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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 February 4, 2026has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1, 14, 20 have been amended. Claims 21-24 have been cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on February 27, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response, to the Applicant’s arguments concerning the previous ground of rejection in the Final Rejection, the Examiner has made a new ground of rejection.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-8, 10-14, 16, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WU et al (US 2022/0217756 A1) in view of FU et al (US 2021/0152292 A1).
Regarding claim 1 (Currently Amended) WU et al (US 2022/0217756 A1) discloses a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) feedback method (see, codebook for each PDCHS group according to the DAI of a PDSCH in each group and a number of bits of a HARQACK/NACK, section 0046-0047), the method comprising: dividing (see, grouping of PDSCHS into PDSCH groups and HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook, section 0043-0044, noted: the PDSCHS are divided int PDSCH group, section 0204), by a terminal (fig. 7, entity 700 which may be configured as user-side device such as user equipment, the terminal/UE in a wireless communication network, the terminal receives a physical downlink control channel (PDCH) that includes a DCI for scheduling one or more PDCSHs, section 0040-0042), a plurality of physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) (see, grouping of PDSCHS into PDSCH groups and HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook, section 0043-0044, noted: the PDSCHS are divided int PDSCH group, section 0204) into one or more PDSCH groups (see, codebook for each PDCHS group according to the DAI of a PDSCH in each group and a number of bits of a HARQACK/NACK, section 0046-0047, noted: PDSCH group j, and PDSCH group 1, section 0197) in a case that the terminal is configured with a dynamic codebook (see, HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook associated with PDSCHs, section 0043-0045), wherein the plurality of PDSCHs are scheduled by one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (see, the number of PDSCHs scheduled by one PDCCH, the DCI schedules the PDSCHs and the DCI includes a downlink assignment index (DAI), section 0040-0042, 0046-0049); and feeding back, by the terminal, a HARQ-ACK for each PDSCH group (see, PDSCHS that fed back in the HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook, section 0044-0046, 0153-the terminal sends HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook for the PDSCHS to the base station); wherein the number of HARQ-ACK bits (see, the PDSCHs that are fed back the HARQ-ACK/NACKs in the uplink or the number of bits of a HARQ-ACK/NACK corresponding to a PDSCH scheduled by one PDCCH, section 0193-00194) [and a bit [[sequence]] (noted: the number of PDSCHS scheduled by one PDSCH is 1, each PDSCH corresponds to 1 bit of HARQ-ACK/NACK, section 0211-0212) are determined according to downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH (see, the number of HARQ-ACK/NACK bits in relation to each PDSCH group correspond to the DAI, section 0193-0194).
WU ‘756 discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above but fails to explicitly disclose: wherein a bit sequence is determined according to a downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH.
However, FU et al (US 2021/0152292 A1) from a similar field of endeavor (see, dynamically determination of the number of bits of the HARQ-ACK information, section 0020, 0023, 0044) discloses: bit sequence determined (see, the number of bit of the HARQ-ACK transmitted in an uplink subgames in the relation to total DAI in the DCI in the PDCCH, and transmission of the bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information according to the number of bits of the HARQ-ACK, section 0074, 0081) according to a downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH (section 0074-DAI in the DCI of the PDCCH).
In view of the above, it 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 to modify the HARQ-ACK method and apparatus where the terminal groups or divides PDSCHs into group based on the DCI of the PDSCH of WU ‘756 with re dynamic determination of bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information based on the determined number of HARQ-ACK bits in the downlink assignment index (DAI) as taught by FU ‘292. The motivation would have been to provide PUCH power adjustment based on DAI valued in the TPC command (section 0031).
Regarding claim 3 (Previously Presented), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein indexes of Q PDSCHs comprised in the PDSCH group are consecutive (see, the DCI schedules 4 PDSCHs that are consecutive in downlink time slots, section 0165-0166, noted: there are a plurality of PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI or one PDCH, section 0042-0044), the indexes are determined in chronological order of the plurality of PDSCHs (see, the determined HARQ-ACK codebook for each PDSCH group, section 0043-0046, fig. 2, see, PDSCH group 1, PDSCH group 2, section 0211-0212), and Q is a positive integer (noted: there more than two PDSCH groups, section 0042-0044).
Regarding claim 4 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of PDSCHs is N (see, the number of PDSCHs scheduled by one PDCCH in a given groups, section 0046-0047), a number of the PDSCH groups is M, at least (M-1) of the PDSCH groups (see, M as the maximum number of HARQ-ACK bits for each PDSCHS om the number of PDSCHs, section 0046-0047) comprise a same number of PDSCHs (see, PDSCHS in the same PDSCH group, section 0186), and 1≤M≤N, wherein M and N are integers (noted: the M and N are implicitly integers, section 0046-0046-0048).
Regarding claim 5 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the PDSCH groups comprise different numbers of PDSCHs (see, different PDSCH groups including a codebook for each PDSCH group, section 0044-0045, noted: PDSCH group 1 and PDSCH group 2, section 0211-0212).
Regarding claim 6 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the PDSCH group comprises Q PDSCHs (see, different PDSCH groups including a codebook for each PDSCH group, section 0044-0045, noted: PDSCH group 1 and PDSCH group 2, section 0211-0212) , Q is a positive integer, and Q is obtained based on at least one of: being predefined; being determined according to a predefined rule (see, PDSCH group according to predefined rule, section 0195-0196, 0204); being configured by higher layer; or being indicated by a network-side device (see, the base station semi-statically indicates information regarding the PDSCH/PDSCH groups via DCI/RRC signaling, section 0479).
Regarding claim 7 (Previously Presented), WU ‘756 as modified by FU ‘292 discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: determining, by the terminal, Q based on at least one of: subcarrier spacing (SCS) size; control channel element (CCE) aggregation levels of one or more PDCCHs for scheduling the plurality of PDSCHs (FU, carrier aggregation in relation HARQ-Ack information for PDSCHs, section 0069); or modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the plurality of PDSCHs (see, MCS in relation to scheduling PDSCH, section 0482).
In view of the above, it 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 to modify the HARQ-ACK method and apparatus where the terminal groups or divides PDSCHs into group based on the DCI of the PDSCH of WU ‘756 with re dynamic determination of bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information based on the determined number of HARQ-ACK bits in the downlink assignment index (DAI) as taught by FU ‘292. The motivation would have been to provide PUCH power adjustment based on DAI valued in the TPC command (section 0031).
Regarding claim 8 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein Q is obtained according to the predefined rule (see, grouping of PDSCHs based on predefined rule, the UE groups PDSCHs in uplink time unit, section 0194-0195, 0204), and the predefined rule comprises a predetermined duration (see, grouping of PDSCHs based on predefined rule, the UE groups PDSCHs in uplink time unit, section 0194-0195, 0204); and the dividing, by a terminal, a plurality of PDSCHs into one or more PDSCH groups comprises: for the plurality of PDSCHs, dividing, by the terminal, one or more PDSCHs within the predetermined duration into one PDSCH group, to obtain the one or more PDSCH groups (section0191-0196, 0209, grouping of the PDSCH in the uplink time unit by the UE, noted: the uplink time unit has a duration or ending time implicitly).
Regarding claim 10 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein Q is obtained according to an indication of the network-side device; and the method further comprises one of: receiving, by the terminal, first indication information of the network-side device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate one Q, and the one Q is applicable to each of the PDSCH groups (see, grouping performed on the PDSCHs according to DCI format indicated by the base station, the DCI format indicating a corresponding relationship section 0194-0197); receiving, by the terminal, second indication information of the network-side device, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate a plurality of Qs, and the plurality of Qs are respectively applicable to the plurality of PDSCH groups; or receiving, by the terminal, third indication information of the network-side device, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate one Q in a preconfigured set, and the one Q is applicable to each of the PDSCH groups.
Regarding claim 11 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein one HARQ-ACK is fed back for each of the PDSCH groups (see, HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook that is feedback for the plurality of the PDSCH groups, section 0042-00445).
Regarding claim 12 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 11, wherein in a case that monitoring results of PDSCHs in the PDSCH group are all acknowledgement (ACK) (section 0043-0047-HARQ-ACK/NACK for PDSCH groups) the HARQ-ACK corresponding to the PDSCH group is ACK (section 0043-0047-HARQ-ACK/NACK for PDSCH groups); and in a case that a monitoring result of at least one PDSCH in the PDSCH group is negative acknowledgement (NACK) (section 0043-0047-HARQ-ACK/NACK for PDSCH groups), the HARQ-ACK corresponding to the PDSCH group is NACK (section 0043-0047-HARQ-ACK/NACK for PDSCH groups).
Regarding claim 13 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the dividing, by a terminal (see, the terminal groups PDSCHs, PDSCHS are divided, section 0203-0205, 0043-0044), a plurality of PDSCHs into one or more PDSCH groups (see, the terminal groups PDSCHs, PDSCHS are divided, section 0203-0205, 0043-0044) comprises: in a case that no code block group (CBG)-based transmission is configured for a serving cell (noted: the UE communicates uplink in the serving cell, section 0327) in which the plurality of PDSCHs are located (see, PDSCHs are grouped based on coding block group (CGB), section 0217-0218, noted: location of PDSCH, section 0235), dividing, by the terminal, the plurality of PDSCHs into one or more PDSCH groups (see, the terminal groups PDSCHs, PDSCHS are divided, section 0203-0205, 0043-0044).
Regarding claim 14 (Currently Amended) WU et al (US 2022/0217756 A1) discloses a terminal (fig. 7, entity 700 which may be configured as user-side device such as user equipment, the terminal/UE in a wireless communication network, the terminal receives a physical downlink control channel (PDCH) that includes a DCI for scheduling one or more PDCSHs, section 0040-0042), comprising a processor (fig. 7, processor 701 coupled to a memory 702 and transmitter/receiver 704, section 0246-0256), a memory (fig. 7, memory 702 coupled to the processor 701, section 0246-0256), and a program or instructions stored in the memory (fig. 7, program that includes program instructions executed by the processor, section 0247-0250) and executable on the processor (fig. 7, processor 701/storage device/memory wit software which may be executed by the processor, section 0247-0250), wherein the program or instructions, when executed by the processor (fig. 7, program that includes program instructions executed by the processor, section 0247-0250), cause the terminal to perform: dividing a plurality of physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) (see, grouping of PDSCHS into PDSCH groups and HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook, section 0043-0044, noted: the PDSCHS are divided int PDSCH group, section 0204) into one or more PDSCH groups (see, codebook for each PDCHS group according to the DAI of a PDSCH in each group and a number of bits of a HARQACK/NACK, section 0046-0047) in a case that the terminal is configured with a dynamic codebook (see, HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook associated with PDSCHs, section 0043-0045, section 0204-0205-disclsoes that terminal/UE is semi-statically configured with HARQ-ACK codebook), wherein the plurality of PDSCHs are scheduled by one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (see, the number of PDSCHs scheduled by one PDCCH, the DCI schedules the PDSCHs and the DCI includes a downlink assignment index (DAI), section 0040-0042, 0046-0049) and feeding back a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) for each PDSCH group (see, PDSCHS feed back in the HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook, section 0044-0046, 0153-the terminal sends HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook for the PDSCHS to the base station); wherein the number of HARQ-ACK bits (see, the PDSCHs that are fed back in the HARQ-ACK/NACKs in the uplink timing unit or the number of bits of a HARQ-ACK/NACK corresponding to a PDSCH scheduled by one PDCCH, section 0193-00194) and a bit [[sequence]] (noted: the number of PDSCHS scheduled by one PDSCH is 1, each PDSCH corresponds to 1 bit of HARQ-ACK/NACK, section 0211-0212) are determined according to downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH (see, the number of HARQ-ACK/NACK bits in relation to each PDSCH group correspond to the DAI, section 0193-0194).
WU ‘756 discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above but fails to explicitly disclose: bit sequence determined according to a downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH.
However, FU et al (US 2021/0152292 A1) from a similar field of endeavor (see, dynamically determination of the number of bits of the HARQ-ACK information, section 0020, 0023, 0044) discloses: bit sequence determined (see, the number of bit of the HARQ-ACK transmitted in an uplink subgames in the relation to total DAI in the DCI in the PDCCH, and transmission of the bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information according to the number of bits of the HARQ-ACK, section 0074, 0081) according to a downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH (section 0074-DAI in the DCI of the PDCCH).
In view of the above, it 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 to modify the HARQ-ACK method and apparatus where the terminal groups or divides PDSCHs into group based on the DCI of the PDSCH of WU ‘756 with re dynamic determination of bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information based on the determined number of HARQ-ACK bits in the downlink assignment index (DAI) as taught by FU ‘292. The motivation would have been to provide PUCH power adjustment based on DAI valued in the TPC command (section 0031).
Regarding claim 16 (Previously Presented), WU ‘756 discloses the terminal according to claim 14, wherein indexes of Q PDSCHs comprised in the PDSCH group are consecutive (see, the DCI schedules 4 PDSCHs that are consecutive in downlink time slots, section 0165-0166, noted: there are a plurality of PDSCHs scheduled by the DCI or one PDCH, section 0042-0044), the indexes are determined in chronological order of the plurality of PDSCHs (see, the determined HARQ-ACK codebook for each PDSCH group, section 0043-0046, fig. 2, see, PDSCH group 1, PDSCH group 2, section 0211-0212), and Q is a positive integer (noted: there more than two PDSCH groups, section 0042-0044).
Regarding claim 19 (Original), WU ‘756 discloses the terminal according to claim 14, wherein the PDSCH group comprises Q PDSCHs (see, different PDSCH groups including a codebook for each PDSCH group, section 0044-0045, noted: PDSCH group 1 and PDSCH group 2, section 0211-0212) , Q is a positive integer, and Q is obtained based on at least one of: being predefined; being determined according to a predefined rule (see, PDSCH group according to predefined rule, section 0195-0196, 0204); being configured by higher layer; or being indicated by a network-side device (see, the base station semi-statically indicates information regarding the PDSCH/PDSCH groups via DCI/RRC signaling, section 0479).
Regarding claim 20 (Currently Amended), WU ‘756 discloses a network-side device (fig. 7, the entity 700 as a base station which transmits PDCCH that includes a DCI for scheduling PDSCHs, and receiving HARQ-ACK codebook for the PDSCHs, claim 13, section 0040-0041), comprising a processor (fig. 7, processor 701 coupled to a memory 702 and transmitter/receiver 704, section 0246-0256, noted: the base station with processor and memory, section 0069-0070), a memory (fig. 7, memory 702 coupled to the processor 701, section 0246-0256),, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor (fig. 7, program that includes program instructions executed by the processor, section 0247-0250), wherein the program or instructions, when executed by the processor (fig. 7, program that includes program instructions executed by the processor, section 0247-0250), cause the network-side device to perform: receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) (see, the base station receives HARQ-ACK codebook for the PDSCHs from the UE/terminal, claim 13, section 0040-0041, 0043-0046); wherein the HARQ-ACK is fed back for each physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) group by a terminal after the terminal divides a plurality of PDSCHs (see, grouping of PDSCHS into PDSCH groups and HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook, section 0043-0044, noted: the PDSCHS are divided int PDSCH group, section 0204) into one or more PDSCH groups (see, codebook for each PDCHS group according to the DAI of a PDSCH in each group and a number of bits of a HARQACK/NACK, section 0046-0047); wherein the plurality of PDSCHs are scheduled by one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (see, the number of PDSCHs scheduled by one PDCCH, the DCI schedules the PDSCHs and the DCI includes a downlink assignment index (DAI), section 0040-0042, 0046-0049); and wherein the terminal is configured with a dynamic codebook (section 0204-0205-disclsoes that terminal/UE is semi-statically configured with HARQ-ACK codebook) and the number of HARQ-ACK bits (see, the PDSCHs that are feed back the HARQ-ACK/NACKs in the uplink or the number of bits of a HARQ-ACK/NACK corresponding to a PDSCH scheduled by one PDCCH, section 0193-00194) and a bit [[sequence]] are determined according to downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH (see, the number of HARQ-ACK/NACK bits in relation to each PDSCH group correspond to the DAI, section 0193-0194).
WU ‘756 discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above but fails to explicitly disclose: bit sequence determined according to a downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH.
However, FU et al (US 2021/0152292 A1) from a similar field of endeavor (see, dynamically determination of the number of bits of the HARQ-ACK information, section 0020, 0023, 0044) discloses: bit sequence determined (see, the number of bit of the HARQ-ACK transmitted in an uplink subgames in the relation to total DAI in the DCI in the PDCCH, and transmission of the bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information according to the number of bits of the HARQ-ACK, section 0074, 0081) according to a downlink assignment index (DAI) information in the PDCCH (section 0074-DAI in the DCI of the PDCCH).
In view of the above, it 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 to modify the HARQ-ACK method and apparatus where the terminal groups or divides PDSCHs into group based on the DCI of the PDSCH of WU ‘756 with re dynamic determination of bit sequence of the HARQ-ACK information based on the determined number of HARQ-ACK bits in the downlink assignment index (DAI) as taught by FU ‘292. The motivation would have been to provide PUCH power adjustment based on DAI valued in the TPC command (section 0031).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WANG et al (US 2019/0103943 A1)-discloses grouping of PDSCHs by a UE bases on a control signaling received from a base station and determining of HARQ-ACK/NACK codebook for each group of the PDSCHs (section 0024-0149, 0106, 0050-0056, 0059-0065).
WANG further discloses the HARQ-ACK bits for a PDSCH groups (section 0050-0060) and dividing of PDSCH (section 0071-0072).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CANDAL ELPENORD whose telephone number is (571)270-3123. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am -6 pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang B Yao can be reached at 571 272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CANDAL ELPENORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473