DETAILED ACTION
This office action is responsive to communications filed on April 20, 2026. Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 12, and 18 have been amended. Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are pending in the application.
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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding independent claims 1, 5, and 12, Applicant alleges that support for the newly-added limitation “wherein in response to a listen before talk (LBT) failure indication being received from a lower layer for a last random-access preamble transmission attempt in a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) block associated to an ssb-Index, before changing the SS/PBCH block for random access preamble transmission, the situation of the random access comprises Ibt-Detected” can be found in paragraph [0117] of the original specification.
However, paragraph [0117] does not appear to provide support for a “Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) block” being associated to an ssb-index. Examiner can find no instances in the written description where it is disclosed that an SS-PBCH block is associated to an ssb-index.
Nor does paragraph [0117] appear to provide support for “a listen before talk (LBT) failure indication being received from a lower layer.” The term “lower layer” is only mentioned a single time in the specification (See [0071]). However, this passage describes providing RSSI samples by the lower layer, and not an LBT failure indication.
Furthermore, paragraph [0117] does not provide support for “before changing the SS/PBCH block for random access preamble transmission”. The specification discloses concepts such as changing a time-frequency location of a random access resource and changing a BWP of a random access resource (See [0076] and Fig. 4, for example). But the specification is silent in regard to “changing the SS/PBCH block for random access preamble transmission.”
Claims 2-4, 6-9, 11, and 13-20 depend from claims 1, 5, and 12 and are rejected based on the same reasoning.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 6, and 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi et al. (US 2023/0007686) in view of Chen et al. (US 2020/0221495).
Regarding Claim 1, Belleschi teaches a method for reporting a situation of a random access, applied to a terminal device, the method comprising:
sending a situation of a random access that has been performed by the terminal device to a network device, wherein in response to a listen before talk (LBT) failure for a last random-access preamble transmission attempt in a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) block associated to an ssb-Index, before changing the SS/PBCH block for random access preamble transmission, the situation of the random access comprises lbt-Detected (“For each attempted random access, the UE includes a perRAInfo element, which in turn contains the ssb-Index (or the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) index) associated with such preamble transmission, the number of preambles sent for this ssb-Index, information related to whether contention resolution was successful or not” – See [0017]; “The method (400) further comprises transmitting, to the access node (110), a report comprising Listen Before Talk (LBT) diagnostic data for each of the attempts at random access (step 420)” – See [0146]; “For example, the UE can log beam-specific information for each selected beam when an LBT attempt is performed, e.g., in case beam selection is not successful. For example, a UE 105 in a given cell (e.g., cell A) may select a first beam (e.g., beam 5), and in response to an LBT failure on that first beam may select a second beam (e.g., beam 2), where the LBT procedure succeeds … A beam in this context can be identified by a reference signal transmitted in a beam such as a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SS/PBCH Block, also called an SSB) or a CSI-RS resource. The beam-specific information for a selected beam may comprise, for example, a beam index (e.g. an SSB index” – See [0163]; “according to this first signaling embodiment, for each RA attempt, the UE 105 indicates whether or not LBT was successful for the corresponding preamble (or msg3) transmission, e.g., for each transmission attempt of the preambles listed in the perRAAttemptInfoList, information about LBT is included” – See [0172]; See also Fig. 10B; Before changing from a first beam/SSB (SS/PBCH associated to an SSB-Index) to a second beam/SSB, the UE detects an LBT failure (lbt-Detected) on the first beam/SSB. The UE sends a random access report indicating a situation of each random access attempt that has been performed by the terminal device, wherein in response to an LBT failure for an SSB-Index, the situation comprises a msg1LBTfailure (See Fig. 10B) field indicating the presence of an LBT failure (lbt-Detected));
wherein a measurement result of the terminal device related to a channel occupancy of a cell where the random access is located is comprised in a random access report under each channel status indicator reference signal (CSI-RS) (See Fig. 10B; As shown in Fig. 10B, the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 field includes fields such as rsi-Result-r17 and channelOccupancy-r17 (measurement results of the terminal device related to channel occupancy), and PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 is included in a PerRACSI-RSInfo-r16 field for each CSI-RS).
Belleschi does not explicitly teach that the LBT failure is indicated in an indication received from a lower layer.
However, Chen teaches that the LBT failure is indicated in an indication received from a lower layer (“As such, an indication of LBT failure from a physical layer to a MAC layer may be required (e.g., to maintain the counters)” – See [0029]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Belleschi such that the LBT failure is indicated in an indication received from a lower layer. Motivation for doing so would be to ensure that the UE is able to maintain counters related to the number of preamble transmissions (See Chen, [0029]).
Regarding Claim 2, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the method of Claim 1. Belleschi further teaches that the situation of the random access is sent by the terminal device in a random access report (“As will be described in further detail below, the 2-step/4-step RACH report may, in turn, be included in an overall RACH report” – See [0145]; The situation of the random access is sent in a RACH report).
Regarding Claim 3, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the method of Claim 1. Belleschi further teaches that at least one of the following is sent by the terminal device to the network device: indication information indicating whether the LBT failure is detected before a message 1 of a random access procedure is sent; and indication information indicating whether the LBT failure is detected before a message 3 of the random access procedure is sent (“For each initiated random access procedure, the diagnostic data reported to the access node 110 may contain a variety of information related to random access performance. Such information may include, for example, whether LBT was successful or not for a given preamble transmission (e.g., a msgA or msg1 transmission) or a msg3 transmission (when 4-step RACH or 2-step RACH with a fallback to 4-step RACH is performed)” – See [0148]; The report includes information indicating whether there is an LBT failure before msg1 transmission and/or msg3 transmission).
Claims 5 and 12 are rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 6, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the terminal device of Claim 5. Belleschi further teaches that at least one of the following is sent by the processor to the network device: indication information indicating whether the LBT failure occurs before a preamble of a message A of a random access procedure is sent; indication information indicating whether the LBT failure occurs before a payload of the message A of the random access procedure is sent; and indication information indicating whether the LBT failure occurs before a message 3 of the random access procedure is sent (“For each initiated random access procedure, the diagnostic data reported to the access node 110 may contain a variety of information related to random access performance. Such information may include, for example, whether LBT was successful or not for a given preamble transmission (e.g., a msgA or msg1 transmission) or a msg3 transmission (when 4-step RACH or 2-step RACH with a fallback to 4-step RACH is performed)” – See [0148]; The report includes information indicating whether there is an LBT failure before msgA preamble transmission and/or msg3 transmission).
Regarding Claim 11, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the terminal device of Claim 5. Belleschi further teaches that the measurement result of the terminal device related to the channel occupancy of the cell where the random access is located is comprised in a random access report; and/or the measurement result of the terminal device related to the channel occupancy of the cell where the random access is located is comprised in a random access report of each random access attempt (“The diagnostic information reported to the access node 110 about random access may additionally or alternatively include an RSSI and/or channel occupancy measured by the UE 105 in the cell 115 in which the random access procedure was executed” – See [0162]; The channel occupancy measurement result is included in the diagnostic data sent in the RACH report).
Regarding Claim 13, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the network device of Claim 12. Belleschi further teaches that the processor is further configured to: adjust a random access resource according to the situation of the random access (“The processing circuitry is further configured to configure the UE with an adjusted random access resource allocation based on the LBT diagnostic data of at least one of the attempts at random access” – See [0076]; The bast station adjusts a random access resource allocation based on the RACH report).
Regarding Claim 14, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the network device of Claim 13. Belleschi further teaches that the processor is further configured to: change a time-frequency location of the random access resource in response to that a plurality pieces of information related to LBT failure is received (“The smallest element of the time-frequency grid 50 is typically referred to as a resource element 52, which comprises one OFDM subcarrier during one OFDM symbol interval” – See [0141]; “configuring the UE with the adjusted random access resource allocation based on the LBT diagnostic data of the at least one of the attempts at random access comprises excluding, for the UE, a bandwidth part (BWP) used for the at least one of the attempts at random access from the random access resource allocation, and including, for the UE, a different BWP in the random access resource allocation” – See [0059]; The resources are allocated in a time-frequency fashion, wherein changing the BWP of the random access resource results in a different time-frequency location).
Regarding Claim 15, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the network device of Claim 14. Belleschi further teaches that changing the time-frequency location of the random access resource comprises at least one of the following: changing a frequency position of a bandwidth part (BWP) where the random access resource is located; and changing a frequency position of the random access resource inside the BWP, wherein in a case that a BWP width is greater than a preset threshold, the frequency position of the random access resource inside the BWP is changed (“configuring the UE with the adjusted random access resource allocation based on the LBT diagnostic data of the at least one of the attempts at random access comprises excluding, for the UE, a bandwidth part (BWP) used for the at least one of the attempts at random access from the random access resource allocation, and including, for the UE, a different BWP in the random access resource allocation” – See [0059]; The changing of the time-frequency location of the random access resource includes changing to a different BWP, resulting in a change in the frequency position of the BWP where the random access resource is located).
Regarding Claim 16, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the network device of Claim 13. Belleschi further teaches that the processor is further configured to: change a frequency domain position of an uplink grant allocated to a message 3 in a random access response (RAR) in response to receiving a plurality pieces of information related to LBT failure of the message 3 of a random access procedure (“configuring the UE with the adjusted random access resource allocation based on the LBT diagnostic data of the at least one of the attempts at random access comprises excluding a Physical Uplink Shared Channel resource used in the at least one of the attempts at random access from subsequent use by the UE” – See [0061]; “the access node 110 may avoid allocating PUSCH resources for the msg3 (during 4-step RACH or after 2-step fallback) in those resource blocks in which previous msg3 transmissions suffered LBT failures” – See [0188]; As shown above with respect to claim 15, the change is made to a BWP/frequency domain position of the random access resources, wherein the change is made with respect to PUSCH resource for a msg3 in response to receiving indications of a plurality of LBT failures for previous msg3 transmissions).
Regarding Claim 17, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the network device of Claim 14. Belleschi further teaches that receiving the plurality pieces of information related to LBT failure comprises: a plurality of each random access attempt information indicating information related to LBT failure being comprised in a list of each random access attempt information in the received random access report (“In particular, according to this first signaling embodiment, for each RA attempt, the UE 105 indicates whether or not LBT was successful for the corresponding preamble (or msg3) transmission, e.g., for each transmission attempt of the preambles listed in the perRAAttemptInfoList, information about LBT is included” – See [0172]; The report includes a list of LBT failure information for each random access attempt).
Claims 7, 8, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi et al. (US 2023/0007686) in view of Chen et al. (US 2020/0221495) and further in view of Xie et al. (US 2023/0239930).
Regarding Claim 7, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the terminal device of Claim 6. Belleschi and Chen do not explicitly teach that at least one of the following is further sent by the processor to the network device: information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the payload of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the message 3 of the random access procedure is located; and an uplink grant received on a fallback random access response (RAR).
However, Xie teaches that at least one of the following is further sent by the processor to the network device: information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the payload of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the message 3 of the random access procedure is located; and an uplink grant received on a fallback random access response (RAR) (“At S501, a network-side device receives 2-step RA related information from a UE” – See [0161]; “Herein, the 2-step RA related information may include at least one as follows … h) Transmission parameters of the msg A transmitted when the UE initiates the 2-step RA. The transmission parameters include at least one of a frequency-domain starting position, a subcarrier spacing (when the UE is only configured with a Bandwidth Part (BWP) of the 2-step RA), a number of msgA-RO-FDM, a maximum number of the msg A transmitted before switching to the 4-step RA, a msgA-PRCH-ConfigurationIndex and a msgA-RO-FrequencyStart” – See [0138]-[0150]; The UE sends msgA-RO-FrequencyStart (information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located) to the network device).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Belleschi such that information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located is sent to the network device. Motivation for doing so would be to improve a success rate of the random access and improve communication performance (See Xie, [0111]).
Regarding Claim 8, Belleschi in view of Chen and Xie teaches the terminal device of Claim 7. Xie further teaches that the information related to the time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located comprises at least one of the following: a lowest frequency position used to transmit message A, msgA-RO-Frequency Start; and a number of frequency multiplexing, msgA-FDM (“At S501, a network-side device receives 2-step RA related information from a UE” – See [0161]; “Herein, the 2-step RA related information may include at least one as follows … h) Transmission parameters of the msg A transmitted when the UE initiates the 2-step RA. The transmission parameters include at least one of a frequency-domain starting position, a subcarrier spacing (when the UE is only configured with a Bandwidth Part (BWP) of the 2-step RA), a number of msgA-RO-FDM, a maximum number of the msg A transmitted before switching to the 4-step RA, a msgA-PRCH-ConfigurationIndex and a msgA-RO-FrequencyStart” – See [0138]-[0150]; Information related to the time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located includes msgA-RO-Frequency Start).
Regarding Claim 18, Belleschi in view of Chen teaches the network device of Claim 13. Belleschi further teaches that at least one of the following is received by the processor from the terminal device: indication information indicating whether the LBT failure occurs before a preamble of a message A of a random access procedure is sent; indication information indicating whether the LBT failure occurs before a payload of the message A of the random access procedure is sent; and indication information indicating whether the LBT failure occurs before a message 3 of the random access procedure is sent (“For each initiated random access procedure, the diagnostic data reported to the access node 110 may contain a variety of information related to random access performance. Such information may include, for example, whether LBT was successful or not for a given preamble transmission (e.g., a msgA or msg1 transmission) or a msg3 transmission (when 4-step RACH or 2-step RACH with a fallback to 4-step RACH is performed)” – See [0148]; The report includes information indicating whether there is an LBT failure before msgA preamble transmission and/or msg3 transmission).
Belleschi and Chen do not explicitly teach that at least one of the following is further received by the processor from the terminal device: information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the payload of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the message 3 of the random access procedure is located; and an uplink grant received on a fallback RAR.
However, Xie teaches that at least one of the following is further received by the processor from the terminal device: information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the payload of the message A of the random access procedure is located; information related to a time-frequency location where the message 3 of the random access procedure is located; and an uplink grant received on a fallback RAR (“The receiving module 801 is configured to receive 2-step RA related information from a UE. In an embodiment, the 2-step RA related information includes at least one of the following: … Transmission parameters of the msg A transmitted when the UE initiates the 2-step RA, the transmission parameters including at least one of a frequency-domain starting position, a subcarrier spacing, a number of msgA-RO-FDM, a maximum number of the msg A transmitted before switching to the 4-step RA, a msgA-PRACH-ConfigurationIndex and a msgA-RO-FrequencyStart” – See [0228]-[0237]; The UE sends msgA-RO-FrequencyStart (information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located) to the network device).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Belleschi such that information related to a time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located is received from the terminal device for the same reasons as those given with respect to Claim 7.
Regarding Claim 19, Belleschi in view of Chen and Xie teaches the network device of Claim 18. Xie further teaches that the information related to the time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located comprises at least one of the following: a lowest frequency position used to transmit message A, msgA-RO-Frequency Start; and information about a number of frequency multiplexing, msgA-FDM (“At S501, a network-side device receives 2-step RA related information from a UE” – See [0161]; “Herein, the 2-step RA related information may include at least one as follows … h) Transmission parameters of the msg A transmitted when the UE initiates the 2-step RA. The transmission parameters include at least one of a frequency-domain starting position, a subcarrier spacing (when the UE is only configured with a Bandwidth Part (BWP) of the 2-step RA), a number of msgA-RO-FDM, a maximum number of the msg A transmitted before switching to the 4-step RA, a msgA-PRCH-ConfigurationIndex and a msgA-RO-FrequencyStart” – See [0138]-[0150]; Information related to the time-frequency location where the preamble of the message A of the random access procedure is located includes msgA-RO-Frequency Start),
wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a spectrum bandwidth occupied by a sending resource of the preamble of the message based on at least one of the lowest frequency position used to transmit message A msgA-RO-Frequency Start, the information about a number of frequency multiplexing msgA-FDM, a number of PRBs occupied by each random access channel occasion (RO) unit, and a subcarrier bandwidth of a BWP (“In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, after S501, the network-side device may also execute S502 so as to optimize network coverage and random access procedure parameters according to the 2-step RA related information. For example: 1) Information such as a frequency-domain position, an adopted preamble sequence, waiting time for the msg B and the like of the 2-step RA process with successful or failed access are determined according to at least one of information h, i, j, or l. Configuration of relevant parameters is optimized according to the above determined information” – See [0183]-[0184]; The network device determines a spectrum bandwidth occupied by the msgA preamble based on reported information and configures optimized parameters accordingly).
Claims 9 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi et al. (US 2023/0007686) in view of Chen et al. (US 2020/0221495) and Xie et al. (US 2023/0239930) and further in view of Sun et al. (US 2022/0070919).
Regarding Claim 9, Belleschi in view of Chen and Xie teaches the terminal device of Claim 7. Xie further teaches that the terminal device sends time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located to the network device (“the 2-step RA related information may include at least one as follows … c) Information of a PUSCH resource (e.g., size and/or position of the resource) for a msg A configured by the network side to the UE. In addition, a size of the msg A transmitted when the UE initiates the 2-step RA, a payload size of the msg A or PUSCH (i.e., size of an overall payload available in a UE buffer at a time of initiating the 2-step RA), a padding size of the msg A or PUSCH, etc. may also be included here” – See [0138]-[0143]; The terminal sends, to the network device, a time-frequency position of the PUSCH resource used for transmitting the msgA payload).
Belleschi, Chen, and Xie do not explicitly teach that the specific information related to the time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located comprises at least one of the following: a lowest frequency position where the load is located, frequency StartMsgA-PUSCH; information about a number of frequency domain multiplexing, nrofMsgA-PO-FDM; and a number of PRBs occupied by each physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) unit, nrofPRBs-PerMsgA-PO.
However, Sun teaches using the frequency StartMsgA-PUSCH to represent the time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located (“the 2-step MsgA PUSCH configuration for RACH may provide an offset from the lowest RB of first PUSCH to PRB 0 by an offset parameter such as a “frequencyStartMsgA-PUSCH”” – See [0076]; The time-frequency location of the message A payload is represented by the parameter frequencyStartMsgA-PUSCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Belleschi such that the information related to the time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located comprises a lowest frequency position where the load is located, frequency StartMsgA-PUSCH since the terminal is provided with this information via a 2-step MsgA PUSCH configuration (See Sun, [0076]). Thus, since the terminal is aware of this information via a 2-step MsgA PUSCH configuration, it is able to use it in the random access report to inform the network device of the resources that were used to transmit the MsgA payload.
Regarding Claim 20, Belleschi in view of Chen and Xie teaches the network device of Claim 18. Xie further teaches that the terminal device sends time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located to the network device (“the 2-step RA related information may include at least one as follows … c) Information of a PUSCH resource (e.g., size and/or position of the resource) for a msg A configured by the network side to the UE. In addition, a size of the msg A transmitted when the UE initiates the 2-step RA, a payload size of the msg A or PUSCH (i.e., size of an overall payload available in a UE buffer at a time of initiating the 2-step RA), a padding size of the msg A or PUSCH, etc. may also be included here” – See [0138]-[0143]; The terminal sends, to the network device, a time-frequency position of the PUSCH resource used for transmitting the msgA payload),
wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a spectrum bandwidth occupied by a sending resource of the payload of the message A based on the time-frequency location (“In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, after S501, the network-side device may also execute S502 so as to optimize network coverage and random access procedure parameters according to the 2-step RA related information. For example: … 2) For inactive and idle UE, different 2-step RA parameters are configured for the inactive and idle UE in combination with the information a and c. For example, in a case that the RA resources are limited, more 2-step RA resources may be allocated to the inactive UE to reduce a delay of the 2-step RA of the inactive UE, so as to make the inactive UE enter a connected state as soon as possible” – See [0183]-[0185]; The network device determines a spectrum bandwidth occupied by the msgA PUSCH payload based on reported information and configures optimized parameters accordingly).
Belleschi, Chen, and Xie do not explicitly teach that the specific information related to the time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located comprises at least one of the following: a lowest frequency position where the load is located, frequency StartMsgA-PUSCH; information about a number of frequency domain multiplexing, nrofMsgA-PO-FDM; and a number of PRBs occupied by each physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) unit, nrofPRBs-PerMsgA-PO.
However, Sun teaches using the frequency StartMsgA-PUSCH to represent the time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located (“the 2-step MsgA PUSCH configuration for RACH may provide an offset from the lowest RB of first PUSCH to PRB 0 by an offset parameter such as a “frequencyStartMsgA-PUSCH”” – See [0076]; The time-frequency location of the message A payload is represented by the parameter frequencyStartMsgA-PUSCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Belleschi such that the information related to the time-frequency location where the load of the message A of the random access procedure is located comprises a lowest frequency position where the load is located, frequency StartMsgA-PUSCH for the same reasons as those given with respect to Claim 9.
Response to Arguments
On pages 10-11 of the remarks, Applicant argues in substance that Qiu does not teach “a measurement result of the terminal device related to a channel occupancy of a cell where the random access is located is comprised in a random access report under each channel status indicator reference signal (CSI-RS),” as recited in independent claim 1. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot based on the new grounds of rejection. With respect to the limitation “a measurement result of the terminal device related to a channel occupancy of a cell where the random access is located is comprised in a random access report under each channel status indicator reference signal (CSI-RS),” the Examiner now relies upon the Belleschi reference.
On page 11 of the remarks, Applicant argues in substance that Belleschi and Qiu does not teach “wherein in response to a listen before talk (LBT) failure indication being received from a lower layer for a last random-access preamble transmission attempt in a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) block associated to an ssb-Index, before changing the SS/PBCH block for random access preamble transmission, the situation of the random access comprises lbt-Detected,” as recited in independent claim 1. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot, in part, based on the new grounds of rejection. With respect to the limitation “a listen before talk (LBT) failure indication being received from a lower layer,” the Examiner now relies upon the newly-cited Chen reference.
With respect to the limitation “sending a situation of a random access that has been performed by the terminal device to a network device, wherein in response to a listen before talk (LBT) failure … for a last random-access preamble transmission attempt in a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) block associated to an ssb-Index, before changing the SS/PBCH block for random access preamble transmission, the situation of the random access comprises lbt-Detected,” the Examiner has cited additional passages from Belleschi.
Belleschi discloses “For each attempted random access, the UE includes a perRAInfo element, which in turn contains the ssb-Index (or the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) index) associated with such preamble transmission, the number of preambles sent for this ssb-Index, information related to whether contention resolution was successful or not” (See [0017]). Belleschi also discloses “The method (400) further comprises transmitting, to the access node (110), a report comprising Listen Before Talk (LBT) diagnostic data for each of the attempts at random access (step 420)” (See [0146]). Belleschi further discloses “For example, the UE can log beam-specific information for each selected beam when an LBT attempt is performed, e.g., in case beam selection is not successful. For example, a UE 105 in a given cell (e.g., cell A) may select a first beam (e.g., beam 5), and in response to an LBT failure on that first beam may select a second beam (e.g., beam 2), where the LBT procedure succeeds … A beam in this context can be identified by a reference signal transmitted in a beam such as a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SS/PBCH Block, also called an SSB) or a CSI-RS resource. The beam-specific information for a selected beam may comprise, for example, a beam index (e.g. an SSB index” (See [0163]). Additionally, Belleschi discloses “according to this first signaling embodiment, for each RA attempt, the UE 105 indicates whether or not LBT was successful for the corresponding preamble (or msg3) transmission, e.g., for each transmission attempt of the preambles listed in the perRAAttemptInfoList, information about LBT is included” (See [0172]). Before changing from a first beam/SSB (SS/PBCH associated to an SSB-Index) to a second beam/SSB, the UE detects an LBT failure (lbt-Detected) on the first beam/SSB. The UE sends a random access report indicating a situation of each random access attempt that has been performed by the terminal device, wherein in response to an LBT failure for an SSB-Index, the situation comprises a msg1LBTfailure (See Fig. 10B) field indicating the presence of an LBT failure (lbt-Detected).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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.
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/SCOTT M SCIACCA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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