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 .
This office action is in response to remarks filed 12/09/2025.
Claims 1, 3-9, 11-16, and 19-22 are pending and presented for examination. Claims 1, 8, and 19 are amended. Claims 2, 10, 17, and 18 are cancelled. No claims are added.
Response to Amendment
Objection to Claims 2 and 10 for informalities is withdrawn.
35 U.S.C § 101 rejection is withdrawn.
Applicant’s remarks state that the amended independent Claim 9 includes limitations of dependent Claim 10. The remarks appear to be in error. Examiner has reviewed the amended claims. Claim 9 is not an independent claim but dependent on the independent Claim 8. Claim 9 was not amended. Claim 8 was amended with the limitations of Claim 2 and not Claim 10. For purposes of examination, examiner will refer to the amended claims document filed 12/09/2025.
Applicant’s remarks states that claims 1, 3-9, 11-16, and 19-20 are pending. Examiner has reviewed the amended claims document. Claims 21 and 22 are present. For purposes of examination, examiner will refer to the amended claims document filed 12/09/2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: amended limitation recites “where in the PRI is used for the UE to use the at least on PUCCH resource”, examiner emphasis. For purposes of examination, the limitation is interpreted as “PRI is used by the UE”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-9, 11-16, and 19-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ji et al. by (US 20230023719 A1, hereinafter “Ji”).
RE Claim 19, 1, 20 Ji discloses a method, a user equipment, or non-transitory computer readable medium:
comprising:
at least one processor (UE with processor, ¶0521, Fig.22); and
a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor (¶0521);
wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor (¶0524), and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to implement a beam indication method (¶0521), comprising:
determining, according to beam indication information (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration for the UE. Configuration of a plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID and activation. ¶¶0247-0248; One PUCCH default beam may be configured in a plurality of target TRPs, beams. ¶0399), a target beam used for a target PUCCH resource for a joint transmission to multi-TRPs of a base station (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration. ¶0247; Non Coherent Joint Transmission, NC-JT, is configured in a PUCCH transmission cell. ¶0395; BS transmits a PUCCH configuration to the UE that includes at least PRI and PUCCH resource. ¶0385, ¶0198, Table 21; One PUCCH default beam and the same PUCCH default beam may be applied to all target TRPs, beams. ¶0399), wherein the beam indication information is configured to indicate at least one target beam (PUCCH and beam configuration where a default beam for all PUCCHs is configured. ¶0308; One PUCCH default beam and the same PUCCH default beam may be applied to all target TRPs, beams. ¶0399);
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving downlink control information (DCI) sent by the base station, wherein PUCCH resource indication information (PRI) for at least one PUCCH resource is indicated and determined in the DCI (A PUCCH resource within the PUCCH resource set may be selected through a PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) within DCI scheduling. A relation between PRI configured and PUCCH resource selected from the PUCCH resource set may be shown as in Table 26. ¶0208, Table 26; UE has a UE-specific configuration for a PUCCH resource configuration (dedicated PUCCH resource configuration). ¶0247.);
using the at least one PUCCH resource indicated by the PRI as the target PUCCH resource(s) (In the case of HARQ-ACK transmission, a resource set of the PUCCH resource to be transmitted is first selected according to a payload of UCI including the corresponding HARQ-ACK. Subsequently, a PUCCH resource within the PUCCH resource set may be selected through a PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) within DCI scheduling a TB corresponding to the corresponding HARQ-ACK, and the PRI may be a PUCCH resource indicator. ¶0208; Thereafter, the BS may transmit DCI for scheduling downlink data on the PDCCH to the UE (which may be interchangeably used with PDCCH transmission) in operation 1786 and identify an HARQ-ACK payload which should be transmitted according to the above-described method on the basis of the applied option, a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator included in the DCI, and a PRI, so as to determine a PUCCH resource to transmit HARQ-ACK. ¶0385; In the following classification, the PUCCH is transmitted to one or a plurality of TRPs. For convenience of description, a target of TRP to which the UE transmits a specific PUCCH is named a target TRP. ¶0395); and
determining the beam indication information in association with the target PUCCH resource(s) (In the following classification, the PUCCH is transmitted to one or a plurality of TRPs. For convenience of description, a target of TRP to which the UE transmits a specific PUCCH is named a target TRP. ¶0395; In the corresponding classification, a target TPR for PUCCH transmission may be explicitly/implicitly indicated. For example, when Separate HARQ-ACK is configured, a target TRP of the PUCCH for HARQ-ACK transmission may correspond to a TRP index of the PDCCH scheduling the corresponding PUCCH. ¶0397).
RE Claim 3, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, further comprising:
receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling sent by the base station, wherein a candidate beam set or a candidate beam combination set is configured in the RRC signaling (Default beam for PUCCH transmission with parameters configured by RRC, MAC-CE, or the like. ¶0390; Plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID, beams. ¶0247) , and the at least one target beam belongs to the candidate beam set or the candidate beam combination set (Default beam for the PUCCH indicated by the target TRP designated as one of the beams of CORESETS selected, the selected CORESET have a TRP index which is the same as the target TRP. ¶0397);
receiving a medium access control layer control unit (MAC-CE) signaling sent by the base station (Default beam for PUCCH transmission with parameters configured by RRC, MAC-CE, or the like. ¶0390), wherein the MAC-CE signaling indicates the beam indication information for activating the target beam for the joint transmission (Joint transmission, NC-JT, is configured in the PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states. TCI state having the lowest index corresponding to the default beam for PUCCH. ¶0409; The TCI state with the lowest TCI state among TCIs activated by a MAC-CE. ¶0410-0411).
RE Claim 4, 12, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, further comprising:
candidate beams in the candidate beam set being independent from each other (Apply a PUCCH default beam for each target TRP with PUCCH transmission for other beams. ¶0397, Fig. 18).
RE Claim 5, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, wherein the beam indication information is a code point corresponding to a candidate beam combination (Joint transmission configured in a PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states, beams, mapped to one codepoint. ¶0409), wherein
each candidate beam combination includes at least one candidate beam (Joint transmission configured in a PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states, beams, mapped to one codepoint. ¶0409), and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, according to the code point, a target beam combination from the candidate beam combination set, wherein the target beam belongs to the target beam combination (Joint transmission, NC-JT, is configured in the PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states. TCI state having the lowest index corresponding to the default beam for PUCCH. ¶0409; The TCI state with the lowest TCI state among TCIs activated by a MAC-CE. ¶0410-0411).
RE Claim 6, 14 Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, wherein the candidate beam at least includes a beam available for the joint transmission to the multi-TRPs of the base station (Joint transmission configured in a PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states, beams, mapped to one codepoint. ¶0409).
RE Claim 7, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, further comprising:
jointly and repeatedly transmitting uplink control information (UCI) on the target PUCCH resource with the target beam to the multi-TRPs of the base station (To improve uplink coverage, multi-slot repetitive for PUCCH may be configured in each PUCCH format. ¶0194; UE performs repetitive transmission for the PUCCH including UCI by the number of slots configured by higher layers. ¶0195; Multi-TRP used to improve reliability of uplink signal by repeatedly transmitting a single PUCCH resource, a default or target beam, to the multi-TRP. ¶¶0490; 0510).
RE Claim 8, 21, 22, Ji discloses a method, a base station, or non-transitory computer readable medium:
comprising:
at least one processor (Base station with processor. ¶0527, Fig. 23); and
a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor (¶0527);
wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor (¶0530), and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to implement the method (¶0527).
sending beam indication information to a UE to instruct the UE to determine (Default beam for PUCCH transmission with parameters configured by RRC, MAC-CE, or the like. ¶0390; Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration for the UE. Configuration of a plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID and activation. ¶¶0247-0248; One PUCCH default beam may be configured in a plurality of target TRPs, beams. ¶0399), according to the beam indication information (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration for the UE. Configuration of a plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID and activation. ¶¶0247-0248; One PUCCH default beam may be configured in a plurality of target TRPs, beams. ¶0399), a target beam used for a target PUCCH resource for a joint transmission to multiple transmission and reception points (multi-TRPs) of a base station (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration. ¶0247; Non Coherent Joint Transmission, NC-JT, is configured in a PUCCH transmission cell. ¶0395; BS transmits a PUCCH configuration to the UE that includes at least PRI and PUCCH resource. ¶0385, ¶0198, Table 21; One PUCCH default beam and the same PUCCH default beam may be applied to all target TRPs, beams. ¶0399), wherein the beam indication information is configured to indicate at least one target beam (PUCCH and beam configuration where a default beam for all PUCCHs is configured. ¶0308; One PUCCH default beam and the same PUCCH default beam may be applied to all target TRPs, beams. ¶0399);
wherein the method further comprises:
sending DCI to the UE, wherein PUCCH resource indication information (PRI) for at least one PUCCH resource is indicated and determined in the DCI (A PUCCH resource within the PUCCH resource set may be selected through a PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) within DCI scheduling. A relation between PRI configured and PUCCH resource selected from the PUCCH resource set may be shown as in Table 26. ¶0208, Table 26; UE has a UE-specific configuration for a PUCCH resource configuration (dedicated PUCCH resource configuration). ¶0247.),
wherein the PRI is used for the UE to use the at least one PUCCH resource indicated by the PRI as the target PUCCH resource(s) (In the case of HARQ-ACK transmission, a resource set of the PUCCH resource to be transmitted is first selected according to a payload of UCI including the corresponding HARQ-ACK. Subsequently, a PUCCH resource within the PUCCH resource set may be selected through a PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) within DCI scheduling a TB corresponding to the corresponding HARQ-ACK, and the PRI may be a PUCCH resource indicator. ¶0208; Thereafter, the BS may transmit DCI for scheduling downlink data on the PDCCH to the UE (which may be interchangeably used with PDCCH transmission) in operation 1786 and identify an HARQ-ACK payload which should be transmitted according to the above-described method on the basis of the applied option, a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator included in the DCI, and a PRI, so as to determine a PUCCH resource to transmit HARQ-ACK. ¶0385; In the following classification, the PUCCH is transmitted to one or a plurality of TRPs. For convenience of description, a target of TRP to which the UE transmits a specific PUCCH is named a target TRP. ¶0395) and
determine the beam indication information in association with the target PUCCH resource(s) (In the following classification, the PUCCH is transmitted to one or a plurality of TRPs. For convenience of description, a target of TRP to which the UE transmits a specific PUCCH is named a target TRP. ¶0395; In the corresponding classification, a target TPR for PUCCH transmission may be explicitly/implicitly indicated. For example, when Separate HARQ-ACK is configured, a target TRP of the PUCCH for HARQ-ACK transmission may correspond to a TRP index of the PDCCH scheduling the corresponding PUCCH. ¶0397).
RE Claim 9, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, wherein sending the beam indication information to the UE comprises:
sending an RRC signaling to the UE, wherein a candidate beam set or a candidate beam combination set is configured in the RRC signaling (Default beam for PUCCH transmission with parameters configured by RRC, MAC-CE, or the like. ¶0390; Plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID, beams. ¶0247), and the at least one target beam belongs to the candidate beam set or the candidate beam combination set (Default beam for the PUCCH indicated by the target TRP designated as one of the beams of CORESETS selected, the selected CORESET have a TRP index which is the same as the target TRP. ¶0397); or sending an MAC-CE signaling to the UE (Default beam for PUCCH transmission with parameters configured by RRC, MAC-CE, or the like. ¶0390), wherein the MAC-CE signaling indicates the beam indication information for activating the target beam for the joint transmission (Joint transmission, NC-JT, is configured in the PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states. TCI state having the lowest index corresponding to the default beam for PUCCH. ¶0409; The TCI state with the lowest TCI state among TCIs activated by a MAC-CE. ¶0410-0411).
RE Claim 11, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, wherein in response to determining that the a number of the target beams is two or more (Joint transmission configured in a PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states, beams, mapped to one codepoint. ¶0409), sending the beam indication information to the UE comprises:
sending first beam indication information for the joint transmission to the UE (Joint transmission, NC-JT, is configured in the PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states. TCI state having the lowest index corresponding to the default beam for PUCCH. ¶0409; The TCI state with the lowest TCI state among TCIs activated by a MAC-CE. ¶0410-0411); or sending second beam indication information corresponding to each of the target beams to the UE separately (Default beam for PUCCH transmission with parameters configured by RRC, MAC-CE, or the like. ¶0390; Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration for the UE. Configuration of a plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID and activation. ¶¶0247-0248; One PUCCH default beam may be configured in a plurality of target TRPs, beams. ¶0399).
RE Claim 13, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, wherein each candidate beam combination includes at least one candidate beam (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH with a resource configuration for the UE. Configuration of a plurality of pucch-spatialRelationInfoID and activation. ¶¶0247-0248; One PUCCH default beam may be configured in a plurality of target TRPs, beams. ¶0399), and wherein the beam indication information is a code point corresponding to a candidate beam combination (Joint transmission configured in a PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states, beams, mapped to one codepoint. ¶0409), and the code point is used to instruct the UE to determine a target beam combination from the candidate beam combination set, wherein the target beam belongs to the target beam combination (Joint transmission, NC-JT, is configured in the PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states. TCI state having the lowest index corresponding to the default beam for PUCCH. ¶0409; The TCI state with the lowest TCI state among TCIs activated by a MAC-CE. ¶0410-0411).
RE Claim 15, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, further comprising:
receiving UCI that is jointly and repeatedly transmitted on the target PUCCH resource with the target beam to the multi-TRPs or multiple panels of the base station (To improve uplink coverage, multi-slot repetitive for PUCCH may be configured in each PUCCH format. ¶0194; UE performs repetitive transmission for the PUCCH including UCI by the number of slots configured by higher layers. ¶0195; Multi-TRP used to improve reliability of uplink signal by repeatedly transmitting a single PUCCH resource, a default or target beam, to the multi-TRP. ¶¶0490; 0510).
RE Claim 16, Ji discloses a method:
The beam indication method, further comprising:
in response to using multiple TRP joint transmission, instructing the UE to activate at least one PUCCH resource set, wherein the beam indication information sent to the UE indicates at least one target beam (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH transmission for resource set provided by higher layer signaling, pucch-ResourceCommon. ¶0247; Multi-PDCCH-based Non Coherent Joint Transmission, NC-JT. ¶0393; Joint transmission, NC-JT, is configured in the PUCCH transmission cell with two TCI states. TCI state having the lowest index corresponding to the default beam for PUCCH. ¶0409; The TCI state with the lowest TCI state among TCIs activated by a MAC-CE. ¶0410-0411);
in response to using a single TRP transmission, instructing the UE to activate one PUCCH resource set, wherein the beam indication information sent to the UE indicates one target beam (Beam configuration applied to PUCCH transmission for resource set provided by higher layer signaling, pucch-ResourceCommon. ¶0247; Default beam configuration for PUCCH transmission to a single TRP. ¶0387, Embodiment 3; PDCCH configured in a PUCCH transmission cell where PUCCH follows PDCCH. CORESET0 configured in PDCCH-Config after RRC. CORESET0 configured for TCI state through RRC or MAC-CE where the beam for the CORESET0 is used as the default beam for PUCCH transmission. ¶0388).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/09/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s first argument is directed to amended Claim 1 which incorporates limitations of dependent Claim 2. “Therefore, Ji does not disclose the process of "determining" beam indication information associated with the target PUCCH resource after the target PUCCH resource is selected based on the PRI. In Ji, beam configuration is independent of dynamic indication by PRI and is preconfigured or activated via higher-layer signaling or MAC CE.” Applicant references ¶0247 and ¶0399 of Ji.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. The limitations, as written, discloses a UE that receives a DCI that includes a PRI that provides resource indication for PUCCH. Next, the UE ‘using at least one PUCCH resource indicated by the PRI’. Examiner interprets this element as the UE uses a PUCCH resource of the PRI but does not necessarily select the resource. A UE may be configured by a base station or a default resource for a PUCCH resource. The limitation, as written, does not disclose a selection of a PUCCH resource nor discloses a dynamic indication of the resource by the PRI.
Ji discloses the following in reference to this limitation. “In the case of HARQ-ACK transmission, a resource set of the PUCCH resource to be transmitted is first selected according to a payload of UCI including the corresponding HARQ-ACK. Subsequently, a PUCCH resource within the PUCCH resource set may be selected through a PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) within DCI scheduling a TB corresponding to the corresponding HARQ-ACK, and the PRI may be a PUCCH resource indicator.”, ¶0208. “Thereafter, the BS may transmit DCI for scheduling downlink data on the PDCCH to the UE (which may be interchangeably used with PDCCH transmission) in operation 1786 and identify an HARQ-ACK payload which should be transmitted according to the above-described method on the basis of the applied option, a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator included in the DCI, and a PRI, so as to determine a PUCCH resource to transmit HARQ-ACK.”, ¶0385. “In the following classification, the PUCCH is transmitted to one or a plurality of TRPs. For convenience of description, a target of TRP to which the UE transmits a specific PUCCH is named a target TRP.”, ¶0395.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
US-20200314818-A1 Jin et al.
US-20230189241-A1 Go et al.
US-20230066850-A1 Shao et al.
US-20240063880-A1 Ling et al.
The above references disclose various aspects of joint transmission methods for PUCCH with multi-TRP base station configuration.
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 PAUL A. LANGER whose telephone number is (703)756-1780. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Eastern.
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/PAUL A. LANGER/Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419