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 .
Response to Amendment
The following is a non-final office action in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 10/10/2025 for response of the office action mailed on 07/11/2025. Claims 2 and 12 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are not persuasive/moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Argument for Independent Claims 1, 11 and 20: Accordingly, the cited portions of Yi do not disclose or suggest: 1. radio link monitoring reference signals for radio link monitoring of the primary cell; 2. determining such signals in response to a secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling a primary cell; or 3. determining such signals based on CORESET(s) of both the primary and secondary cells. For at least these reasons, Applicant respectfully submits that Yi fails to cure the deficiencies of Babaei, and therefore, claim 1 remains patentable over the cited references. Each of claims 11 and 20 recites features that are similar to the features recited in claim 1. Accordingly, for the similar reasons provided above with respect to claim 1, Applicant respectfully submits that claims 11 and 20 are patentable over the cited references.
Response for Independent Claims 1, 11 and 20: Examiner has considered the Applicant’s arguments and respectfully disagrees. The arguments have been considered but are not persuasive/moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The Office no longer relies on Yi and instead introduces Murray, which describes means for radio link monitoring and radio resource management measurement procedures for NR-U (¶0182, Murray). ¶0040 shows how the UE may monitor downlink link quality based on the reference signal in configured RLM-RS resource(s) to detect radio link quality of both the PCell and PSCell, which covers radio link monitoring reference signals for radio link monitoring of the primary cell. ¶0047 establishes that RLM signals are determined based on CORESET configuration, where failure to decode the PDCC within the CORESET shows that the UE monitors PDCCH in a CORESET, and uses that monitoring result to determine a radio link monitoring status. Babaei’s cited portions establish that the wireless device receives configuration parameters for both a primary and secondary cell, and monitors one or more CORESETs or search spaces on the secondary cell when that secondary cell is configured as a scheduling cell for the primary cell. This shows that relevant monitoring for the primary cell occurs on the secondary cell. Murray then establishes how radio link monitoring is performed using reference signals associated with CORESETs. Since radio link monitoring reference signals are associated with particular CORESETS, and the wireless device determines radio link monitoring outcomes based on whether the PDCCH transmissions are successfully decoded, combining teachings from Babaei and Murray show a wireless device determining radio link monitoring signals for the primary cell based on monitoring and measurement of signals associated with CORESETs on the secondary cell in the cross-carrier scheduling configuration.
Argument for Dependent Claims 8/18: Accordingly, because Babaei does not disclose that (1) the radio link monitoring reference signals are determined based on the search space configurations, or (2) the radio link monitoring reference signals are determined based on the TCI states, the combination of references fails to teach or suggest the claimed features. For at least the foregoing reasons, Applicant respectfully submits that claim 8 is patentable over the cited references. Claim 18 recites features that are similar to the features recited in claim 8. Accordingly, for the similar reasons provided above with respect to claim 8, Applicant respectfully submits that claim 18 is patentable over the cited references.
Response for Dependent Claims 8/18: Examiner has considered the Applicant’s arguments and respectfully disagrees. Using the cited portions, Babaei establishes that the UE performs measurements on downlink reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB), and those measurements are used to determine reception conditions, which encompass radio link monitoring. Furthermore, the reference signals being measured are spatially QCL with PDCCH (¶0125), which shows PDCCH reception relies on the same reference signal-based determination. Since PDCCH is monitored in search spaces within CORESETs, the reference signals used for measurement are determined in connection with those search spaces and CORESETs. ¶0208 also establishes how under cross-carrier scheduling, the UE applies a search space across cells, so that monitoring performed in the scheduling cell corresponds to the scheduled cell. ¶0129 further establishes that the reference signals associated with the monitored PDCCH are identified through the indicated TCI states and are used by the UE to determine reception. All in all, the UE monitors PDCCH in CORESETs according to search space configurations, those PDCCH transmissions are associated with downlink reference signals, that linked search spaces in cross-carrier scheduling allow monitoring in one cell to apply to a different cell, and that the TCI states identify the reference signals used to determine reception, where the radio link monitoring reference signals are determined from downlink reference signals associated with PDCCH monitored in CORESETs.
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show non-obviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Applicant is reminded that obviousness may be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See in re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR international Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
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.
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 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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1-8, 11-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Babaei (US 20210204309 A1), Babaei hereinafter, and further in view of Murray et al. (US 20210321277A1), Murray hereinafter.
Re. Claim 1, Babaei teaches a method comprising: in response to a secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling a primary cell (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0230 - In an example, the configuration parameters of a cell may comprise PDCCH configuration parameters. The PDCCH configuration parameters may comprise CORESET configuration and search space configuration parameters of CORESETs and search spaces for the cell. ¶0232 - In an example embodiment as shown in FIG. 19, a wireless device may receive configuration parameters of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a secondary cell. ¶0239 - The wireless device may monitor one or more CORESETs/search spaces on the secondary cell… based on the secondary cell being configured as a scheduling cell for the primary cell);
Yet, Babaei does not explicitly teach determining, by a wireless device, one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, for radio link monitoring of the primary cell, based on: one or more first control resource sets (coresets) of the primary cell; and one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; and measuring the radio link monitoring reference signals for the radio link monitoring of the primary cell.
However, in the analogous art, Murray explicitly teaches determining, by a wireless device, one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, for radio link monitoring of the primary cell, based on: (Fig. 1, 4-8 & ¶0040 - The UE may monitor the downlink link quality based on the reference signal in the configured RLM-RS resource(s) in order to detect the downlink radio link quality of the PCell and PSCell);
one or more first control resource sets (coresets) of the primary cell; and one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; (¶0047 - As another example, if RLM-RS is associated with particular Control Resource Set (CORESET) and UE fails to decode the PDCCH within this CORESET, then UE can infer that gNB does not acquire channel successfully and consider this as missed RLM-RS TXOP. ¶0048 - Transmission burst associated RLM-RS may be signaled to the UE by higher layers (e.g. RRC signaling). For example, an RLM-AssociatedBurst IE that may take values such as SSBID, CORESETID, etc., may be signaled to the UE. Examiner interprets the RLM-RS resource(s) for detecting radio link quality of PCell and PSCell can be associated with one or more coresets of the PCell and PSCell. );
and measuring the radio link monitoring reference signals for the radio link monitoring of the primary cell (¶0040 (Please see PCell) - With regard to the monitoring the downlink quality, a UE may perform measurements of reference signals configured for the purpose of determining the DL link quality; when the measurement is above or below a configured threshold, the radio link may be determined to be in-sync or out-of-sync. Please also see Table 5 & ¶0182).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Murray to the teaching of Babaei. The motivation would be because disclosed are methods for performing RLM for NR-U based on in-sync or out-of-sync indications that are based on the estimated radio link quality in combination with missed RLM-RS TXOPs (¶, Murray).
Re. Claim 2, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 1.
Babaei further teaches receiving configuration parameters of physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) for scheduling the primary cell, the configuration parameters indicating: the one or more first coresets of the primary cell, for monitoring downlink control information (DCI) comprising resource assignment for the primary cell and the one or more second coresets, of the secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell, for monitoring DCI comprising resource assignment for the primary cell (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0230 - In an example, the configuration parameters of a cell may comprise PDCCH configuration parameters. The PDCCH configuration parameters may comprise CORESET configuration and search space configuration parameters of CORESETs and search spaces for the cell. ¶0232 - In an example embodiment as shown in FIG. 19, a wireless device may receive configuration parameters of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a secondary cell. ¶0239 - The wireless device may monitor one or more CORESETs/search spaces on the secondary cell… based on the secondary cell being configured as a scheduling cell for the primary cell. Abstract - The wireless device may monitor one or more first search spaces of the primary cell for receiving downlink control information associated with scheduling of the primary cell … The wireless device may monitor one or more second search spaces of the secondary cell for receiving downlink control information associated with scheduling of the primary cell. Please also see ¶0233).
Re. Claim 3, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 1.
Babaei further teaches determining that the secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell based on the secondary cell being activated (Fig. 18A, 19, 22, 24-25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0275 - In an example, the wireless device may monitor one or more second search spaces on the secondary cell for receiving downlink control information associated with scheduling of the primary cell based on the secondary cell being in an activated state).
Re. Claim 4, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 1.
Babaei further teaches determining one or more second radio link monitoring reference signals, of the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, based on: (¶0125 - An antenna port may be associated with one or more reference signals. ¶0126 - For example, a downlink physical channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) may be spatially quasi co-located with a downlink reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB). The wireless device may determine a receive beam based on measurement on the downlink reference signal and may assume that the determined received beam is also good for reception of the physical channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) that are spatially quasi co-located with the downlink reference signal);
one or more first search spaces associated with the one or more first coresets of the primary cell; and one or more first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states of the one or more first coresets (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0099 - For example, the UE may monitor a set of PDCCH candidates in configured monitoring occasions in one or more configured COntrol REsource SETs (CORESETs) according to the corresponding search space configurations. Please also see ¶0208. Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI).
Re. Claim 5, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 4.
Babaei further teaches determining the one or more first TCI states based on at least one of: one or more monitoring periodicities of the one or more first search spaces, one or more first coreset indexes of the one or more first coresets, or on one or more first search space indexes of the one or more first search spaces. (Fig. 13, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI). Fig. 13, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35 & ¶0099 - For example, the search space configuration parameters may comprise a monitoring periodicity and offset parameter indicating the slots for monitoring the PDCCH candidates). Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features to be mapped because of the presence of “at least one of”).
Re. Claim 6, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 4.
Babaei further teaches the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals comprise one or more reference signals of the one or more first TCI states (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0125 - An antenna port may be associated with one or more reference signals. ¶0126 - For example, a downlink physical channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) may be spatially quasi co-located with a downlink reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB). The wireless device may determine a receive beam based on measurement on the downlink reference signal and may assume that the determined received beam is also good for reception of the physical channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) that are spatially quasi co-located with the downlink reference signal ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI). Based on the one or more TCI states indicated to the UE, the UE may determine a downlink receive beam and receive downlink transmissions using the receive beam).
Re. Claim 7, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 4.
Babaei further teaches determining one or more second TCI states based on at least one of: (Fig. 13, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI) one or more second monitoring periodicities of the one or more second search spaces, one or more second coreset indexes of the one or more second coresets, or one or more second search space indexes of the one or more second search spaces (Fig. 13, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35 & ¶0124 - …configure a wireless device with one or more SRS resource sets and an SRS resource set may comprise one or more SRS resources. The SRS resources in an SRS resources set may be configured for periodic, semi-persistent or aperiodic transmission. The periodic SRS and the semi-persistent SRS resources may be configured with periodicity and offset parameters. Please also see ¶0208). Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features to be mapped because of the presence of “at least one of”).
Re. Claim 8, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 1.
Babaei further teaches the determining the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals is further (¶0125 - An antenna port may be associated with one or more reference signals. ¶0126 - For example, a downlink physical channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) may be spatially quasi co-located with a downlink reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB). The wireless device may determine a receive beam based on measurement on the downlink reference signal and may assume that the determined received beam is also good for reception of the physical channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) that are spatially quasi co-located with the downlink reference signal); based on: one or more first search spaces associated with the one or more first coresets of the primary cell; one or more second search spaces associated with the one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0099 - For example, the UE may monitor a set of PDCCH candidates in configured monitoring occasions in one or more configured COntrol REsource SETs (CORESETs) according to the corresponding search space configurations. ¶0208 - In case of cross carrier scheduling, search spaces with the same searchSpaceld in scheduled cell and scheduling cell may be linked to each other. The wireless device may apply the search space for the scheduled cell if the DL BWPs in which the linked search spaces are configured in scheduling cell and scheduled cell are both active) and one or more TCI states of both the one or more first coresets and the one or more second coresets. (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI. Based on the one or more TCI states indicated to the UE, the UE may determine a downlink receive beam and receive downlink transmissions using the receive beam).
Re. Claim 11, Babaei teaches a wireless device comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to: (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - a device (e.g., a wireless device…) may include one or more processors and may include memory that may store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform…);
in response to a secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling a primary cell, (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0230 - In an example, the configuration parameters of a cell may comprise PDCCH configuration parameters. The PDCCH configuration parameters may comprise CORESET configuration and search space configuration parameters of CORESETs and search spaces for the cell. ¶0232 - In an example embodiment as shown in FIG. 19, a wireless device may receive configuration parameters of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a secondary cell. ¶0239 - The wireless device may monitor one or more CORESETs/search spaces on the secondary cell… based on the secondary cell being configured as a scheduling cell for the primary cell. ¶0116 - The UE may measure one or more CSI-RSs configured for the UE and may generate a CSI report based on the CSI-RS measurements and may transmit the CSI report to the base station for scheduling, link adaptation and/or other purposes).
Yet, Babaei does not explicitly teach determine one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, for radio link monitoring of the primary cell, based on: one or more first control resource sets (coresets) of the primary cell; and one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; and measure the radio link monitoring reference signals for the radio link monitoring of the primary cell.
However, in the analogous art, Murray explicitly teaches determine one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, for radio link monitoring of the primary cell, (Fig. 1, 4-8 & ¶0040 - The UE may monitor the downlink link quality based on the reference signal in the configured RLM-RS resource(s) in order to detect the downlink radio link quality of the PCell and PSCell); based on: one or more first control resource sets (coresets) of the primary cell; and one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; (¶0047 - As another example, if RLM-RS is associated with particular Control Resource Set (CORESET) and UE fails to decode the PDCCH within this CORESET, then UE can infer that gNB does not acquire channel successfully and consider this as missed RLM-RS TXOP. ¶0048 - Transmission burst associated RLM-RS may be signaled to the UE by higher layers (e.g. RRC signaling). For example, an RLM-AssociatedBurst IE that may take values such as SSBID, CORESETID, etc., may be signaled to the UE. Examiner interprets the RLM-RS resource(s) for detecting radio link quality of PCell and PSCell can be associated with one or more coresets of the PCell and PSCell);
and measure the radio link monitoring reference signals for the radio link monitoring of the primary cell (¶0040 (Please see PCell) - With regard to the monitoring the downlink quality, a UE may perform measurements of reference signals configured for the purpose of determining the DL link quality; when the measurement is above or below a configured threshold, the radio link may be determined to be in-sync or out-of-sync. Please also see Table 5 & ¶0182).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Murray to the teaching of Babaei. The motivation would be because disclosed are methods for performing RLM for NR-U based on in-sync or out-of-sync indications that are based on the estimated radio link quality in combination with missed RLM-RS TXOPs (¶, Murray).
Re. Claim 12, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 11.
Babaei further teaches the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to…) to receive configuration parameters of physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) for scheduling the primary cell, the configuration parameters indicating: the one or more first coresets, of the primary cell, for monitoring downlink control information (DCI) comprising resource assignment for the primary cell; and the one or more second coresets, of the secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell, for monitoring DCI comprising resource assignment for the primary cell (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0230 - In an example, the configuration parameters of a cell may comprise PDCCH configuration parameters. The PDCCH configuration parameters may comprise CORESET configuration and search space configuration parameters of CORESETs and search spaces for the cell. Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0232 - In an example embodiment as shown in FIG. 19, a wireless device may receive configuration parameters of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a secondary cell. Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0239 - The wireless device may monitor one or more CORESETs/search spaces on the secondary cell… based on the secondary cell being configured as a scheduling cell for the primary cell. Abstract - The wireless device may monitor one or more first search spaces of the primary cell for receiving downlink control information associated with scheduling of the primary cell … The wireless device may monitor one or more second search spaces of the secondary cell for receiving downlink control information associated with scheduling of the primary cell. Please also see ¶0233).
Re. Claim 13, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 11.
Babei further teaches the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to…) to determine that the secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell based on the secondary cell being activated (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0275 - In an example, the wireless device may monitor one or more second search spaces on the secondary cell for receiving downlink control information associated with scheduling of the primary cell based on the secondary cell being in an activated state).
Re. Claim 14, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 11.
Babaei further teaches the instructions in the memory, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to (Fig. 15, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - a device (e.g., …a wireless device…) may include one or more processors and may include memory that may store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform…) determine one or more second radio link monitoring reference signals, of the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, (¶0125 - An antenna port may be associated with one or more reference signals. ¶0126 - For example, a downlink physical channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) may be spatially quasi co-located with a downlink reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB). The wireless device may determine a receive beam based on measurement on the downlink reference signal and may assume that the determined received beam is also good for reception of the physical channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) that are spatially quasi co-located with the downlink reference signal);
based on: one or more first search spaces associated with the one or more first coresets of the primary cell; (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0230 - In an example, the configuration parameters of a cell may comprise PDCCH configuration parameters. The PDCCH configuration parameters may comprise CORESET configuration and search space configuration parameters of CORESETs and search spaces for the cell. Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0232 - In an example embodiment as shown in FIG. 19, a wireless device may receive configuration parameters of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell… Please also see ¶0208) and one or more first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states of the one or more first coresets (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI). Based on the one or more TCI states indicated to the UE, the UE may determine a downlink receive beam and receive downlink transmissions using the receive beam).
Re. Claim 15, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 14.
Babaei further teaches the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device (Fig. 15, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - a device (e.g., …a wireless device…) may include one or more processors and may include memory that may store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform…) to determine the one or more first TCI states based on at least one of: (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI). Based on the one or more TCI states indicated to the UE, the UE may determine a downlink receive beam and receive downlink transmissions using the receive beam) one or more monitoring periodicities of the one or more first search spaces (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0099 - For example, the search space configuration parameters may comprise a monitoring periodicity and offset parameter indicating the slots for monitoring the PDCCH candidates), one or more first coreset indexes of the one or more first coresets, or on one or more first search space indexes of the one or more first search spaces (Please also see ¶0208). Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features to be mapped because of the presence of “at least one of”.
Re. Claim 16, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 14.
Babaei further teaches the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals comprise one or more reference signals of the one or more first TCI states (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0125 - An antenna port may be associated with one or more reference signals. ¶0126 - For example, a downlink physical channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) may be spatially quasi co-located with a downlink reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB). The wireless device may determine a receive beam based on measurement on the downlink reference signal and may assume that the determined received beam is also good for reception of the physical channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) that are spatially quasi co-located with the downlink reference signal ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI). Based on the one or more TCI states indicated to the UE, the UE may determine a downlink receive beam and receive downlink transmissions using the receive beam).
Re. Claim 17, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 14.
Babaei further teaches the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to…) to determine one or more second TCI states based on at least one of: (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI) one or more second monitoring periodicities of the one or more second search spaces, one or more second coreset indexes of the one or more second coresets, or one or more second search space indexes of the one or more second search spaces (Fig. 13, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35 & ¶0124 - …configure a wireless device with one or more SRS resource sets and an SRS resource set may comprise one or more SRS resources. The SRS resources in an SRS resources set may be configured for periodic, semi-persistent or aperiodic transmission. The periodic SRS and the semi-persistent SRS resources may be configured with periodicity and offset parameters. Please also see ¶0208). Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features to be mapped because of the presence of “at least one of”).
Re. Claim 18, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 11.
Babaei further teaches the determining the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals is further (¶0125 - An antenna port may be associated with one or more reference signals. ¶0126 - For example, a downlink physical channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) may be spatially quasi co-located with a downlink reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB). The wireless device may determine a receive beam based on measurement on the downlink reference signal and may assume that the determined received beam is also good for reception of the physical channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) that are spatially quasi co-located with the downlink reference signal); based on: one or more first search spaces associated with the one or more first coresets of the primary cell; one or more second search spaces associated with the one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0099 - For example, the UE may monitor a set of PDCCH candidates in configured monitoring occasions in one or more configured COntrol REsource SETs (CORESETs) according to the corresponding search space configurations. ¶0208 - In case of cross carrier scheduling, search spaces with the same searchSpaceld in scheduled cell and scheduling cell may be linked to each other. The wireless device may apply the search space for the scheduled cell if the DL BWPs in which the linked search spaces are configured in scheduling cell and scheduled cell are both active) and one or more TCI states of both the one or more first coresets and the one or more second coresets (Fig. 18A, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35-36 & ¶0129 - For example, the base station may determine one or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and may indicate the one or more TCI states to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling, a MAC CE and/or a DCI. Based on the one or more TCI states indicated to the UE, the UE may determine a downlink receive beam and receive downlink transmissions using the receive beam).
Re. Claim 20, Babaei teaches a system comprising: a base station comprising: one or more first processors; and first memory storing first instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the base station to transmit configuration parameters of a primary cell and a secondary cell; (Fig. 15, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - a device (e.g., …a base station…) may include one or more processors and may include memory that may store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform…) and a wireless device comprising: one or more second processors; and second memory storing second instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the wireless device to: (Fig. 15, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - a device (e.g., …a wireless device…) may include one or more processors and may include memory that may store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform…) receive the configuration parameters of the primary cell and the secondary cell in response to the secondary cell cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell (Fig. 15, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0351 - At 3610, a wireless device may receive configuration parameters of a primary cell and a secondary cell, wherein the secondary cell may be a scheduling cell for the primary cell. ¶0239 - The wireless device may monitor one or more CORESETs/search spaces on the secondary cell… based on the secondary cell being configured as a scheduling cell for the primary cell);
Yet, Babaei does not explicitly teach determine radio link monitoring reference signals, for radio link monitoring of the primary cell, based on: one or more first control resource sets (coresets) of the primary cell; and one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; and measure the radio link monitoring reference signals for the radio link monitoring of the primary cell.
However, in the analogous art, Murray explicitly teaches determine radio link monitoring reference signals, for radio link monitoring of the primary cell, (Fig. 1, 4-8 & ¶0040 - The UE may monitor the downlink link quality based on the reference signal in the configured RLM-RS resource(s) in order to detect the downlink radio link quality of the PCell and PSCell);
based on: one or more first control resource sets (coresets) of the primary cell; and one or more second coresets of the secondary cell; (¶0047 - As another example, if RLM-RS is associated with particular Control Resource Set (CORESET) and UE fails to decode the PDCCH within this CORESET, then UE can infer that gNB does not acquire channel successfully and consider this as missed RLM-RS TXOP. ¶0048 - Transmission burst associated RLM-RS may be signaled to the UE by higher layers (e.g. RRC signaling). For example, an RLM-AssociatedBurst IE that may take values such as SSBID, CORESETID, etc., may be signaled to the UE. Examiner interprets the RLM-RS resource(s) for detecting radio link quality of PCell and PSCell can be associated with one or more coresets of the PCell and PSCell);
and measure the radio link monitoring reference signals for the radio link monitoring of the primary cell (¶0040 (Please see PCell) - With regard to the monitoring the downlink quality, a UE may perform measurements of reference signals configured for the purpose of determining the DL link quality; when the measurement is above or below a configured threshold, the radio link may be determined to be in-sync or out-of-sync. Please also see Table 5 & ¶0182).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Murray to the teaching of Babaei. The motivation would be because disclosed are methods for performing RLM for NR-U based on in-sync or out-of-sync indications that are based on the estimated radio link quality in combination with missed RLM-RS TXOPs (¶, Murray).
Claims 9-10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Babaei and Murray, in view of Cirik et al. (US 2020/0260300), Cirik hereinafter.
Re. Claim 9, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 1.
Yet, Babaei and Murray do not explicitly teach receiving configuration parameters indicating a threshold for an out-of-sync event; and determining the out-of-sync event of the radio link monitoring based on the threshold and the measuring the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals.
However, in the analogous art, Cirik explicitly discloses receiving configuration parameters indicating a threshold for an out-of-sync event; (Fig. 17, 19, 28 & ¶0381 - The one or more configuration parameters may comprise a first threshold (e.g., rlmInSyncOutOfSyncThreshold) for the beam failure detection of the cell) and determining the out-of-sync event of the radio link monitoring based on the threshold and the measuring the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals (Fig. 17, 19, 28 & ¶0381 - At step 2802, the wireless device may determine/detect a beam failure of the cell, for example, based on the one or more first RSs. The BFI indication may be determined, for example, if a result of assessing the one or more first RSs of the cell indicates a first radio quality worse/lower (e.g., higher BLER, lower L1-RSRP, lower L1-SINR) than the first threshold).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective
filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Cirik to the teachings of Babaei and Murray. The motivation would be because efficient determination/selection of a suitable beam may avoid/reduce potential communication problems in wireless communications (Cirik, ¶0004).
Re. Claim 10, Babaei, Murray and Cirik teach Claim 9.
Yet, Babaei and Murray do not explicitly teach detecting a radio link failure based on the out-of- sync event, wherein the determining the out-of-sync event is based on signal quality, of each reference signal of the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, being lower than the threshold.
However, in the analogous art, Cirik explicitly discloses detecting a radio link failure based on the out-of- sync event, wherein the determining the out-of-sync event is based on signal quality (Fig. 16-17, 19, 28 & ¶0381 - At step 2802, the wireless device may determine/detect a beam failure of the cell, for example, based on the one or more first RSs. The BFI indication may be determined, for example, if a result of assessing the one or more first RSs of the cell indicates a first radio quality worse/lower (e.g., higher BLER, lower L1-RSRP, lower L1-SINR) than the first threshold). Fig. 16-17, 19, 28 & ¶0215 - A quality of beam pair links may be indicated by, for example, an RSRP value, a reference signal received quality (e.g., RSRQ) value, and/or a CSI (e.g., SINR) value measured on RS resources), of each reference signal of the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals, being lower than the threshold. (Fig. 16-17, 19, 28 & ¶0213 - The base station 1602 and the wireless device 1601 may start a BFR procedure on the TRP, for example, if the PDCCH on the beam pair link (e.g., between the Tx beam of the base station 1602 and the Rx beam of the wireless device 1601) have a lower-than-threshold RSRP).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective
filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Cirik to the teachings of Babaei and Murray. The motivation would be because efficient determination/selection of a suitable beam may avoid/reduce potential communication problems in wireless communications (Cirik, ¶0004).
Re. Claim 19, Babaei and Murray teach Claim 11.
Babaei further teaches the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to: (Fig. 15, 18A, 19, 25, 27, 35-36 & ¶0350 - a device (e.g., …a wireless device…) may include one or more processors and may include memory that may store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform…);
Yet, Babaei and Murray do not explicitly teach receive second configuration parameters indicating a threshold for an out-of-sync event; and determine the out-of-sync event of the radio link monitoring based on the threshold and the measuring the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals.
However, in the analogous art, Cirik explicitly discloses receive second configuration parameters indicating a threshold for an out-of-sync event; (Fig. 16-17, 19, 28 & ¶0381 - The one or more configuration parameters may comprise a first threshold (e.g., rlmInSyncOutOfSyncThreshold) for the beam failure detection of the cell) and determine the out-of-sync event of the radio link monitoring based on the threshold and the measuring the one or more radio link monitoring reference signals. (Fig. 16-17, 19, 28 & ¶0381 - At step 2802, the wireless device may determine/detect a beam failure of the cell, for example, based on the one or more first RSs. The BFI indication may be determined, for example, if a result of assessing the one or more first RSs of the cell indicates a first radio quality worse/lower (e.g., higher BLER, lower L1-RSRP, lower L1-SINR) than the first threshold).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective
filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Cirik to the teachings of Babaei and Murray. The motivation would be because efficient determination/selection of a suitable beam may avoid/reduce potential communication problems in wireless communications (Cirik, ¶0004).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yerramalli et al. (US 20190364468) – Please see Abstract, Fig. 1-13 & ¶0002-¶0162.
Yuan et al. (US 2023/0060481) – Please see Abstract, Fig. 1-15 & ¶0001-¶0182.
Xu et al. (US 2020/0146063) – Please see Abstract, Fig. 1-30 & ¶0036 - ¶0539.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALYSSA WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)270-7673. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached on (571) 270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALYSSA WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2465B
/AYMAN A ABAZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465