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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments regarding the 103 rejection have been considered and they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, it is well-known that HARQ-ACK and NACK packets are response messages, and data packets transmuted through Internet, especially HARQ-ACK and NACK, normally include the transmitting (source) and receiving (destination) addresses or an UE identifier. Therefore, Li teaches a first response message comprising one of the group identifier or the user equipment identifier in response to transmitting the first message (Li, [0230], if the initial transmission is NACKed. Note, normally, a NACKed message is a response to the first message received, and the NACKed message includes the address of the sender of the first message or the identifier of the UE). Alternatively, Kim also teaches a first response message comprising one of the group identifier or the user equipment identifier in response to transmitting the first message (Kim, [0057][0059-0060], an ACK/NACK signal with respect to uplink data transmitted by the UE is transmitted on the PHICH, a unique UE identifier is included in the response or ACK/NACK). Hence, the combination of Li and Kim teaches a first response message comprising one of the group identifier or the user equipment identifier in response to transmitting the first message.
Regarding claim 13, it is well known that most MAC implementations contain MAC control element (CE). Both Li and Kim teaches MAC implementation (Li, [0005][0036], Kim, [0079-81], figs. 7-9). Therefore, the combination of Li and Kim teaches every limitation in claim 13.
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.
Claims 1-8, 12-13, 15-23, 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li ( US 20210315000 ) in view of Kim (US 20120044821).
Regarding claim 1, Li discloses a method for wireless communication at a first user equipment (UE),comprising:
receiving a control message indicating a group identifier assigned to a group of UEs ([0005], the resource used for transmitting the CG-UCI on the PUSCH may be determined and indicated by a gNB to the UE, through a group-specific RRC configuration message for a UE. Normally, a group-specific message includes a group identifier).
transmitting, during a first uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources, a first message scrambled by the group identifier, wherein the first message comprises a user equipment identifier of the first UE ([0006][0155], fig. 6, a UE may transmit a CG-UCI on a configured grant PUCCH configured through a dedicated configuration. The UE may indicate the UE ID through the CG-UCI signaling with group-specific scrambling); and
receiving a first response message comprising one of the group identifier or the user equipment identifier in response to transmitting the first message ([0230], if the initial transmission is NACKed. Note, normally, a NACKed message is a response to the first message received, and the NACKed message includes the address of the sender of the first message or the identifier of the UE. It is well-known that HARQ-ACK and NACK packets are response messages, and data packets transmuted through Internet, especially HARQ-ACK and NACK, normally include the transmitting (source) and receiving (destination) addresses or UE identifier. An ordinary person of skilled in the art would appreciate that the NACK packets include an UE identifier. See Kim’s teaching below too).
Li only discloses the control message includes group-specific information which normally includes a group identifier, Li does not explicitly disclose a control message indicating a group identifier assigned to a group of UEs that includes the first UE.
Kim discloses a control message indicating a group identifier assigned to a group of UEs that includes the first UE (Kim, [0119], the UE group-specific information may include a group ID, a unique ID of a UE group, and a UE category index).
Kim also discloses receiving a first response message comprising one of the group identifier or the user equipment identifier in response to transmitting the first message (Kim, [0057][0059-0060], an ACK/NACK signal with respect to uplink data transmitted by the UE is transmitted on the PHICH, a unique UE identifier is included in the response or ACK/NACK).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the teachings of exchanging resource information as given by Li with the teachings of identifying group and user ID given by Kim. The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce power consumption and reception complexity (Kim, 0022]).
Claims 16, 29-30 are rejected similarly with claim 1 noting that Li discloses processors and memory in fig. 10.
Regarding claims 2, 17, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via downlink control information, the first response message scrambled by the user equipment identifier in response to transmitting the first message (Li, [0083][0230], the activation downlink control information (DCI), which is carried by the PDCCH scrambled with the CS-RNTI, may indicate the offset, time domain resource allocation, frequency domain resource allocation, UE-specific DMRS configuration, MCS/TBS value, etc.. Kim, [0057-60]).
Regarding claims 3, 18, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message scrambled by the group identifier in response to transmitting the first message (Li, fig. 6, group specific scrambling, [0230], Kim, [0057-60]).
Regarding claims 4, 19, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 3, further comprising:
transmitting a second message that is a retransmission of the first message based at least in part on receiving the first response message via the shared channel, the second message being scrambled by the group identifier and comprising the user equipment identifier of the first UE (Li, [0230], if the initial transmission is NACKed or the UE doesn't receive feedback within a timer, the UE may autonomously select its MCS value for retransmission); and
receiving, via downlink control information, a second response message in response to transmitting the second message (Li, [230], this is an ongoing process, if an NACKed message is received).
Regarding claims 5, 20, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier, a plurality of uplink grants, a backoff indication, or any combination thereof (Li, [00005][0230], Kim, [0057-60]).
Regarding claims 6, 21, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier and a plurality of uplink grants (Li, [00005][0230], Kim, [0057-60]); and
transmitting, during a first resource allocated by a first grant of the plurality of uplink grants selected based at least in part on the user equipment identifier and a quantity of the plurality of uplink grants, a second message that is a retransmission of the first message, the second message scrambled by the group identifier and comprising the user equipment identifier of the first UE (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, Kim, [0057-60]).
Regarding claims 7, 22, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier and a plurality of uplink grants (Li, [00005][0230], Kim, [0057-60]); and
transmitting, during a first resource allocated by a randomly selected grant of the plurality of uplink grants, a second message that is a retransmission of the first message, the second message scrambled by the group identifier and comprising the user equipment identifier of the first UE (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, Kim, [0057-60]).
Regarding claims 8, 23, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier (Li, [00005][0230], Kim, [0057-60]); and
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources, a second message that is a retransmission of the first message, the second message scrambled by the group identifier and comprising the user equipment identifier of the first UE (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, Kim, [0057-60]).
Regarding claims 12, 27, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving the control message indicating a search space comprising a plurality of control channel candidates; monitoring the search space for the first response message; and receiving the first response message in a first control channel candidate of the plurality of control channel candidates based at least in part on the monitoring (Li, [0128][0189][0230], the resource used to transmit the CG-UCI may be signaled by DCI at the common search space scrambled by INACTIVEGROUP-RNTI to a group of UEs in the RRC-Inactive state. Kim, [0057-60][0070-72], the UE monitors a plurality of PDCCHs at every subframe).
Regarding claims 13, 28, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first message comprises: transmitting, in a medium access control (MAC) control element, the user equipment identifier, wherein the first UE is in a connected state or an inactive state (Li, [0005], Kim, [0079-81], figs. 7-9. Note: it is well known that quite a number of MAC implementations contain MAC control element (CE). An ordinary person of skilled in the art would appreciate that the MAC implementation taught by Li or Kim can include control element which carries packets with an identifier of the UE as in most of the case in Internet).
Regarding claim 15, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the group identifier corresponds to a group-radio network temporary identifier (Li, [0154], group specific RNTI) and the user equipment identifier corresponds to a cell-radio network temporary identifier (Kim, [0060], for a particular UE, a unique identifier of the UE, e.g., a C-RNTI (Cell-RNTI), may be masked on the CRC).
Claims 9-11, 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kim further in view of Yang (US 20180020485).
Regarding claims 9, 24, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, Kim, [0057-60]),
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, [0006][0155], fig. 6, a UE may transmit a CG-UCI on a configured grant PUCCH configured through a dedicated configuration. The UE may indicate the UE ID through the CG-UCI signaling with group-specific scrambling; Kim, [0057-60])).
Li and Kim do not explicitly disclose the response message includes a backoff indication, wherein the backoff indication indicates a first set of one or more uplink transmission resources of the plurality of uplink transmission resources to refrain from transmitting,
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources in accordance with the backoff indication, the second message.
Yang discloses the response message includes a backoff indication, wherein the backoff indication indicates a first set of one or more uplink transmission resources of the plurality of uplink transmission resources to refrain from transmitting (Yang, [0420], the second information sent by the base station may be response information or backoff window adjustment indication information. The response information includes ACK information and/or NACK information),
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources in accordance with the backoff indication, the second message (Yang, [0251], in uplink transmission, UE obtains first information that is used to instruct to adjust a backoff window on a first channel, and adjusts a backoff window of the UE on the first channel according to the first information).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the teachings of exchanging resource information as given by Li with the teachings of backoff given by Yang. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a backoff window adjustment method, and an apparatus, so that when resource collision occurs, the system can flexibly adjust its backoff window and fairly use a wireless resource (Yang, [0007]).
Regarding claims 10, 25, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, Kim, [0057-60]),
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, [0006][0155], fig. 6, a UE may transmit a CG-UCI on a configured grant PUCCH configured through a dedicated configuration. The UE may indicate the UE ID through the CG-UCI signaling with group-specific scrambling; Kim, [0057-60])).
Li and Kim do not explicitly disclose the response message includes a backoff indication, wherein the backoff indication comprises a codepoint to a table of backoff intervals;
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources corresponding to a backoff interval from the table associated with the codepoint, a second message.
Yang discloses the response message includes a backoff indication, wherein the backoff indication comprises a codepoint to a table of backoff intervals (Yang, [0353], the base station may increase backoff windows that are of the base station on the first channel and are used to schedule UE in the PMI indication directions; for some PMI indication directions, the base station may decrease backoff windows that are of the base station on the first channel and are used to schedule UE in the PMI indication directions);
transmitting, during a second uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources corresponding to a backoff interval from the table associated with the codepoint, a second message (Yang, [0251], in uplink transmission, UE obtains first information that is used to instruct to adjust a backoff window on a first channel, and adjusts a backoff window of the UE on the first channel according to the first information).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the teachings of exchanging resource information as given by Li with the teachings of backoff given by Yang. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a backoff window adjustment method, and an apparatus, so that when resource collision occurs, the system can flexibly adjust its backoff window and fairly use a wireless resource (Yang, [0007]).
Regarding claims 11, 26, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first response message comprises: receiving, via a shared channel, the first response message comprising the group identifier, a plurality of uplink grants (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, [0006][0155], fig. 6, a UE may transmit a CG-UCI on a configured grant PUCCH configured through a dedicated configuration. The UE may indicate the UE ID through the CG-UCI signaling with group-specific scrambling; Kim, [0057-60])),
transmitting, during a resource allocated by a first uplink grant or in accordance with the backoff indication indicating to refrain from transmitting in at least one uplink transmission resource of the plurality of uplink transmission resources, a second message that is a retransmission of the first message, the second message scrambled by the group identifier and comprising the user equipment identifier of the first UE (Li, [0005][0230], fig. 6, Kim, [0057-60]).
Li and Kim do not explicitly disclose the response message includes a backoff indication.
Yang discloses the response message includes a backoff indication (Yang, [0420], the second information sent by the base station may be response information or backoff window adjustment indication information. The response information includes ACK information and/or NACK information).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the teachings of exchanging resource information as given by Li with the teachings of backoff given by Yang. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a backoff window adjustment method, and an apparatus, so that when resource collision occurs, the system can flexibly adjust its backoff window and fairly use a wireless resource (Yang, [0007]).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kim further in view of Ellenbeck (EP 3541008).
Regarding claim 14, Li and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first message comprises: transmitting, in a medium access control (MAC) control element, the first message (Li, [0005], Kim, [0079-81], figs. 7-9).
Li and Kim do not explicitly disclose wherein the user equipment identifier of the first UE is derived based at least in part on a hash of a longer device identifier, and wherein the first UE is in an idle state.
Ellenbeck discloses wherein the user equipment identifier of the first UE is derived based at least in part on a hash of a longer device identifier, and wherein the first UE is in an idle state (Ellenbeck, [0026], the original user IDs that are obtained with a much longer hash function (e.g. 256 instead of 32 bits) so that the IDs are effectively unique but still do not reveal the actual user ids).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the teachings of exchanging resource information as given by Li with the teachings of hashing given by Ellenbeck. The motivation for doing so would have been to protect the users actual IDs (Ellenbeck, [0026]).
Conclusion
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 ZHENSHENG ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1985. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00am-6:00pm.
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/ZHENSHENG ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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