DETAILED ACTION
It is hereby acknowledged that the following papers have been received and placed of record in the file: Remark date 06/02/2026.
Claims 1, 3, 5-8, 10-12, 14, 24-32 and 35 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1, 3, 5-8, 10-12, 14, 24-32 and 35 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 8, 14, 24-28, 30-32 and 35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chin et al. (US 2022/0116987 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chin teaches a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
generating configured grant uplink control information (CG-UCI) in response to a determination by the UE that a network node has not configured a configured grant (CG) retransmission timer for the UE (Prioritize the HARQ process ID of retransmission over the HARQ Process IDs of Initial transmission (see Fig.5 step 514) corresponding to generate CG-UCI (where CG-UCI include HARQ process ID see ¶[0108-0109]) response to determine whether a configured grant retransmission timer is configured at 506 see Chin: ¶[0258-0259]); and
transmitting the CG-UCI on a physical uplink channel to the network node (UE transmit MAC PDU include PUSCH1 and PUSCH 2 configurations includes HARQ process ID (Fig.7) to network node see Chin: Fig.7; ¶[0098]; ¶[0108-0110]; ¶[0403]).
Regarding claim 3, Chin taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein the CG-UCI includes one or more of a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process identifier, a redundancy version (RV) identifier, or a new data indicator (CG-UCI may include HARQ process ID, RV, NDI, and COT information of a CG PUSCH see Chin: ¶[0109]).
Regarding claim 5, Chin taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein the CG-UCI includes channel occupancy time (COT) sharing information that indicates whether the network node is to share a COT of the UE (the initiating device (e.g., network) may share the COT (e.g., T_y) that it acquires with a responding device (e.g., UE or network) see Chin:¶[0247]).
Regarding claim 8, Chin taught the method of claim 5 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein the COT sharing information indicates a restriction on downlink transmission power (configured power threshold corresponding restrict power threshold “LBT may be considered successful if the channel is sensed to be idle (e.g., the power detected by a UE, which intends to perform a UL transmission, is less than a predetermined/configured power threshold) for a predetermined/configured duration of time during an LBT procedure” see Chin: ¶[0080]).
Regarding claim 14, Chin taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein the CG-UCI is configured based at least in part on configuration information received in a radio resource control message (a CG-UCI may be used to indicate the HARQ process ID that is selected for the CG PUSCH see Chin: ¶[0108-0110]).
Regarding claim 24, Chin teaches a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a configuration indicating that retransmission on a configured grant (CG) resource is enabled, in response to a determination by the UE that a network node has not configured a CG retransmission timer for the UE (Prioritize the HARQ process ID of retransmission over the HARQ Process IDs of Initial transmission (see Fig.5 step 514) corresponding to generate CG-UCI (where CG-UCI include HARQ process ID see ¶[0108-0109]) response to determine whether a configured grant retransmission timer is configured at 506 see Chin: ¶[0258-0259]);
receiving a message that includes hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for one or more CG communications (HARQ-ACK on CG-PUSCH see Chin: ¶[0134]); and
transmitting a retransmission on the CG resource based at least in part on receiving the message (UE transmit MAC PDU include PUSCH1 and PUSCH 2 configurations includes HARQ process ID (Fig.7) to network node see Chin: Fig.7; ¶[0098]; ¶[0108-0110]; ¶[0403]).
Regarding claim 25, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein the message includes a negative acknowledgment for an uplink transmission (specific UCI include ACK/NACK see Chin: ¶[0214]).
Regarding claim 26, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein the message includes downlink feedback information that is associated with a plurality of HARQ process identifiers (HARQ-ACK on CG-PUSCH see Chin: ¶[0134]).
Regarding claim 27, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin further comprising transmitting one or more of a HARQ process identifier or a redundancy version (RV) identifier in CG uplink control information (CG-UCI may include HARQ process ID, RV, NDI, and COT information of a CG PUSCH see Chin: ¶[0109]).
Regarding claim 28, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein transmitting the retransmission includes transmitting the retransmission for a HARQ process on the CG resource after receiving downlink feedback information associated with the HARQ process, and wherein the CG resource is a stored CG resource (an unacknowledged (and pending) MAC PDU of a HARQ process may be considered as being acknowledged by the network upon expiration of the configuredGrantTimer for the HARQ process, upon reception of a DFI indicating an ACK for the HARQ process, upon reception of an UL grant indicating a new transmission (e.g., with toggled NDI) for the HARQ process, etc see Chin: ¶[0178]).
Regarding claim 30, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin further comprising refraining from transmitting one or more of a HARQ process identifier or a redundancy version (RV) identifier in CG uplink control information (CG-UCI) based at least in part on a determination that a HARQ process identifier or an RV identifier is not to be included in the CG-UCI (stopped HARQ process when CG-retransmission timer of HARQ process received a dynamic grant “the cg-RetransmissionTimer of a HARQ process may be stopped when the UE receives a DFI for the corresponding HARQ process. [0127] In one example, the cg-RetransmissionTimer of a HARQ process may be stopped when the UE receives a dynamic grant (e.g., an UL grant associated with C-RNTI or CS-RNTI) for the HARQ process” see ¶[0126-0129])
Regarding claim 31, Chin taught the method of claim 30 as described hereinabove. Chin further teaches wherein transmitting the retransmission includes transmitting the retransmission for a HARQ process on a stored CG resource that is associated with a determined HARQ process identifier after receiving downlink feedback information associated with the HARQ process (UE receive DFI include HARQ-ACK (feedback) then generate MAC-PDU for transmission see Chin: Fig.7; ¶[0133-0134]).
Regarding claim 32, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin further comprising transmitting CG uplink control information (CG-UCI) with a new data indicator based at least in part on whether the CG-UCI is for a retransmission or a new uplink communication (CG-UCI may include NDI in the CG-UCI for new transmission see Chin: ¶[0109-0110]).
Regarding claim 35, claim 35 is rejected for the same reason as method of claim 1 as set forth hereinabove. Claim 35 teaches an apparatus that perform the same functionalities of method of claim 1 as described hereinabove.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 6-7 and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin et al. (US 2022/0116987 A1) in view of Alfarhan et al. (US 2022/0210823 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Chin taught the method of claim 5 as described hereinabove. Chin does not explicitly comprising determining that the COT sharing information indicates that the base station is to share the COT based at least in part on a determination that energy detected in a channel satisfies one or more energy detection thresholds.
However, Alfarhan teaches the determining that the COT sharing information indicates that the base station is to share the COT based at least in part on a determination that energy detected in a channel satisfies one or more energy detection thresholds (The gNB 180 may indicate to the WTRU 102 that the gNB 180 is sharing the COT (e.g., acquired before the start of the PUSCH for a CG resource (or any UL resource)) see Alfarhan: ¶[0172]) in order to enhance uplink data transmission on configured grants (see Alfarhan: ¶[0002]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Chin to include (or to use, etc.) the comprising determining that the COT sharing information indicates that the base station is to share the COT based at least in part on a determination that energy detected in a channel satisfies one or more energy detection thresholds as taught by Alfarhan in order to enhance uplink data transmission on configured grants (see Alfarhan: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Chin taught the method of claim 6 as describe hereinabove. Alfarhan further teaches wherein the one or more energy detection thresholds include an energy detection threshold that corresponds to a transmission power of the base station and an energy detection threshold that corresponds to a transmission power of the UE (an LBT type or parameters used for the carrier such that for example the WTRU 102 may determine a weighted share of the power allocation for a PUSCH depending on the LBT type or parameters used to access the carrier of the transmission (for example, depending on a parameter of the LBT (e.g., an Energy Detection (ED) threshold see Alfarhan: ¶[0161]; ¶[0081]) in order to enhance uplink data transmission on configured grants (see Alfarhan: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 29, Chin taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Chin does not explicitly teaches wherein transmitting the retransmission includes transmitting the retransmission for a HARQ process on any CG resource having a same transport block size as indicated in the configuration.
However, Alfarhan teaches the wherein transmitting the retransmission includes transmitting the retransmission for a HARQ process on any CG resource having a same transport block size as indicated in the configuration (For a CG transmission, the WTRU 102 may include CG-UCI. The CG-UCI may enable a gNB and/or Access Point, for example to properly decode the CG. For example, the CG-UCI may include any of: (1) a WTRU-ID; (2) a Transport Block Size (TBS) see Alfarhan: ¶[0190]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Chin to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein transmitting the retransmission includes transmitting the retransmission for a HARQ process on any CG resource having a same transport block size as indicated in the configuration as taught by Alfarhan in order to enhance uplink data transmission on configured grants (see Alfarhan: ¶[0002]).
Claims 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin et al. (US 2022/0116987 A1) in view of Wang et al. (US 2022/0393794 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Chin taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Chin does not explicitly teaches wherein the CG-UCI includes a buffer status report (BSR).
However, Wang teaches the wherein the CG-UCI includes a buffer status report (BSR) (grant based on SR/BSR procedure see Wang: ¶[0015]) in order to support autonomous retransmission using a configured grant (see Wang: ¶[0029]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Chin to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein the CG-UCI includes a buffer status report (BSR) as taught by Wang in order to support autonomous retransmission using a configured grant (see Wang: ¶[0029]).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Chin taught the method of claim 10 as described hereinabove. Wang further teaches wherein the BSR indicates a type of BSR (different type of configured schedule schemes: type 1 and type 2 see Wang: ¶[0015]) in order to support autonomous retransmission using a configured grant (see Wang: ¶[0029]).
Claim 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin et al. (US 2022/0116987 A1) in view of Wang et al. (US 2022/0393794 A1) and further in view of Alfarhan et al. (US 2022/0210823 A1).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Chin taught the method of claim 10 as described hereinabove. The modified Chin does not explicitly teaches wherein the BSR indicates a buffer size via one or more of logical channel identifier bits or buffer size bits, or via a quantity of buffer size bits and via logical channel identifier bits, wherein the quantity of buffer size bits is based at least in part on a quantity of entries in a table.
However, Alfarhan teaches the wherein the BSR indicates a buffer size via one or more of logical channel identifier bits or buffer size bits, or via a quantity of buffer size bits and via logical channel identifier bits, wherein the quantity of buffer size bits is based at least in part on a quantity of entries in a table (transport block size of the CG see Alfarhan: ¶[0120]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of the modified Chin to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein the BSR indicates a buffer size via one or more of logical channel identifier bits or buffer size bits, or via a quantity of buffer size bits and via logical channel identifier bits, wherein the quantity of buffer size bits is based at least in part on a quantity of entries in a table as taught by Alfarhan in order to enhance uplink data transmission on configured grants (see Alfarhan: ¶[0002]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUANG W LI whose telephone number is (571)270-1897. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7AM-5PMET.
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GUANG W. LI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2478
August 17, 2026
/GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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