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 . Claims 1-20 and 22 are currently pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20220029758 A1) in view of Park et al. (US 11638240 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Bae et al. disclose a method performed by a wireless communication device operable in a cellular communications system, the method comprising: receiving, from a base station, a downlink control information (DCI) that schedules downlink transmissions to the wireless communication device on two or more serving cells of the wireless communication device; receiving and decoding the downlink transmissions on the two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI (paragraph [0033]; scheduling of downlink transmissions (e.g., physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions) on multiple cells by a single downlink control information (DCI) in a PDCCH. A UE provides an acknowledgment for the downlink transmission on each cell of the multiple cells); determining a slot in which to transmit Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback for the downlink transmissions on the two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI based on a single HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI and a reference timing (paragraph [0080]; one PUCCH resource may be used to transmit the acknowledgments (e.g., HARQ-ACK bits) for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) (paragraphs [0081-0082]; One field may be used for all N cells. The field may include TDRA, PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator K1, and PRI. Applying the single field for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot) (paragraph [0089]; a single PUCCH may be used to transmit the acknowledgments for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI. When using a single PUCCH, one or multiple DAI fields may be provided) (paragraph [0088]; multiple DAI fields may be used since a DAI may relate to one reference PUCCH slot); and transmitting, to the base station, HARQ feedback for the downlink transmissions on the two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI in the determined slot (paragraph [0080]; one PUCCH resource may be used to transmit the acknowledgments (e.g., HARQ-ACK bits) for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) (paragraphs [0081-0082]; applying the single field for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot. The PUCCH resource (slot) may be determined according to a field (Single field for TDRA, K1, and PRI. The field may include TDRA, PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator K1, and PRI)); wherein the reference timing is a reference slot (paragraph [0089]; a single PUCCH may be used to transmit the acknowledgments for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI. When using a single PUCCH, one or multiple DAI fields may be provided) (paragraph [0088]; multiple DAI fields may be used since a DAI may relate to one reference PUCCH slot). However, Bae et al. may not explicitly suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI. Park et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the reference timing is a reference slot and the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI (table 4, page 17; For a SPS PDSCH reception ending in slot n, the UE transmits the PUCCH in slot n + k where k is provided by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in DCI. Or with reference to slots for PUCCH transmissions, if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 or a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH reception ending in slot n or if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 indicating a SPS PDSCH release through a PDCCH reception ending in slot n, the UE provides corresponding HARQ-ACK information in a PUCCH transmission within slot n + k, where k is a number of slots and is indicated by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in the DCI format, if present, or provided by dl-DataToUL-ACK). Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate in Bae et al.’s method/system where the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI as suggested by Park et al. The motivation would have been to improve reliability while requiring less latency time (col. 7 lines 5-9).
Regarding claim 2, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference timing is a slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends (paragraph [0083]; UE may select a single PUCCH slot and resource from the N slots and resources according a reference cell may be used to obtain the PUCCH slot and resource) (paragraph [0091]; one PUCCH slot may be assumed as each DAI field may be with respect to one PUCCH slot).
Regarding claim 3, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is one of the two or more serving cells for which the DCI schedules the downlink transmissions (paragraph [0079]; one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell to determine the actual PUCCH).
Regarding claim 4, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is configured by a base station in the cellular communications system (paragraph [0079]; one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell) (paragraph [0040]; serving cells are configured by gNB).
Regarding claim 5, Bae et al. further suggest receiving, from the base station, information that configures the reference cell (paragraph [0079]; one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell to determine the actual PUCCH) (paragraph [0040]; serving cells are configured by gNB).
Regarding claim 6, Bae et al. further suggest wherein receiving the information that configures the reference cell comprise receiving the information that configures the reference cell via higher layer signaling (paragraph [0079]; one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell to determine the actual PUCCH) (paragraph [0132]; serving cells set is configured by higher layer for the UE).
Regarding claim 7, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is predefined (paragraph [0083]; reference cell may be used to obtain the PUCCH slot and resource).
Regarding claim 8, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is one of the two or more serving cells on which the wireless communication device receives the DCI (paragraph [0080]; DCI schedules multiple cells. A PDCCH on a scheduling cell may schedule N PDSCHs on N serving cells) (paragraph [0079]; one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell to determine the actual PUCCH).
Regarding claim 9, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is one of the two or more serving cells for which the DCI schedules the downlink transmissions that has a lowest cell index from among cell indices of the two or more serving cells (paragraphs [0082-0084]; applying the single field from the DCI for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot. A reference cell (of the N cells) may be used/selected to obtain the single PUCCH slot and resource. The PUCCH resource may be determined according to the PRI field (from the DCI) corresponding to the serving cell with the largest or smallest cell index among the N cells).
Regarding claim 10, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is one of the two or more serving cells for which the DCI schedules the downlink transmissions that has a highest cell index from among cell indices of the two or more serving cells (paragraphs [0082-0084]; applying the single field from the DCI for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot. A reference cell (of the N cells) may be used/selected to obtain the single PUCCH slot and resource. The PUCCH resource may be determined according to the PRI field (from the DCI) corresponding to the serving cell with the largest or smallest cell index among the N cells).
Regarding claim 11, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is one of the two or more serving cells for which the DCI schedules the downlink transmissions selected as a function of cell indices of the two or more serving cells (paragraph [0095]; For a PDCCH scheduling N different cells, a single field for (C-DAI, T-DAT) may be present in the DCI. The value of C-DAI on a PDCCH scheduling serving cells with indices i1, i2, . . . , iN may denote the accumulative number of {serving cell, PDCCH monitoring occasion}-pairs in which PDSCH reception associated with a DCI format up to the current serving cell) (paragraph [0079]; one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell).
Regarding claim 12, Park et al. further suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the single HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI (table 4, page 17; For a SPS PDSCH reception ending in slot n, the UE transmits the PUCCH in slot n + k where k is provided by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in DCI. Or with reference to slots for PUCCH transmissions, if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 or a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH reception ending in slot n or if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 indicating a SPS PDSCH release through a PDCCH reception ending in slot n, the UE provides corresponding HARQ-ACK information in a PUCCH transmission within slot n + k, where k is a number of slots and is indicated by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in the DCI format, if present, or provided by dl-DataToUL-ACK).
Regarding claim 13, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference cell is one of the two or more serving cells for which the DCI schedules the downlink transmissions defined by a position in which corresponding scheduling information occurs in the DCI (paragraph [0079]; a single parameter for K1 and a single parameter for the PRI (position value for PUCCH resource to transmit HARQ-ACK bits for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) may be provided, and the actual PUCCH may be determined based on the latest PUCCH among hypothetically constructed PUCCHs corresponding to the PDSCH numerology and/or allocation parameter for each cell or based on the earliest PUCCH satisfying a PDSCH processing time for ail cells among hypothetically constructed PUCCHs corresponding to the PDSCH numerology and/or allocation parameter of each cell, in some other embodiments, one or more PDSCH cells may be used as a reference cell).
Regarding claim 14, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference timing is a reference slot (paragraph [0089]; a single PUCCH may be used to transmit the acknowledgments for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI. When using a single PUCCH, one or multiple DAI fields may be provided) (paragraph [0088]; multiple DAI fields may be used since a DAI may relate to one reference PUCCH slot).
Regarding claim 15, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference slot is a slot in which a last-ending downlink transmission from among the downlink transmissions scheduled by the DCI ends (paragraph [0083]; UE may select a single PUCCH slot and resource from the N slots and resources according a reference cell may be used to obtain the PUCCH slot and resource) (paragraph [0091]; one PUCCH slot may be assumed as each DAI field may be with respect to one PUCCH slot).
Regarding claim 16, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the reference slot is counted according to a numerology of one of the two or more serving cells that carries the last-ending downlink transmission (paragraph [0124] [0079]; reference to slots for PUCCH transmissions, when a UE receives in a PDSCH for a secondary cell ending in slot n. PUCCH may be determined based on the latest PUCCH among hypothetically constructed PUCCHs corresponding to the PDSCH numerology and/or allocation parameter for each cell).
Regarding claim 17, Park et al. further suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the single HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI (table 4, page 17; For a SPS PDSCH reception ending in slot n, the UE transmits the PUCCH in slot n + k where k is provided by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in DCI. Or with reference to slots for PUCCH transmissions, if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 or a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH reception ending in slot n or if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 indicating a SPS PDSCH release through a PDCCH reception ending in slot n, the UE provides corresponding HARQ-ACK information in a PUCCH transmission within slot n + k, where k is a number of slots and is indicated by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in the DCI format, if present, or provided by dl-DataToUL-ACK).
Regarding claim 18, Bae et al. further suggest wherein the downlink transmissions are Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) (paragraph [0033]; scheduling of downlink transmissions (e.g., physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions) on multiple cells by a single downlink control information (DCI) in a PDCCH).
Regarding claim 19, Bae et al. further suggest wherein at least two of the two or more serving cells use different numerologies (paragraph [0045]; cells having different numerologies).
Regarding claim 20, Bae et al. disclose a wireless communication device for a cellular communication system, the wireless communication device adapted to: receive, from a base station, a downlink control information(DCI) that schedules downlink transmissions to the wireless communication device on two or more serving cells of the wireless communication device; receive and decode the downlink transmissions on two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI (paragraph [0033]; scheduling of downlink transmissions (e.g., physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions) on multiple cells by a single downlink control information (DCI) in a PDCCH. A UE provides an acknowledgment for the downlink transmission on each cell of the multiple cells); determine a slot in which to transmit Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback for the downlink transmissions on two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI based on a single HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI and a reference timing (paragraph [0080]; one PUCCH resource may be used to transmit the acknowledgments (e.g., HARQ-ACK bits) for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) (paragraphs [0081-0082]; One field may be used for all N cells. The field may include TDRA, PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator K1, and PRI. Applying the single field for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot) (paragraph [0089]; a single PUCCH may be used to transmit the acknowledgments for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI. When using a single PUCCH, one or multiple DAI fields may be provided) (paragraph [0088]; multiple DAI fields may be used since a DAI may relate to one reference PUCCH slot); and transmit, to the base station, HARQ feedback for the downlink transmissions on two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI in the determined slot (paragraph [0080]; one PUCCH resource may be used to transmit the acknowledgments (e.g., HARQ-ACK bits) for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) (paragraphs [0081-0082]; applying the single field for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot. The PUCCH resource (slot) may be determined according to a field (Single field for TDRA, K1, and PRI. The field may include TDRA, PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator K1, and PRI)). However, Bae et al. may not explicitly suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI. Park et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the reference timing is a reference slot and the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI (table 4, page 17; For a SPS PDSCH reception ending in slot n, the UE transmits the PUCCH in slot n + k where k is provided by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in DCI. Or with reference to slots for PUCCH transmissions, if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 or a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH reception ending in slot n or if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 indicating a SPS PDSCH release through a PDCCH reception ending in slot n, the UE provides corresponding HARQ-ACK information in a PUCCH transmission within slot n + k, where k is a number of slots and is indicated by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in the DCI format, if present, or provided by dl-DataToUL-ACK). Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate in Bae et al.’s method/system where the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI as suggested by Park et al. The motivation would have been to improve reliability while requiring less latency time (col. 7 lines 5-9).
Regarding claim 22, Bae et al. disclose a wireless communication device for a cellular communication system, the wireless communication device comprising: one or more transmitters; one or more receivers; and processing circuitry associated with the one or more transmitters and the one or more receivers, the processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless communication device to: receive, from a base station, a downlink control information (DCI) that schedules downlink transmissions to the wireless communication device on two or more serving cells of the wireless communication device; receive and decode the downlink transmissions on two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI (paragraph [0033]; scheduling of downlink transmissions (e.g., physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions) on multiple cells by a single downlink control information (DCI) in a PDCCH. A UE provides an acknowledgment for the downlink transmission on each cell of the multiple cells); determine a slot in which to transmit Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback for the downlink transmissions on two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI based on a single HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI and a reference timing (paragraph [0080]; one PUCCH resource may be used to transmit the acknowledgments (e.g., HARQ-ACK bits) for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) (paragraphs [0081-0082]; One field may be used for all N cells. The field may include TDRA, PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator K1, and PRI. Applying the single field for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot) (paragraph [0089]; a single PUCCH may be used to transmit the acknowledgments for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI. When using a single PUCCH, one or multiple DAI fields may be provided) (paragraph [0088]; multiple DAI fields may be used since a DAI may relate to one reference PUCCH slot); and transmit, to the base station, HARQ feedback for the downlink transmissions on two or more serving cells scheduled by the DCI in the determined slot (paragraph [0080]; one PUCCH resource may be used to transmit the acknowledgments (e.g., HARQ-ACK bits) for the PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI) (paragraphs [0081-0082]; applying the single field for all cells indicates the same PUCCH slot. The PUCCH resource (slot) may be determined according to a field (Single field for TDRA, K1, and PRI. The field may include TDRA, PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator K1, and PRI)). However, Bae et al. may not explicitly suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI. Park et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the reference timing is a reference slot and the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI (table 4, page 17; For a SPS PDSCH reception ending in slot n, the UE transmits the PUCCH in slot n + k where k is provided by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in DCI. Or with reference to slots for PUCCH transmissions, if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 or a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH reception ending in slot n or if the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 indicating a SPS PDSCH release through a PDCCH reception ending in slot n, the UE provides corresponding HARQ-ACK information in a PUCCH transmission within slot n + k, where k is a number of slots and is indicated by the PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator field in the DCI format, if present, or provided by dl-DataToUL-ACK). Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate in Bae et al.’s method/system where the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the slot in which one of the downlink transmissions that is scheduled for a reference cell ends and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI; or wherein the determined slot is slot X+Y, where X is the reference slot and Y is a number of slots indicated by the HARQ feedback timing indicator comprised in the DCI as suggested by Park et al. The motivation would have been to improve reliability while requiring less latency time (col. 7 lines 5-9).
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 06/26/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 20, and 22 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 above.
Conclusion
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HOANG-CHUONG Q. VU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2476
/HOANG-CHUONG Q VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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