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 . Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Dinan (US 20130077514 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Dinan et al. discloses a communication method, wherein the method is performed at a terminal device, the terminal device works on a plurality of downlink carriers, the plurality of downlink carriers comprises a first downlink carrier and a second downlink carrier, and the method comprises: obtaining first channel information (paragraph [0083]; channel state information obtained by quantizing jointly across subset of carriers), wherein the first channel information comprises second channel information (paragraph [0083]; the channel state information comprises the first channel state information and the second channel state information), and the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier share the second channel information (paragraph [0083]; the first channel state information matrix may be global channel state information and may comprise joint information about all active carriers in the subset of carriers); and sending the first channel information to an access network device (paragraph [0085]; channel state information is transmitted on physical uplink control channel).
Regarding claim 5, Dinan et al. further suggests wherein the method further comprises: determining that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of a part or all of channel information (paragraph [0083]; the channel state information may be represented by a product of a first channel state information matrix and a second channel state information matrix. The first channel state information matrix may be global channel state information and may comprise joint information about all active carriers in the subset of carriers. The second channel state information matrix may be local channel state information and may comprise separate information about different active carriers in the subset of carriers. Thus all carriers support sharing global channel information or do not share (comprise separate information)).
Regarding claim 7, Dinan et al. further suggests wherein the determining that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of channel information comprises: receiving first indication information from the access network device, wherein the first indication information indicates that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information (paragraph [0096]; control message may configure measurement parameters of the wireless device. The measurement configuration may trigger measurements of channel state information corresponding to a subset of active carriers (sharing channel information to the subset of the active carriers)).
Regarding claim 9, Dinan et al. discloses a communication method, wherein the method is performed at an access network device, and the method comprises: obtaining first channel information (paragraphs [0083-0084]; channel state information obtained by quantizing jointly across subset of carriers and transmitted on physical uplink control channel), wherein the first channel information comprises second channel information (paragraph [0083]; the channel state information comprises the first channel state information and the second channel state information), and a first downlink carrier and a second downlink carrier share the second channel information (paragraph [0083]; the first channel state information matrix may be global channel state information and may comprise joint information about all active carriers in the subset of carriers); and sending downlink information to a terminal device on at least one of the first downlink carrier or and/or the second downlink carrier (paragraph [0114]; PDCCH is transmitted on a carrier).
Regarding claim 12, Dinan et al. further suggests wherein the method further comprises: sending first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information indicates that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of a part or all of channel information (paragraph [0096]; control message may configure measurement parameters of the wireless device. The measurement configuration may trigger measurements of channel state information corresponding to a subset of active carriers (sharing channel information to the subset of the active carriers)).
Regarding claim 14, Dinan et al. discloses an apparatus in a terminal device, wherein the terminal device is configured to work on a plurality of downlink carriers, the plurality of downlink carriers comprises a first downlink carrier and a second downlink carrier, and the apparatus comprises: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: obtain first channel information (paragraph [0083]; channel state information obtained by quantizing jointly across subset of carriers), wherein the first channel information comprises second channel information (paragraph [0083]; the channel state information comprises the first channel state information and the second channel state information), and the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier share the second channel information (paragraph [0083]; the first channel state information matrix may be global channel state information and may comprise joint information about all active carriers in the subset of carriers); and send the first channel information to an access network device (paragraph [0085]; channel state information is transmitted on physical uplink control channel).
Regarding claim 18, Dinan et al. further suggests determining that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of a part or all of channel information (paragraph [0083]; the channel state information may be represented by a product of a first channel state information matrix and a second channel state information matrix. The first channel state information matrix may be global channel state information and may comprise joint information about all active carriers in the subset of carriers. The second channel state information matrix may be local channel state information and may comprise separate information about different active carriers in the subset of carriers. Thus all carriers support sharing global channel information or do not share (comprise separate information)).
Regarding claim 20, Dinan et al. further suggests receiving first indication information from the access network device, wherein the first indication information indicates that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information (paragraph [0096]; control message may configure measurement parameters of the wireless device. The measurement configuration may trigger measurements of channel state information corresponding to a subset of active carriers (sharing channel information to the subset of the active carriers)).
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) 6 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dinan (US 20130077514 A1) in view of Zhou et al. (US 20200351039 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Dinan discloses the determining that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of channel information as recited in claim 5 above without explicitly suggest determining, in response to the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier being in a same frequency band combination, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information; or determining, in response to a difference between a center frequency of the first downlink carrier and a center frequency of the second downlink carrier being less than a first threshold, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information. However, Zhou et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest determining, in response to the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier being in a same frequency band combination, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information; or determining, in response to a difference between a center frequency of the first downlink carrier and a center frequency of the second downlink carrier being less than a first threshold, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information (paragraph [0038]; each of the first set of BWP CC pairs may be associated with a same frequency band. Transmission control indicator state (control information) is selected for the shared channel of the first set of BWP CC pairs). Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate in Dinan’s method/system in determining, in response to the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier being in a same frequency band combination, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information; or determining, in response to a difference between a center frequency of the first downlink carrier and a center frequency of the second downlink carrier being less than a first threshold, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information as suggested by Zhou et al. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead in the wireless communications system when the wireless communications uses multiple component carriers for carrier aggregation (paragraph [0004]).
Regarding claim 19, Dinan discloses all subject matter of the claimed invention as recited in claim 18 above without explicitly suggest determining, in response to the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier being in a same frequency band combination, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information; or determining, in response to a difference between a center frequency of the first downlink carrier and a center frequency of the second downlink carrier being less than a first threshold, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information. However, Zhou et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest determining, in response to the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier being in a same frequency band combination, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information; or determining, in response to a difference between a center frequency of the first downlink carrier and a center frequency of the second downlink carrier being less than a first threshold, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information (paragraph [0038]; each of the first set of BWP CC pairs may be associated with a same frequency band. Transmission control indicator state (control information) is selected for the shared channel of the first set of BWP CC pairs). Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate in Dinan’s method/system in determining, in response to the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier being in a same frequency band combination, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information; or determining, in response to a difference between a center frequency of the first downlink carrier and a center frequency of the second downlink carrier being less than a first threshold, that the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier support sharing of the part or all of the channel information as suggested by Zhou et al. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead in the wireless communications system when the wireless communications uses multiple component carriers for carrier aggregation (paragraph [0004]).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dinan (US 20130077514 A1) in view of Zhou et al. (US 20210135801 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Dinan discloses all the subject matter of the claimed invention as recited in claim 9 above without explicitly suggest sending to the terminal device, configuration information for configuring that there is an association relationship between a reference signal of the first downlink carrier and a reference signal of the second downlink carrier. However, Zhou et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest sending to the terminal device, configuration information for configuring that there is an association relationship between a reference signal of the first downlink carrier and a reference signal of the second downlink carrier (paragraph [0068]; one or more component carrier sets that are configured by the BS may group component carriers for which QCL reception is to be prioritized. QCL prioritization across different reference signals that are simultaneously received across different component carriers, QCL information corresponding to a particular TCI state identifier is identical for all component carriers that share the particular TCI state identifier when group-based beam updating is enabled. One or more rules prioritize reception for QCL information associated with a given component carrier, the UE may prioritize QCL information associated with all other component carriers that have the same TCI state identifier as the given component carrier associated with the prioritized QCL reception). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate in Dinan’s method/system the step of sending to the terminal device, configuration information for configuring that there is an association relationship between a reference signal of the first downlink carrier and a reference signal of the second downlink carrier as suggested by Zhou et al. The motivation would have been to enable flexibility in deployment of UEs, power saving configurations and the like relative to a single communication configuration for an entire bandwidth because parameters specific to a component carrier may be used for a plurality of component carriers (paragraph [0006]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 8, 10, 11, 15-17 are 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.
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Applicant’s remarks/arguments, filed 05/20/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 9, and 14 regarding Khoshnevis et al. reference 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 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOANG-CHUONG Q VU whose telephone number is (571)270-3945. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:30-5:30 PM EST.).
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HOANG-CHUONG Q. VU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2476
/HOANG-CHUONG Q VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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