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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02, 2026 has been entered.
This Office Action is in response to claim amendment filed on January 02, 2026 and wherein claims 1, 3 and 6 being currently amended.
In virtue of this communication, claims 1, 3, 5,6 and 8 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’s arguments, see Remarks, Pages 5-7, filed on January 02, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 6 under 35 USC §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of TS_138_213_V16_2 and Jung .
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, Pages 5-7, filed on January 02, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim 3 under 35 USC §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of KHOSHNEVISAN and Lee .
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, 5, 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (US 20210135713 A1, hereinafter Kang) in view of TS_138_213_V16_2 ( ETSI TS 138 213 v16.2.0, hereinafter TS_138_213_V16_2) and further in view of Jung et al. (US 20240236723 A1, hereinafter Jung).
Claim 1: Kang teaches a terminal (Fig. 11, element UE), comprising:
a transmitting unit (Fig.14, elements 1420, 1423) configured to transmit a PRACH in a beam failure recovery procedure (Fig. 11, element S1130, [0361], “in step S1130, a PRACH preamble or PUCCH may be used for BFRQ transmission”);
and a receiving unit (Fig.14, elements 1420, 1423) configured to start monitoring a PDCCH when a certain number of slots of time have elapsed from transmission of the PRACH (Fig. 11, element S1140, [0388], “In S1140, the UE transmits the PRACH and the preamble (BFRQ) and, after four slots, starts monitoring a response to the BRFQ”, [0389], “A dedicated control resource set (dedicated CORESET) may be configured to monitor the duration of the window and the response to the BFRQ from the base station by RRC”. [0390], “the response to the non-contention PRACH resource and the preamble is transmitted through a PDCCH masked with C-RNTI”, Fig. 13, element S1320, [0479], “ In S1320, the base station transmits a response to the beam failure recovery request to the UE for the beam failure recovery”,);
However, Kang does not explicitly teach wherein the number of slots is larger than a first predetermined offset value, wherein the first predetermined offset value is preconfigured by a base station, and wherein the receiver is configured to use a value obtained by adding an offset to the first predetermined offset value as the number of slots of time elapsed from the transmission of the PRACH, for monitoring the PDCCH.
TS_138_213_V16_2 and Jung, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches wherein the number of slots is larger than a first predetermined offset value (TS_138_213_V16_2 , page 111, disclose configurable PDCCH monitoring periodicity of ks slots, a configurable PDCCH monitoring offset of os slots by parameter monitoringSlotPeriodicityAndOffset, a configurable first symbol(s) of the CORESET within a slot for PDCCH monitoring, by parameter monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot, wherein os and/or monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot is reading as a first predetermined offset. PAGE 45, 8.2 “The window starts at the first symbol of the earliest CORESET the UE is configured to receive PDCCH for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, as defined in Clause 10.1, that is at least one symbol, after the last symbol of the PRACH occasion corresponding to the PRACH transmission, … The length of the window in number of slots, based on the SCS for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, is provided by ra-ResponseWindow”, PAGE 47, 8.2A, “The window starts at the first symbol of the earliest CORESET the UE is configured to receive PDCCH for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, as defined in Clause 10.1, that is at least one symbol, after the last symbol of the PRACH occasion corresponding to the PRACH transmission, … The length of the window in number of slots, based on the SCS for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, is provided by msgB-ResponseWindow.”, wherein the length of the window defined in ra-ResponseWindow or msgB-ResponseWindow is serving as “number of slots”.
ra-ResponseWindow /msgB-ResponseWindow and monitoringSlotPeriodicityAndOffset/ monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot are independent parameters, thus length of the window can be set larger than os /monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot), wherein the first predetermined offset value is preconfigured by a base station (TS_138_213_V16_2 , page 110-112, disclose parameters monitoringSlotPeriodicityAndOffset and monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot are provided by higher layers), and wherein the receiver is configured to use a value obtained by adding an offset (TS_138_213_V16_2, page 111, disclose configurable PDCCH monitoring periodicity of ks slots, wherein ks is serving as “an offset”. Jung, Fig. 21, [0174], teach the method to calculate PDCCH monitoring occasion based on monitoring-periodicity-PDCCH-slot, Monitoring-offset-PDCCH-slot, Monitoring-symbols-PDCCH-within-slot) to the first predetermined offset value as the number of slots of time elapsed from the transmission of the PRACH, for monitoring the PDCCH (TS_138_213_V16_2, PAGE 45, 8.2 “The window starts at the first symbol of the earliest CORESET the UE is configured to receive PDCCH for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, as defined in Clause 10.1, that is at least one symbol, after the last symbol of the PRACH occasion corresponding to the PRACH transmission, … The length of the window in number of slots, based on the SCS for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, is provided by ra-ResponseWindow”, PAGE 47, 8.2A, “The window starts at the first symbol of the earliest CORESET the UE is configured to receive PDCCH for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, as defined in Clause 10.1, that is at least one symbol, after the last symbol of the PRACH occasion corresponding to the PRACH transmission, … The length of the window in number of slots, based on the SCS for Type1-PDCCH CSS set, is provided by msgB-ResponseWindow.”, wherein starting to monitor the PDCCH according to configured monitoringSlotPeriodicityAndOffset and monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot, and monitoring window is determined based on ra-ResponseWindow (for Type-1 random access procedure) or msgB-ResponseWindow (for Type-2 random access procedure).
Kang and TS_138_213_V16_2 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 modify the system of Kang with the features of adding an offset to the first predetermined offset for monitoring the PDCCH as taught by TS_138_213_V16_2, which is well known in the field, providing more flexible, configurable PDCCH monitoring occasion is specified in the specification.
Kang and Kung 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 modify the system of Kang with the features of adding an offset to the first predetermined offset for monitoring the PDCCH as taught by Kung, which is well known in the field, wherein providing more flexible, configurable PDCCH monitoring occasion.
Claim 6 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1 and Kang further teaches a base station apparatus (Fig. 11, element BASE STATION).
Claim 5: Kang teaches the terminal according to claim 1, wherein a number of candidate beams which are targets of search in the beam searching in the beam failure recovery procedure is larger than a second predetermined ([0018], “A number of the search spaces where the blind detection is performed is limited to a predetermined value, and when the number of search spaces currently subject to blind detection exceeds the predetermined value, the blind detection may be performed preferentially on the search space configured to detect the beam failure”, [0284], “Transmission of the DL signal is supported so that the UE may monitor a beam to identify new potential beams”, [0371], “the network (NW) may transmit a configuration of one or more PRACH resources/sequences to the UE. The PRACH sequence is mapped to at least one new candidate beam”), or wherein the number of beams which are target of monitoring for detecting a trigger of the beam failure recovery procedure is larger than a third predetermined value.
Claims 3,8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KHOSHNEVISAN et al. (US 20230156845 A1, hereinafter KHOSHNEVISAN) in view of Lee et al. (US 20210320711 A1, hereinafter Lee).
Claim 3: KHOSHNEVISAN teaches a terminal (Fig. 4, element UE, Fig. 6, element 605), comprising:
a transmitter (Fig.6, elements 635) configured to report a new beam detected by beam searching to a base station apparatus in a beam failure recovery procedure (Fig. 3, element 330, Fig.14, element 1410, 1420,1430, Fig. 15, element 1510, 1525, [0241], “the UE may transmit an access message indicating the new candidate beam during the BFR procedure”);
a receiver (Fig. 6, element 610) configured to receive a beam failure recovery response after the new beam is reported (Fig. 3, element 335, Fig. 15, element 1530, [0248], “the UE may monitor for an access response message on a first recovery search space configured with a first CORESET that is associated with the first CORESET pool index value or on a second recovery search space configured with a second CORESET that is associated with the second CORESET pool index value … the operations of 1530 may be performed by a BFR response manager as described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 8” );
and a processor (Fig. 6, [0166], “The device 605 may include a receiver 610, a communications manager 615, and a transmitter 635. The device 605 may also include a processor”) configured to update a QCL based on a new beam after a certain number of symbols of time have elapsed from reception of the beam failure recovery response ([0129], “The updated QCL relationship may correspond to the QCL configuration of the new candidate beam. That is, when the new candidate beam (e.g., q_new) corresponds to CORESET pool index value 0, the QCL assumptions for CORESET 0 may be updated (e.g., after 28 symbols after the last symbol carrying PDCCH). Accordingly, the updated QCL configuration may occur after a threshold time period.”, [0157], “If the new candidate beam is reported in the BFR MAC CE, 28 symbols from the end of the BFR response (e.g., in the PDCCH), all CORESET beams on the failed cell (e.g., SCell 415, or PCell 405 in this example), may be reset to the new candidate beam”, wherein “a certain number of symbols” is 28 symbols),
However, KHOSHNEVISAN does not explicitly teaches wherein the number of symbols is a value larger than a first predetermined offset value or a value smaller than the first predetermined offset value. wherein the first predetermined offset value is preconfigured by the base station, and wherein the processor is configured to use a value obtained by adding an offset to the first predetermined offset value as the number of symbols of time elapsed from the reception of the beam failure recovery response to update the QCL based on the new beam.
Lee, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches wherein the number of symbols is a value larger than a first predetermined offset value or a value smaller than the first predetermined offset value. wherein the first predetermined offset value is preconfigured by the base station, and wherein the processor is configured to use a value obtained by adding an offset to the first predetermined offset value as the number of symbols of time elapsed from the reception of the beam failure recovery response to update the QCL based on the new beam ([0346-0348], disclose Update QCL spatial_relation_info related to the SCell PUCCH beam to a PRACH Tx beam on which the UE has succeeded in performing BFR or an SSB resource ID or a CSI-RS resource ID, which is a new beam RS corresponding to the PRACH after K2 symbols, and K2 starting from the time when the UE receives a response signal. [0353], “the K2 value may be determined based on information reported according to UE capability or may be configured by the gNB based on the reporting value. As another example, the K2 value may be configured/determined by the 3GPP standard specification”, wherein K2 is reading as “the first predetermined offset”, and (28 -K2) symbols is reading as “an offset”).
KHOSHNEVISAN and Lee 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 modify the system of KHOSHNEVISAN with the features of adding an offset to the first predetermined offset for update QCL as taught by Lee, which allowing UE to updated spatial filter or spatial_relation_info within a specific timing, and the specific timing is configurable and flexible via higher layer configuration (paragraph [0349-350]).
Claim 8: KHOSHNEVISAN teaches the terminal according to claim 3, wherein the number of candidate beams which are targets of the search in the beam searching in the beam failure recovery procedure is larger than a predetermined value ([0005], “The UE may identify or otherwise detect a beam failure on the CC on a currently active beam of the PCell and select a new candidate beam from the set of candidate beams. For example, the UE may detect the beam failure based on a reference signal (e.g., a beam failure detection (BFD) reference signal) from a TRP failing to satisfy a threshold performance metric … the UE may measure candidate beams in the associated subset of candidate beams to identify the best performing candidate beam. The UE may select the best performing candidate beam (or N best performing candidate beams) as the new candidate beam”), or wherein the number of beams which are target of monitoring for detecting a trigger of the beam failure recovery procedure is larger than a predetermined value (alternative).
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