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 .
This Office Action is in response to claim amendments filed on 09/04/2025. Claims 1, 6, 10-14, 19, and 21-24 are 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 10, 14, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2023/0114925), hereinafter “Yang”, in view of Lim et al. (US 2021/0336820), hereinafter “Lim”.
Regarding claims 1, 14, Yang teaches:
An aperiodic Reference Signal (RS) transmission method, performed by a terminal, or a terminal, wherein the method or the terminal comprises:
a memory storing computer-readable instructions (see Yang, Fig. 9, par. [0132]: The processing system 914 may be substantially the same as the processing system 814 illustrated in FIG. 8, including a bus interface 908, a bus 902, memory 905, a processor 904); and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor (see Yang, Fig. 9, par. [0132]: The processing system 914 may be substantially the same as the processing system 814 illustrated in FIG. 8, including a bus interface 908, a bus 902, memory 905, a processor 904), cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving first slot offset information by a slot offset indication field in Downlink Control Information (DCI) from a network-side device, wherein the first slot offset information is for indicating a first slot offset of a target aperiodic Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resource (see Yang, Fig. 6, par. [0115]: This sample deployment can allows a base station or gNB to dynamically indicate an A-SRS offset in the DCI. As illustrated, a DCI 602 can be transmitted by a base station or gNB, and see par. [0115]: A slot offset value can enables a UE receiving the DCI 602 to determine the slot offset (i.e., the number of slots of the offset). Additionally or alternatively, a UE receiving the DCI 602 can use a slot offset value to locate a slot offset from a list of predetermined slot offsets configured in the UE via RRC signaling); and
transmitting the target aperiodic SRS resource to the network-side device at a first slot position (see Yang, Fig. 6, par. [0116]: After determining the slot offset 604, a UE may then transmit at least one SRS transmission 606 using the determined slot offset), wherein the first slot position is determined based on the first slot offset and a second slot offset collectively, and wherein the second slot offset is a slot offset configured for the target aperiodic SRS resource by Radio Resource Control (RRC) (see Yang, par. [0117]: Concerning how a DCI communicates a slot offset, various alternatives are contemplated for many possible deployments. In one alternative, each SRS resource set may be configured by an RRC with a listing or list of slot offsets (i.e., a plurality or some number of different slot offsets). In one aspect, an RRC configuration configures a UE such that the listing or list of slot offsets is known or stored in the UE with each respective SRS resource set. The signaling that indicates which particular SRS resource set and slot offset in the list of slot offsets has been selected may be accomplished through associating the various codepoints transmittable in the DCI with respective offset values in the list of slot offset value, where each codepoint in the DCI is associated with a particular offset value in the list of slot offsets; in this case, offsets configured by RRC and offsets indicated by DCI (i.e. first slot offset and second slot offset) are used for determining the slot offset for transmission),
wherein when one or more first slot offsets are configured for the terminal by RRC, the first slot offset indicated by the first slot offset information carried in the slot offset indication field in the DCI indicates one of such configured first slot offsets (see Yang, par. [0117]: each SRS resource set may be configured by an RRC with a listing or list of slot offsets (i.e., a plurality or some number of different slot offsets). In one aspect, an RRC configuration configures a UE such that the listing or list of slot offsets is known or stored in the UE with each respective SRS resource set. The signaling that indicates which particular SRS resource set and slot offset in the list of slot offsets has been selected may be accomplished through associating the various codepoints transmittable in the DCI with respective offset values in the list of slot offset value, where each codepoint in the DCI is associated with a particular offset value in the list of slot offsets);
However, Yang does not teach:
when no first slot offset is configured for the terminal by the RRC, the slot offset indication field in the DCI has 0 bits and the first slot offset of the target aperiodic SRS resource is a default value N as a number of valid slots being offset.
Lim, in the same field of endeavor, teaches:
when no first slot offset is configured for the terminal by the RRC, the slot offset indication field in the DCI has 0 bits and the first slot offset of the target aperiodic SRS resource is a default value N as a number of valid slots being offset (see Lim, par. [0404]: When a UE is unable to transmit an AP SRS at a determined transmission timing, a BS may receive a report of a UE capability for automatic delay to determine whether the AP SRS may be transmitted by performing the automatic delay. When the UE transmits the report of the UE capability and the automatic delay may be supported, the BS may add a higher layer parameter, for example, ‘enableAutoDelay’, for determining whether to perform an automatic delay operation and may set a value to {on}, during an RRC configuration. The UE receives RRC configuration information from the BS, and see par. [0408]: Embodiment 3-2 provides an automatic delay method through an available resource index indicated by DCI to flexibly support an automatic delay method. An available resource index u indicates a uth transmittable resource (e.g., slot) from among resources (e.g., slots) on which AP SRSs may be transmitted may be transmitted, instead of a slot index, and see par. [0432]: In a third DCI field 23-15, an offset required to determine a transmission timing of an AP SRS according to a dynamic AP SRS triggering operation that is previously determined between the BS and the UE or determined by the first DCI field 23-05 and the second DCI field 23-10 may be indicated, and may be omitted for an operation not requiring an additional offset; in this case, when automatic delay is enabled (i.e. no first slot offset is configured) via RRC, no additional offset information is required and is omitted (corresponding to the offset indication field in the DCI having 0 bits) and instead a integer number of slots on which reference signals can be transmitted are used (corresponding to a default value N as a number of valid slots being offset)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method or terminal of Yang with the conditional DCI indication of Lim with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of reducing DCI overhead (see Lim, par. [0336]).
Regarding claims 10, 21, the combination of Yang in view of Lim teaches the method or terminal.
Yang does not teach, but Lim teaches:
wherein the valid slot is a slot resource usable for the target aperiodic SRS resource (see Lim, par. [0408]: Embodiment 3-2 provides an automatic delay method through an available resource index indicated by DCI to flexibly support an automatic delay method. An available resource index u indicates a uth transmittable resource (e.g., slot) from among resources (e.g., slots) on which AP SRSs may be transmitted may be transmitted, instead of a slot index).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method or terminal of Yang with the conditional DCI indication of Lim with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of reducing DCI overhead (see Lim, par. [0336]).
Claims 6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Lim, as applied to claims 1, 10, 14, and 21 above, and further in view of Go et al. (US 2021/0367727), hereinafter "Go”.
Regarding claims 6, 19, the combination of Yang in view of Lim teaches the method or terminal.
However, the combination of Yang in view of Lim does not teach:
wherein before the transmitting the target aperiodic SRS resource to the network-side device at a first slot position, the method further comprises:
receiving first request information, wherein the first request information comprises a first activation indication field, and the first activation indication field is for indicating whether to activate the target aperiodic SRS resource, and
wherein when the first activation indication field indicates to activate the target aperiodic SRS resource, the first slot offset information is for indicating the first slot offset of the target aperiodic SRS resource.
Go, in the same field of endeavor, teaches:
wherein before the transmitting the target aperiodic SRS resource to the network-side device at a first slot position (see Go, Fig. 8, item S802, par. [0252], lines 1-3: A base station may transmit DCI related to SRS transmission (triggering SRS transmission) to UE (through a PDCCH) (S802)), the method further comprises:
receiving first request information (see Go, par. [0253], lines 1-3: UE may receive DCI related to SRS transmission (triggering SRS transmission) from a base station (through a PDCCH)), wherein the first request information comprises a first activation indication field (see Go, par. [0254], line 1: DCI may include information (a field)), and the first activation indication field is for indicating whether to activate the target aperiodic SRS resource (see Go, par. [0254], lines 1-5: DCI may include information (a field) which triggers SRS transmission for one or more SRS resource sets (i.e., M (M≤N, M is a natural number) SRS resource sets) among one or more SRS resource sets configured in Step S801 above (i.e., N SRS resource sets)), and
wherein when the first activation indication field indicates to activate the target aperiodic SRS resource, the first slot offset information is for indicating the first slot offset of the target aperiodic SRS resource (see Go, par. [0249], lines 1-8: the configuration information (in particular, configuration information for an additional SRS) may include slot offset information per SRS resource set (or per SRS resource). Here, a slot offset may mean an interval for a slot that the triggered SRS resource set (or SRS resource) is transmitted from a slot that DCI triggering transmission of an SRS resource set (or an SRS resource) is transmitted).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method or terminal of the combination of Yang in view of Lim with the request information of Go with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of reducing signaling overhead (see Go, pars. [0012-0013]).
Claims 11-13 and 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Lim, as applied to claims 1, 10, 14, and 21 above, and further in view of Go, and further in view of Wang et al. (US 2022/0330300), hereinafter “Wang”.
Regarding claims 11, 22, the combination of Yang in view of Lim teaches the method or terminal.
However, the combination of Yang in view of Lim does not teach:
wherein the first slot position satisfies at least one of the following:
the first slot position is located in a valid window;
a time interval between the first slot position and a second slot position is longer than or equal to a first time interval; or
a time interval between aperiodic SRS resources in the target aperiodic SRS resource is longer than or equal to a minimum time interval of antenna switching,
wherein the second slot position is a slot position at which DCI for activating the target aperiodic SRS resource is received, and the first time interval is a minimum time interval between DCI for activating an aperiodic SRS resource and the aperiodic SRS resource.
Go, in the same field of endeavor, teaches:
wherein the first slot position satisfies at least one of the following:
a time interval between the first slot position and a second slot position is longer than or equal to a first time interval (see Go, par. [0279], lines 11-17: When UE receives DCI scheduling a PUSCH in slot n, a value of K2 is determined according to a row of a PUSCH resource allocation-related table indicated by m, a ‘Time domain resource assignment’ field value in corresponding DCI, and slot Ks allocated for a PUSCH is determined based on an index of a slot that DCI is received (i.e., n) and a value of K2); or
a time interval between aperiodic SRS resources in the target aperiodic SRS resource is longer than or equal to a minimum time interval of antenna switching (see Go, par. [0214], lines 4-8: a slot offset (slotOffset) may mean a time interval (or a slot interval) from a transmission/reception time (slot) of DCI triggering a corresponding SRS resource set to a time/(slot) transmitting a corresponding SRS resource set, and see Go, par. [0222], lines 8-15: 2 or more different (aperiodic) SRS resource sets which may be linked/associated to a specific codepoint of the SRS request field may be limited to SRS resource set(s) having the same ‘usage’ value. In other words, common ‘usage’ of the (aperiodic) SRS resource set may be a ‘codebook’, a ‘non-codebook’, ‘beam management’, ‘antenna switching’ or/and ‘positioning’, etc, and see Go, par. [0227], lines 3-9: an SRS resource set (resources) having a shorter slot offset (slotOffset) value may be transmitted in a corresponding slot. In addition, transmission of an SRS resource set (resources) having a longer slot offset (slotOffset) value may be performed by a shift/a delay in a subsequent valid UL slot after a corresponding slot),
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method or terminal of the combination of Yang in view of Lim with the slot position conditions of Go with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of reducing signaling overhead (see Go, pars. [0012-0013]).
However, the combination of Yang in view of Lim, and further in view of Go, does not teach:
the first slot position is located in a valid window;
wherein the second slot position is a slot position at which DCI for activating the target aperiodic SRS resource is received, and the first time interval is a minimum time interval between DCI for activating an aperiodic SRS resource and the aperiodic SRS resource.
Wang, in the same field of endeavor, teaches:
the first slot position is located in a valid window (see Wang, par. [0098], lines 44-45: The valid slot is within the predetermined time window after the PDCCH);
wherein the second slot position is a slot position at which DCI for activating the target aperiodic SRS resource is received (see Wang, par. [0082], lines 1-7: the indication information includes a second slot offset parameter. The second slot offset parameter corresponds to a slot for receiving a downlink signal. The downlink signal includes a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). The indication information is used for indicating that the second communication node receives an aperiodic CSI-RS, and see Wang, par. [0032], lines 13-16: The second communication node may be triggered, through the higher-layer signaling (also referred to as trigger type 0) or the DCI (also referred to as trigger type 1), to send the SRS), and the first time interval is a minimum time interval between DCI for activating an aperiodic SRS resource and the aperiodic SRS resource (see Wang, par. [0080], lines 26-28: The time interval between the PDCCH and a starting time-domain symbol of the SRS resource in the valid slot is greater than or equal to predetermined value A, and see Wang, par. [0032], lines 13-16: The second communication node may be triggered, through the higher-layer signaling (also referred to as trigger type 0) or the DCI (also referred to as trigger type 1), to send the SRS, and see Wang, par. [0030], lines 1-3: a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is used for carrying downlink control information (DCI)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the slot position conditions of the combination of Yang in view of Lim, and further in view of Go, with the additional slot position conditions of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of improving signal transmission flexibility (see Wang, par. [0035], lines 4-8).
Regarding claim 12, 23, the combination of Yang in view of Lim, and further in view of Go, and further in view of Wang, teaches the method or terminal.
The combination of Yang in view of Lim does not teach, but Go teaches:
wherein the valid window (see Go, par. [0331], line 6: the specific range in a time domain) is determined by at least one of the following: configured by the network-side device, specified in a protocol, or reported by the terminal (see Go, par. [0331], lines 5-9: the uplink DMRS and the SRS are indicated to be located in the specific range in a time domain by a scheduling offset indication of the PUSCH by the DCI, time domain bundling between the SRS and the uplink DMRS may be indicated).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method or terminal of the combination of Yang in view of Lim with the valid window of Go with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of reducing signaling overhead (see Go, pars. [0012-0013]).
Regarding claims 13, 24, the combination of Yang in view of Lim, and further in view of Go, and further in view of Wang, teaches the method or terminal.
The combination of Yang in view of Lim, and further in view of Go, does not teach, but Wang teaches:
wherein a slot template of the valid window is determined by at least one of the following: configured by the network-side device, specified in a protocol, or reported by the terminal (see Wang, par. [0142], lines 1-8: k is determined through at least one of the following manners: k is configured through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, k is equal to the first slot offset parameter, k is configured through the RRC signaling and corresponds to one SRS trigger state or one antenna group association parameter, k corresponds to a control resource set, k corresponds to the slot where the PDCCH triggering the SRS is located, or k is a preset value),
wherein the slot template comprises a starting point of the valid window, a window size of the valid window, and a position distribution of enable slots in the valid window (see Wang, par. [0144], lines 1-14: in the case of using the DCI to trigger the aperiodic SRS, or in the case where the SRS resource or at least one SRS resource in the SRS resource set configured for the slot corresponding to the first slot offset parameter or configured for the slot where the PDCCH triggering the aperiodic SRS is located is on at least one downlink symbol, the indication information is used for indicating that the second communication node sends the aperiodic SRS on a third target slot. The third target slot is a first valid slot among N slots after the slot where the PDCCH triggering the aperiodic SRS is located. Alternatively, the third target slot is a first valid slot among N slots after the slot corresponding to the first slot offset parameter. N is a positive integer within the first preset range).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method or terminal of the combination of Yang in view of Lim, and further in view of Go, with the slot template of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of improving signal transmission flexibility (see Wang, par. [0035], lines 4-8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 12/22/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1, and 14 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 under 35 USC § 103 over Yang in view of Lim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Faxér et al. (US 2021/0409178) teaches a method is performed by a wireless device for transmitting a Sounding Reference Signal.
Liu et al. (US 2023/0318770) teaches methods and apparatuses for triggering an aperiodic SRS.
Sun et al. (US 2024/0154759) teaches a UE obtaining configuration information for an aperiodic sounding reference signal and transmitting based on a reference slot and first slot offset.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALEB J BALLOWE whose telephone number is (571)270-0410. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FRI 7:30-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nishant B. Divecha can be reached at (571) 270-3125. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.J.B./
Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419