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 Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. Applicant's submission filed on 05/01/2026 with respect to claims 1 – 3,7, 27, 29, 30, 34 has been entered. Claims 4-6, 8-26, 28, 31-33, 35-37 are cancelled.
3. Applicant’s arguments filed on 05/01/2026 with respect to claims 1 – 3,7, 27, 29, 30, 34 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to new combinations of references including new prior arts being used in the current rejection. The new grounds of rejection are necessitated by amendment.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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) 1, 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 20220295561 A1) hereinafter Wang and further in view of Xu et al. (US 20200092861 A1)hereinafter Xu
As to claim 1, Wang teaches A method for configuring a configured grant (CG), comprising: configuring at least one CG for a terminal, ([0111] Fig. 9, ConfiguredGrantConfig information element (IE) used for RRC configuration of NR type-1 and type-2 UL configured grants)
wherein the at least one CG comprises a second type of CG, ([0111] Fig. 9, ConfiguredGrantConfig information element (IE) used for RRC configuration of NR type-1 and type-2 UL configured grants)
and the second type of CG is used for a shared spectrum access operation;([0028][0029][0030]Type-2 CG is CG retransmission timer for uplink data in shared spectrum)
and the second parameter comprises at least one of following configuration parameters: a first HARQ process offset harq-ProcID-Offset; or a CG retransmission timer CG-RetransmissionTimer.([0029] new UE timer referred to as “CG retransmission timer”)
wherein a second parameter of the second type of CG;([0028][0029][0030]Type-2 CG is CG retransmission timer for uplink data in shared spectrum)
Wang does not explicitly teach A method for configuring a configured grant (CG) in an interference- controlled scenario under new radio-unlicense (NR-U), optional parameter, and sending the at least one CG configuration to the terminal;
Xu teaches A method for configuring a configured grant (CG) in an interference- controlled scenario under new radio-unlicense (NR-U), ([0490] Fig. 22A, a gNB may form a plurality of slot format combinations for NR—U based on channel conditions and interference environments on one or more unlicensed carriers).
optional parameter, ([0382] when PUSCH transmission is performed for a TB and if the uplink grant is a configured grant for the MAC entity's AUL C-RNTI, the HARQ process start the aul-retransmissionTimer/optional parameter.)
and sending the at least one CG configuration to the terminal; ([0348] [0481] Fig. 20, in Type 2 configured grant, an uplink grant is provided by PDCCH, and stored; e wireless device may receive the DCI from a gNB. The DCI may comprise a downlink grant (or downlink assignment), an uplink grant, or control information transmitted in a group common PDCCH)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Xu with the teachings of Wang because Xu teaches that , monitoring by a wireless device PDCCH for detecting DCI in one or more configured coresets, to reduce the power consumption, reduce the channel access latency and make better use of the over-all unlicensed carrier. (Xu [0357]).
Claim 27 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
As to claim 2 the combination of Wang and Xu specifically Xu teaches
teaches wherein: the second type of CG comprises a CG configuration when an unlicensed spectrum or a NR-U new radio unlicensed (NR U) system supports the uplink service. ([0422] [0447] FIG. 19A second Type channel access procedure may be based on sensing the channel based on a second fixed duration, in general, a gNB may form a plurality of slot format combinations for NR-U based on channel conditions and interference environments on one or more unlicensed carriers).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Xu with the teachings of Wang because Xu teaches that , monitoring by a wireless device PDCCH for detecting DCI in one or more configured coresets, to reduce the power consumption, reduce the channel access latency and make better use of the over-all unlicensed carrier. (Xu [0357]).
Claim 29 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 2.
Claim(s) 3, 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang, Xu and further in view of Ying et al. (US 20210185718 A1) hereinafter Ying
to claim 3. the combination of Wang and Xu does not teach wherein the at least one CG further comprises a first type of CG, and a first parameter of the first type of CG is an optional parameter, and
wherein the first type of CG comprises a CG configuration that supports a high-reliability and low-latency service, or
the first type of CG is a CG configuration when an uplink service is supported on a licensed band or a new radio (NR) system, or
the first type of CG is a CG configuration when the high-reliability and low-latency service is supported on the licensed band or NR system
Ying teaches wherein the at least one CG further comprises a first type of CG, and a first parameter of the first type of CG is an optional parameter, and ([0058] Fig. 1, in NR, a UE 102 may support multiple types of uplink transmissions without grant (also referred to as grant-free (GF) uplink transmission or GF transmission or transmission by configured grant i.e., unconfigured grant, optional parameter)
wherein the first type of CG comprises a CG configuration that supports a high-reliability and low-latency service, or
the first type of CG is a CG configuration when an uplink service is supported on a licensed band or a new radio (NR) system, or
the first type of CG is a CG configuration when the high-reliability and low-latency service is supported on the licensed band or NR system
([0058] Fig. 1,in New Radio, A first type (Type 1) of GF transmission may be a UL data transmission without grant that is only based on RRC (re)configuration without any L1 signaling. ).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Ying with the teachings of Wang and Xu because Ying teaches that UL data transmission without grant t is based on both RRC configuration and L1 signaling for activation/deactivation for UL data transmission without grant. ( Ying [0058])
Claim 30 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 3.
Claim(s) 7, 34, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang, Xu, Ying and further in view of Oh et al. (US 20220361231 A1) hereinafter Oh
As to claim 7 The combination of Wang, Xu, Ying does not teach wherein the first parameter comprises at least one of following configuration parameters: a second HARQ process offset harq-ProcID-Offset2; a redundant version of repeated transmission repK_RV;an autonomous transmission autonomousTX.
Oh teaches wherein the first parameter comprises at least one of following configuration parameters: a second HARQ process offset harq-ProcID-Offset2; a redundant version of repeated transmission repK_RV;an autonomous transmission autonomousTX. ([0178][0185] Type 1: repK-RV: RV pattern applied to each repeated transmission during repeated transmission)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Oh with the teachings of Wang, Xu Ying because Oh teaches UE may transmit a pre-configured uplink resource when uplink transmission is required, an uplink transmission delay time may be greatly reduced. (Oh [0212])
Claim 34 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 7.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. 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.
Zhou; Hua et al. [US 20220078781 A1] UPLINK TRANSMISSION IN NEW RADIO UNLICENSED BAND
Rastegardoost; Nazanin et al. [US 20210320760 A1] HARQ Feedback Collision in Unlicensed Bands
Kwak; Yongjun et al. [US 20210058970 A1] MECHANISMS TO OPERATE ON A DOWNLINK WIDEBAND CARRIER IN UNLICENSED BAND
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ATIQUE AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-6244. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 - 7:30 PM M-F Eastern.
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/ATIQUE AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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