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 Objections
Claims 11, 23, and 30 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11, in line 3, replace “a terminal type” with --a type of a terminal--.
Claim 23, in line 6, replace “the terminal type” with --the type of the terminal--.
Claim 30, in line 2, replace “the processor” with --the second processor--.
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.
Claims 1, 6, 13, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al (US 2024/0155580 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a communication method, performed by a terminal, comprising:
receiving at least two groups of configurations sent by a base station (Fig. 4, network side device transmits configuration information); wherein each of the at least two groups of configurations comprise carrier information or bandwidth part (BWP) information representing a carrier or a BWP configured by a network side for a specific terminal for a communication, a specific slice, or a specific service (Fig. 3 and 166th paragraph, the network side device configures different separate initial BWPs for UEs with different capability characteristics. The network configures BWP #0-1 for RedCap UEs and configures BWP #0-2 for non-RedCap UEs/common terminals, where BWP #0-1 and BWP #0-2 do not fully overlap for frequency domain resources).
Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses that wherein each of the at least two groups of configurations comprise at least one of: a frequency of the carrier; a frequency of the BWP (Fig. 3); or a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB)-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period.
Regarding claim 13, Wang discloses a communication method, performed by a base station, comprising:
sending at least two groups of configurations (Fig. 4, network side device transmits configuration information); wherein each of the at least two groups of configurations comprise carrier information or bandwidth part (BWP) information representing a carrier or a BWP configured by a network side for a specific terminal for a communication, a specific slice, or a specific service (Fig. 3 and 166th paragraph, the network side device configures different separate initial BWPs for UEs with different capability characteristics. The network configures BWP #0-1 for RedCap UEs and configures BWP #0-2 for non-RedCap UEs/common terminals, where BWP #0-1 and BWP #0-2 do not fully overlap for frequency domain resources).
Regarding claim 30, Wang discloses a base station (268th paragraph and Fig. 8), comprising: a second processor (Fig. 8, processor 801) and a second memory for storing a computer program (Fig. 8, memory 802) executable by the processor; wherein the second processor is configured to perform the steps of the method of claim 13 when running the computer programs (see claim 13 rejections).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 7 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Kuang et al (US Patent No. 12,520,203 B2).
Regarding claims 7 and 19, Wang discloses BWP configurations for reduced capability UEs and legacy UEs (Fig. 3). Wang does not disclose receiving second information sent by the base station; wherein the second information is used to instruct the terminal to use at least one of: a first access priority parameter, or a second access priority parameter. Kuang discloses that the DU of the network device can properly allocate an access priority of the reduced capability terminal device (col. 19, lines 37-38. Herein, the access priority is set to low priority). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to allocate an access priority to a type of a terminal device in Wang’s system, as suggested by Kuang, to optimize network performance of reduced capability terminal device.
Claims 11 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Hoglund al (US 2024/0389152 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Wang discloses BWP configurations for reduced capability UEs and legacy UEs (Fig. 3). Wang does not disclose sending third information to the base station; wherein the third information is used to instruct a terminal type, and the third information is carried in a MSG 1, a MSG 3 or a MSG A to be sent. Hoglund discloses that RedCap UEs (reduced capability UEs) may need to include a RedCap indication in MSG 3 (92nd paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include RedCap indication in MSG 3 in Wang’s system, as suggested by Hoglund to prioritize responses among UEs.
Regarding claim 23, Wang discloses configuring different groups of random access resources for different types of terminals (Fig. 3). Wang does not disclose determining a terminal type of a terminal based on a preamble of a MSG 1 or a MSG A sent by the terminal or random-access (RACH) Occasion (RO) resources, and/or based on third information carried in the MSG 1, a MSG 3, or the MSG A sent by the terminal; and the third information is used to instruct the terminal type. Hoglund discloses that RedCap UEs (reduced capability UEs) may need to include a RedCap indication in MSG 3 (92nd paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include RedCap indication in MSG 3 in Wang’s system, as suggested by Hoglund to prioritize responses among UEs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 8-10, 12, and 14-17 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.
Conclusion
Chatterjee et al (US 2024/0196413 A1), same field of endeavor, discloses BWP operations for RedCap UEs (Fig. 6).
Mozaffari et al (US 2024/0155613 A1), same field of endeavor, discloses PUCCH configurations for reduced capability UEs (Figs. 5-11).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH VU H LY whose telephone number is (571)272-3175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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ANH VU H. LY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472