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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 5, 7-11, 15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (WO 2022/016372) (“Chen”) in view of Wang et al. (US 2024/0340876) (“Wang”).
For claims 1, 11, and 20; Chen discloses: receiving, by a wireless device, configuration parameters of a plurality of carriers comprising a first carrier and a second carrier (paragraph 75: At 1010, base station 1004 may schedule a transmission of at least one UL signal, e.g., transmission schedule 1012, by a UE, e.g., UE 1002. At 1020, UE 1002 may receive a transmission schedule for at least one UL signal, e.g., transmission schedule 1012, from a base station); receiving a scheduling information for a second uplink transmission via the second carrier, wherein: a second timing of the second uplink transmission is after a first timing of a first uplink transmission via the first carrier (paragraph 76: base station 1004 may configure an UL transmit (Tx) switching configuration for carrier aggregation (CA) of a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, the first CC including a first frame structure and the second CC including a second frame structure); and the second uplink transmission results in an uplink transmission (TX) switching between the first carrier and the second carrier (paragraph 80: base station 1004 may signal the UL Tx switching configuration for CA of the first CC and the second CC, e.g., UL Tx switching configuration 1042. At 1050, UE 1002 may receive an UL transmit (Tx) switching configuration for carrier aggregation (CA) of a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC); determining, based on the signaling, whether a location of a switching period, associated with the uplink TX switching, is on the first carrier or on the second carrier (paragraph 71-72: FIG. 9A displays that the switching periods 910 are configured on CC 902… FIG. 9B displays that the switching periods 960 are configured on CC 951); and wherein an uplink transmission is omitted during the switching period (paragraph 69-70: DL Rx interruption periods 820… the subsequent switching period may be located at the first UL symbol in the subsequent UL transmission on the CC with a smaller SCS).
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Wang from similar fields of endeavor teaches: determining, based on the DCI, whether a location of a switching period, associated with the uplink TX switching, is on the first carrier that is not scheduled by the DCI or on the second carrier that is scheduled by the DCI; and wherein an uplink transmission is omitted during the switching period (paragraph 145-147: based on the first information, the terminal device to switch the at least one transmit link from the first carrier group to the second carrier group. The network device further sends the fourth information to the terminal device, where the fourth information may indicate the identification information of the carrier in which the switching time period is located… the fourth information may be an RRC message, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or downlink control information (DCI) … The first information and the fourth information may be carried in a same message and sent by the network device to the terminal device). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Wang in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve dynamic scheduling of carrier switching.
For claims 5 and 15; Chen discloses: the first carrier is in a first frequency band; and the second carrier is a in a second frequency band (paragraph 55: switching where there is at least one new radio (NR) time division duplex (TDD) carrier, e.g., a high frequency band with a large bandwidth. The l Tx-2Tx switching can also include at least one NR frequency division duplex (FDD) UL carrier, e.g., a low frequency band with a smaller bandwidth compared to TDD, of a different carrier frequency).
For claims 7 and 17; Chen discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action. Chen discloses: indicates whether the location of the switching period is on the first carrier or on the second carrier (paragraph 71-72: FIG. 9A displays that the switching periods 910 are configured on CC 902… FIG. 9B displays that the switching periods 960 are configured on CC 951).
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Wang from similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the DCI indicates whether the location of the switching period is on the first carrier or on the second carrier (paragraph 145-147: based on the first information, the terminal device to switch the at least one transmit link from the first carrier group to the second carrier group. The network device further sends the fourth information to the terminal device, where the fourth information may indicate the identification information of the carrier in which the switching time period is located… the fourth information may be an RRC message, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or downlink control information (DCI) … The first information and the fourth information may be carried in a same message and sent by the network device to the terminal device). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Wang in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve dynamic scheduling of carrier switching.
For claims 8 and 18; Chen discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action. Chen discloses: indicates whether the location of the switching period is on the carrier scheduled by the signaling (paragraph 71-72: FIG. 9A displays that the switching periods 910 are configured on CC 902… FIG. 9B displays that the switching periods 960 are configured on CC 951).
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Wang from similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein a value of a field of the DCI indicates whether the location of the switching period is on the first carrier or on the second carrier (paragraph 145-147: based on the first information, the terminal device to switch the at least one transmit link from the first carrier group to the second carrier group. The network device further sends the fourth information to the terminal device, where the fourth information may indicate the identification information of the carrier in which the switching time period is located… the fourth information may be an RRC message, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or downlink control information (DCI) … The first information and the fourth information may be carried in a same message and sent by the network device to the terminal device). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Wang in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve dynamic scheduling of carrier switching.
For claims 9 and 19; Chen discloses: wherein the determining is further based on a first configuration parameter of the configuration parameters (paragraph 5: the UL Tx switching configuration including one or more s\•.ritching periods, a first switching period of the one or more switching periods corresponding to one or more UL symbols at an end of an uplink transmission period on the first CC).
For claim 10; Chen discloses: the switching period is within a slot of the first carrier in response to the determining indicating that the location of the switching period is on the first carrier; and the switching period is within a slot of the second carrier in response to the determining indicating that the location of the switching period is on the second carrier (paragraph 65, 70: If the switching period is present, the switching period may be located at the last UL symbol preceding the UL transmission on one CC and immediately preceding the UL transmission on another CC… the subsequent switching period may be located at the first UL symbol in the subsequent UL transmission on the CC with a smaller SC'S).
Claim(s) 2 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Wang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cao et al. (US 2024/0292360) (“Cao”).
For claims 2 and 12; Chen discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Cao from similar fields of endeavor teaches: transmitting a capability message comprising a capability information element indicating a length of the switching period (paragraph 6: The UE capability information may be information associated with a carrier aggregation (CA) switching period for a second carrier). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Cao in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve scheduling of carrier switching.
Claim(s) 3, 4, 6, 13, 14, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Wang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bae (US 2021/0306916).
For claims 3 and 13; Chen discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Bae from similar fields of endeavor teaches: the first uplink transmission via the first carrier is based on a first uplink channel or is a first uplink signal; and the second uplink transmission via the second carrier is based on a second uplink channel or is a second uplink signal (paragraph 76, fig. 4A, 4B: the UE 100 may cause the first Tx chain TC1 to be located in (e.g. switched to, or relocated to) the second carrier 102 (e.g., switched from CASE 1 to CASE 2)). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Bae in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve scheduling of carrier switching.
For claims 4 and 14; Chen discloses the subject matter in claim 3 as described above in the office action.
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Bae from similar fields of endeavor teaches: the first uplink transmission comprises transmission of a first transport block; and the second uplink transmission comprises transmission of a second transport block (fig. 1, 4A, 4B: where the UE 100 includes two carriers with two total Tx chains…UE 100 may cause the first Tx chain TC1 to be located in (e.g. switched to, or relocated to) the second carrier 102 (e.g., switched from CASE 1 to CASE 2)). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Bae in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve scheduling of carrier switching.
For claims 6 and 16; Chen discloses the subject matter in claim 3 as described above in the office action.
Chen does not expressly disclose, but Bae from similar fields of endeavor teaches: the first uplink transmission is a one-port transmission or a two-port transmission; and the second uplink transmission is a one-port transmission or a two-port transmission (paragraph 60: a first transmission (Tx) chain TC1 corresponding to a first antenna A1 and to a first port… a second Tx chain TC2 corresponding to a second antenna A2 and to a second port). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Bae in the UL switching configuration as described by Chen. The motivation is to improve scheduling of carrier switching.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wang et al. (US 2023/0403069); Wang discloses A first switching time period is included between the communication time period and the positioning time period, a 1.sup.st time-domain symbol occupied by the first switching time period is consecutive to a last time-domain symbol occupied by the communication time period, and a last time-domain symbol occupied by the first switching time is consecutive to a 1.sup.st time-domain symbol occupied by the positioning time period.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN D BLANTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3933. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-6pm EST, Mon-Thu.
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/JOHN D BLANTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466