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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/23/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 14-17, 23-25, 28-31, 33-36 and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102[a2] as being anticipated by Bhamri [US 2023/0284190].
As claims 14 and 24, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a communication apparatus [Fig 1, Ref 102], comprising: a transceiver, which, in operation, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling [Fig 5-10 discloses UE receives DCI signaling]; and circuitry, which, in operation, obtains, from the DCI signaling, an indication indicating: at least one of slot offsets for Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCHs) or Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) in a data transmission [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row], the slot offsets indicated by one entry of entries in a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row]; wherein different PUSCHs or PDSCHs are associated with different slot offsets [Par. 0110, Table2 disclose each PDSCH has a different K2 such as 1 and 4] in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively [Fig 8 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are in non-consecutively] and a first time gap between a first second time gap have non-zero lengths [Fig 8, a first time gap, Ref 820, between a first PDSCH, Ref 814, of the PDSCHs, Ref 814, 826, 838, and a second PDSCH, Ref 826, of the PDSCHs is different from a second time gap, Ref 832, between the second PDSCH, Ref 826, of the PDSCHs and a third PDSCH, Ref 838, of the PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths, Ref 820 and 832, are zero lengths and placed between the PDSCH at different time so they are not the same]; in a second case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged consecutively [Fig 9 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are consecutively].
As claim 23, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a scheduling device [Fig 1, Ref 104], comprising: circuitry, which, in operation, generates downlink control information (DCI) signaling and transceiver for trans the DCI signaling to the communication apparatus [Fig 5-10 discloses UE receives DCI signaling]; wherein the DCI signaling includes an indication indicating to a communication apparatus: at least one of slot offsets for Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCHs) or Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) in a data transmission [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row], the slot offsets indicated by one entry of entries in a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row]; wherein, different PUSCHs or PDSCHs are associated with different slot offsets [Par. 0110, Table2 disclose each PDSCH has a different K2 such as 1 and 4]; in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively [Fig 8 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are in non-consecutively] and a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a third PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths [Fig 8, a first time gap, Ref 820, between a first PDSCH, Ref 814, of the PDSCHs, Ref 814, 826, 838, and a second PDSCH, Ref 826, of the PDSCHs is different from a second time gap, Ref 832, between the second PDSCH, Ref 826, of the PDSCHs and a third PDSCH, Ref 838, of the PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths, Ref 820 and 832, are zero length and placed between the PDSCH at different time so they are not the same]; in a second case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged consecutively [Fig 9 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are consecutively]. As claims 15, 29 and 34, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication indicates at least one of: a number N of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein N is an integer greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)], or a number M of repetitions of the data PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein M is equal to or greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses number of repetitions of data wherein number is equal to or greater than one].
As claims 15, 29 and 34, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication indicates at least one of: a number N of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein N is an integer greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)], or a number M of repetitions of the data PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein M is equal to or greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses number of repetitions of data wherein number is equal to or greater than one].
As claims 16, 30 and 35, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the PUSCHs or PDSCHs carry different data, and/or each of M repetitions of the PUSCHs or PDSCH carries a same data [Par. 0071, 109 discloses N data mutually different data and each repetition carries same data].
As claims 17, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication jointly indicates the number N data [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)] and at least one of: the number M repetitions [0071, 0109 discloses DCI includes number of repetitions for TB]; or a transmission gap between data the PUSCHs or PDSCHs [Par. 0110, table 2 discloses DCI indicates gap between the adjacent downlink TBs wherein gap is uplink TB].
As claims 25, 31 and 36, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a first slot offset [Table 2, K2 = 1], and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a second slot offset [Table 2, K2 = 4].
As claims 28, 33 and 38, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are scheduled by a single DCI [Par. 0076].
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 (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 following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 14-17, 23-25, 28-31, 33-36 and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu [US 20200267754] in view of Bhamri [US 2023/0284190].
As claims 14 and 23-24, Liu [US 2020/0267754] discloses a communication apparatus [Fig 3, Ref 120], comprising: a transceiver, which, in operation, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling [Fig 3 discloses UE receives DCI signaling, Ref 315], in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively and a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a third PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths [Fig 4 discloses in first case, the PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively a first time gap “time interval” between PDSCH0 “read on first PDSCH” and PDSCH1 “read on second PDSCH” of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap “time interval” between PDSCH1 “read on second PDSCH” and PDSCH2 “read on PDSCH3” of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the interval between PDSCH0 and PDSCH1 and the interval between PDSCH1 and PDSCH2 have non-zero lengths, Fig 5 and Fig 7]. However, Liu [US 2020/0267754] fails to disclose what Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a communication apparatus [Fig 1, Ref 102], comprising: a transceiver, which, in operation, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling [Fig 5-10 discloses UE receives DCI signaling]; and circuitry, which, in operation, obtains, from the DCI signaling, an indication indicating: at least one of slot offsets for Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCHs) or Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) in a data transmission [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row], the slot offsets indicated by one entry of entries in a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row]; wherein different PUSCHs or PDSCHs are associated with different slot offsets [Par. 0110, Table2 disclose each PDSCH has a different K2 such as 1 and 4] in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively [Fig 8 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are in non-consecutively]; in a second case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged consecutively [Fig 9 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are consecutively].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system as disclosed by Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] into the teaching of Liu [US 2020/0267754]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead.
As claims 15, 29 and 34, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication indicates at least one of: a number N of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein N is an integer greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)], or a number M of repetitions of the data PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein M is equal to or greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses number of repetitions of data wherein number is equal to or greater than one].
As claims 16, 30 and 35, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the PUSCHs or PDSCHs carry different data, and/or each of M repetitions of the PUSCHs or PDSCH carries a same data [Par. 0071, 109 discloses N data mutually different data and each repetition carries same data].
As claims 17, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication jointly indicates the number N data [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)] and at least one of: the number M repetitions [0071, 0109 discloses DCI includes number of repetitions for TB]; or a transmission gap between data the PUSCHs or PDSCHs [Par. 0110, table 2 discloses DCI indicates gap between the adjacent downlink TBs wherein gap is uplink TB].
As claims 25, 31 and 36, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a first slot offset [Table 2, K2 = 1], and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a second slot offset [Table 2, K2 = 4].
As claims 28, 33 and 38, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are scheduled by a single DCI [Par. 0076].
Claim(s) 14-17, 23-25, 28-31, 33-36 and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae [US 20220131652] in view of Bhamri [US 2023/0284190].
As claims 14 and 23-24, Bae [US 20220131652] discloses a communication apparatus [Fig 10], comprising: a transceiver, which, in operation, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling [Fig10 discloses UE receives DCI signaling such PDCCH]; in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively and a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a third PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths [Fig 10, discloses a first time gap “time interval comprises 4 symbols” between first PDSCH and second PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap “time interval comprises 7 symbols” between second PDSCH and third PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the interval between first PDSCH and second PDSCH and the interval between second PDSCH and third PDSCH have non-zero lengths]. However, Bae [US 20220131652] fails to fully disclose what Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a communication apparatus [Fig 1, Ref 102], comprising: a transceiver, which, in operation, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling [Fig 5-10 discloses UE receives DCI signaling]; and circuitry, which, in operation, obtains, from the DCI signaling, an indication indicating: at least one of slot offsets for Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCHs) or Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) in a data transmission [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row], the slot offsets indicated by one entry of entries in a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling [Par. 0087-0088, 0110-0111 discloses DCI includes index of TDRA that indicates slot offsets that includes in entry of TDRA table which is configured via RRC, Table 2 discloses PDSCHs includes 2 slot offsets in a row]; wherein different PUSCHs or PDSCHs are associated with different slot offsets [Par. 0110, Table2 disclose each PDSCH has a different K2 such as 1 and 4] in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively [Fig 8 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are in non-consecutively]; in a second case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged consecutively [Fig 9 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are consecutively].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system as disclosed by Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] into the teaching of Bae [US 20220131652]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead.
As claims 15, 29 and 34, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication indicates at least one of: a number N of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein N is an integer greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)], or a number M of repetitions of the data PUSCHs or PDSCHs, wherein M is equal to or greater than one [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses number of repetitions of data wherein number is equal to or greater than one].
As claims 16, 30 and 35, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the PUSCHs or PDSCHs carry different data, and/or each of M repetitions of the PUSCHs or PDSCH carries a same data [Par. 0071, 109 discloses N data mutually different data and each repetition carries same data].
As claims 17, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the indication jointly indicates the number N data [Par. 0071, 0109 discloses DCI indicates scheduling of a number N of transport blocks (TBs)] and at least one of: the number M repetitions [0071, 0109 discloses DCI includes number of repetitions for TB]; or a transmission gap between data the PUSCHs or PDSCHs [Par. 0110, table 2 discloses DCI indicates gap between the adjacent downlink TBs wherein gap is uplink TB]. As claims 25, 31 and 36, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a first slot offset [Table 2, K2 = 1], and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a second slot offset [Table 2, K2 = 4].
As claims 28, 33 and 38, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] discloses the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are scheduled by a single DCI [Par. 0076].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to pages 7-8, the applicant states that the prior arts does not disclose a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a third PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths. In reply, Bhamri discloses in Fig 8, a first time gap, Ref 820, between a first PDSCH, Ref 814, of the PDSCHs, Ref 814, 826, 838, and a second PDSCH, Ref 826, of the PDSCHs is different from a second time gap, Ref 832, between the second PDSCH, Ref 826, of the PDSCHs and a third PDSCH, Ref 838, of the PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths, Ref 820 and 832, are zero length. Liu discloses a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a third PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths [Fig 4 discloses in first case, the PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively a first time gap “time interval” between PDSCH0 “read on first PDSCH” and PDSCH1 “read on second PDSCH” of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap “time interval” between PDSCH1 “read on second PDSCH” and PDSCH2 “read on PDSCH3” of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the interval between PDSCH0 and PDSCH1 and the interval between PDSCH1 and PDSCH2 have non-zero lengths, Fig 5 and Fig 7]. Bae discloses in a first case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged non-consecutively and a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs and a third PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the first time gap and the second time gap have non-zero lengths [Fig 10, discloses a first time gap “time interval comprises 4 symbols” between first PDSCH and second PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is different from a second time gap “time interval comprises 7 symbols” between second PDSCH and third PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs wherein the interval between first PDSCH and second PDSCH and the interval between second PDSCH and third PDSCH have non-zero lengths].
So, the prior arts disclose Fig 8c and 8d of application.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3159. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
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