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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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) 1-4, 8, 11-14, 16-19 and 21-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Papasakellariou (US Publication 2022/0022221 A1).
In regards to claims 1, 11 and 16 Papasakellariou (US Publication 2022/0022221 A1) a method, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a configuration, wherein the configuration comprises an indicator for monitoring a plurality of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates including a first PDCCH candidate and a second PDCCH candidate (see paragraph 95; A search space set is associated with a CORESET where the UE monitors PDCCH candidates for the search space set. A UE expects to monitor PDCCH candidates for up to 4 sizes of DCI formats that include up to 3 sizes of DCI formats with CRC scrambled by C-RNTI or MCS-C-RNTI per serving cell. The UE can count a number of sizes for DCI formats per serving cell based on a number of configured PDCCH candidates in respective search space sets for the corresponding active DL BWP); monitoring, by the UE, a second PDCCH search space for the [[a]] second PDCCH candidate from the plurality of PDCCH candidates in accordance with the indicator, a control channel element (CCE) index, and an aggregation level, wherein the CCE index and the aggregation level correspond to the first PDCCH candidate in a first PDCCH search space (see paragraph 173; For a search space set s associated with CORESET p, the CCE indexes for aggregation level L corresponding to PDCCH candidate m.sub.s,n.sub.CI of the search space set in slot n.sub.s,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to a first type (slot-based), or in span n.sub.Y,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to equation 2; see equation under paragraph 173); and processing, by the UE, the second PDCCH candidate to decode a downlink control information (DCI) (see paragraph 91; receive a candidate/potential PDCCH and decode for a corresponding DCI format).
In regards to claims 2, 12 and 17, Papasakellariou teaches, wherein the indicator is based on one of: a radio resource control (RRC) configuration sent by a base station (see paragraph 199; the indication can be based on layer 1 signaling through a DCI format or on higher layer signaling that can be broadcast, for example through system information or paging, or UE-specific for example through a PDSCH scheduled to the UE that includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling), or an estimation of a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) by the UE.
In regards to claims 3, 13 and 18, Papasakellariou teaches wherein the indicator indicates a corresponding preferred location of a corresponding PDCCH candidate in a corresponding PDCCH search space for each of the plurality of PDCCH candidates, and wherein each of the plurality of PDCCH candidates is associated with one or more corresponding CCE indexes (see paragraph 173; For a search space set s associated with CORESET p, the CCE indexes for aggregation level L corresponding to PDCCH candidate m.sub.s,n.sub.CI of the search space set in slot n.sub.s,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to a first type (slot-based), or in span n.sub.Y,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to equation 2; see equation under paragraph 173).
In regards to claim 4, 14 and 19, Papasakellariou teaches, wherein the indicator comprises UE-specific parameter (see paragraph 199; the indication can be based on layer 1 signaling through a DCI format or on higher layer signaling that can be broadcast, for example through system information or paging, or UE-specific for example through a PDSCH scheduled to the UE that includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling).
In regards to claim 8, Papasakellariou teaches receiving, by the UE, an RRC parameter from a base station (see paragraph 199; the indication can be based on layer 1 signaling through a DCI format or on higher layer signaling that can be broadcast, for example through system information or paging, or UE-specific for example through a PDSCH scheduled to the UE that includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling), the RRC parameter indicating one or more target aggregation levels (see paragraph 96; The expression m.sub.s,n.sub.CI as described in Equation (1), illustrates that m.sub.s,n.sub.CI=0, . . . , M.sub.s,n.sub.CI.sup.(L)−1, where M.sub.s,n.sub.CI.sup.(L) the number of PDCCH candidates the UE is configured to monitor for aggregation level L of a search space set s for a serving cell corresponding to n.sub.CI. For a USS, M.sub.s,max.sup.(L) is the maximum of M.sub.s,n.sub.CI.sup.(L) over configured n.sub.CI values for a CCE aggregation level L of search space set s. Further, the RNTI value used for n.sub.RNTI is the C-RNTI).
In regards to claim 21, Papasakellariou teaches, a method, comprising: transmitting, by a base station, a configuration, wherein the configuration comprises an indicator for monitoring a plurality of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) locations including a first PDCCH location and a second PDCCH location (see paragraph 168; embodiments of the present disclosure relate to randomizing locations of PDCCH candidates per span of Y symbols, or according to a duration of X symbols, when a UE is configured to monitor PDCCH according to a combination (X, Y)); selecting, by the base station, the first PDCCH location for a user equipment (UE) in a first PDCCH search space in accordance to a control channel element (CCE) index and an aggregation level for a downlink control information (DCI);selecting, by the base station, the second PDCCH location in a second PDCCH search space in accordance with the indicator, the CCE index, and the aggregation level for the DCI; transmitting, by the base station, the DCI in a first PDCCH in the first PDCCH location (see paragraph 171; Considering the search space determination as described in Equation (1), a time unit for the variable Y.sub.p,n.sub.s,f.sub.μ that results to a different first CCE location for PDCCH candidates in slot n.sub.s,f.sup.μ needs to change from a slot to a span (or to a duration). For PDCCH monitoring according to combination (X, Y), there are a maximum of ┌14/Y┐ spans per slot, or equivalently a maximum of ┌14/Y┐ durations per slot. In the following, the descriptions are with respect to span Y but an equivalent determination of a search space applies if the descriptions are with respect to duration X; see paragraph 173; For a search space set s associated with CORESET p, the CCE indexes for aggregation level L corresponding to PDCCH candidate m.sub.s,n.sub.CI of the search space set in slot n.sub.s,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to a first type (slot-based); see paragraph 204; rate matching or puncturing for a PDCCH candidate can depend on a number of PDCCH candidates for a corresponding DCI format or on the DCI format) and transmitting, by the base station, the DCI in a second PDCCH in the second PDCCH location (see paragraph 82; a UE monitors multiple candidate locations for respective potential PDCCH receptions to decode multiple DCI formats in a slot).
In regards to claim 22, Papasakellariou teaches wherein the indicator is based on one of: a radio resource control (RRC) configuration sent by the base station (see paragraph 199; the indication can be based on layer 1 signaling through a DCI format or on higher layer signaling that can be broadcast, for example through system information or paging, or UE-specific for example through a PDSCH scheduled to the UE that includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling), or an estimation of a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) by the UE.
In regard to claim 23, Papasakellariou teaches, wherein the indicator indicates a corresponding preferred location of a corresponding PDCCH location in a corresponding PDCCH search space for each of the plurality of PDCCH locations, and wherein each of the plurality of PDCCH locations is associated with one or more corresponding CCE indexes (see paragraph 173; For a search space set s associated with CORESET p, the CCE indexes for aggregation level L corresponding to PDCCH candidate m.sub.s,n.sub.CI of the search space set in slot n.sub.s,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to a first type (slot-based), or in span n.sub.Y,f.sup.μ if PDCCH monitoring is according to equation 2; see equation under paragraph 173).
In regards to claim 24, Papasakellariou teaches, wherein the indicator comprises a UE-specific parameter (see paragraph 199; the indication can be based on layer 1 signaling through a DCI format or on higher layer signaling that can be broadcast, for example through system information or paging, or UE-specific for example through a PDSCH scheduled to the UE that includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling).
In regards to claims 25, 26 and 27, Papasakellariou teaches, the monitoring is further in accordance with determining, by the UE, that the DCI for the UE is not found in the first PDCCH candidate (see paragraph 204; for a DCI format providing system or paging information in a CSS, referred to as DCI format 1_0, or for a DCI format indicating an UL-DL configuration in a slot or a set of slots, referred to as DCI format 2_0, or for a DCI format indicating cancelation of PUSCH or SRS transmissions by UEs, referred to as DCI format 2_4, the UE may have few PDCCH candidates, such as one or two PDCCH candidates. Then, even though PDCCH monitoring for detection of the above DCI formats can be slot based, it can be necessary in practice for the UE to rate match or puncture a reception of a PDCCH candidate in REs that are indicated as unavailable and receive the PDCCH candidate. The UE can be required to rate match or puncture in unavailable REs a PDCCH reception for detection of a predetermined DCI format, such as a DCI format 1_0, DCI format 2_0, or DCI format 2_4, or for detection of DCI formats that the UE monitors corresponding PDCCH candidates according to a CSS, and not be required to receive PDCCH candidates that include unavailable REs for other DCI formats such as DCI formats that the UE monitors corresponding PDCCH candidates according to a USS).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the He and Huss references field on 9/8/2025 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.
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY P PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-3086. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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