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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in reply to Applicant’s Response dated 04/16/2026. Claims 1, 6-8, 13, 14, 15, 19-22 were amended. Claims 1-3, 5-10, 12-22 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
New reference Gao et al. (U.S. PGPUB 2022/0255682), Gao hereinafter is now used in teaching the amendment in the independent claims and in combination with other existing references are now used to teach the claims.
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.
In 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 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 factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1, 8, 15, 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al, (U.S. PGPub 2021/0160829), Park hereinafter, in view of Gao et al. (U.S. PGPub 2022/0255682), Gao hereinafter.
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 15, Park teaches a method for determining a feedback codebook, comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, at least one dynamic scheduling PDSCH inside a set of occasions for first downlink receptions corresponding to the first slot, wherein the set of occasions for first downlink receptions is used for determining a first feedback codebook; and (paragraph 0027 - FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a method in which a terminal determines a dynamic HARQ-ACK codebook for the reception of an SPS PDSCH according to an embodiment of the disclosure;) Also paragraph 0159.
determining, by the terminal device, a second feedback codebook that is transmitted within the first slot, wherein the second feedback codebook is obtained according to the first feedback codebook, and the second feedback codebook comprises feedback information corresponding to the at least one dynamic scheduling PDSCH (paragraph 0171 - … The transmission period is within one slot. Therefore, a maximum of two SPS PDSCHs 632 and 634 may be transmitted in slot k. HARQ-ACK information corresponding to the SPS PDSCH 632 and the SPS PDSCH 634 is transmitted in a slot following a value indicated by a PDSCH-to-HARQ-ACK feedback timing indicator included in DCI indicating SPS activation, or a value previously configured by a higher signal if there is no corresponding field. ...). Also paragraph 0159.
Yet, Park does not expressly teach determining, by a terminal device, a first slot for transmitting feedback information of a first semi persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), wherein a time unit preconfigured for transmitting the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH is a second slot, and the first slot is different from the second slot; wherein the second slot is determined based on a feedback timing and a time unit for transmitting the first SPS PDSCH, and time location of the first slot is after time location of the second slot, and a time interval between the first slot and the second slot is a deferred time offset value.
However, in the analogous art, Gao explicitly discloses determining, by a terminal device, a first slot for transmitting feedback information of a first semi persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), wherein a time unit preconfigured for transmitting the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH is a second slot, and the first slot is different from the second slot; wherein the second slot is determined based on a feedback timing and a time unit for transmitting the first SPS PDSCH, and time location of the first slot is after time location of the second slot, and a time interval between the first slot and the second slot is a deferred time offset value; ([0107] The HARQ-ACK is a HARQ-ACK for a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmitted in a second slot or a HARQ-ACK for a Semi-Persistently Scheduled (SPS) PDSCH release transmitted in a second slot. The target offset set W=K1+TA_offset, K1 is a set of timing values indicating an interval between a slot of the PDSCH or the SPS PDSCH release and a slot of the corresponding HARQ-ACK, TA_offset is a value related to a Timing Advance TA configured by a signaling or calculated in a predetermined manner, and n_U=n+k+TA_offset, k is one of values in the K1 set, n_U is an index of the first slot, n is an index of the second slot.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Park’s Method and apparatus for grant-free data transmission in wireless communication system to include Gao's timing values indicating an interval between a slot of the SPS PDSCH release and a slot of the corresponding HARQ-ACK to achieve improved dynamic scheduling flexibility.
Regarding Claims 21 and 22, Park in view of Gao teaches Claims 1 and 15.
Gao further teaches wherein the slot for transmitting the first SPS PDSCH is slot n, the second slot is n+ki, and the first slot is n+ki+kdefer, wherein n is greater than or equal to 0, and ki and kdefer are positive integers ([0107] The HARQ-ACK is a HARQ-ACK for a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmitted in a second slot or a HARQ-ACK for a Semi-Persistently Scheduled (SPS) PDSCH release transmitted in a second slot. The target offset set W=K1+TA_offset, K1 is a set of timing values indicating an interval between a slot of the PDSCH or the SPS PDSCH release and a slot of the corresponding HARQ-ACK, TA_offset is a value related to a Timing Advance TA configured by a signaling or calculated in a predetermined manner, and n_U=n+k+TA_offset, k is one of values in the K1 set, n_U is an index of the first slot, n is an index of the second slot. [0108] The K1 set is a set including at least one integer value greater than or equal to 0, elements in the K1 set are in a first time unit, and TA_offset is in a second time unit. The first time unit and the second time unit are the same or different. The first time unit or the second time unit may be specifically A subframes, A slots, or A sub-slots, wherein the sub-slot is a predefined or configured time unit having a fixed length, such as B symbols (OFDM symbols).).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Park’s Method and apparatus for grant-free data transmission in wireless communication system to include Gao's timing values indicating an interval between a slot of the SPS PDSCH release and a slot of the corresponding HARQ-ACK to achieve improved dynamic scheduling flexibility.
Claims 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al, (U.S. PGPub 2021/0160829), Park hereinafter in view of Gao et al. (U.S. PGPub 2022/0255682), Gao hereinafter, and further in view of Kim et al. (U.S. PGPub 2022/0052824), Kim hereinafter.
Regarding Claims 2, 9 and 16 Park in view of Gao teaches claims 1, 8 and 15.
Yet, Park in view of Gao does not expressly teach wherein a size of the second feedback codebook is equal to a size of the first feedback codebook; wherein the second feedback codebook further comprises merged feedback information, the merged feedback information being obtained after the terminal device merges the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH with feedback information of one SPS PDSCH in at least one second SPS PDSCH, wherein the first SPS PDSCH is received by the terminal device outside the set of occasions for first downlink receptions, and the at least one second SPS PDSCH is received by the terminal device inside the set of occasions for first downlink receptions; wherein a field, occupied by the merged feedback information, in the second feedback codebook is determined according to a reception occasion, occupied by the one SPS PDSCH in the at least one second SPS PDSCH, in the set of occasions for first downlink receptions, wherein a mapping relationship between each field in the second feedback codebook and each reception occasion in the set of occasions for first downlink receptions is same as a mapping relationship between each field in the first feedback codebook and each receiving occasion in the set of occasions for first downlink receptions.
However, in the analogous art, Kim explicitly discloses wherein a size of the second feedback codebook is equal to a size of the first feedback codebook; (paragraph 0428 - … Alternatively, the priority may be determined based on sizes (e.g., a size of ACK/NACK codebook) of the first feedback information and the second feedback information. Alternatively, the priority may be determined based on contents included in the PUCCH. Alternatively, the priority may be determined by a combination of information related to the priority rule. As an example, the priority may be determined based on the size of the ACK/NACK codebook, but when the sizes of the ACK/NACK codebook are equal to each other, the priority may be determined according to another information.)
wherein the second feedback codebook further comprises merged feedback information, the merged feedback information being obtained after the terminal device merges the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH with feedback information of one SPS PDSCH in at least one second SPS PDSCH, wherein the first SPS PDSCH is received by the terminal device outside the set of occasions for first downlink receptions, and the at least one second SPS PDSCH is received by the terminal device inside the set of occasions for first downlink receptions; (paragraph 0407 - For example, the UE may be configured to transmit the HARQ-ACK information for Data 1 and Data 2 to representative TRP (e.g., TRP 1), and transmission of the HARQ-ACK information to the other TRP (e.g., TRP 2) may also be skipped. The HARQ-ACK information transmitted to the representative TRP may be shared by the other TRP through backhaul. That is, the HARQ-ACK information (e.g., first feedback and second feedback information) for Data 1 and Data 2 may be combined into one (together encoded) and transmitted to the network side through one PUCCH. In this case, the methods and/or examples of Proposal Method 3 described above may be used.)
wherein a field, occupied by the merged feedback information, in the second feedback codebook is determined according to a reception occasion, occupied by the one SPS PDSCH in the at least one second SPS PDSCH, in the set of occasions for first downlink receptions, wherein a mapping relationship between each field in the second feedback codebook and each reception occasion in the set of occasions for first downlink receptions is same as a mapping relationship between each field in the first feedback codebook and each receiving occasion in the set of occasions for first downlink receptions. (paragraph 0407 - For example, the UE may be configured to transmit the HARQ-ACK information for Data 1 and Data 2 to representative TRP (e.g., TRP 1), and transmission of the HARQ-ACK information to the other TRP (e.g., TRP 2) may also be skipped. The HARQ-ACK information transmitted to the representative TRP may be shared by the other TRP through backhaul. That is, the HARQ-ACK information (e.g., first feedback and second feedback information) for Data 1 and Data 2 may be combined into one (together encoded) and transmitted to the network side through one PUCCH. In this case, the methods and/or examples of Proposal Method 3 described above may be used.). The combining or merging of equally sized codebook establishes mapping relationship between corresponding fields in the two merged.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Park’s Method and apparatus for grant-free data transmission in wireless communication system to include Kim's equal size of first feedback information and the second feedback information to achieve improved transmission reliability
Regarding Claims 3, 10 and 17 Park in view of Gao and further in view of Kim teaches claims 2, 9 and 16.
Park further teaches wherein when a number of the second SPS PDSCH is multiple, the terminal device merging the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH with the feedback information of the SPS PDSCH in the at least one second SPS PDSCH comprises: (paragraph 0178 - in a case where the number of SPS PDSCHs of a slot in which DCI indicating the release of a SPS PDSCH is transmitted is two or more, the terminal maps HARQ-ACK information for the DCI to the position of a semi-static HARQ-ACK codebook for HARQ-ACK information of the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time, and transmits the mapped HARQ-ACK information. ). Having number of SPS PDSCHs (two or more) in a slot means time interval between one to another will be minimal. Mapping the HARQ-ACK information which is the feedback of the SPS PDSCHs to the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time means the feedback for them are merged.
selecting, by the terminal device, a target second SPS PDSCH meeting a first preset condition from a plurality of second SPS PDSCHs; and (paragraph 0178 - in a case where the number of SPS PDSCHs of a slot in which DCI indicating the release of a SPS PDSCH is transmitted is two or more, the terminal maps HARQ-ACK information for the DCI to the position of a semi-static HARQ-ACK codebook for HARQ-ACK information of the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time, and transmits the mapped HARQ-ACK information. ). Having number of SPS PDSCHs (two or more) in a slot means time interval between one to another will be minimal. Mapping the HARQ-ACK information which is the feedback of the SPS PDSCHs to the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time means the feedback for them are merged.
merging, by the terminal device, the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH with feedback information of the target second SPS PDSCH to obtain the merged feedback information; (paragraph 0178 - in a case where the number of SPS PDSCHs of a slot in which DCI indicating the release of a SPS PDSCH is transmitted is two or more, the terminal maps HARQ-ACK information for the DCI to the position of a semi-static HARQ-ACK codebook for HARQ-ACK information of the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time, and transmits the mapped HARQ-ACK information. ). Having number of SPS PDSCHs (two or more) in a slot means time interval between one to another will be minimal. Mapping the HARQ-ACK information which is the feedback of the SPS PDSCHs to the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time means the feedback for them are merged.
wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following:
a time interval between the target second SPS PDSCH and the first SPS PDSCH is minimum; (paragraph 0178 - in a case where the number of SPS PDSCHs of a slot in which DCI indicating the release of a SPS PDSCH is transmitted is two or more, the terminal maps HARQ-ACK information for the DCI to the position of a semi-static HARQ-ACK codebook for HARQ-ACK information of the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time, and transmits the mapped HARQ-ACK information. ). Having number of SPS PDSCHs (two or more) in a slot means time interval between one to another will be minimal. Mapping the HARQ-ACK information which is the feedback of the SPS PDSCHs to the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time means the feedback for them are merged.
the target second SPS PDSCH is an earliest second SPS PDSCH after the first SPS PDSCH; (Alternative)
the configuration information of the target second SPS PDSCH is the same as the configuration information of the first SPS PDSCH, and the time interval between the target second SPS PDSCH and the first SPS PDSCH is minimum; (paragraph 0178 - in a case where the number of SPS PDSCHs of a slot in which DCI indicating the release of a SPS PDSCH is transmitted is two or more, the terminal maps HARQ-ACK information for the DCI to the position of a semi-static HARQ-ACK codebook for HARQ-ACK information of the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time, and transmits the mapped HARQ-ACK information. ). Having number of SPS PDSCHs (two or more) in a slot means time interval between one to another will be minimal. Mapping the HARQ-ACK information which is the feedback of the SPS PDSCHs to the last SPS PDSCH in terms of time means the feedback for them are merged.
and
the configuration information of the target second SPS PDSCH is the same as configuration information of the first SPS PDSCH, and the target second SPS PDSCH is the earliest second SPS PDSCH after the first SPS PDSCH (Alternative).
Claims 5, 12 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al, (U.S. PGPub 2021/0160829), Park hereinafter in view of Gao, and further in view of Rastegardoost et al. (U.S. PGPub 2022/0007399), Rastegardoost hereinafter.
Regarding Claims 5, 12 and 18 Park in view of Gao teaches claims 1, 8 and 15.
Yet, Park in view of Gao does not expressly teach wherein the second feedback codebook comprises the first feedback codebook and a third feedback codebook, the third feedback codebook comprising feedback information of at least one first SPS PDSCH, and wherein the at least one first SPS PDSCH is received by the terminal device outside the set of occasions for first downlink receptions.
However, in the analogous art, Rastegardoost explicitly discloses the second feedback codebook comprises the first feedback codebook and a third feedback codebook, the third feedback codebook comprising feedback information of at least one first SPS PDSCH, and wherein the at least one first SPS PDSCH is received by the terminal device outside the set of occasions for first downlink receptions (paragraph 0441 - ... The UE determines that the SPS PDSCH occasion is scheduled/located in and/or overlaps with (e.g. fully or partially) the remaining COT duration. The UE determines that the corresponding PUCCH resource, indicated by the numerical K1 value, is scheduled/located outside the remaining COT duration, e.g. does not overlap with the COT duration. For the COT duration expires before the PUCCH resource. The UE may or may not receive DL data via the SPS PDSCH occasion. The UE may not transmit the HARQ feedback information regarding reception/detection of the DL data in the SPS PDSCH occasion via the corresponding PUCCH resource that is outside the COT of the SPS PDSCH occasion.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Park’s Method and apparatus for grant-free data transmission in wireless communication system to include Rastegardoost's SPS PDSCH is reception outside the COT of the SPS PDSCH occasion to achieve improved transmission reliability.
Claims 6, 13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al, (U.S. PGPub 2021/0160829), Park hereinafter in view of Gao, and further in view of Lin et al. (U.S. PGPub 2022/0417967), Lin hereinafter.
Regarding Claims 6, 13 and 19 Park in view of Gao teaches claims 1, 8 and 15.
Yet, Park in view of Gao does not expressly teach wherein a resource for transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) within the second slot is limited.
However, in the analogous art, Lin explicitly discloses wherein a resource for transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) within the second slot is limited (paragraph 0068 - In the NR standard Rel-15, when multiple physical uplink channels in a time unit such as a slot overlap in the time domain, a terminal device first determines whether the multiple physical uplink channels meet a timing constraint of multiplexing. If the timing constraint of multiplexing is met, the terminal device multiplexes all the UCI to one PUCCH resource for transmission. Specifically, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of subjecting all the UCI to multiplex transmission on one PUCCH in a technical solution. As shown in FIG. 1, PUCCH 0 is a slot based PUCCH; PUCCH 1 and PUCCH 2 are sub-slot based PUCCHs; the multiplexing channel is PUCCH 3, and PUCCH 3 does not overlap with the original PUCCH 1 in the time domain, but there is still a requirement that the ACK/NACK information in PUCCH 1 should be multiplexed to PUCCH 3 for transmission. In the technical solution of FIG. 1, on the one hand, the feedback delay of PUCCH 1 is increased; and/or, on the other hand, the UCI capacity in PUCCH 3 is relatively large, which will affect the reliability of transmission.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Park’s Method and apparatus for grant-free data transmission in wireless communication system to include Lin's PUCCH time constraint to achieve improved transmission reliability.
Claims 7, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al, (U.S. PGPub 2021/0160829), Park hereinafter in view of Gao, and further in view of Lin et al. (U.S. PGPub 2022/0417967), Lin hereinafter and further in view of Zhang et al. (U.S. PGPub 2023/0396391) Zhang hereinafter.
Regarding Claims 7, 14 and 20 Park in view of Gao and further in view of Lin teaches claims 6, 13 and 19.
Yet, Park in view of Gao and further in view of Lin does not expressly teach wherein the resource for transmitting the PUCCH within the second slot being limited comprises:
a time domain symbol occupied by the PUCCH for transmitting the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH within the second slot comprising at least one of:
a time domain symbol occupied by a synchronization signal or a broadcast channel.
However, in the analogous art, Zhang explicitly discloses wherein the resource for transmitting the PUCCH within the second slot being limited comprises:a time domain symbol occupied by the PUCCH for transmitting the feedback information of the first SPS PDSCH within the second slot comprising at least one of: a downlink symbol, a flexible symbol or a time domain symbol occupied by a synchronization signal or a broadcast channel (paragraph 0254 - ... For example, the HARQ-ACK may be a HARQ-ACK codebook including HARQ-ACK information only for SPS PDSCH reception(s). If the predefined Condition A is satisfied, transmission of the HARQ-ACK is delayed (for example, the HARQ-ACK is delayed to the next available resource and/or available time unit according to the methods specified in other embodiments of the disclosure, for example, the time unit may be a slot/sub-slot). If the predefined Condition A is not satisfied, that the UE transmits the HARQ-ACK and/or the UE does not transmit the HARQ-ACK may be specified by a protocol and/or configured by higher layer signaling. For example, the predefined Condition A may be at least one of the following conditions: Condition 3: at least one symbol in the PUCCH carrying the HARQ-ACK is configured by higher layer signaling and/or indicated by dynamic SFI as a downlink symbol and/or a flexible symbol. For example, the PUCCH may be a HARQ-ACK codebook including HARQ-ACK information only for SPS PDSCH reception(s) and/or SR(s) and/or CSI.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Li’s Feedback information transmission method and apparatus to include Zhang's flexible symbol to achieve improved transmission reliability.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. This includes:
U.S. PGPUB 2020/0267597 which describes method and apparatus for handling sidelink and uplink harq-ack feedback in a wireless communication system
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAWRENCE AYODELE OLUBODUN whose telephone number is (571)270-5462. The examiner can normally be reached 8.00am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas A. Jensen can be reached at 571-270-5443. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.L.O./Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/NICHOLAS A JENSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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