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
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 January 08, 2026 has been entered.
This Office Action is in response to claim amendment filed on January 08, 2026 and wherein claims 1 and 30 are amended.
In virtue of this communication, claims 1-19, 30 are currently pending in this Office Action.
The Office appreciates the explanation of the amendment and analyses of the prior arts, and however, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993) and MPEP 2145.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argue Cheng fail to teach "...applying ... the MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on a slot or sub-slot over which a last transmission repetition of the HARQ-ACK in the uplink channel is transmitted." This means the effective time or action time of the command is calculated relative to the end of the PUCCH transmission (Remarks, filed on January 8, 2026, page 9-10) has been fully considered and it is persuasive, but it is necessitated in view of the new ground(s) of rejection by the applicant amendment. The Office has thoroughly reviewed Applicants' arguments but firmly believes that the cited references to reasonably and properly meet the claimed limitations.
Applicant challenge the combination of Cheng and Jang fails to show a reference that teaches receiving the PDSCH+MAC- CE after the PUCCH repetitions have been transmitted (Remarks, filed on January 8, 2026, page 8-9) has been fully considered and it is persuasive. but it is necessitated in view of the new ground(s) of rejection by the applicant amendment. The Office has thoroughly reviewed Applicants' arguments but firmly believes that the cited references to reasonably and properly meet the claimed limitations.
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.
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 nonobviousness.
Claims 1-19, 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. (US 20200205150 A1, hereinafter Cheng) in view of Jang et al. (US 20230087223 A1, hereinafter Jang) and further in view of Jung et al. (US 20230180199 A1, hereinafter Jung).
Claim 1: Cheng teaches a method of uplink transmission, performed by a wireless communication device in a wireless communication network that includes two or more transmission/reception points, TRPs, each associated with a spatial relation or Transmission Configuration Indication, TCI, state, the method comprising (Fig. 1, [0079], “the PUCCH
repetition with the multiple TRP concept … different Spatial relationship information (represented by the variable Spatialrelationinfo) across the PUCCH repetitions may be supported. Below, some implementations that indicate/configure the Spatialrelationinfo for PUCCH for HARQ-ACK transmission to each TRP”):
receiving, from a base station in the wireless communication network, a configuration of a first spatial relation or a first TCI state and a second spatial relation or a second TCI state for an uplink channel, and an indication of a number of transmission repetitions of the uplink channel (Fig. 2, element 210, [0082], “the UE may obtain the UE antenna panel information based on the TCI/DMRS port group/SRI/spatial domain filter obtained from the DCI to find the associated antenna panel index for the PDSCH/PUSCH”, [0089], “the UE is configured to use multiple PDCCH for multiple TRPs”, [0091], “ receiving (e.g., from a base station) a PDCCH that may include downlink control information (DCI) carried in a CORESET … an indicator for intra-slot PUCCH repetition transmission, an indicator for a number of PUCCH repetition transmissions”, [0100], “there may be a DCI/MAC CE signaling to indicate whether the UE may transmit more than one physical channel on the overlapped resource with different spatial domain filters/UE antenna panels per PUCCH resource”, [0134], “UE may be configured to receive multiple PDCCH from the different TRPs to schedule the PDSCH from each TRP separately”, [0057], “ there is also a bit field in the DCI signaling to indicate the symbol-level time offset between each intra-slot repetitive PUCCH resource”, [0067], “the repetition number of PUCCH may be the same as the number of PDSCH repetitions indicated in the DCI. In one implementation, the UE may activate the PUCCH repetition according to the PUSCH
repetition/PDSCH repetition that is configured in the RRC signaling … the UE may apply the PUCCH repetition for the PUCCH transmission that contains the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH”);
transmitting the uplink channel a number of times, according to the number of transmission repetitions, in a first set of resources according to the first spatial relation or the first TCI state, and in a second set of resources according to the second spatial relation or the second TCI state (Fig. 2, element 240, [0124], “UE may transmit two repetitive PUCCH
resources for the HARQ feedback. The first PUCCH resource may be transmitted by the spatial domain filter marked as “CRI#1” and the second PUCCH resource may be transmitted by the spatial domain filter marked as “CRI#10”, due to the lower CORESET ID of the DCI associated with “CRI#1”. In another case, if the PUCCH resource #1 is configured with the number of repetition “4”, the UE may transmit 4 repetitive PUCCH
resources by the spatial domain filters marked as “CRI#1”, “CRI#10”, “CRI#1” and “CRI#10”, respectively”, [0093], “determine a spatial domain filter for the PUCCH
transmission based on an index associated with the CORESET (e.g., the CORESET ID)”, [0054], “repetition configuration may be per BWP and may be activated only when the corresponding BWP is activated. More specifically, after the first repetitive PUCCH
transmission is performed, the UE may omit the repetitive PUCCH transmission while a BWP switching is occurred”,[0100], “There may be a DCI/MAC CE signaling to indicate whether the UE may transmit more than one physical channel on the overlapped resource with different spatial domain filters/UE antenna panels per PUCCH resource”, [0108], illustrate an example that UE construct PUCCH repetition based on PUCCH
resource configuration);
transmitting a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement, HARQ- ACK, associated with the PDSCH in the uplink channel according to the number of transmission repetitions ([0066], “the repetition number of PUCCH may be the same as the number of repetitions for the PDCCH that triggers the PUCCH transmission …if the DCI contains a bit field to indicate the number of PDSCH repetitions, the UE may perform the PUCCH
repetition when the UE transmits the HARQ feedback for the PDSCH”, [0067], “the
repetition number of PUCCH may be the same as the number of PDSCH repetitions
indicated in the DCI. In one implementation, the UE may activate the PUCCH repetition
according to the PUSCH repetition/PDSCH repetition that is configured in the RRC signaling … the UE may apply the PUCCH repetition for the PUCCH transmission that contains the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH”, [0087], “the higher layer of the UE may set the HARQ Process ID to the HARQ Process ID contained in the DCI that is used to schedule the PDSCH/PUSCH”, [0054], “above described repetition configuration may be per BWP and may be activated only when the corresponding BWP is activated”, [0056], “if multiple active BWPs are supported by the configuration, a MAC CE comprising a bitmap (or bit stream) may be used to indicate the active/inactive PUCCH repetitions for the respective MVPs (e.g., a MAC CE received on a first BWP may be used to control the activation/deactivation of the PUCCH repetitions of a second BWP”, wherein MAC CE received on a first BWP may be used to control the activation/deactivation of the PUCCH
repetitions of a second BWP);
However, Cheng does not explicitly teach receiving a Physical Downlink Shared Channel, PDSCH, carrying a Media Access Control, MAC, control element, CE, command from the base station after the PUCCH repetitions have been transmitted.
and applying the MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on a slot or sub-slot over which a last transmission repetition of the HARQ-ACK in the uplink channel is transmitted.
Jang and Jung, from the same from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches receiving a Physical Downlink Shared Channel, PDSCH, carrying a Media Access Control, MAC, control element, CE, command from the base station (Jang, [0375], “the base station may schedule a PDSCH 15E-10 through DCI 15E-05 to the UE, and may transmit an MAC-CE indicating activation with respect to a plurality of pieces of PUCCH-spatialRelationInfo to the UE through the corresponding PDSCH 15E-10 … the corresponding MAC-CE may include one PUCCH resource ID and a bitmap indicating the plurality of pieces of PUCCH-spatialRelationInfo, and/or an index of a combination indicating the plurality of pieces of PUCCH-spatialRelationInfo”) after the PUCCH repetitions have been transmitted (Jung, [0098], “if the UE receives a MAC CE activation
command for one of the TCI states, the UE applies the activation command in the first slot that is after slot k+3 .Nslotsubframe,μ where k is the slot where the UE would transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for the PDSCH providing the activation
command and μ is the SCS configuration for the PUCCH. The active BWP is defined as the active BWP in the slot when the activation command is applied”, [0143], “Provided the UE does not have the required TCI-state information to receive PDCCH and PDSCH in the new BWP, the UE shall use old TCI-states before the BWP switch until a new MAC CE updating the required TCI-state information for PDCCH and PDSCH is received after the BWP switch”),
and applying the MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on a slot or sub-slot over which a last transmission repetition of the HARQ-ACK in the uplink channel is transmitted (Jung, [0098], “if the UE receives a MAC CE activation command for one of the TCI states, the UE applies the activation command in the first slot that is after slot k+3 .Nslotsubframe,μ where k is the slot where the UE would transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for the PDSCH providing the activation command and μ is the SCS configuration for the PUCCH. The active BWP is defined as the active BWP in the slot when the activation command is applied”, [0143], “Provided the UE does not have the required TCI-state information to receive PDCCH and PDSCH in the new BWP, the UE shall use old TCI-states before the BWP switch until a new MAC CE updating the required TCI-state information for PDCCH and PDSCH is received after the BWP switch”).
Cheng and Jang are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wireless communication. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Cheng and the features receiving of PDSCH, carrying MAC-CE as taught by Jang, for the benefit for UE receiving pucch-spatialRelationInfoID activation information through the corresponding PDSCH (paragraph [0375]).
Cheng and Jung are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wireless communication. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Cheng and the features of applying the MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on a slot or sub-slot over which a last transmission repetition of the HARQ-ACK in the uplink channel is transmitted as taught by Jung, for the benefit for allowing UE to activate TCI state based on new received MAC CE activation command (paragraph [0131]).
Claim 2: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second TCI states is one of: a unified TCI state that can be used for both downlink and uplink channel transmissions, and an uplink TCI state that can be used only for uplink channel transmissions ([0082], “the UE may obtain the UE antenna panel information based on the TCI/DMRS port group/SRI/spatial domain filter obtained from the DCI to find the associated antenna panel index for the PDSCH/PUSCH”).
Claim 3: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH (Fig. 2, elements 230, 240, [0093], “in action 230, a first PUCCH in a slot (e.g., of a subframe) using the spatial domain filter. Based on the information received from the base station, the method may transmit, in action 240, at least one repetition of the PUCCH to the base station using the same slot”).
Claim 4: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the timing is based on a slot or sub-slot over which a last transmission repetition of the uplink channel ([0055], “there is also a bit field in the MAC CE signaling to indicate the symbol-level time offset between each intra-slot repetitive PUCCH resource. The time offset may be counted from the last OFDM symbol of the first PUCCH to the first OFDM symbol of the second PUCCH”) that carries a corresponding Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, feedback associated with the MAC CE command is transmitted ([0122], “the UE 400 may consider the PUCCH that is indicated by the scheduling DCI for the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH to apply the PUCCH
Repetition. In some of the present implementations, the number of repetitions may be configured in the RRC/MAC-CE/DCI signaling of the indicated PUCCH resource”, [0109], “the UE 400 may receive a MAC-CE signaling which activates PUCCH repetition
transmission for PUCCH resource #1 based on the PUCCH resource ID and activate/deactivate indicator (i.e., AID field) of the MAC-CE”, [0066], “ the UE may perform the PUCCH repetition when the UE transmits the HARQ feedback for the PDSCH”).
Claim 5: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, configured to carry Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, feedback, and the MAC CE command is a MAC CE command that activates a Transmission Configuration Indication, TCI, state ([0025], “the PUCCH includes hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for a received physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) associated with the CORESET”, [0109], “the UE 400 may receive a MAC-CE signaling which activates PUCCH repetition transmission for PUCCH resource #1 based on the PUCCH resource ID and activate/deactivate indicator (i.e., AID field) of the MAC-CE”, [0086], “The PDCCH may be transmitted on the CORESET and the spatial
domain filter of the CORESET may be obtained from the variable tci-StatesPDCCH carried in RRC signaling, and the MAC CE may indicate one of spatial domain filter
contained in the tci-StatesPDCCH list”).
Claim 6: The combination of Cheng and Jung teaches the method of claim 5 wherein applying the MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on the slot or sub-slot over which the last transmission repetition of the uplink channel is transmitted comprises applying the MAC CE command that activates the TCI state (cheng, [0086], “the MAC CE may indicate one of spatial domain filter contained in the tci-StatesPDCCH list”) in a first slot that is after slot k + 3Nsubframe', where: k is a slot over which a last transmission repetition of the PUCCH that carries HARQ feedback with ACK for the PDSCH that carried the MAC CE command (Jang, [0375], “ the base station may schedule a PDSCH 15E-10 through DCI 15E-05 to the UE, and may transmit an MAC-CE indicating activation with respect to a plurality of pieces of PUCCH-spatialRelationInfo to the UE through the corresponding PDSCH 15E-10”) that activates the TCI state is transmitted, μ is the subcarrier spacing configuration for the PUCCH (Jung, [0098], “if the UE receives a MAC CE activation command for one of the TCI states, the UE applies the activation command in the first slot that is after slot k+3 .Nslotsubframe,μ where k is the slot where the UE would transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for the PDSCH providing the activation command and μ is the SCS configuration for the PUCCH. The active BWP is defined as the active BWP in the slot when the activation command is applied”), and
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(Jang, [0257], “ the UE may apply activation of the pucch-spatialRelationInfoID through the MAC CE from a slot first occurring after a slot of 3Nslot subframe,μ from a slot transmitting HARQ-ACK with respect to a PDSCH transmitting the MAC CE containing activation information with respect to pucch-spatialRelationInfoID. μ denotes numerology applied to the PUCCH transmission, and denotes 3Nslotsubframe,μ the number of slots per subframe in the given numerology” ).
The motivation for combining Cheng, Jang and Jung regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 6.
Claim 7: Cheng teaches The method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, configured to carry Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, feedback ([0025], “the PUCCH includes hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for a received physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) associated with the CORESET, [0122], “the UE 400 may consider the PUCCH that is indicated by the scheduling DCI for the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH to apply the PUCCH Repetition”), and the MAC CE command is a MAC CE command that activates a spatial relation for a PUCCH resource ([0109], “the UE 400 may receive a MAC-CE signaling which activates PUCCH repetition transmission for PUCCH resource #1 based on the PUCCH resource ID and activate/deactivate indicator (i.e., AID field) of the MAC-CE”, [0086], “the MAC CE may indicate one of spatial domain filter contained in the tci-StatesPDCCH list”).
Claim 8: The combination of Cheng, Jang and Jung teaches the method of claim 7 wherein applying MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on the slot or sub-slot over which the last transmission repetition of the uplink channel is transmitted comprises applying the MAC CE command that activates the spatial relation for a PUCCH (cheng, [0086], “the MAC CE may indicate one of spatial domain filter contained in the tci-StatesPDCCH list”) resource in a first slot that is after
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k is a slot over which a last transmission repetition of the PUCCH that carries HARQ feedback with ACK corresponding to a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, that carried the MAC CE command is transmitted (Jang, [0375], “ the base station may schedule a PDSCH 15E-10 through DCI 15E-05 to the UE, and may transmit an MAC-CE indicating activation with respect to a plurality of pieces of PUCCH-spatialRelationInfo to the UE through the corresponding PDSCH 15E-10”), μ is the subcarrier spacing configuration for the PUCCH (Jung, [0098], “if the UE receives a MAC CE activation command for one of the TCI states, the UE applies the activation command in the first slot that is after slot k+3 .Nslotsubframe,μ where k is the slot where the UE would transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for the PDSCH providing the activation command and μ is the SCS configuration for the PUCCH. The active BWP is defined as the active BWP in the slot when the activation command is applied”), and
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(Jang, [0257], “ the UE may apply activation of the pucch-spatialRelationInfoID through the MAC CE from a slot first occurring after a slot of 3Nslot subframe,μ from a slot transmitting HARQ-ACK with respect to a PDSCH transmitting the MAC CE containing activation information with respect to pucch-spatialRelationInfoID. μ denotes numerology applied to the PUCCH transmission, and denotes 3Nslot subframe,μ the number of slots per subframe in the given numerology”).
The motivation for combining Cheng, Jang and Jung regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 8.
Claim 9: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, configured to carry Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, feedback ([0025], “the PUCCH includes hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for a received physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) associated with the CORESET”), and the MAC CE command is a MAC CE command that activates a Semi- Persistent, SP, Zero-Power, ZP, Channel State Information Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resource set [0056], “ the PUCCH resource ID associated with the configuration indicated by the MAC CE signaling (e.g., the PUCCH resource associated with the CSI report configuration ID may be indicated by the SP CSI reporting on the PUCCH MAC CE)”).
Claim 10: The combination of Cheng, Jang and Jung teaches the method of claim 9 wherein applying the MAC CE command according to a timing that is based on the slot or sub-slot over which the last transmission repetition of the uplink channel is transmitted comprises applying the MAC CE command that activates the SP ZP CSI-RS resource set in a first slot that is after
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: k is a slot over which a last transmission repetition of the PUCCH that carries HARQ feedback with ACK corresponding to a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, carrying the MAC CE command (Jang, [0375], “ the base station may schedule a PDSCH 15E-10 through DCI 15E-05 to the UE, and may transmit an MAC-CE indicating activation with respect to a plurality of pieces of PUCCH-spatialRelationInfo to the UE through the corresponding PDSCH 15E-10”) that activates the SP ZP CSI-RS is transmitted (Jung, [0097], “For a CORESET with index 0, the UE expects that quasi co-located (QCL)-TypeD of a CSI-RS in a TCI state indicated by a MAC CE activation command for the CORESET”, Cheng, [0056], “the PUCCH resource associated with the CSI report configuration ID may be indicated by the SP CSI reporting on the PUCCH MAC CE”, [0065], “the UE may activate a PUCCH repetition according to the DCI that triggers the PUCCH transmission (e.g., for both of the A-CSI report on PUCCH and the HARQ feedback”), μ is the subcarrier spacing configuration for the PUCCH (Jung, [0098], “if the UE receives a MAC CE activation command for one of the TCI states, the UE applies the activation command in the first slot that is after slot k+3 .Nslotsubframe,μ where k is the slot where the UE would transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for the PDSCH providing the activation command and μ is the SCS configuration for the PUCCH. The active BWP is defined as the active BWP in the slot when the activation command is applied”), and
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(Jang, [0257], “ the UE may apply activation of the pucch-spatialRelationInfoID through the MAC CE from a slot first occurring after a slot of 3Nslot subframe,μ from a slot transmitting HARQ-ACK with respect to a PDSCH transmitting the MAC CE containing activation information with respect to pucch-spatialRelationInfoID. μ denotes numerology applied to the PUCCH transmission, and denotes 3Nslot subframe,μ the number of slots per subframe in the given numerology”).
The motivation for combining Cheng, Jang and Jung regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 10.
Claim 11: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, configured to carry Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, feedback ([0025], “the PUCCH includes hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for a received physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) associated with the CORESET”), and the MAC CE command is any one of: a MAC CE command for enhanced transmission configuration indication, TCI, states activation or deactivation; a MAC CE for Semi-Persistent, SP, Channel State Information, CSI, reporting on PUCCH activation or deactivation; a MAC CE for SP CSI-RS or Channel State Information for Interference Measurement, CSI-IM, resource set activation or deactivation; a MAC CE for SP Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, activation or deactivation; a MAC CE for SP positioning SRS activation or deactivation; or a MAC CE for SP or aperiodic, AP, SRS spatial relation indication ([0056], “ the PUCCH resource ID associated with the configuration indicated by the MAC CE signaling (e.g., the PUCCH resource associated with the CSI report configuration ID may be indicated by the SP CSI reporting on the PUCCH
MAC CE)”, [0086], “the MAC CE may indicate one of spatial domain filter contained in the tci-StatesPDCCH list”).
Claim 12: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the first set of resources is a first set of time and frequency domain resources, and the second set of resources is a second set of time and frequency domain resources ([0114], “the PUCCH resource #1 may be configured to apply the PUCCH repetition and the time offset between the repetitive PUCCH resource may be “1 symbol” based on the PUCCH resource configuration in the RRC signaling and the PUCCH resource #1 may be started from the symbol#4 in a slot and the length may be two OFDM symbols. With this configurations, the UE may transmit the first repetitive PUCCH for the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH on the OFDM symbol#4 and symbol#5 in slot#n+4, and the second repetitive PUCCH on the OFDM symbol#7 and symbol#8 in slot#n+4” ).
Claim 13: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the first set of resources is a first set of sub-slots within a slot, and the second set of resources is a second set of sub-slots within the slot ([0022], “the information comprises at least one of an indicator for intra-slot PUCCH repetition transmission, an indicator for a number of PUCCH repetition
transmissions, and an indicator for a symbol level time offset between each intra-slot repetitive PUCCH resource”, [0057], “one-bit indicator may be in the DCI signaling to activate intra-slot PUCCH repetition. In one implementation, there is also a bit field in the DCI signaling to indicate the number of intra-slot repetitions of a PUCCH transmission”).
Claim 14: Cheng teaches the method of claim 13 wherein a total number of sub-slots in the first set of sub-slots and the second set of sub-slots is equal to the number of transmission repetitions ([0059], “the UE may perform both transmit repetitive PUCCH resource within a slot and also across more than one slots, and each slot may have the same number of repetitive intra-slot PUCCH transmissions”).
Claim 15: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second sets of resources comprises time and frequency resources in one or more Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, OFDM, symbols ([0114], “the PUCCH resource #1 may be configured to apply the PUCCH repetition and the time offset between the repetitive PUCCH resource may be “1 symbol” based on the PUCCH resource configuration in the RRC signaling and the PUCCH resource #1 may be started from the symbol#4 in a slot and the length may be two OFDM symbols. With this configurations, the UE may transmit the first repetitive PUCCH for the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH on the OFDM symbol#4 and symbol#5 in slot#n+4, and the second repetitive PUCCH on the OFDM symbol#7 and symbol#8 in slot#n+4” ).
Claim 16: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the first set of resources and the second set of resources are non-overlapping in time ([0124], “repetitive PUCCH
resources may not be overlapped with each other and may be configured with a time offset between each repetitive PUCCH resource”).
Claim 17: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the first set resources and the second set of resources are in a same slot ([0114], “the UE may transmit the first repetitive PUCCH for the HARQ feedback of the PDSCH on the OFDM symbol#4 and symbol#5 in slot#n+4, and the second repetitive PUCCH on the OFDM symbol#7 and symbol#8 in slot#n+4”, [0013], “transmitting the first PUCCH repeat comprises transmitting the first PUCCH repeat to the base station through a first transmission reception point (TRP), the method further comprising transmitting a second PUCCH repeat to the base station in the same slot of the subframe using a second TRP”).
Claim 18: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein time- frequency resource allocations for the number of repetitions of the uplink channel in the first and second sets of resources have a same pattern ([0060], “the time offset between each repetitive PUCCH
resource may be related to the spatial domain filter/UE antenna panel applied for each repetitive PUCCH resource”, [0013], “and transmitting the first PUCCH repeat comprises transmitting the first PUCCH repeat to the base station through a first transmission
reception point (TRP), the method further comprising transmitting a second PUCCH
repeat to the base station in the same slot of the subframe using a second TRP”).
Claim 19: Cheng teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel is one of physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, formats 0 to 4 ([0127], “the PUCCH resource #1 may belong to PUCCH format 2”, [0051], “the PUCCH repetition may apply only to a single PUCCH format (e.g., a long PUCCH format, such as PUCCH format 1, PUCCH format 3, and PUCCH format 4).”).
Claim 30 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1 and Cheng further teaches one or more transmitters (Fig. 6, element 622); one or more receivers (Fig. 6, element 624); and processing circuitry (Fig. 6, element 626) associated with the one or more transmitters and the one or more receiver, the processing circuitry configured ([0140], “memory 628 may store computer-readable, computer-executable instructions 632 (e.g., software codes) that are configured to, when executed, cause processor 626 to perform various functions described herein”, [0141], “Processor 626 may include memory. Processor 626 may process data 630 and instructions 632 received from memory 628, and information through transceiver 620, the base band communications module, and/or the network communications module”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YONGHONG ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)272-4089. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 9:00 am - 5:00pm.
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/Y.Z./Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/NICHOLAS A JENSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472