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
This action is in response to the pre-amendment filed on 11/20/2025. Claims 1-13, 18-22, 26-27, 32 and 37 have been canceled and claims 14-17 and 23-25, 28-31, 33-36 and 38 are pending in the application.
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 Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] in view of Liu [US 20200267754].
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]; in a second case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged consecutively [Fig 9 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are consecutively]. However, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] fails to disclose a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different. In the same field of endeavor, Liu [US 2020/0267754] discloses a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different [Fig 7, time gap between pusch0 “read on pusch1” and pusch1 “read on pusch2” and time gap between pusch2 “read on pusch2” and pusch3 “read on pusch3” are different because it occurs at a different time. Fig 4-5, time gap between pusch0 “pusch1” and pusch1 “pusch2” and time gap between pusch2 “pusch2” and pusch3 are different because it occurs at a different time].
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 comprising a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different as disclosed by Liu [US 2020/0267754] into the teaching of Bhamri [US 2023/0284190]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead.
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 second case the PUSCHs [Par. 0057, Table 1, K2 = [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] for consecutive PUSCH]; 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]. However, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] fails to disclose a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different. In the same field of endeavor, Liu [US 2020/0267754] discloses a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different [Fig 7, time gap between pusch0 “read on pusch1” and pusch1 “read on pusch2” and time gap between pusch2 “read on pusch2” and pusch3 “read on pusch3” are different because it occurs at a different time. Fig 4-5, time gap between pusch0 “pusch1” and pusch1 “pusch2” and time gap between pusch2 “pusch2” and pusch3 are different because it occurs at a different time].
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 comprising a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different as disclosed by Liu [US 2020/0267754] into the teaching of Bhamri [US 2023/0284190]. 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 [Bhamri discloses Table 2, K2 = 1], and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a second slot offset [Bhamri discloses 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 [Bhamri discloses 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 Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] in view of Bae [US 20220131652].
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]; in a second case the PUSCHs or PDSCHs are arranged consecutively [Fig 9 discloses PUSCHs or PDSCHs are consecutively]. However, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] fails to disclose a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different. In the same field of endeavor, Bae [US 20220131652] discloses a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different [Fig 10, time gap between pusch0 “read on pusch1” and pusch1 “read on pusch2” and time gap between pusch2 “read on pusch2” and pusch3 “read on pusch3” are different because it occurs at a different time].
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 comprising a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different as disclosed by Bae into the teaching of Bhamri [US 2023/0284190]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead.
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 second case the PUSCHs [Par. 0057, Table 1, K2 = [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] for consecutive PUSCH]; 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]. However, Bhamri [US 2023/0284190] fails to disclose a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different. In the same field of endeavor, Bae discloses a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different [Fig 10, time gap between pusch0 “read on pusch1” and pusch1 “read on pusch2” and time gap between pusch2 “read on pusch2” and pusch3 “read on pusch3” are different because it occurs at a different time].
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 comprising a first time gap between a first PUSCH or PDSCH and a second PUSCH or PDSCH and a second time gap between the second PUSCH or PDSCH and a third PUSCH or PDSCH are different as disclosed by Bae [US 20220131652] into the teaching of Bhamri [US 2023/0284190]. 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 [Bhamri discloses Table 2, K2 = 1], and a second PUSCH or PDSCH of the PUSCHs or PDSCHs is associated with a second slot offset [Bhamri discloses 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 [Bhamri discloses Par. 0076].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/9/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to page 7, the applicant states that the Fig 6 is not same as the description which cited in the Office action. In reply, the examiner has a type error which the Fig 7 instead of Fig 6 because Fig 6 does not have PDSCH2. It should be Fig 7 which describes gap between PDSCH0 and PDSCH1 is zero, gap greater than zero is between PDSCH1 and PDSCH2.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action because the applicant changed the scope of the independent claims by merging claim 27 because the previous independent claims the examiner interpret PUSCHs or PDSCHs includes only PUSCH0, PUSCH1 or PDSCH0, PDSCH1. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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