, as assuming QCL overlap cuts down on signaling and overhead. Further, doing so would have been a use of a technique known in the art to improve a similar device, with predictable results, which has been determined by the Supreme Court to be obvious (see KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007)).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/S.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464