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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 14-18 and 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/11/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. That is, claim 6 requires “SRI fields in the multiple DCIs separately indicate one spatial relation” but claim 4 requires “the first configured grant is activated at least twice…a channel sounding reference signal resource indicator (SRI) field in the DCI indicates the at least two spatial relations”. In the case that the DCI is activated twice, this requires two DCIs each indicating only a single spatial relation, which is at odds with the requirements of claim 4, which requires the SRI field indicate multiple spatial relations. (Furthermore in the case the DCI is activated more than twice, Applicant’s specification does not appear to support combined multiple and single SRI activations combined together). For the purpose of advancing prosecution, claim 6 will be treated as depending from claim 2, which does not require the contradictory requirements.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. As discussed with respect to the 112(b) description, supra, the claim 6 is contradictory with the requirements of claim 4. Since the requirements are impossible, they are also not described in the specification.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. As discussed with respect to the 112(b) description, supra, the claim 6 is contradictory with the requirements of claim 4. Since the requirements are impossible, the specification cannot enable them.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, 8, 12, 13, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ling, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0309022 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ling discloses a method for repetition with configured grant, performed by a terminal, wherein the method for repetition with configured grant comprises:
obtaining a first configured grant configured by a network side, wherein the first configured grant is configured with at least two sets of first information; and (The system of Ling discloses a single configured grant is associated with multiple repetitions of either type 1 or type 2 [paragraphs 0043-0047; 0131-0136 – type 1; 0141-0142 – type 2]. The original and repetitions of the configured grant may be configured with different settings via RRC [i.e. two sets of first information] [paragraph 0046] among the settings are one or more mapping patterns [paragraphs 0120, 0129, 0131] that indicate beams associated with different TRPs [paragraphs 0037, 0043 0117] and different power control information configured by RRC [paragraphs 0113, 0116, 0117, 0121, 0122, 0125].)
performing repetition of a transport block based on the at least two sets of first information (The UE performs repetition based on the different antennas and associated parameters [paragraph 0043 – see (a), supra.].)
Regarding claim 2, Ling discloses the at least two sets of first information comprise one or more of the following: at least two spatial relations at least two sets of power control parameters; or at least two redundancy version (RV) sequences. (The UE is provided with spatial settings by spatial relation info [paragraph 0069-0070- parameter sets include indication of spatial relationship information of multiple channels, noting also that the other setting determined for the UE if not provided by the spatial relations info indicated in the DCI also comprise spatial settings; paragraph 0126- multiple SRS resource indicators including beam mapping patterns included] multiple sets of power control information [paragraph 0049 – UE is configured with parameter sets for power control] and further the configured information includes power control parameters including repetitions/repK-RV [paragraph 0069].)
Regarding claim 3, Ling discloses the first configured grant is a type 1 configured grant, and the at least two spatial relations of the first configured grant are configured via radio resource control (RRC) by a network side. (BeamMappingPattern, which links the beams with various spatial relations associated with the beams, is configured via RRC [paragraphs 0129-0134]. Note also claim 1 (type 1 configured grant with multiple sets of information) and claim 2 (discussing linking of sets of information to multiple spatial relations/beam mapping patterns configured for different beams with respect to paragraph 0126].)
Regarding claim 7, Ling discloses the first configured grant is a type 1 configured grant, and the power control parameter comprises a pathloss reference signal index. (Ling discloses a CG for a type 1 configured grant is associated with multiple SRS resources indication which also include separate pathloss reference signal IDs [paragraphs 0114-0117].)
Regarding claim 8, Ling discloses the first configured grant is a type 2 configured grant, and the power control parameter comprises one or more of the following an open-loop power control parameter or a closed-loop power control parameter wherein an SRI field in DCI used to activate the first configured grant at least indicates two sets of pathloss reference signal parameters. (Ling discloses type 2 CG configuration [paragraphs 0141] where the configured power parameters are for closed loop power control [paragraphs 0148] and where the SRI field may indicate two sets of pathloss reference signal parameters [paragraphs 0144 – SRI field contains multiple SRI power control parameters or a single SRI associated with multiple power control parameters; paragraph 0150 - the power control parameters include a pathloss reference ID).
Regarding claim 12, Ling discloses the at least two sets of power control parameters are in one-to-one correspondence with the at least two spatial relations (paragraphs 0156, 0125, 0128, 0137, 0149 – the path loss parameters are associated with a path loss reference index that links to only a single SRS resource/SRI and spatial relation/beam via sequential mapping of the beam mapping pattern).
Regarding claim 13, Ling discloses a mapping between the at least two sets of power control parameters and time of repetition with the first configured grant is the same as a mapping between the at least two spatial relations and the time of repetition with the first configured grant (paragraphs 0156, 0125, 0128, 0137, 0149 – the sets power control parameters and two spatial relations are both mapped for transmission at the same time in the repetition of the transmission in the configured grant as the power control parameters are intended to apply to the respective spatial relations as they define power control for the various beams/panels/spatial relations in transmission to the TRP.)
Regarding claim 19, Ling discloses a processor, a memory, and a program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor to perform the steps of the method (paragraph 0174).
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.
Claim(s) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0309022 A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of Iyer, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2022/0217760), Lin, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0262692; note parallel citations to 63/062,355 [“355”]) and Xu, et al. (WIPO Publication No. 2020/063767 – all citations to attached translation)
Regarding claim 4, Ling discloses the first configured grant is a type 2 configured grant (see claim 1, supra).
Ling fails to disclose a hybrid automatic repeat request process number (HPN) used to activate the first configured grant and channel sounding reference signal resource indicator (SRI) in the DCI indicates the at least two spatial relations. In the same field of endeavor, Iyer discloses a hybrid automatic repeat request process number (HPN) used to activate the first configured grant and channel sounding reference signal resource indicator (SRI) in the DCI indicates the at least two spatial relations. (Iyer discloses that UEs are configured with a repetition set for PUSCH repetition in different spatial directions [i.e with different spatial relations] to different TRPs which may be triggered by a type-2 CG and which may be associated with a given HARQ process and the SRI in the DCI may be used to indicate the spatial relations [paragraphs 0305-0306].)
Therefore, since Iyer discloses associating a single HPN with multiple SRI/spatial relations included in the DCI, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to combine the DCI based SRI of Iyer with the system of Ling by including in the DCI indications of SRI associated with a single HPN. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead by using only a single HPN associated with different SRI/spatial relations for signaling.
Ling as modified by Iyer fails to disclose a channel sounding reference signal resource indicator (SRI) field in the DCI indicates the at least two spatial relations. (i.e. Ling is not specific about the SRI signaling and only indicates the DCI for a type 2 CG may indicate multiple SRI but not how the indication is performed). In the same field of endeavor Lin discloses a channel sounding reference signal resource indicator (SRI) field in the DCI indicates the at least two spatial relations. (Lin discloses that instead of using multiple SRI to signal the beams/spatial relations/SRIs, a single SRI in the SRI field may be associated with multiple beams/spatial relations/SRIs and a first bit may be associated with a first SRI/spatial relation and a second bit may be associated with a second SRI/spatial relation [paragraph 0145 [page 18 of 355] – two sets of SRI information indicated in one extended SRI field; paragraph 0148 [page 19 of 355] – the field may be encoded as two bits, one for each TRP/Panel in the case that Nsrs is 1].)
Therefore, since Lin discloses single field encoding, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the single field encoding of Lin with the system of Ling as modified by Iyer such that the SRI information is sent in a single SRI field with two bits, each one for a different SRI/spatial relation or with an single indicator indicating a two sets of SRI information. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead by using a single field.
Ling as modified by Iyer and Lin fails to disclose a hybrid automatic repeat request process number (HPN) in downlink control information (DCI) used to activate the first configured grant corresponds to an index of the first configured grant. In the same filed of endeavor Xu discloses hybrid automatic repeat request process number (HPN) in downlink control information (DCI) used to activate the first configured grant corresponds to an index of the first configured grant. (Xu discloses using the last bits of a DCI HPN to indicate a configured grant (CG) index to activate [page 19, second full paragraph].)
Therefore, since Xu discloses CG index based HPN, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the indexing of Xu with the system of Ling as modified by Iyer and Lyn by including an index of an activated CG in the HPN of the DCI. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead by not requiring a separate field to indicate the CG.
Regarding claim 5, Ling as modified by Iyer, Lyn and Xu disclose a first value of the SRI field in the DCI indicates a first set, the first set comprising the at least two spatial relations; or the SRI field in the DCI comprises a first indication bit and a second indication bit, wherein the first indication bit indicates a first spatial relation in the at least two spatial relations, and the second indication bit indicates a second spatial relation in the at least two spatial relations (see the combination with Lyn in the rejection of claim 4, supra).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0309022 A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of MolavianJazi, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2020/0229104)
Regarding claim 6, Ling fails to disclose the first configured grant is activated at least twice by multiple DCIs, and SRI fields in the multiple DCIs separately indicate one spatial relation (note the 112, rejection, supra, in which claim 6 is reverted to depend from claim 2 because it’s requirements are inconsistent with those of claim 4). In the same field of endeavor, MolavianJazi discloses the first configured grant is activated at least twice by multiple DCIs, and SRI fields in the multiple DCIs separately indicate one spatial relation. (MolavianJazi discloses scheduling multiple TRP repetition transmission using multiple PDCCHs associated with different TRPs [paragraph 0063] and which may indicate different SRI [paragraphs 0050] and which follow an existing DCI format in which there is a single SRI per DCI [paragraphs 0047, 0049 – discloses single SRI field]).
Therefore, since MolavianJazi discloses single SRI multiple DCI based scheduling of repetition, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the multiple DCI indications of MolavianJazi with the system of Ling by indicating the different SRIs/spatial relations to be used by the repetitions using separate DCI trasmissions, each indicating a single SRI. The motive to combine is to allow for backward compatibility with existing DCI formats.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0309022 A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of MolavianJazi, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2020/0229104) and Lin, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0262692; note parallel citations to 63/062,355 [“355”]).
Regarding claim 9, Ling fails to disclose a first and a second set of pathloss parameters. In the same field of endeavor MolavianJazi discloses a first and a second set of pathloss parameters (MolavianJazi discloses that each TRP can be associated with multiple sets of pathloss reference signal parameters associated with different spatial paths to the respective TRP via different panels [0057-0059]. Therefore, an indication of the TRP indicates a group/set of pathloss reference signal parameters associated with each path to the TRP with a first TRP associated with the first set and a second TRP associated with the second set.)
Therefore, since MolavianJazi discloses sets of pathloss reference signal parameters, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the sets of pathloss reference signal parameters of MolavianJazi with the system of Ling by implementing per TRP sets of pathloss reference signal parameters. The motive to combine is to allow appropriate power parameters with multiple paths to each TRP for improved performance.
Ling as modified by MolavianJazi fails to disclose a second value of the SRI field in the DCI indicates a second set. In the same field of endeavor Lin discloses a second value of the SRI field in the DCI indicates a second set. (Lin discloses that the DCI may indicate SRI which includes N fields, where N is the number of TRP [paragraphs 0141, 0144] and each field may indicate NSRS bits of information where NSRS is the number of SRS resources in the SRS resource set associated with the TRP [paragraphs 0148]. The SRS resources of the SRS resource set are used to derive the power related information [paragraphs 0068].)
Therefore, since Lin discloses per TRP indication of SRS information, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to combine the per TRP indications of Lin with the system of MolavianJazi by implementing a first and second field of the SRI, each associated with a different TRP (per MolavianJazi) and each indicating the set of SRIs (per MolavianJazi) and by extension pathloss reference signal parameters (per Ling) associated with each and then further specifying, within the set of SRIs/pathloss reference signal parameters a particular SRI/pathloss reference signal parameter to be used. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead and simplify signaling by splitting the singling into two groups each associated with a different TRP.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0309022 A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of MolavianJazi, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2020/0229104) and Jeon, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2019/0215781 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Ling discloses the first configured grant is a type 2 configured grant scheduled by the DCI in a single PDCCH message scheduling multiple uplink transmissions (see claim 1, supra).
Ling fails to disclose a transmit power control field in DCI used to activate the first configured grant indicates at least two transmit power control commands and the transmit power control field comprises fifth indication bits and sixth indication bits, wherein the fifth indication bits indicates a transmit power control command corresponding to a first power control adjustment state, and the sixth indication bits indicates a transmit power control command corresponding to a second power control adjustment state. In the same field of endeavor MolavianJazi discloses a transmit power control field in DCI used to activate the first configured grant indicates at least two transmit power control commands and the transmit power control field comprises fifth indication bits and sixth indication bits, wherein the fifth indication bits indicates a transmit power control command corresponding to a first power control adjustment state, and the sixth indication bits indicates a transmit power control command corresponding to a second power control adjustment state (MolavianJazi discloses a single DCI containing multiple power control command fields that are applied to the different scheduled transmissions in the DCI of the single PDCCH [paragraph 0084 – a single DCI may contain multiple power control commands; paragraph 0086 - The TPC commands may applied sequentially to the different transmit occasions scheduled]; the commands are contained in TPC command fields/power control fields [0054]. The fields are two bits and form a set of fifth and sixth indication bits [paragraph 0088]. The different scheduled transmissions relate to different panels or TRPs and have different power control adjustment states [paragraph 0050].)
Therefore, since MolavianJazi discloses multiple power control commands, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to combine the multiple TPC of MolavianJazi with the system of Ling by signaling two TPC commands using a 2 bit set of fifth and sixth indication bits which each apply to a different TRP/panel/power control adjustment state. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead by allowing a single DCI/PDCCH transmission to change two power control states.
Ling as modified by MolavianJazi fails to disclose the power control commands are a single bit to form the fifth and sixth indication bits. In the same field of endeavor Jeon discloses the power control commands are a single bit to form the fifth and sixth indication bits (paragraph 0296 – disclosing a single bit TPC command)
Therefore, since Jeon dislcoses single bit TPC, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to combine the single bit TPC of Jeon with the sytem of Ling as modified by MolavianJazi by performing the two TPC of Ling as modified by MolavianJazi using a single bit to form a fifth and sixth indication bits. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead by using a single bit TPC.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0309022 A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of MolavianJazi, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2020/0229104).
Regarding claim 11, Ling fails to disclose each set of power control parameters corresponds to at least two power control adjustment states. In the same field of endeavor MolavianJazi discloses each set of power control parameters corresponds to at least two power control adjustment states (MolavianJazi discloses that each TRP can be associated with multiple sets of pathloss reference signal parameters each having different power control adjustment state and associated with different spatial paths to the respective TRP via different panels [paragraphs 0057-0059, 0050].)
Therefore, since MolavianJazi discloses sets of power control adjustment states, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the sets of power control adjustment states of MolavianJazi with the system of Ling by implementing per TRP sets of power control adjustment states/path loss parameters. The motive to combine is to allow appropriate power ajustment parameters with multiple paths to each TRP for improved performance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
R1-2005975 (Author Unknown, Text proposals for enhancements on Multi-TRP and panel Transmission, Doc No. R2-2005975, pages 1-7, 28 August 2020) – disclosing using a single DCI for M-TRP uplink transmission scheduling
Cirik, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2022/0045806) – disclosing multi-TRP transmission using a same SRI field
Chen, et al (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0171769) – disclosing repetition with multi-TRP operation
Hurd, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0125953) – disclosing repetition with multi-TRP operation
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD whose telephone number is (571)270-3989. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faruk Hamza can be reached at (571) 272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466