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 .
Claims 1, 3-5, 12, 13, and 24-31 are presented for examination.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5, 12, 26, 27, 30 and 31 are 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/05/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. See rejection below
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fang et al (US 2023/0072513 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Fang teaches a wireless communication method applied to a base station side, comprising:
configuring an initial downlink bandwidth (BWP) of a reduced capability (REDCAP) user equipment through an information element, wherein an initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is independent from an initial downlink BWP of a conventional user equipment, and at least one time-frequency resource of the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is different from at least one time-frequency resource of the initial downlink BWP of the conventional user equipment (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0076], dedicated initial DL BWP configured for RedCap UEs that is different from the initial DL BWP for normal/conventional UEs. Note: [0076] clearly disclose the wireless communication node 202 may configure a dedicated initial DL BWP for RedCap wireless communication devices (or UEs) different from the initial DL BWP for normal NR wireless communication devices (or UEs),), wherein time-frequency resources of the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is time division multiplexed or frequency division multiplexed with time-frequency resources of the initial downlink BWP of the conventional user equipment (Fang: Fig. 15A, [0076], [0084], RedCap initial DL BWP time-division multiplexed with NR/conventional initial DL BWP; Fig. 15A clearly disclose the time-division multiplexing.); and
using the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment to transmit initial access-related signals that is configured for the REDCAP user equipment (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0076]-[0078]).
Regarding claim 13, Fang teaches a wireless communication method applied to a limited capability user equipment, comprising: being configuring with determining an initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment through an information element, wherein the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is independent from an initial downlink BWP of a conventional user equipment, and at least one time-frequency resource of the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is different from at least one time-frequency resource of the initial downlink BWP of the conventional UE (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0076], dedicated initial DL BWP configured for RedCap UEs that is different from the initial DL BWP for normal/conventional UEs) wherein time-frequency resources of the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is time division multiplexed or frequency division multiplexed with time-frequency resources of the initial downlink BWP of the conventional user equipment (Fang: Fig. 15A, [0076], [0084], RedCap initial DL BWP time-division multiplexed with NR/conventional initial DL BWP); and
using the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment to receive initial access-related signals (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0076]-[0078]).
Regarding claim 21, Fang teaches a wireless communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store program data, and the program data is executed by the processor to:
determine an initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment through an information element, wherein the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is independent from an initial downlink BWP of a conventional user equipment, and at least one time-frequency resource of the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is different from at least one time-frequency resource of the initial downlink BWP of the conventional UE (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0076], dedicated initial DL BWP configured for RedCap UEs that is different from the initial DL BWP for normal/conventional UEs) wherein time-frequency resources of the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment is time division multiplexed or frequency division multiplexed with time-frequency resources of the initial downlink BWP of the conventional user equipment (Fang: Fig. 15A, [0076], [0084], RedCap initial DL BWP time-division multiplexed with NR/conventional initial DL BWP); and
use the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment to receive initial access- related signals (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0076]-[0078]).
Regarding claims 3, 24 and 28, Fang teaches wherein: determining the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment comprises: obtaining the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment from a high layer information element (Fang: [0055] RRC configured/higher layer).
Regarding claims 4, 25 and 29, Fang teaches wherein: the initial access-related signals the initial downlink BWP of the REDCAP user equipment comprises a synchronization signal, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB), and a control resource set (CORESET#0), and the CORESET#0 comprises the time- frequency resources used for scheduling a downlink control information of a system information block (SIB 1) (Fang: Figs. 12-15).
Regarding claim 9, Fang teaches a communication method applied to a base station side, comprising: The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining information of a REDCAP user equipment; determining an SSB of the REDCAP user equipment and a multiplexing mode of a CORESET#0 based on the information of the REDCAP user equipment (Fang: Figs. 12-13; [0068]-[0070], [0076]).
Regarding claim 10, Fang teaches wherein: the information of the REDCAP user equipment comprises a maximum bandwidth supported by the REDCAP user equipment, the maximum bandwidth is greater than a preset value, a working frequency band of the REDCAP user equipment is FR1, and the preset value is 20MHz (Fang: Figs. 12-15; [0053]-[0055]).
Conclusion
The prior art Tuong TRAN et al (US 2023/0156752 A1) not used in the rejection is a relevant prior art that disclose the FDM case of claim 1 (see ]0234]).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/KODZOVI ACOLATSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478