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 .
Applicant's arguments filed 9/16/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants argued that MATSUMURA does not disclose "the QCL chain rule indicating that a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the non-serving cell as a source reference signal provides QCL information for one or more first signals of the non- serving cell and that the one or more first signals of the non-serving cell as source reference signals provide QCL information for one or more channels or second signals of the non-serving cell," as recited in amended claim 1. The examiner respectfully disagrees because Matsumura does show the QCL chain rule indicating that a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the non-serving cell as a source reference signal provides QCL information for one or more first signals of the non- serving cell and that the one or more first signals of the non-serving cell as source reference signals provide QCL information for one or more channels or second signals of the non-serving cell (e.g., abstract, figure 3 and paragraphs 28, 37 and 90.
Applicants argued that MATSUMURA does not disclose at least "wherein the one or more channels or second signals of the non-serving cell include at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) of the PDCCH, a physical downlink shared channel (PD SCH), a DMRS of the PDSCH, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a DMRS of the PUCCH, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a DMRS of the PUSCH, or a sounding reference signal (SRS)," as recited in claim 6, as amended. The examiner respectfully disagrees because Matsumura does show at least wherein the one or more channels or second signals of the non-serving cell include at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) of the PDCCH, a physical downlink shared channel (PD SCH), a DMRS of the PDSCH, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a DMRS of the PUCCH, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a DMRS of the PUSCH, or a sounding reference signal (SRS) (e.g., paragraph 41).
102 rejections
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5-14, 18-27, 31-39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Matsumura (2024/0137176).
As per claim 1, Matsumura teaches the use a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor (e.g. paragraph 216, figures 1A-1D “UE”), is configured to cause the UE to: receive an indication to use a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state for receiving or transmitting a communication, wherein the TCJ state indicates non-serving cell information associated with a non-serving cell of the UE (e.g. abstract); and receive or transmit the communication based at least in part on the TCJ state and a quasi co-location (QCL) chain rule applied for the TCJ state that indicates the non- serving cell information, the QCL chain rule indicating that a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the non-serving cell as a source reference signal provides QCL information for one or more first signals of a the non-serving cell and that the one or more first signals of the non-serving cell as source reference signals provide QCL information for one or more channels or second signals of the non-serving cell (e.g. abstract, figure 3 and paragraphs 28, 37 and 90) .
As per claim 5, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more first signals of the non-serving cell include at least one of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or a tracking reference signal (TRS) (e.g. paragraph 42).
As per claim 6, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more channels or second signals of the non-serving cell include at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) of the PDCCH, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a DMRS of the PDSCH, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a DMRS of the PUCCH, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a DMRS of the PUSCH, or a sounding reference signal (SRS) (e.g. paragraph 41).
As per claim 7, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, is further configured to cause the UE to: receive a configuration for the one or more channels or second signals of the non- serving cell; and wherein, to cause the UE to receive or transmit the communication, the processor- readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to cause the UE to receive or transmit the communication further based at least in part on the configuration (e.g. abstract and paragraphs 28 and 37).
As per claim 8, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration associated with the non-serving cell, the CSI-RS configuration indicating a set of radio resource control (RRC) parameters for a non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS resource (e.g. paragraphs 42 and 44).
As per claim 9, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration associated with the non-serving cell, the SRS configuration indicating a set of radio resource control (RRC) parameters for an SRS resource (e.g. paragraphs 42, 44 and 103-105).
As per claim 10, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration associated with the non-serving cell, the PDCCH configuration indicating a set of radio resource control (RRC) parameters for PDCCH reception (e.g. paragraphs 44, 53, 103-105 and figures 1A-2B).
As per claim 11, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) configuration associated with the non-serving cell, the PDSCH configuration indicating a set of radio resource control (RRC) parameters for PDSCH reception (e.g. paragraphs 44, 53, 103-105 and figures 1A-2B).
As per claim 12, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configuration associated with the non-serving cell, the PUCCH configuration indicating a set of radio resource control (RRC) parameters for PUCCH transmission (e.g. paragraphs 44, 103-105 and 130).
As per claim 13, Matsumura teaches the use of the UE of claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) configuration associated with the non-serving cell, the PUSCH configuration indicating a set of radio resource control (RRC) parameters for PUSCH transmission (e.g. 44, 103-105 and 130).
As per claims 14, 18-27, 31-39, they are rejected for similar reasons as the above rejections of claims 1-13.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN A FOLLANSBEE whose telephone number is (571)272-3964. The examiner can normally be reached IFP, M-F.
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/JOHN A FOLLANSBEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2444