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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/27/2026 was filed with the instant application. The submission 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
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.
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 1-14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al (US 2023/0319845 A1), wherein, “Guo”.in view of Lin et al (US 2021/0250153 A1), hereinafter, “Lin”.
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 18, Guo discloses: A base station (BS) (Guo: fig 3, para [0192], where, the wireless network node 30 may be a BS (base station)), configured to transmit a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) in a wireless communication system (Guo: fig 3, para [0067], where, the base station 30 may transmit PDSCH to the UE 20, fig 2, see para [0192]), the BS comprising: at least one transceiver (Guo: fig 3, para [0192], where, the communication unit 320 may be a transceiver); at least one processor (Guo: fig 3, para [0192], where, unit 300 a processor); and at least one memory operably connected to the at least one processor (Guo: fig 3, para [0192], where, the storage unit 300 may include a flash memory, ROM and RAM coupled to the processor 300), and configured to store instructions (Guo: fig 3, para [0192]-[0193], where, the storage unit 310/ memory is configured to store Program Code 312 or instructions), that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: transmitting (i) first information on search space set groups (SSSGs) (Guo: fig 3, para [0029] and [0192], where, the base station “transmitting, to a wireless terminal, downlink control information, DCI (equivalent to “first information”), on a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, according to a first group of search space sets in a plurality of groups of search space sets based on a type of the first group of search space sets”),
and (ii) second information on minimum applicable scheduling offsets respectively related to the SSSGs through the at least one transceiver (Guo: fig 2 and fig 3, para [0043]-[0044], where, “the minimum applicable value of a scheduling offset between the DCI and a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, scheduled by the DCI, a value of a field indicating the minimum applicable scheduling offset, a bit width of the field indicating the minimum applicable scheduling offset, the number of values configured by a first higher layer parameter”); and transmitting the PDSCH based on the DCI through the at least one transceiver (Guo: fig 2 and fig 3, para [0226], where, “the number of values configured by a first higher layer parameter corresponding to the minimum applicable value of the scheduling offset between the DCI and the PDSCH scheduled by the DCI”), Examiner’s Note: Guo discloses: (1) a method for UE as warranted by the claim 1 (Guo: fig 2, para [0007], where, “a wireless communication method for use in a wireless terminal”); (2) A user equipment (UE) as warranted by the claim 8 (Guo: fig 2, para [0007], where, unit 20 a user equipment UE);
Guo does not explicitly teach: transmitting downlink control information (DCI) in a specific SSSG among the SSSGs through the at least one transceiver, wherein the PDSCH is scheduled based on a minimum applicable scheduling offset related to the specific SSSG.
Lin teaches: transmitting downlink control information (DCI) in a specific SSSG among the SSSGs through the at least one transceiver (Lin: fig 12, para [0205]-[0206], where, the UE uses the default search space group (equivalent to “specific SSSG”) for PDCCH monitoring); and wherein the PDSCH is scheduled based on a minimum applicable scheduling offset related to the specific SSSG (Lin: para [0138]-[0139], where, “the field can be included in a DCI format that schedules a PDSCH reception to the UE or a PUSCH transmission by the UE. In one sub-example, the field is also used for indicating minimum scheduling offsets, i.e., minimum applicable values for K0 or K2”, see further fig 12, para 206, default SSSG).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use “transmitting downlink control information (DCI) in a specific SSSG among the SSSGs through the at least one transceiver, wherein the PDSCH is scheduled based on a minimum applicable scheduling offset related to the specific SSSG” as taught by Lin into Guo in order to achieve maximum number of candidate PDCCH receptions (Lin: para [0007]).
Regarding claims 2 and 9, Guo modified by Lin discloses: wherein the PDSCH is scheduled based on a default minimum applicable scheduling offset of the specific SSSG (Lin: para [0138]-[0139], where, “the field can be included in a DCI format that schedules a PDSCH reception to the UE or a PUSCH transmission by the UE. In one sub-example, the field is also used for indicating minimum scheduling offsets, i.e., minimum applicable values for K0 or K2”, see further fig 12, para 206, default SSSG).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Guo modified by Lin discloses: wherein the SSSGs are independently mapped to the minimum applicable scheduling offsets, respectively (Guo: para [0097]-[0099], where, “the parameters related to minimum applicable scheduling offset indication include at least one of the following: a) the bitwidth of the “minimum applicable scheduling offset indicator” field; b) the higher layer parameters minimumSchedulingOffsetK0 and/or minimumSchedulingOffsetK2”).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Guo modified by Lin discloses: wherein based on the DCI indicating SSSG switching, an application timing of the SSSG switching is determined based on the minimum applicable scheduling offset and an application delay for the SSSG switching (Guo: para [0020]-[0021], where, “an identification of the first group of search space sets is determined based on at least one of search space set group information indicated by a DCI, the type of a switching search space set group”, where, “the control information is associated with an indication of the minimum applicable scheduling offset”).
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Guo modified by Lin discloses: wherein based on the DCI indicating SSSG switching (Guo: para [0020]-[0021], where, “an identification of the first group of search space sets is determined based on at least one of search space set group information indicated by a DCI, the type of a switching search space set group”) and a change in the minimum applicable scheduling offset, the change in the minimum applicable scheduling offset is applied based on a larger value of a first application delay based on the minimum applicable scheduling offset and a second application delay for the SSSG switching (Guo: para [0097]-[0099], where, “the parameters related to minimum applicable scheduling offset indication include at least one of the following: a) the bitwidth of the “minimum applicable scheduling offset indicator” field; b) the higher layer parameters minimumSchedulingOffsetK0 and/or minimumSchedulingOffsetK2”).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, Guo modified by Lin discloses: wherein based on that bits for the minimum applicable scheduling offset included in the DCI have a specific value, the minimum applicable scheduling offset is not applied (Guo: para [0097]-[0099], where, “the parameters related to minimum applicable scheduling offset indication include at least one of the following: a) the bitwidth of the “minimum applicable scheduling offset indicator” field; b) the higher layer parameters minimumSchedulingOffsetK0 and/or minimumSchedulingOffsetK2”).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Guo modified by Lin discloses: wherein the DCI includes third information on the minimum applicable scheduling offset (Guo: para [0101], where, “if the UE supports search space set group switching capability the bitwidth of the search space set group switching field in DCI format 0-1/1-1 and/or DCI format 0-2/1-2 is not equal to 0”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIZAM U AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-9561. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fry, 7:00 AM-6:00 PM PST.
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/NIZAM U AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461