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 .
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.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 1/16/2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 3, 5-8, 10, 12-15, 17 and 19-26 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 3, 10 and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities: the specification describes “Nth predefined sub-slot” but the relationship of N and M is unclear between the “Mth predefined sub-slot” recited in these claims and the “Nth predefined sub-slot” described in the numerous portions of the specification. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3, 5-8, 10, 12-15, 17, and 19-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat.11,044,746 (hereinafter Chien) in view of US 2022/0070900 (hereinafter Yin).
In claims 1, 8 and 15, Chien teaches a resource indication method applied to an apparatus, comprising: receiving downlink control information (DCI) indicating a slot to transmit a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) (see fig.6; col.17; lines 25-45 and fig.2A; col.5; lines 25-30; lines 50-60; UE2 shown in fig.6 comprises a processor 23 connected to a transceiver 21 to receives a DCI indicating a PUCCH resource UCR1 (see fig.2A). The UE2 uses the PUCCH resource UCR1 to transmit a HARQ-ACK message during an assigned sub-slot FS1 of a slot TS4 (fig.2A)) ; determining a first sub-slot based on indication information from a network, the indication information is used to indicate the first sub-slot used to transmit the HARQ-ACK, and the first sub-slot is one of the at least two sub-slots (see col.11; lines 56-60; the UE2 transmits HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource whose position is indicated by the PRI included in the DCI. In col.17; lines 55-65; the assigned PUCCH resource includes sub-slots); and sending the HARQ-ACK on the PUCCH resource in the first sub-slots (see col.11; lines 56-60; the UE2 transmits HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource whose position is indicated by the PRI included in the DCI. In col.17; lines 55-65; the assigned PUCCH resource includes sub-slots).
Chien does not explicitly teach wherein the DCI indicates a slot interval is K1, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) ends in a slot n, and the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK is a slot n+K1, and wherein n is a positive integer, and K1 is a positive integer; wherein the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK comprises at least two sub-slots, a starting symbol and an ending symbol of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicated by the DCI are in two different sub-slots of the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK.
However, Yin teaches wherein the DCI indicates a slot interval is K1, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) ends in a slot n, and the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK is a slot n+K1, and wherein n is a positive integer, and K1 is a positive integer (Fig. 22; [0141][0142]: details For DCI format 1_1, the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field values map to values for a number of slots indicated by higher layer parameter DL-data-DL-acknowledgement from a set of number of slots provided by higher layer parameter Slot-timing-value-K1. For DCI format 1_0, the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field values map to {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}. PDSCH ends in subslot n of PUCCH subslot structure. PDSCH HARQ-ACK is reported on a PUCCH resource in subslot n+K1 of PUCCH subslot structure. K1=2 in this example); wherein the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK comprises at least two sub-slots, a starting symbol and an ending symbol of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicated by the DCI are in two different sub-slots of the slot (FIG. 22; [0163][0183]: details 2-symbol subslots for PUCCH; If legacy DCI is used, the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing indicator field is available in a PDSCH scheduling DCI; PDSCH HARQ-ACK is reported on a PUCCH resource in subslot n+K1 of PUCCH subslot structure, as starting symbol and ending symbol are in two different sub-slots of the slot) for transmitting the HARQ-ACK (is interpreted as “use for transmitting…” so it is an intended use of the slot so it has no patentable weight).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chien to incorporate the teachings of Yin and include wherein the DCI indicates a slot interval is K1, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) ends in a slot n, and the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK is a slot n+K1, and wherein n is a positive integer, and K1 is a positive integer; wherein the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK comprises at least two sub-slots, a starting symbol and an ending symbol of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicated by the DCI are in two different sub-slots of the slot for transmitting the HARQ-ACK of Yin with Chien. Doing so would ensure the desired low latency requirements (Yin, paragraph [0207]).
Regarding claims 3, 10 and 17, Chien teaches the first sub-slot is an Mth predefined sub-slot in the at least two sub-slots, wherein M is a positive integer (see col.12; lines 20-25; the BS 1 configures repeated PUCCH resources for the Ue2 to repeatedly transmit HARQ messages distributed in spaces or consecutively (predefined)).
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Chien teaches the indication information is comprised in the DCI (see col.11; lines 40-45; the DCI comprises PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) (indication information) to indicate position of the PUCCH resource UCR1).
Regarding claims 7, 14 and 20, Chien teaches receiving a PUCCH configuration parameter from the network, wherein the PUCCH configuration parameter comprises a length of the sub-slot (see col.6; lines 28-38; the PUCCH resource comprises parameters such as length of sub-slots).
Regarding claims 21, 23 and 25, Chien teaches receiving a PUCCH configuration parameter (see col.6; lines 20-38; PUCCH resource set may refer to the description of the PUCCH configuration… the PUCCH resource comprises parameters such as length of sub-slots) that is used for configuring the PUCCH resource in an initial bandwidth part (no patentable weight because “that is used” for is intended use).
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 19, Chien does not explicitly teach the indication information comprises an index of a control channel element (CCE).
However, Yin teaches in fig.11; par[0235,0236, 0237] a UE is configured a sub-slot 1107 within a slot 1183. The subslot 1107 has sub-slot length indicated by a DCI; and may start at any symbol within the slot 1183. The starting position of the sub-slot 1107 may be derived from control channel element index of the PDCCH (the indication information comprises an index of a control channel element (CCE)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Yin with that of Chien to use the index control channel element in the DCI to allocate which subslot in the PUCCH resource the UE may transmit HARQ.
Regarding claims 22, 24 and 26, Chien teaches wherein the DCI includes a DCI format 1_0 (see col.7; lines 28-38; the DCI have different format with different numbers of bits).
Chien does not explicitly teach determining the first sub-slot is further based on both a PUCCH resource indicator in the DCI 1_0 and the CCE.
However, Yin teaches in fig.11; par[0235,0236, 0237] a UE is configured a sub-slot 1107 within a slot 1183. The subslot 1107 has sub-slot length indicated by a DCI; and may start at any symbol within the slot 1183. The starting position of the sub-slot 1107 may be derived from control channel element index of the PDCCH (the indication information comprises an index of a control channel element (CCE)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Yin with that of Chien to determine the first sub-slot based on both a PUCCH resource indicator in the DCI 1_0 and the CCE.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 1/16/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of pending claim(s) under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Yin.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nemeth (US 2020/0106586) details feedback of multiple HARQ procedures in a slot in mobile communications.
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/JASPER KWOH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2415