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 Applicant’s amendment filed on 01/28/2026.
Claims 4-8 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 4, 6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kittichokechai et al. (US 2023/0171778 A1; hereafter KITT).
With respect to claim 4, KITT discloses a terminal apparatus (412-4, 412-2, 412-1 of FIG. 4; 412 of FIG. 5) comprising:
a receiver (2500, 2510 in FIG. 25) configured to receive a radio resource control (RRC) message including a higher layer parameter (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value); and
a transmitter (2500, 2508 in FIG. 25) configured to transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) (1604 of FIG. 16; 502 in FIG. 5),
wherein a transmission of the PUCCH is repeated (PUCCH Rep#1, PUCCH Rep#2 in FIG. 9; PUCCH Rep#1, PUCCH Rep#2 in FIG. 10),
a length of a time domain window is configured by the higher layer parameter (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value),
a start position of the time domain window is a first slot for the transmission of the PUCCH being repeated (paragraphs [0132] and [0135]),
a hopping interval is a same length as the time domain window (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value), and
a physical resource block (PRB) related to repetition of the transmission of the PUCCH is switched between a first PRB and a second PRB in every one of the hopping interval (paragraph [0141], see the first PRB and second PRB for even and odd numbered sub-slots).
With respect to claim 6, KITT discloses a base station apparatus (402-1, 402-2 in FIG. 4; 402 in FIG. 5) comprising:
a transmitter (2212 in FIG. 22) configured to transmit a radio resource control (RRC) message including a higher layer parameter (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value); and
a receiver (2214 in FIG. 22) configured to receive a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) (1604 of FIG. 16; 502 in FIG. 5), wherein
a transmission of the PUCCH is repeated (PUCCH Rep#1, PUCCH Rep#2 in FIG. 9; PUCCH Rep#1, PUCCH Rep#2 in FIG. 10),
a length of a time domain window is configured by the higher layer parameter (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value),
a start position of the time domain window is a first slot for the transmission of the PUCCH being repeated (paragraphs [0132] and [0135]),
a hopping interval is a same length as the time domain window (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value), and
a physical resource block (PRB) related to repetition of the transmission of the PUCCH is switched between a first PRB and a second PRB in every one of the hopping interval (paragraph [0141], see the first PRB and second PRB for even and odd numbered sub-slots).
With respect to claim 8, KITT discloses a communication method (Abstract, Title) used in a terminal apparatus (412-4, 412-2, 412-1 of FIG. 4; 412 of FIG. 5), the communication method comprising:
receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message including a higher layer parameter (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value); and
transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) (1604 of FIG. 16; 502 in FIG. 5), wherein
a transmission of the PUCCH is repeated (PUCCH Rep#1, PUCCH Rep#2 in FIG. 9; PUCCH Rep#1, PUCCH Rep#2 in FIG. 10),
a length of a time domain window is configured by the higher layer parameter (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value),
a start position of the time domain window is a first slot for the transmission of the PUCCH being repeated (paragraphs [0132] and [0135]),
a hopping interval is a same length as the time domain window (1600, 1602 in FIG. 16; 500 in FIG. 5; paragraphs [0118] and [0121] and [0122]; see the RRC parameter ‘nrofSubslots value), and
a physical resource block (PRB) related to repetition of the transmission of the PUCCH is switched between a first PRB and a second PRB in every one of the hopping interval (paragraph [0141], see the first PRB and second PRB for even and odd numbered sub-slots).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KITT in view of LIN et al. (US 2025/0279872 A1; hereafter LIN).
With respect to claim 5, KITT does not disclose the terminal apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the terminal apparatus maintains phase continuity and power consistency within the time domain window.
LIN discloses wherein the terminal apparatus maintains phase continuity and power consistency within the time domain window (708 in FIG. 7; paragraphs [0255], [0256], [0257], [0258], [0259], [0260], [0277] and [0306]).
LIN teaches the benefit of improved data reception performance by using coherent transmissions (paragraph [0029] and [0030]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use coherent setting as taught by LIN with the apparatuses of KITT to produce an expected result.
With respect to claim 7, KITT does not disclose the base station apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein the receiver is configured to receive the PUCCH with an expectation that phase continuity and power consistency are maintained within the time domain window.
LIN discloses wherein the receiver is configured to receive the PUCCH with an expectation that phase continuity and power consistency are maintained within the time domain window (708 in FIG. 7; paragraphs [0255], [0256], [0257], [0258], [0259], [0260], [0277] and [0306]).
LIN teaches the benefit of improved data reception performance by using coherent transmissions (paragraph [0029] and [0030]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use coherent setting as taught by LIN with the apparatuses of KITT to produce an expected result.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 01/28/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 4, 6, and 8 under Taherzadeh Boroujeni et al. have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Kittichokechai et al..
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian T O'Connor whose telephone number is (571)270-1081. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri Flex 10am-6:30pm.
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, Gary Mui can be reached at 571-270-1420. 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.
/BRIAN T O CONNOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465 May 23, 2026
Prosecution Insights