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 .
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.
Claims 1, 3-13, 16, 19-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WONG et al PG PUB 2020/0014572 in view of XU et al PG PUB 2020/0092799.
Re Claims 1, 8, 16 and 23, WONG et al teaches in figure 5, a terminal (HD-FDD terminal comprising a transceiver, processor and memory) monitoring for PDCCH carrying a DCI carried in a search space (a time unit) [0122]; the DCI includes early termination field (indication information of a DCI information domain) for the repeated PUSCH [0085-0089] from a BS (a network device comprising a transceiver, processor and memory) wherein figure 5 teaches the repeated UCG where the UE switches for the downlink for monitoring for the DCI indicating the early termination field.
WONG et al teaches base station supports RRC signaling to configure the early termination function [0091 0151] but fails to explicitly teach base station configuring the PDCCH monitoring search space via the RRC signaling.
However, XU et al teaches the UE can receive a dedicated RRC signaling (a control signaling) from the base station (the network device) that explicitly configures one or more search space configuration (the time unit) [0059]. By combining the teachings, the PDCCH search space in WONG et al can be explicitly configured with via RRC signaling to enable early termination of the repeated transmission in WONG et al.
One skilled in the art would have been motivated to have configured the PDCCH search space via the RRC signaling to enable the UE to receive the PDCCH/DCI. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled to have combined the teachings.
Re Claims 9, 18, the UCG is determined according to a preset protocol. Re Claim 3, the UCG is configured before an of the repeated PUSCH, See figure 5. Re Claims 4, 19, 20, he UCG (at least one fixed time unit) is configured before the terminal start monitoring for the PDCCH DCI and before an end of the repeated PUSCH.
Re Claims 5, 21, WONG et al teaches the repeated PUSCH is transmitted a predetermined number of times (a quantity of repeated transmission) and separated by the UCG (at least one reference time unit) [0006], hence they are related.
Re Claims 6, 12, 22, WONG et al teaches in figure 5, the DCI format for allocating the PUSCH and includes the early termination field (a target DCI format). Re Claims 7, 13, WONG et al teaches DCI grant for the PUSCH.
Re Claims 10, 11, WONG et al teaches, according to an application scenario, during the UCG, the terminal determines whether the early termination indicate whether early termination is needed, if not, the early termination is not actuated (not prohibiting the repeated transmission) [0091].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/6/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Re Claims 1, 8 and 16, Applicant argues that “time unit” is defines a specific time interval used during a repeated transmission procedure for monitoring an early termination indication.”.
Applicant further defines “time unit” is a specific time unit related to a repeated transmission mechanism. However, both definitions are not claimed.
Re Claims 1, 8 and 16, Applicant further argues “time unit before an end of the repeated transmission”.
Examiner disagrees.
WONG et al teaches in figure 5, PUSCH repetition on a UL separated by configured UCG (the time unit). During the UCG, the UE switches to the downlink and perform monitoring for PDCCH carrying the DCI indicating the early termination field on the configured search space [0091 0121]. The search space (time unit) is configured before an end of the repeated transmission. Had the search space was not configured before an end of the repeated transmission, “early termination field” would have not been needed because the “repeated transmission” has already been terminated/ended.
WONG et al is not explicit “receive a control signal carrying the time unit”. As OA, this is found in XU et al whereby the UE receives a search space configuration via RRC signaling (a control signal) to configure the search space (time unit) to which the UE performs monitoring the PDCCH carrying the DCI in WONG et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-3130. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5PM ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KASSIM KHALAD can be reached at 5712703770. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANDREW LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2475
Prosecution Insights