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/Remarks
This communication is considered fully responsive to the amendment filed on 04/15/2026.
Claims 1-2, 5-22 are pending and are examined in this office action.
Claims 1-6, 8-11, 16-20, , have been amended.
No New claim has been added and claims 3-4 have been canceled previously .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 04/15/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) under 35 USC § 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 BABAEI et al. (US 20190215712 A1hereinafter as “BABAEI”).
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has not complied with one or more conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 119(e) as follows:
The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994).
The disclosure of the prior-filed application, Foreign Application No. CN202010368256.3 (filed on 04/30/2020), fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application. See MPEP § 211.05(I)(A).
In particular, the examiner fails to find support for “performed by a terminal, wherein the method comprises: sending a first uplink signal, wherein the first uplink signal is used to trigger a first downlink reception, an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception comprises a first association relationship, and the first association relationship is an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception in frequency domain, and wherein the first uplink signal comprises first indication information, the first indication information is used to trigger M first downlink receptions in N downlink receptions, the N downlink receptions are configured by a network side device or stipulated by a protocol, and both N and M are integers greater than 1; after the first uplink signal is sent, receiving first Downlink Control Information (DCI); and using the first DCI to trigger K first downlink receptions in the M first downlink receptions that are triggered by the first indication information, wherein K is an integer greater than 1 ” as required by independent claims 1, 18, 19 . The examiner couldn’t verify these claims limitation in Foreign Application No. CN202011529861.0 (filed on 04/30/2020) because it is not in English language. The applicant must submit English language of Foreign Application No. CN202011529861.0. Until then priority of this application is PCT/CN2021/089617 filing date 04/25/2021.
“The foreign priority filing date must antedate the reference and be perfected. The filing date of the priority document is not perfected unless applicant has filed a certified priority document in the application (and an English language translation, if the document is not in English”) (see 37 CFR 1.55(g))”. The applicant must show that the Applicant has all the support for the claim languages in all the prior documents.
Examiner’s Note: There are multiple “OR” functions throughout the claims. For the examination purpose, only first option will be considered unless otherwise exclusively mentioned by the examiner.
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 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.
Claims 1-2, 5-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (US 20190174438 A1; hereinafter as “ZHANG”) in view of BABAEI et al. (US 20190215712 A1hereinafter as “BABAEI”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to ZHANG unless otherwise mentioned.
Regarding claim 1, ZHANG teaches, a downlink reception triggering method (see fig. 2, 4, 5 ), performed by a termina (UE: [0068]),
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wherein the method (Fig. 2, Fig. 4) comprises:
sending a first uplink signal, wherein the first uplink signal is used to trigger a first downlink reception, an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception comprises a first association relationship, and the first association relationship is an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception in frequency domain (see fig. 2, steps 201, UE sends uplink (UL) signal (==a first uplink signal ) to trigger DL signals (==first downlink reception ) that are then transmitted by the BS to the UE in the time-frequency resource that are “associated” to the UL time-frequency resource as indicated by the UE. UE trigger UL signal trigger to start DL reception, also fig. 2 element 201, 202, fig, 4. Steps 403-405; “ Step 201: A base station receives at least one first uplink trigger signal (==first uplink signal ) in a first time-frequency resource group in a first radio frame. A form of the trigger signal is similar to a form of a PRACH signal in LTE.”: [0051]; “ ” Step 202: The base station determines, based on a time-frequency resource of the at least one first uplink trigger signal, a time-frequency resource used for sending first system information, where a start location of the time-frequency resource of the first system information in time domain has a first time offset relative to a frame header location of a radio frame in which the first system information is located: [0055]; [0050]-[0056]; “If the second indication information received by the user equipment includes the trigger signal sequence information, that the user equipment generates an uplink trigger signal based on the trigger signal resource of the serving cell includes obtaining, by the user equipment, a trigger signal sequence based on the second indication information, and generating, by the user equipment, the uplink trigger signal based on the trigger signal sequence. The trigger signal sequence information includes a sequence used for generating the trigger signal, and further includes information such as a basic parameter or an instruction of the sequence used for generating the trigger signal.
[0078] Further, before the user equipment sends the generated trigger signal to the base station in step 403, the user equipment further needs to determine whether to send the uplink trigger signal. A specific process is as follows.
[0079] The user equipment detects, on a start location of a subframe in which the determined time-frequency resource of the uplink trigger signal is located, whether there is first indication information. If a sending instruction for sending the trigger signal is detected, the user equipment sends the uplink trigger signal on a determined time-frequency resource location of the trigger signal. If no first indication information for sending the trigger signal is detected, the user equipment does not send the trigger signal. The first indication information may include downlink control indication information and indication information that is used to indicate a current subframe type. Before sending the uplink trigger signal, the user equipment determines whether the base station can receive the uplink trigger signal and send system information. ….”: also [0075]-[0082]; also Fig. 5 element 506 “ S506. The user equipment sends the generated uplink trigger signal to the base station.” : [0095]; “S507. The base station receives at least one uplink trigger signal on at least one time-frequency resource location in a first time-frequency resource group of a radio frame.
[0097] S508. The base station determines, based on a time-frequency resource location of the at least one uplink trigger signal, a first time-frequency resource location for sending first system information, where a start location of the first time-frequency resource location in time domain has a first time offset relative to a frame header location of a radio frame in which the first system information is located.”: [0095]-[0097]);
wherein the first uplink signal (==uplink trigger signal ) comprises first indication information, the first indication information is used to trigger M first downlink receptions in N downlink receptions (The user equipment detects, on a start location of a subframe (==first indication information ) in which the determined time-frequency resource of the uplink trigger signal is located, whether there is first indication information. If a sending instruction for sending the trigger signal is detected, the user equipment sends the uplink trigger signal on a determined time-frequency resource location (==first indication information ) of the trigger signal. If no first indication information for sending the trigger signal is detected, the user equipment does not send the trigger signal. The first indication information may include downlink control indication information and indication information that is used to indicate a current subframe type” [0075]-[0082]; “ For example, if the uplink trigger signal is received in subframe n (==M first downlink reception), the system information is sent on a frequency-domain location that is same as that of the uplink trigger signal and that is in a subframe earlier than subframe n+k (==N downlink receptions).”: [0067] NOTE: N>M. where n+k>n here) ,
the N downlink receptions (==n+K here ) are configured by a network side device or stipulated by a protocol ( system information with n+k subframe are combing from Base station and configured by the base station: [0082]; NOTE: OR function does not needs to be addressed here);
after the first uplink signal is sent, receiving first Downlink Control Information (DCI); ( Aforesaid “…the user equipment sends the uplink trigger signal on a determined time-frequency resource location of the trigger signal”: [0079]; after uplink signal, aforesaid “base station sends downlink common control instruction information or downlink control instruction information (==DCI ) for specific user equipment, to indicate the time-frequency resource used for sending the trigger signal.”: [0060]; [0079]; “ After the user equipment sends the generated uplink trigger signal to the base station, the base station performs step 201 to step 203 based on the uplink trigger signal, to send the system information to the user equipment by using a broadcast channel. ”: [0080]).
While ZHANG teaches, “ the N downlink receptions are configured by a network side device or stipulated by a protocol
ZHANG does not expressively disclose:
both N and M are integers greater than 1;
using the first DCI to trigger K first downlink receptions in the M first downlink receptions that are triggered by the first indication information, wherein K is an integer greater than 1.
BABAEI, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
both N and M are integers greater than 1 (UE transmits SP channel state information (CSI) reports on PUSCH and trigger DCI activation at gNB. gNB triggers a DCI to UE. both N and n+k==M are integers value. K value can be integer greater than zero or predefined as fixed value. So N and M can be predefined integers value greater than 1: [0499]-[0500]);
and
using the first DCI to trigger K first downlink receptions in the M first downlink receptions that are triggered by the first indication information, wherein K is an integer greater than 1 (K in integer value which is predefined integer value greater than 1 : [500]; [0258]; “ After receiving a RRC for CSI-RS configuration and a MAC layer signaling for CSI-RS activation, a UE may be triggered with aperiodic CSI reporting, associated with the CSI-RS resources indicated in a DCI, for example, DCI format 0C. A CSI request field in DCI format 0C indicates for which CSI process and/or CSI-RS resource the CSI reporting is triggered, as shown in FIG. 23.”: [0447]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of ZHANG to include the above recited limitations as taught by BABAEI. The suggestion/motivation would be to improve Trigger states in gNB: (BABAEI; [0502]-[0503]).
Regarding claim 2, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 1, further comprising: triggering, according to at least one of a frequency range of the first uplink signal, a type of the first uplink signal, a logical channel on which the first uplink signal is located, and a service priority of the first uplink signal, the first downlink reception associated with the first uplink signal (fig. 2, fig. 4, fig. 5: frequency resource group : [0051]-[0052]).
Regarding claim 5, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 1, wherein the first indication information comprises at least one of an identifier of the first downlink reception or a frequency domain configuration parameter of the first downlink reception (see fig. 2, 4, fig. 5: ;[0050]-[0083]).
Regarding claim 6, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 5 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 5, wherein the frequency domain configuration parameter of the first downlink reception comprises at least one of the following: a frequency domain location of the first downlink reception; a first timer of the first downlink reception, wherein a BandWidth Part (BWP) in which the first downlink reception is located remains unchanged during running of the first timer;a carrier; a BWP; a Control Resource SET (CORESET); a search space group; a search space; a parameter set; a bandwidth of BWP; a Virtual Resource Block (VRB) to Physical Resource Block (PRB) resource mapping manner; a bundle size of PRB; a frequency domain resource allocation type; the number of transmit antennas or transmit channels; the number of downlink Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) layers; simultaneously activated downlink component carriers; a maximum supported downlink transmission rate;
a quasi-co-located type D of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH); an antenna port of the PDCCH; an antenna port of a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH); Multiple Transmission and Reception Point (MTRP) transmission; or a size of Precoding Resource block Group (PRG) ([0084]) .
Regarding claim 7, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 6 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 6, wherein the frequency domain location of the first downlink reception is indicated by a bitmap; or the frequency domain location of the first downlink reception is indicated by a frequency domain start location and a frequency domain duration length (see fig. 3: “Specifically, a process in which the base station determines, based on the trigger signal received in the first time-frequency resource group, the time-frequency resource group used for sending the system information is as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, the first time-frequency resource group includes subframes 0 to 3, and the base station receives the at least one uplink trigger signal in the first time-frequency resource group, and if a start location of a time-frequency resource corresponding to the at least one uplink trigger signal in time domain is in subframe 2, the base station determines that the time-frequency resource group used for sending the system information is the time-frequency resource group including subframes 4 to 8. In other words, a time offset between the subframe of the start location and a last subframe in the time-frequency resource group determined by the base station for sending the system information is a fixed time offset. In this embodiment, the time offset is six subframes. ”: [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding claim 8, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 6 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 6, wherein the first timer starts after a Random Access Channel (RACH) process ends; or the first timer starts after the terminal receives an acknowledgment message of the network side device ( “If no system information is detected by the user equipment on the time-frequency resource location, the user equipment repeatedly performs step 403, to continue to send the uplink trigger signal on a subsequent time-frequency resource of the trigger signal, or the user equipment starts a timer, and repeats step 403 after the timer expires. ”:[0084]).
Regarding claim 9, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 6 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 6, further comprising: when the terminal sends a second uplink signal during running of the first timer of the first downlink reception, and the second uplink signal is used to trigger a second downlink reception, starting or restarting the first timer after sending the second uplink signal; or when the terminal receives a first message sent by the network side device, starting or restarting the first timer, wherein the first message comprises a BWP switching instruction ([0084]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 10, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 6 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 6, further comprising at least one of the following: when the terminal triggers a third downlink reception by using a third uplink signal, stopping the first timer after the third downlink reception takes effect; or when a second message sent by the network side device is received, and the second message is used to instruct to stop the first timer, stopping the first timer ([0084]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 11, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 6 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 6, wherein when the first timer times out, the method further comprises: switching the BWP in which the first downlink reception is located to a first BWP; or deactivating the BWP in which the first downlink reception is located ([0084]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 12, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 1, further comprising: switching a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in which the first uplink signal is located to an uplink BWP corresponding to the BWP to which the first downlink reception is switched ([0084]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 13, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 12 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 12, further comprising: sending second indication information to a network side device on the BWP to which the first uplink signal is switched, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate that switching occurs in the uplink BWP ([0084]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 14, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 1, wherein the association relationship further comprises a second association relationship, and the second association relationship is an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception in time domain (see fig. 2, fig. 3, fig. 4: “As shown in FIG. 3, the base station receives, on a time-frequency resource of subframe 2, an uplink trigger signal sent by user equipment, and determines, based on a time-frequency resource of the trigger signal on a user equipment side, a time-frequency resource group including subframe 4 to subframe 8, that is, the candidate time-frequency resource group of the first system information, to send the system information. A radio frame on a base station side includes 10 subframes subframes 0 to 9. The base station determines, based on a quantity of resource locations on which the trigger signal is received in the first time-frequency resource group and/or based on a subframe type of a time-frequency resource group used for sending the trigger signal, a time-frequency resource used for sending the system information in the time-frequency resource group. ”:[0057]).
Regarding claim 15, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a third message sent by a network side device, wherein the third message is used to instruct the terminal to stop receiving at least one downlink reception in the first downlink reception (see fig. 5: S514: “ S514. The user equipment sends the uplink trigger signal again based on the changed initial format or the increased transmit power, to ensure that the base station can receive the uplink trigger signal and send the system information. ”:[0103]-[0109]).
Regarding claim 16, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 1, when the terminal sends a second uplink signal within duration of the first downlink reception, and the second uplink signal is used to trigger a second downlink reception, the method further comprises: concurrently performing the first downlink reception and the second downlink reception; or performing only the second downlink reception (see fig. 2-5).
Regarding claim 17, ZHANG in view of BABAEI teaches the invention of claim 16 as set forth above. Further, ZHANG teaches, The method according to claim 16, wherein when that the first downlink reception and the second downlink reception are concurrently performed, in a case that one or more resource conflicts occur on the first downlink reception and the second downlink reception, the method further comprises: performing the second downlink reception on a conflicted resource, and abandoning the first downlink reception; or performing the first downlink reception on a conflicted resource, and abandoning the second downlink reception; or on a conflicted resource, determining a to-be-performed downlink reception from the first downlink reception and the second downlink reception according to at least one of types of the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal, logical channels on which the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal are located, and service priorities of the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal (see fig. 2-5).
Regarding claim 18, ZHANG teaches A downlink reception triggering method, performed by a network side device (eNB/ Base station ), wherein the method comprises:
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receiving a first uplink signal sent by a terminal, wherein the first uplink signal is used to trigger a first downlink reception, an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception comprises a first association relationship, and the first association relationship is an association relationship between the first uplink signal and the first downlink reception in frequency domain (see fig. 2, steps 201, UE sends uplink (UL) signal (==a first uplink signal ) to trigger DL signals (==first downlink reception ) that are then transmitted by the BS to the UE in the time-frequency resource that are “associated” to the UL time-frequency resource as indicated by the UE. UE trigger UL signal trigger to start DL reception, also fig. 2 element 201, 202, fig, 4. Steps 403-405; “ Step 201: A base station receives at least one first uplink trigger signal (==first uplink signal ) in a first time-frequency resource group in a first radio frame. A form of the trigger signal is similar to a form of a PRACH signal in LTE.”: [0051]; “ ” Step 202: The base station determines, based on a time-frequency resource of the at least one first uplink trigger signal, a time-frequency resource used for sending first system information, where a start location of the time-frequency resource of the first system information in time domain has a first time offset relative to a frame header location of a radio frame in which the first system information is located: [0055]; [0050]-[0056]; “If the second indication information received by the user equipment includes the trigger signal sequence information, that the user equipment generates an uplink trigger signal based on the trigger signal resource of the serving cell includes obtaining, by the user equipment, a trigger signal sequence based on the second indication information, and generating, by the user equipment, the uplink trigger signal based on the trigger signal sequence. The trigger signal sequence information includes a sequence used for generating the trigger signal, and further includes information such as a basic parameter or an instruction of the sequence used for generating the trigger signal.
[0078] Further, before the user equipment sends the generated trigger signal to the base station in step 403, the user equipment further needs to determine whether to send the uplink trigger signal. A specific process is as follows.
[0079] The user equipment detects, on a start location of a subframe in which the determined time-frequency resource of the uplink trigger signal is located, whether there is first indication information. If a sending instruction for sending the trigger signal is detected, the user equipment sends the uplink trigger signal on a determined time-frequency resource location of the trigger signal. If no first indication information for sending the trigger signal is detected, the user equipment does not send the trigger signal. The first indication information may include downlink control indication information and indication information that is used to indicate a current subframe type. Before sending the uplink trigger signal, the user equipment determines whether the base station can receive the uplink trigger signal and send system information. ….”: also [0075]-[0082]; also Fig. 5 element 506 “ S506. The user equipment sends the generated uplink trigger signal to the base station.” : [0095]; “S507. The base station receives at least one uplink trigger signal on at least one time-frequency resource location in a first time-frequency resource group of a radio frame.
[0097] S508. The base station determines, based on a time-frequency resource location of the at least one uplink trigger signal, a first time-frequency resource location for sending first system information, where a start location of the first time-frequency resource location in time domain has a first time offset relative to a frame header location of a radio frame in which the first system information is located.”: [0095]-[0097]); and
wherein the first uplink signal comprises first indication information, the first indication information is used to trigger M first downlink receptions in N downlink receptions, the N downlink receptions are configured by a network side device or stipulated by a protocol, and both N and M are integers greater than 1 and
after the first uplink signal is received, sending first Downlink Control Information (DCI), wherein the first DCI is used to trigger K first downlink receptions in the M first downlink receptions that are triggered by the first indication information, wherein K is an integer greater than 1 (Regarding claim 18, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 1).
Regarding claim 19, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 1.
Regarding claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 2.
Regarding claim 21, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 5.
Regarding claim 22, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to M MOSTAZIR RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4785. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-5:00pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached at 571-272-3123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M Mostazir Rahman/Examiner, Art Unit 2411
/DERRICK W FERRIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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