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
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/02/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-2, 7, 9, 16-17, 20, 22, 28-29, 34, and 43 are now pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-2, 7, 9, 16-17, 20, 22, 28-29, 34, and 43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LI et al. US 2022/0361164 A1(“LI”).
Regarding independent claim 1:
LI discloses a method for transmitting a repetition of a control channel, comprising:
determining, by a terminal device (e.g., Terminal device in Fig. 5), a time-domain resource location for transmitting a repetition of an uplink control channel, according to a slot configuration in a frame structure used by the terminal device (e.g., Fig. 5, 504-505, [0263]-[0266], [0269]-[0271], PUCCH 1, PUCCH 2, and PUCCH 3 in Fig. 7A, each transmits a repetition of the UCI, also see Fig. 7B-Fig. 7G), comprising:
determining, by the terminal device from a starting slot, a slot for transmitting a kth repetition of the uplink control channel, according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, k being a positive integer (e.g., [0265]-[0266], in both Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B, slot 1 would be considered a starting slot, and a slot for transmitting the 1st repetition of UCI would be slot 1, and a slot for transmitting the 2nd repetition of UCI would be slot 2 in Fig. 7A, and slot 1 in Fig. 7B);
wherein the starting slot is determined according to a slot and a slot offset indicated by downlink control information (DCI), wherein the slot is for transmitting a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the slot offset is an offset of a slot for transmitting control information corresponding to the PDSCH relative to the slot for transmitting the PDSCH, and the uplink control channel is for carrying the control information (e.g., [0278], time domain offset between the PDSCH and the PUCCH carrying the UCI is indicated by k1, if PDSCH is transmitted in nth slot, the PUCCH corresponding to the PDSCH is transmitted in (n+k1)th slot);
wherein determining, by the terminal device, the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel, according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device comprises:
determining the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device (e.g., Fig. 5, 505, repeatedly transmits UCI for M times by using the first PUCCH resource and the N quantity of repeated transmissions, [0260] and Fig. 7C describe transmitting 3 PUCCH repetitions, PUCCH 1, PUCCH 2 and PUCCH 3 with a PUCCH resource crossing the slot boundary, [0262] and Fig. 7G describe transmitting PUCCH 1 and PUCCH 3 only, PUCCH 2 is not transmitted because the PUCCH resource occupying a slot with both uplink symbols and downlink symbols, [0265]-[0266] describe transmitting 3 PUCCH repetitions without any PUCCH resource crossing the slot boundary respectively shown in Fig. 7A and 7B), when a number of bits of control information carried in the uplink control channel is less than or equal to a first threshold (e.g., [0241]-[0243] and Fig. 6B describe the terminal determines the target PUCCH resource set, the first PUCCH resource, and the quantity of repeated transmissions, when the quantity of bits of the to-be-sent UCI within a range of [0,2], or [2,4]).
Regarding claim 2:
LI further discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel comprises at least one of: a slot for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel; or a time-domain symbol, to which the uplink control channel is mapped, in the slot for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel (e.g., [0265]-[0266]).
Regarding claim 7:
LI further discloses the method of claim 5, wherein the slot for transmitting the kth repetition of the uplink control channel by the terminal device satisfies at least one of: a number of available time-domain symbols in the slot being greater than or equal to a minimum number of time-domain symbols that can be transmitted in an uplink control channel format corresponding to the uplink control channel; or the number of available time-domain symbols in the slot being greater than or equal to a second threshold (e.g., [0262], Fig. 7G, because the symbol 0 is slot 2 is a downlink symbol, the corresponding PUCCH 2 is not transmitted)
Regarding claim 9:
LI further discloses the method of claim 1, wherein a slot in which a number of transmissions of the uplink control channel reaches a preconfigured number of repetitions is an ending slot for transmitting repetitions of the uplink control channel by the terminal device (e.g., [0265]-[0266], the preconfigured number of repetition is 3, slot 3 is the ending slot in Fig. 7A, slot 1 is the ending slot in Fig. 7B).
Regarding independent claim 16:
LI discloses a method for transmitting a repetition of a control channel, comprising:
determining, by a network device (e.g., Network device in Fig. 5), a time-domain resource location for transmitting a repetition of an uplink control channel by a terminal device, according to a slot configuration in a frame structure used by the terminal device, comprising
determining, by the network device from a starting slot, a slot for transmitting a kth repetition of the uplink control channel, according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, k being a positive integer; wherein the starting slot is determined according to a slot and a slot offset indicated by downlink control information (DCI), wherein the slot is for transmitting a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the slot offset is an offset of a slot for transmitting control information corresponding to the PDSCH relative to the slot for transmitting the PDSCH, and the uplink control channel is for carrying the control information;
wherein determining, by the network device, the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel, according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device comprises: determining the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, when a number of bits of control information carried in the uplink control channel is less than or equal to a first threshold (see similar features discussed with respect to claim 1.)
Regarding claims 17, 20, and 22:
See similar features discussed with respect to claims 2, 7, and 9.
Regarding claim 28:
LI discloses a terminal device (e.g., Fig. 15, 1500), comprising: a processor (Fig. 15, 1502); and a memory (Fig. 15, 1501) configured to store a computer program which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine, according to a slot configuration in a frame structure used by the terminal device, a time-domain resource location for transmitting a repetition of an uplink control channel; wherein the processor configured to determine, according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel is configured to: determine, from a starting slot, a slot for transmitting a k” repetition of the uplink control channel, according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, « being a positive integer: wherein the starting slot is determined according to a slot and a slot offset indicated by downlink control information (DCD, wherein the slot is for transmitting a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the slot offset is an offset of a slot for transmitting control information corresponding to the PDSCH relative to the slot for transmitting the PDSCH, and the uplink control channel is for carrying the control information; wherein the processor configured to determine according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel is configured to: determine the time-domain resource location for transmitting the repetition of the uplink control channel according to the slot configuration in the frame structure used by the terminal device, when a number of bits of control information carried in the uplink control channel is less than or equal to a first threshold (See similar features discussed with respect to claim 1.)
Regarding claims 29 and 34:
See similar features discussed with respect to claims 2 and 7.
Regarding independent claim 43:
LI discloses a network device (e.g., Fig. 15, 1500), comprising: a processor (Fig. 15, 1502); and a memory (Fig. 15, 1501) configured to store a computer program which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method of claim 16 (see similar features discussed in rejection of claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. 102 based on LI
Applicant’s arguments filed on 03/02/2026 have been fully considered. The rejection presented in the current office action has shown LI discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 as amended.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alvin ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-1086. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6am-9am and 2pm-7pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Mui can be reached at 571-270-1420. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BO HUI A ZHU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
Prosecution Insights