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 § 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3,11-13,23,25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh (US 20160345118 A1) in view of Hu et al (US 12501430 B2) hereinafter as Hu.
Regarding claim(s) 1,11,23, Oh discloses a transmission method (See Fig(s). 2), comprising:
determining by a terminal, a first parameter based on a master information block (MIB) of a broadcast channel (See ¶ 230, several repetition number transmission parameters are set to be used, and they may be transmitted to an MIB which is first decoded by a terminal. MIB resource information and the like may be fixed.),
wherein the first parameter is used for indicating transmission parameter information of the terminal for performing downlink channel coverage enhancement, and the first parameter is a monitoring timing or an object to be monitored of broadcasting of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCIH) (See ¶ 17, 171-172, 225, 230, the maximum bandwidth is reduced, coverage supplement is needed for a (Enhanced) Physical Downlink Control Channel ((E)PDCCH) and a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).).
Oh fails to disclose based on the first parameter, determining, by the terminal, a monitored PDCCH, and monitoring, by the terminal, the PDCCH.
Hu discloses based on the first parameter, determining, by the terminal, a monitored PDCCH, and monitoring, by the terminal, the PDCCH (See Fig(s). 2-3,6, See ¶ abstract, 6-10, . there is provided a PDCCH monitoring occasion determination method, applied to a terminal device, the method including: determining at least one PDCCH monitoring occasion group based on a first PDCCH search space and a maximum PDCCH repetition number configured by a network device).
PDCCH monitoring allows UEs to receive control information for downlink resource allocation and scheduling in timely manner without delay.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Hu within Oh, so as to allow UEs to receive control information for downlink resource allocation and scheduling in timely manner without delay.
Further with regards to claim 11, determining by network device a first parameter for transmission information (See Fig(s). 2) a base station for communicating with a plurality of communication devices in a cellular communication system, performing mirrored method of claim 1).
Further with regards to claims 23,25, for memory and processor for execution of methods (See Fig(s). 1-2).
Regarding claim(s) 2,12, Ho discloses, wherein the transmission parameter information comprises one or a combination of: a number of a time unit for continuous physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring during a PDCCH monitoring period; a number of a repeated PDCCH transmission during the PDCCH monitoring period; or a search space parameter (See ¶ 161).
Regarding claim(s) 3,13, Ho discloses, wherein the search space parameter comprises a control channel element (CCE) aggregation level; and the search space parameter comprises a search space pattern, and different search space patterns correspond to different CCE aggregation levels (See ¶ 172, Regarding an M-PDCCH UE-specific search space for a normal coverage/small coverage enhancement MTC terminal, M-PDCCH candidates having different L aggregated levels may be supported.).
Claim(s) 6-10,16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh (US 20160345118 A1) in view of Hu et al (US 12501430 B2) hereinafter as Hu further in view of Jang et al (US 20230132057 A1) hereinafter as Jang.
Regarding claim(s) 6, 16, Jang discloses wherein the first parameter is carried in a spare bit of the MIB (See ¶ 72, a method of checking through subcarrier spacing information supported by the UE may be used, or a method of explicitly informing the UE whether the base station supports a NR-lite UE by using a spare bit may be considered.). MIB signaling provides essential network information to user equipment (UE) for initial access and synchronization.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Yu within Awad, to provide UE access and synchronization.
Regarding claim(s) 7,17 Ho discloses wherein the spare bit is used for indicating a parameter related to a number of a repeated transmission; or the spare bit is used for indicating a parameter related to a CCE aggregation level ;and different search space patterns correspond to different CCE aggregation levels (See ¶ 66, The PDCCHs are transmitted on one or an aggregation of a plurality of consecutive control channel elements (CCE). The CCE is a logical allocation unit used to provide a coding rate according to the state of a wireless channel. The CCE corresponds to a plurality of resource element groups. The format of the PDCCH and an available number of bits of the PDCCH are determined according to an associative relation between the number of the CCEs and a coding rate provided by the CCEs.).
Regarding claim(s) 8,18, Jang discloses wherein the first parameter is carried in a reserve bit of the MIB (See ¶ 72, a method of checking through subcarrier spacing information supported by the UE may be used, or a method of explicitly informing the UE whether the base station supports a NR-lite UE by using a spare bit may be considered… spare bit is also interpreted as reserved bit). Reasons for combining same as claim 6.
Regarding claim(s) 9,19, Jang discloses the first parameter is carried in a field of the MIB for indicating information related to a synchronization signal block (SSB) frequency offset (See ¶ 44, 71, the UE may receive (6-13) an SSB transmitted from the corresponding base station 6-03. The SSB includes an MIB). ; or the first parameter is carried in a field of the MIB for indicating time-frequency position related information of CORESET#0. Reasons for combining same as claim 6.
Regarding claim(s) 10,20, Ho discloses, wherein the downlink channel is a broadcast channel (See ¶ 87,90, Physical Broadcast CHannel (PBCH).).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3,6-13,16-20,23.25 have been considered but are moot based on new grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicants amendments.
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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAJ JAIN whose telephone number is (571)-272-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached 571-272-2123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAJ JAIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411