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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 62, 70 and 73-74 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 61-62, 67, 69-70 and 72-74 recite the term “non-single frequency network (non-SFN).” The meaning of the phrases is not defined or discussed at all in Applicant’s Specification. Additionally, the phrase “non-single frequency network (non-SFN)” is not terms of art, and would not have been understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention. According to the plain meaning of the term “non-,“ the phrase “non-SFN” is ambiguous, and could be interpreted to have multiple possible meanings, such as (1) a network not capable of SFN communication or (2) a network that is capable carrying communication other than SFN and may also capable of carrying SFN communication. Applicant’s Specification does not give any indication of how to define the phrase ““non-single frequency network (non-SFN).” Accordingly, the claims are indefinite.
For purposes of Examination, the claim is given the broader reasonable interpretation: (2) a network that is capable carrying communication other than SFN and may also be capable of carrying SFN communication.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 60-62 and 66-74 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumura et al. (US 2022/0231810) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2024/0023132).
Regarding claim 60, Matsumura discloses a method, performed by a terminal device (Matsumura, paragraph [0009], UE), comprising:
receiving a configuration, wherein the configuration indicates a first control resource set (CORESET) (Matsumura, paragraph [0040], multi-TRP transmission, RRC configuration information for PDCCH pairs having a plurality of TRPs where one CORESET may correspond to one TRP; paragraph [0041], maximum number of CORESETs for each piece of PDCCH information may be up to five); and
assessing downlink radio link quality of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) reception based on a set of reference signals (RSs) in order to detect beam failure (Matsumura, paragraph [0009], UE detects beam failure by using configured reference signal resources, when resources are not configured, the UE uses up to two references signal indexes corresponding to TCI states of CORESETs as a set of indexes corresponding to the BFD-RSs; paragraph [0041], CORESETs for each PDCCH; paragraph [0040], multi-TRP transmission, RRC configuration information for PDCCH pairs having a plurality of TRPs where one CORESET may correspond to one TRP; paragraph [0041], maximum number of CORESETs for each piece of PDCCH information may be up to five),
wherein the set of RSs are determined based on RS sets associated with two transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states, in a case where the first CORESET includes the two TCI states (Matsumura, paragraph [0007], base station may configure a RLM-RS for the UE for each BWP; paragraph [0009], UE detects beam failure by using configured reference signal resources, when [RLM-RS] resources are not configured [for the UE for each BWP], the UE uses up to two references signal indexes corresponding to TCI states of CORESETs as a set of indexes corresponding to the BFD-RSs; paragraph [0040], multi-TRP transmission, RRC configuration information where one CORESET may correspond to one TRP; paragraph [0041], maximum number of CORESETs for each piece of PDCCH information may be up to five; paragraph [0062], UE may determine TCI state for a PDCCH (CORESET), one or a plurality of (K) TCI states may be configurated for each CORESET; paragraph [0063], the UE may activate each of the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET).
Although Matsumura discloses all of the claim limitations, in order to expedite prosecution, the Examiner includes the Zhang reference which more explicitly discloses that a CORESET may include two TCI states and be associated with a SFN (Single Frequency Network), as discussed in Applicant’s Specification.
Zhang also discloses a case where the first CORESET includes the two TCI states (Zhang, paragraph [0058], For multiple TRP PDCCH reliability enhancement, it is possible that non-overlapping multi-chance transmitted PDCCH may be associated with different Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) states in Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) or SFN (Single Frequency Network) multiplexing schemes. To enable a PDCCH transmission with two TCI states, one Control Resource Set (CORESET) may be associated with two active TCI states. Alternatively, one search space (SS) set may be associated with two different CORESETs, or two SS sets may be associated with the two corresponding CORESETs).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to for a CORESET to includes two TCI states, in the invention of Matsumura. The motivation to combine the references would have been to enable PDCCH transmission with two TCI states in order to enhance reliability for multiple TRP PDCCHs.
Regarding claim 61, Matsumura discloses the method of claim 60, wherein: the set of RSs is determined based on the RS sets associated with the two TCI states for the CORESET (Matsumura, paragraph [0007], base station may configure a RLM-RS for the UE for each BWP; paragraph [0009], UE detects beam failure by using configured reference signal resources, when [RLM-RS] resources are not configured [for the UE for each BWP], the UE uses up to two references signal indexes corresponding to TCI states of CORESETs as a set of indexes corresponding to the BFD-RSs; paragraph [0040], multi-TRP transmission, RRC configuration information where one CORESET may correspond to one TRP; paragraph [0041], maximum number of CORESETs for each piece of PDCCH information may be up to five; paragraph [0062], UE may determine TCI state for a PDCCH (CORESET), one or a plurality of (K) TCI states may be configurated for each CORESET; paragraph [0063], the UE may activate each of the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET), in a case where a single frequency network (SFN) scheme is configured (Matsumura, paragraph [0233], at least one of CP-OFDM, DFT-s-OFDM, OFDMA, SC-FDMA may be used) (Zhang, paragraph [0058], For multiple TRP PDCCH reliability enhancement, it is possible that non-overlapping multi-chance transmitted PDCCH may be associated with different Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) states in Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) or SFN (Single Frequency Network) multiplexing schemes. To enable a PDCCH transmission with two TCI states, one Control Resource Set (CORESET) may be associated with two active TCI states. Alternatively, one search space (SS) set may be associated with two different CORESETs, or two SS sets may be associated with the two corresponding CORESETs).
Regarding claim 62, Matsumura discloses the method of claim 60, wherein: the set of RSs is determined based on the RS sets associated with two TCI states for the first CORESET and a second CORESET respectively (Matsumura, paragraph [0007], base station may configure a RLM-RS for the UE for each BWP; paragraph [0009], UE detects beam failure by using configured reference signal resources, when [RLM-RS] resources are not configured [for the UE for each BWP], the UE uses up to two references signal indexes corresponding to TCI states of CORESETs as a set of indexes corresponding to the BFD-RSs; paragraph [0040], multi-TRP transmission, RRC configuration information where one CORESET may correspond to one TRP; paragraph [0041], maximum number of CORESETs for each piece of PDCCH information may be up to five; paragraph [0062], UE may determine TCI state for a PDCCH (CORESET), one or a plurality of (K) TCI states may be configurated for each CORESET; paragraph [0063], the UE may activate each of the plurality of TCI states for each CORESET), in a case where a non-single frequency network (non-SFN) scheme is configured (Matsumura, paragraph [0233], at least one of CP-OFDM, DFT-s-OFDM, OFDMA, SC-FDMA may be used) (Zhang, paragraph [0058], For multiple TRP PDCCH reliability enhancement, it is possible that non-overlapping multi-chance transmitted PDCCH may be associated with different Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) states in Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) or SFN (Single Frequency Network) multiplexing schemes. To enable a PDCCH transmission with two TCI states, one Control Resource Set (CORESET) may be associated with two active TCI states. Alternatively, one search space (SS) set may be associated with two different CORESETs, or two SS sets may be associated with the two corresponding CORESETs).
Claims 66-67 and 74 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 60-62, respectively.
Claims 68-70 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claims 60-62, respectively.
Claims 71-73 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claims 60-62, respectively.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 12, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant asserts that the claims are patentable because Matsumura allegedly does not disclose that “the first CORESET includes two states.” However, this is incorrect. Matsumura discloses, for example in paragraph [0062], that a UE may determine TCI state for a PDCCH (CORESET), one or a plurality of (K) TCI states may be configurated for each CORESET.
Additionally, in order to expedite prosecution, the Examiner includes the Zhang reference, which also discloses a case where the first CORESET includes the two TCI states and be associated with a SFN (Zhang, paragraph [0058], For multiple TRP PDCCH reliability enhancement, it is possible that non-overlapping multi-chance transmitted PDCCH may be associated with different Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) states in Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) or SFN (Single Frequency Network) multiplexing schemes. To enable a PDCCH transmission with two TCI states, one Control Resource Set (CORESET) may be associated with two active TCI states. Alternatively, one search space (SS) set may be associated with two different CORESETs, or two SS sets may be associated with the two corresponding CORESETs).
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALAN LOUIS LINDENBAUM whose telephone number is (571)270-3858. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.
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/ALAN L LINDENBAUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/Nishant Divecha/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419