DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to claims filed on 29 January 2024.
Claims 1-30 are pending for examination.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 29 January 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3-8, 12, 14-19, 23-25, and 27-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2022/0022233, hereinafter Lee) in view of Sun et al. (US 2020/0045700).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication (Fig. 1 and ¶ 67 disclose a communication system including wireless devices disclosed as examples understood as user equipment (UE); ¶¶ 528-529 disclose that the disclosed embodiments may be used together), comprising:
a memory (Fig. 2 and ¶¶ 71-72 disclose the wireless device as including memory); and
one or more processors, coupled to the memory (Id. disclosing the wireless device as including a processor controlling the memory — thus, they are disclosed as coupled, wherein the processor is configured to implement the description, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and/or operational flowcharts disclosed throughout Lee), configured to:
receive an indication to indicate a transmission reception point (TRP) mode configuration for one or more subsequent communications (Fig. 17 and ¶¶ 439-441 disclose a UE receiving mode information from a base station (BS), including a multi-TRP-based ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) mode and a multi-TRP enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) mode through RRC signaling or higher layer signaling before or after receiving DCI); and
receive the DCI message (Fig. 17 and ¶¶ Fig. 17 and ¶¶ 436-437 disclose the UE receiving DCI from the BS).
Lee may not explicitly disclose:
wherein the indication is of a number of bits to be used in a downlink control information (DCI) message, the bits configured to indicate the transmission reception point (TRP) mode configuration for one or more subsequent communications, and
wherein the DCI has the number of bits to indicate the TRP mode configuration for the subsequent communications.
However, in analogous art, Sun discloses:
wherein an indication is of a number of bits to be used in a downlink control information (DCI) message, the bits configured to indicate the transmission reception point (TRP) mode configuration for one or more subsequent communications (Fig. 9 and ¶ 128 disclose a UE receiving configuration information causing the UE to operate in a transmission/reception mode, including a single TRP mode and a multi-TRP mode; ¶ 133 discloses that a DCI format, of DCI received by a UE from a BS, causing the UE to determine to operate in a multi-TRP mode; and ¶ 138 discloses a DCI format or size of the DCI as based on the DCI including separate TCI fields or a single TCI field for each TRP — together, disclosing a UE receiving an indication of a DCI format, including the DCI’s size (i.e., number of bits), and determining to operate in an associated TRP mode; ¶ 129 discloses the UE configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode), and
wherein DCI has the number of bits to indicate the TRP mode configuration for the subsequent communications (¶ 138 discloses a DCI format or size of the DCI as based on the DCI including separate TCI fields or a single TCI field for each TRP).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun to modify Lee in order to have a base station indicate a DCI format, including DCI size, to a UE that determines a TRP mode based on the DCI size/format, and configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode for subsequent transmissions as disclosed in Lee, Fig. 17 and ¶ 444. One would have been motivated to do this, because by using the number of bits of a DCI to indicate information, a base station may minimize the bit information in the DCI (bit saving) (Sun ¶¶ 468 and 479), which appears to improve the efficiency of a wireless communication system since less bits would be needed to convey control information.
Regarding Claim 3, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 1.
Lee may not explicitly disclose wherein the DCI message has a configurable payload size.
However, in analogous art, Sun discloses wherein the DCI message has a configurable payload size (¶ 137 discloses, for multi-TRP mode, DCI including TCI fields indicating a TCI state of each TRP; and ¶ 138 discloses a DCI format or size of the DCI as based on the DCI including separate TCI fields or a single TCI field for each TRP).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun to modify Lee in order to use a DCI format that can accommodate TRP configuration as needed. One would have been motivated to do this, because such flexibility enables the UE to be configured for an entire set of configurations (such as physical downlink shared channel configuration) for each TRP, thereby making configuration more efficient (Sun ¶ 137).
Regarding Claim 4, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 1.
Lee discloses wherein the one or more processors, to receive the indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message, are configured to:
receive the indication via radio resource control (RRC) signaling (Fig. 17 and ¶¶ 439-441 disclose a UE receiving mode information from a base station (BS), including a multi-TRP-based ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) mode and a multi-TRP enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) mode through RRC signaling before or after receiving DCI).
Lee may not explicitly disclose wherein the indication is of the number of bits.
However, in analogous art, Sun discloses wherein the indication is of the number of bits (Fig. 9 and ¶ 128 disclose a UE receiving configuration information causing the UE to operate in a transmission/reception mode, including a single TRP mode and a multi-TRP mode; ¶ 133 discloses that a DCI format, of DCI received by a UE from a BS, causing the UE to determine to operate in a multi-TRP mode; and ¶ 138 discloses a DCI format or size of the DCI as based on the DCI including separate TCI fields or a single TCI field for each TRP — together, disclosing a UE receiving an indication of a DCI format, including the DCI’s size (i.e., number of bits), and determining to operate in an associated TRP mode; ¶ 129 discloses the UE configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun to modify Lee in order to have a base station indicate a DCI format, including DCI size, to a UE that determines a TRP mode based on the DCI size/format, and configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode for subsequent transmissions as disclosed in Lee, Fig. 17 and ¶ 444. One would have been motivated to do this, because by using the number of bits of a DCI to indicate information, a base station may minimize the bit information in the DCI (bit saving) (Sun ¶¶ 468 and 479), which appears to improve the efficiency of a wireless communication system since less bits would be needed to convey control information.
Regarding Claim 5, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 4.
Lee may not explicitly disclose wherein the indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message is based at least in part on a DCI type of the DCI message.
However, in analogous art, Sun discloses wherein the indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message is based at least in part on a DCI type of the DCI message (¶ 133 discloses that a DCI format, of DCI received by a UE from a BS, causing the UE to determine to operate in a multi-TRP mode; and ¶ 138 discloses a DCI format or size of the DCI as based on the DCI including separate TCI fields or a single TCI field for each TRP in multi-TRP mode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun to modify Lee in order to have a base station indicate a DCI format, including DCI size, to a UE that determines a TRP mode based on the DCI size/format, and configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode for subsequent transmissions as disclosed in Lee, Fig. 17 and ¶ 444. One would have been motivated to do this, because by using the number of bits of a DCI to indicate information, a base station may minimize the bit information in the DCI (bit saving) (Sun ¶¶ 468 and 479), which appears to improve the efficiency of a wireless communication system since less bits would be needed to convey control information.
Regarding Claim 6, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 1.
Lee discloses wherein the indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message applies to DCI messages received within a time window after receiving the indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message (¶ 439 discloses the mode information as related to a first mode in which a plurality of data based on the same information is transmitted — thus, at least implying that the TRP mode is applied for the period in which the data to be transmitted, for which DCI was transmitted, is transmitted), or
wherein the indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message applies to DCI messages until a reception of a subsequent indication of the number of bits to be used in the DCI message (¶ 255 discloses PDSCH configuration, which includes indicating the TRP mode, as semi-persistent (SPS) from higher layer signaling (i.e., RRC)).
Regarding Claim 7, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 6,
Lee discloses wherein, after the time window, the number of bits to be used in subsequent DCI messages is a previously configured number of bits (¶ 255 discloses PDSCH configuration, which includes indicating the TRP mode, as semi-persistent (SPS) from higher layer signaling (i.e., RRC)).
Lee may not explicitly disclose, alternatively, wherein, after the time window, the number of bits to be used in subsequent DCI messages is a default number of bits.
However, in analogous art, Sun discloses wherein, after the time window, the number of bits to be used in subsequent DCI messages is a default number of bits (¶ 98 discloses multi-TRP as the default mode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun to modify Lee in order to have a base station indicate a DCI format, including DCI size, to a UE that determines a TRP mode based on the DCI size/format, and configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode for subsequent transmissions as disclosed in Lee, Fig. 17 and ¶ 444, therein multi-TRP mode is the default mode. One would have been motivated to do this, because by using the number of bits of a DCI to indicate information, a base station may minimize the bit information in the DCI (bit saving) (Sun ¶¶ 468 and 479), and provide a faster way to switch in a bandwidth part relative to using an RRC-based switch (Sun ¶ 98), which appears to improve the efficiency of a wireless communication system since less bits would be needed to convey control information.
Regarding Claim 8, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 1.
Lee may not explicitly disclose wherein the number of bits is zero and the TRP mode configuration is a default TRP mode configuration, or
wherein the number of bits is zero and the TRP mode configuration is a previously configured TRP mode configuration.
However, in analogous art, Sun discloses wherein the number of bits is zero and the TRP mode configuration is a default TRP mode configuration (¶ 98 discloses multi-TRP as the default mode, and that only single-TRP mode needs to be specifically configured), or
wherein the number of bits is zero and the TRP mode configuration is a previously configured TRP mode configuration (Id.; and ¶ 255 discloses wherein configuration is semi-persistent — thus, a previously-configured TRP mode need not be specifically configured for the following data to be transmitted).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun to modify Lee in order to have a base station indicate a DCI format, including DCI size, to a UE that determines a TRP mode based on the DCI size/format, and configuring itself to operate in the determined TRP mode for subsequent transmissions as disclosed in Lee, Fig. 17 and ¶ 444, therein multi-TRP mode is the default mode. One would have been motivated to do this, because by using the number of bits of a DCI to indicate information, a base station may minimize the bit information in the DCI (bit saving) (Sun ¶¶ 468 and 479), and provide a faster way to switch in a bandwidth part relative to using an RRC-based switch (Sun ¶ 98), which appears to improve the efficiency of a wireless communication system since less bits would be needed to convey control information.
Regarding Claims 12, 14-19, 23-25, and 27-29, though of varying scope, the limitations of claims 12, 14-19, 23-25, and 27-29 are substantially similar or identical to those of claims 1 and 3-8, and are rejected under the same reasoning. Additionally, Lee discloses a base station comprising memory coupled to a processor configured to perform the embodiments described throughout the disclosure at Fig. 2 and ¶ 73.
Claims 2 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee-Sun as applied to claims 1 and 12 above, and further in view of Sun et al. (US 2024/0023086, hereinafter Sun').
Regarding Claim 2, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 1.
Lee-Sun may not explicitly disclose wherein the DCI message indicates a selection of one of:
a single-TRP mode associated with a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set,
a single-TRP mode associated with a second SRS resource set,
a multi-TRP mode having the first SRS resource set and the second SRS resource set, with the first SRS resource set prioritized over the second SRS resource set, or
a multi-TRP mode having the first SRS resource set and the second SRS resource set, with the second SRS resource set prioritized over the first SRS resource set.
However, in analogous art, Sun’ discloses wherein the DCI message indicates a selection of one of:
a single-TRP mode associated with a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set (¶ 122-124 disclose DCI indicating “00” as an SRS resource set selection parameter associating single-TRP (s-TRP) mode with a 1st SRS resources set (TRP1)),
a single-TRP mode associated with a second SRS resource set (¶ 125 discloses DCI indicating “01” as an SRS resource set selection parameter associating single-TRP (s-TRP) mode with a 2nd SRS resources set (TRP2)),
a multi-TRP mode having the first SRS resource set and the second SRS resource set, with the first SRS resource set prioritized over the second SRS resource set (¶¶ 126-127 disclose DCI indicating “10” an SRS resource set selection parameter associating multi-TRP (m-TRP) mode with TRP1 and TRP2, wherein TRP1 is indicated as being transmitted first according to an order of mapping a 1st field to TRP1 and a 2nd field to TRP2), or
a multi-TRP mode having the first SRS resource set and the second SRS resource set, with the second SRS resource set prioritized over the first SRS resource set (¶¶ 128-129 disclose DCI indicating “11” an SRS resource set selection parameter associating multi-TRP (m-TRP) mode with TRP1 and TRP2, wherein TRP1 is indicated as being transmitted first according to an order of mapping a 1st field to TRP2 and a 2nd field to TRP1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun' to modify Lee-Sun in order to indicate associated (a) SRS resource set(s) a TRP mode in DCI. One would have been motivated to do this, because such an indication enables a UE to implement dynamic switching of s-TRP and m-TRP PUSCH (Sun’ ¶ 122).
Regarding Claim 13, though of a different scope, the limitations of claim 13 are substantially similar or identical to those of claim 2, and is rejected under the same reasoning.
Claims 9, 11, 20, 22, 26, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee-Sun as applied to claims 1, 12, 23, and 27 above, and further in view of Sun et al. (US 2024/0073707, hereinafter Sun").
Regarding 9, Lee-Sun disclose the UE of claim 1.
Lee-Sun may not explicitly disclose wherein the number of bits is one and the DCI message indicates the TRP mode configuration from a subset of candidate TRP mode configurations.
However, in analogous art, Sun” discloses wherein the number of bits is one and the DCI message indicates the TRP mode configuration from a subset of candidate TRP mode configurations (Fig. 3 and ¶ 45 disclose a MAC CE switch indicator as a binary bit indicating a single-TRP mode or a multi-TRP mode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun" to modify Lee-Sun in order to indicate a switch between TRP modes with a single, binary bit. One would have been motivated to do this, because use of a single bit for this indication may help the implementation of a beam failure recovery enhancement for a single downlink control information mode (Sun” ¶ 2).
Regarding Claim 11, Lee-Sun-Sun” disclose the UE of claim 9, wherein the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations comprises:
candidate TRP mode configurations associated with a single-TRP mode (Fig. 3 and ¶ 45 disclose a MAC CE switch indicator as a binary bit indicating a single-TRP mode or a multi-TRP mode), or
candidate TRP mode configurations associated with a multi-TRP mode (Id.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun" to modify Lee-Sun in order to indicate a switch between TRP modes with a single, binary bit. One would have been motivated to do this, because use of a single bit for this indication may help the implementation of a beam failure recovery enhancement for a single downlink control information mode (Sun” ¶ 2).
Regarding Claims 20, 22, 26, and 30, though of varying scope, the limitations of claims 20, 22, 26, and 30 are substantially similar or identical to those of claims 9 and 11, and are rejected under the same reasoning.
Claims 10 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee-Sun-Sun" as applied to claims 9 and 20 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (US 2024/0080148, hereinafter Wang).
Regarding Claim 10, Lee-Sun-Sun” disclose the UE of claim 9.
Lee-Sun may not explicitly disclose wherein the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations is based at least in part on one or more of:
a communication protocol that identifies the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations from a set of candidate TRP mode configurations, or
an indication of the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations from the set of candidate TRP mode configurations.
However, in analogous art, Sun” discloses wherein the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations is based at least in part on one or more of:
an indication of the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations from the set of candidate TRP mode configurations (Fig. 3 and ¶ 45 disclose a MAC CE switch indicator as a binary bit indicating a single-TRP mode or a multi-TRP mode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Sun" to modify Lee-Sun in order to indicate a switch between TRP modes with a single, binary bit. One would have been motivated to do this, because use of a single bit for this indication may help the implementation of a beam failure recovery enhancement for a single downlink control information mode (Sun” ¶ 2).
Lee-Sun-Sun” may not explicitly disclose wherein the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations is based at least in part on one or more of:
a communication protocol that identifies the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations from a set of candidate TRP mode configurations.
However, in analogous art, Wang discloses wherein the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations is based at least in part on one or more of:
a communication protocol that identifies the subset of candidate TRP mode configurations from a set of candidate TRP mode configurations (¶¶ 49-54 discloses that in an existing protocol multi-TRP is specifically defined in terms of channel state information (CSI) report configuration).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Wang to modify Lee-Sun-Sun" in order to require use of multi-TRP for a protocol out of possible TRP modes, including single TRP and multi-TRP. One would have been motivated to do this, because protocols, such as that disclosed in Wang, represent agreements and standardizations used in industry to enable wireless communication (Wang ¶¶ 31, 55).
Regarding Claim 21, though of a different scope, the limitations of claim 21 are substantially similar or identical to those of claim 10, and is rejected under the same reasoning.
Conclusion
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of the action.
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/Thomas R Cairns/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2468