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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5 March 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment, filed 5 March 2026, has been entered and carefully considered.
Claims 1, 4-8, 13, 16, 18-20, and 26 are amended.
Claims 2, 3, 9, 12, 14, 15, 17, 21, 24, 25 and 27-36 are canceled.
Claims 1, 4-8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18-20, 22, 23, and 26 are currently pending.
The outstanding rejections of Claims 1, 4-8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18-20, 22, 23, and 26 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendment to Claims 1, 13 and 26.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 4-8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18-20, 22, 23, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhamri et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 2023/0232380), hereinafter Bhamri, in view of Chien (United States Pre-Grant Publication 2023/0146487).
Regarding Claim 1, Bhamri discloses a resource indication method, performed by a network device (Figure 9, network apparatus 900), comprising:
sending resource indication information of a Transport Block (TB) to a terminal device, wherein the TB occupies one or more target symbol resources of one or more target slots (Figure 1, control signaling 125 sent from base unit 121 to remote unit 105; paragraph 0050, the control signaling is for multi-PUSCH and includes dynamic indications used to determine a repetition scheme for a set of TBs 127);
wherein, the resource indication information is used to indicate at least one of:
a number of slots of the one or more target slots (paragraph 0076, the control information supports dynamic indication of a number repetitions with slot aggregation), or a number of symbols of the one or more target symbol resources (paragraph 0073, parameters include symbols for transmission);
wherein the resource indication information comprises a first Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) table (paragraph 0101 and Table 1 – TDRA table);
wherein, the first TDRA table comprises at least one Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) allocation information element, and each PUSCH allocation information element comprises start and length indication information (paragraph 0101 and Table 1 – a TDRA table comprises PUSCH allocation and start (S) and length (L) information);
the start and length indication information is a Start And Length Indicator Value (SLIV) (SLIV is utilized for PUSCH), the SLIV is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots (paragraph 0073 – the first symbol is indicated by the SLIV in the TDRA),
or, the SLIV is used to indicate a start symbol position and a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot (paragraph 0160 – alternatively, the SLIV can be used to determine the number of symbols for PUSCH);
(Note: the following limitation is claimed in the alternative and is therefore not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation) or, the start and length indication information comprises start symbol indication information S and symbol length indication information L, the start symbol indication information S is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the start symbol indication information S is used to indicate a start symbol position of the target symbol resource in each target slot; the symbol length indication information L is used to indicate a symbol length of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the symbol length indication information L is used to indicate a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot.
However, Bhamri does not disclose wherein the resource indication information further comprises slot number indication information, the slot number indication information is included each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element, and the slot number indication information indicates a number of slots of one or more target slots corresponding to the PUSCH allocation information element comprising the slot number indication information; or, the slot number indication information is not included in each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element, and the slot number indication information indicates a number of slots of one or more target slots corresponding to any PUSCH allocation information element. In an analogous art, Chien discloses this. Specifically, Chien discloses a parameter of a number of consecutive slots in a CG period (cg-nrofSlots) in NR-U can be used as the maximum number of total repetitions for multiple TBs (paragraph 0430). The Office notes that the limitation reciting that the slot number indication is not included in each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element is claimed in the alternative and is not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bhamri and Chien. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce latency and enhance reliability for CG-PUSCH transmission (paragraph 0026 of Chien).
Regarding Claim 13, Bhamri discloses a resource indication method, performed by a terminal device, comprising: receiving resource indication information of a Transport Block (TB) sent by a network device, wherein the TB occupies one or more target symbol resources of one or more target slots (Figure 1, control signaling 125 sent from base unit 121 to remote unit 105; paragraph 0050, the control signaling is for multi-PUSCH and includes dynamic indications used to determine a repetition scheme for a set of TBs 127); wherein, the resource indication information is used to indicate at least one of: a number of slots of the one or more target slots (paragraph 0076, the control information supports dynamic indication of a number repetitions with slot aggregation), or a number of symbols of the one or more target symbol resources (paragraph 0073, parameters include symbols for transmission);
wherein the resource indication information comprises a first Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) table (paragraph 0101 and Table 1 – TDRA table);
wherein, the first TDRA table comprises at least one Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) allocation information element, and each PUSCH allocation information element comprises start and length indication information (paragraph 0101 and Table 1 – a TDRA table comprises PUSCH allocation and start (S) and length (L) information);
the start and length indication information is a Start And Length Indicator Value (SLIV) (SLIV is utilized for PUSCH), the SLIV is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots (paragraph 0073 – the first symbol is indicated by the SLIV in the TDRA),
or, the SLIV is used to indicate a start symbol position and a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot (paragraph 0160 – alternatively, the SLIV can be used to determine the number of symbols for PUSCH);
(Note: the following limitation is claimed in the alternative and is therefore not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation) or, the start and length indication information comprises start symbol indication information S and symbol length indication information L, the start symbol indication information S is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the start symbol indication information S is used to indicate a start symbol position of the target symbol resource in each target slot; the symbol length indication information L is used to indicate a symbol length of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the symbol length indication information L is used to indicate a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot;
However, Bhamri does not disclose wherein the resource indication information further comprises slot number indication information, the slot number indication information is included each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element, and the slot number indication information indicates a number of slots of one or more target slots corresponding to the PUSCH allocation information element comprising the slot number indication information; or, the slot number indication information is not included in each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element, and the slot number indication information indicates a number of slots of one or more target slots corresponding to any PUSCH allocation information element. In an analogous art, Chien discloses this. Specifically, Chien discloses a parameter of a number of consecutive slots in a CG period (cg-nrofSlots) in NR-U can be used as the maximum number of total repetitions for multiple TBs (paragraph 0430). The Office notes that the limitation reciting that the slot number indication is not included in each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element is claimed in the alternative and is not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bhamri and Chien. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce latency and enhance reliability for CG-PUSCH transmission (paragraph 0026 of Chien).
Regarding Claim 26, Bhamri discloses a resource indication apparatus (Figure 9, network apparatus 900), applicable to a terminal device (Figure 1 base unit 121 communicates with remote unit 105), comprising a memory (Figure 9, 910), a transceiver (Figure 9, 925) and a processor (Figure 9, 905), wherein, the memory is configured to store computer programs (paragraph 0190, the memory stores instructions executed by the processor), the transceiver is configured to send and receive data under control of the processor (paragraph 0192, the processor transmits control signaling via the transceiver), and the processor is configured to read the computer programs in the memory (paragraph 0190, the memory stores instructions executed by the processor) and perform the following operations:
receiving resource indication information of a Transport Block (TB) sent by a network device, wherein the TB occupies one or more target symbol resources of one or more target slots (Figure 1, control signaling 125 sent from base unit 121 to remote unit 105; paragraph 0050, the control signaling is for multi-PUSCH and includes dynamic indications used to determine a repetition scheme for a set of TBs 127); wherein the resource indication information is used to indicate at least one of: a number of slots of the target slot (paragraph 0076, the control information supports dynamic indication of a number repetitions with slot aggregation), or, a number of symbols of the one or more target symbol resources (paragraph 0073, parameters include symbols for transmission); wherein the resource indication information comprises a first Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) table (paragraph 0101 and Table 1 – TDRA table);
wherein, the first TDRA table comprises at least one Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) allocation information element, and each PUSCH allocation information element comprises start and length indication information (paragraph 0101 and Table 1 – a TDRA table comprises PUSCH allocation and start (S) and length (L) information);
the start and length indication information is a Start And Length Indicator Value (SLIV) (SLIV is utilized for PUSCH), the SLIV is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots (paragraph 0073 – the first symbol is indicated by the SLIV in the TDRA),
or, the SLIV is used to indicate a start symbol position and a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot (paragraph 0160 – alternatively, the SLIV can be used to determine the number of symbols for PUSCH);
(Note: the following limitation is claimed in the alternative and is therefore not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation) or, the start and length indication information comprises start symbol indication information S and symbol length indication information L, the start symbol indication information S is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the start symbol indication information S is used to indicate a start symbol position of the target symbol resource in each target slot; the symbol length indication information L is used to indicate a symbol length of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the symbol length indication information L is used to indicate a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot.
However, Bhamri does not disclose wherein the resource indication information further comprises slot number indication information, the slot number indication information is included each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element, and the slot number indication information indicates a number of slots of one or more target slots corresponding to the PUSCH allocation information element comprising the slot number indication information; or, the slot number indication information is not included in each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element, and the slot number indication information indicates a number of slots of one or more target slots corresponding to any PUSCH allocation information element. In an analogous art, Chien discloses this. Specifically, Chien discloses a parameter of a number of consecutive slots in a CG period (cg-nrofSlots) in NR-U can be used as the maximum number of total repetitions for multiple TBs (paragraph 0430). The Office notes that the limitation reciting that the slot number indication is not included in each of the at least one PUSCH allocation information element is claimed in the alternative and is not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bhamri and Chien. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce latency and enhance reliability for CG-PUSCH transmission (paragraph 0026 of Chien).
Regarding Claims 4 and 16, Bhamri discloses the resource indication information comprises repetition number indication information (paragraph 0106 – Table 2 shows a TDRA row index with a repetition factor), and the repetition number indication information is used to determine the number of slots of the one or more target slots (paragraph 0105 – slot-based repetitions are configured based on the repetition factor in the TDRA table);
(Note: the following limitation is claimed in the alternative and is therefore not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation) or, the resource indication information comprises repetition number indication information and reuse indication information, wherein the repetition number indication information is used to determine the number of slots of the one or more target slots in the case that the reuse indication information is a predefined value or a predefined state.
Regarding Claim 5, Bhamri discloses when the resource indication information comprises the repetition number indication information, the resource indication method further comprises: sending first Downlink Control Information (DCI) for scheduling the TB to the terminal device (paragraph 0098 – the TDRA table for the PUSCH is provided in a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI or configured grant)), wherein the first DCI comprises reuse indication information, and the repetition number indication information is used to determine the number of slots of the one or more target slots in the case that the reuse indication information is a predefined value or a predefined state (paragraph 0098 – the TDRA table for the PUSCH is provided in a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI or configured grant) and comprises SLIV value for slot-based repetition (i.e., PUSCH repetition Type-A is indicated to the UE as described in paragraph 0105)).
Regarding Claim 6, Bhamri discloses sending second DCI for scheduling the TB to the terminal device, the second DCI comprising a first indication field (paragraph 0098 – the TDRA table for the PUSCH is provided in a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI or configured grant)); wherein, the first indication field is used to indicate the number of slots of one or more target slots, wherein the number of slots indicated by the first indication field is determined based on the number of slots indicated by the resource indication information (paragraph 0105 – slot-based repetitions are configured based on the repetition factor in the TDRA table).
Regarding Claims 7 and 19, Bhamri discloses the resource indication information comprises a second TDRA table (paragraph 0098 – the TDRA table for the PUSCH is provided in a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI or configured grant);
wherein, the second TDRA table comprises at least one PUSCH allocation information element, each PUSCH allocation information element comprises a list of start and length indication information (paragraph 0106 – the TDRA table comprises multiple SLIV values for PUSCH);
the list of start and length indication information comprises a plurality of pieces of start and length indication information, a number of pieces of start and length indication information in a valid state included in the list of start and length indication information is equal to the number of slots of the one or more target slots corresponding to the PUSCH allocation information element comprising the list of start and length indication information (paragraph 0109 - when the UE is indicated with multiple SLIVs and corresponding mapping types by a single row of TDRA table in the scheduling DCI and additionally a repetition factor is indicated by the row of the TDRA table, then the UE first allocates time-domain resources for the first PUSCHs and corresponding repetitions. Following the repetition of first PUSCH, time-domain resources are allocated for the next PUSCH with different TB and its corresponding repetitions and so on); and
the start and length indication information in the valid state in the list of start and length indication information is used to indicate a start symbol position and a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot (paragraph 0109 - when the UE is indicated with multiple SLIVs and corresponding mapping types by a single row of TDRA table in the scheduling DCI and additionally a repetition factor is indicated by the row of the TDRA table, then the UE first allocates time-domain resources for the first PUSCHs and corresponding repetitions. Following the repetition of first PUSCH, time-domain resources are allocated for the next PUSCH with different TB and its corresponding repetitions and so on).
Regarding Claims 8 and 20, Bhamri discloses the resource indication information comprises a third TDRA table (paragraph 0098 – the TDRA table for the PUSCH is provided in a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI or configured grant);
wherein, the third TDRA table comprises at least one PUSCH allocation information element, each PUSCH allocation information element comprises slot indication information and start and length indication information (paragraph 0106 – the TDRA table comprises multiple SLIV values for PUSCH); and
the start and length indication information is used to indicate a start symbol position of the first one of the one or more target symbol resources in the first one of the one or more target slots, or, the start and length indication information is used to indicate a start symbol position and a symbol length of the target symbol resource in each target slot (paragraphs 0112-0113, PUSCH repetitions corresponding to UL symbols being available).
However, Bhamri does not disclose the slot indication information is used to indicate a start slot position and a number of slots of one or more target slots. In an analogous art, Chien discloses this. Specifically, Chien discloses a TDRA parameter, including SLIV for initial transmission (i.e., start slot) and repetition number K for each TB can be provided using row index by RRC configuration for Type-1 CG or by activation DCI for Type-2 CG. However, the total number of repetitions is restricted by cg-nrofSlots (refer to paragraphs 0429 and 0437). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bhamri and Chien. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce latency and enhance reliability for CG-PUSCH transmission (paragraph 0026 of Chien).
Regarding Claim 10, Bhamri discloses receiving two or more TBs based on the resource indication information, wherein adjacent TBs of the two or more TBs have different redundant versions (paragraph 0118, wherein “selective repetition” refers to different repetition factors being applied to different TB/PUSCH repetitions of a multi-PUSCH allocation), or
(Note: the following limitation is claimed in the alternative and is therefore not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation) adjacent TBs of the two or more TBs have different information bits, and each TB of the two or more TBs comprises a same number of target slots, and respective target slots comprise target symbol resources with a same number of symbols and a same symbol position.
Regarding Claims 11 and 23, Bhamri discloses each target slot comprises one target symbol resource, and target symbol resources in respective target slots have a same start symbol position and a same symbol length (paragraph 0109 - when the UE is indicated with multiple SLIVs and corresponding mapping types by a single row of TDRA table in the scheduling DCI and additionally a repetition factor is indicated by the row of the TDRA table, then the UE first allocates time-domain resources for the first PUSCHs and corresponding repetitions. Following the repetition of first PUSCH, time-domain resources are allocated for the next PUSCH with different TB and its corresponding repetitions and so on).
Regarding Claim 18, Bhamri discloses receiving second DCI for scheduling the TB sent by the network device, the second DCI comprising a first indication field (paragraph 0098 – the TDRA table for the PUSCH is provided in a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI or configured grant)). However, Bhamri does not disclose wherein, the first indication field is used to indicate the number of slots of the one or more target slots, wherein the number of slots indicated by the first indication field is determined based on the number of slots indicated by the resource indication information. In an analogous art, Chien discloses this. Specifically, Chien discloses a parameter of a number of consecutive slots in a CG period (cg-nrofSlots) in NR-U can be used as the maximum number of total repetitions for multiple TBs (paragraph 0430). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bhamri and Chien. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce latency and enhance reliability for CG-PUSCH transmission (paragraph 0026 of Chien).
Regarding Claim 22, Bhamri discloses sending two or more TBs based on the resource indication information, wherein adjacent TBs of the two or more TBs have different redundant versions (paragraph 0118, wherein “selective repetition” refers to different repetition factors being applied to different TB/PUSCH repetitions of a multi-PUSCH allocation), or (Note: the following limitation is claimed in the alternative and is therefore not required as part of the broadest reasonable interpretation) adjacent TBs of the two or more TBs have different information bits, and each TB of the two or more TBs comprises a same number of the target slots, and respective target slots comprise target symbol resources with a same number of symbols and a same symbol position.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW W. CHRISS whose telephone number is (571)272-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm ET.
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/ANDREW W CHRISS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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