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 .
Response to Amendment
Amendments filed on 06/30/2026 are entered. The amendments change the scopes of the previously presented claims. New grounds of rejections are applied to the currently amended claims. The current Office Action is made FINAL as necessitated by the claim amendments.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, 15-18, 20 and 26-31 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
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) 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, 26, 28 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2024/0306187) in views of Wu (US 2021/0153263), Qian (US 2020/0068616) and Wang (US 2021/0345381).
Lin discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 1, a method performed by an apparatus (see UE shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), the method comprising:
receiving physical layer control signaling, the physical layer control signaling carrying a group message for a group of apparatuses including the apparatus, the group message indicating a time-frequency resource for a data channel (see “physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) used to schedule msg2's physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)…DCI“, recited in paragraph [0072], which shows that a PDCCH that carries a DCI being a physical control channel that is used to schedule the msg2; or see paragraph [0084], which recites “in 2-step RA procedure…PDSCH scheduled by PDCCH” for a two-step RACH procedure, wherein the PDSCH for msgB is scheduled by the PDCCH; that is the UE receives the message on the PDCCH that schedules the resource on the PDSCH, a data channel, for receiving the msg2/msgB; and see Fig. 3, wherein the DCI being transmitted in step 306 including an identifier determined in step 304, which “may be an identifier which can be used by a group of terminal devices to detect a PDCCH with the DCI format” recited in paragraph [0096]);
decoding the group message to obtain message in the data channel on the time-frequency resource (see step 504 in Fig. 5, wherein the terminal obtains information regarding a scheduled downlink shared channel from the DCI).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the physical layer control signaling includes a CRC scrambled using the group ID (see “The identifier comprises at least one of a common identifier or a specific identifier. The method further comprises transmitting information regarding a scheduled downlink shared channel with the format of DCI with the CRC scrambled by the identifier on a downlink control channel to at least one terminal device” recited in paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 8, an apparatus (see UE shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) comprising:
a memory (see memory 722 in Fig. 7) to store processor-executable instructions;
a processor (see processor 721 in Fig. 7) to execute the processor executable instructions to cause the processor to:
receive physical layer control signaling, the physical layer control signaling carrying a group message for a group of apparatuses including the apparatus, the group message indicating a time-frequency resource for a data channel (see “physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) used to schedule msg2's physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)…DCI“, recited in paragraph [0072], which shows that a PDCCH that carries a DCI being a physical control channel that is used to schedule the msg2; or see paragraph [0084], which recites “in 2-step RA procedure…PDSCH scheduled by PDCCH” for a two-step RACH procedure, wherein the PDSCH for msgB is scheduled by the PDCCH; that is the UE receives the message on the PDCCH that schedules the resource on the PDSCH, a data channel, for receiving the msg2/msgB; and see Fig. 3, wherein the DCI being transmitted in step 306 including an identifier determined in step 304, which “may be an identifier which can be used by a group of terminal devices to detect a PDCCH with the DCI format” recited in paragraph [0096]);
decode the group message to obtain message in the data channel on the time-frequency resource (see step 504 in Fig. 5, wherein the terminal obtains information regarding a scheduled downlink shared channel from the DCI).
Regarding claim 10, wherein the physical layer control signaling includes a CRC scrambled using the group ID (see “The identifier comprises at least one of a common identifier or a specific identifier. The method further comprises transmitting information regarding a scheduled downlink shared channel with the format of DCI with the CRC scrambled by the identifier on a downlink control channel to at least one terminal device” recited in paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 15, a method performed by a device (see base station shown in Figs. 1-2), the method comprising:
transmitting physical layer control signaling, the physical layer control signaling carrying a group message for the group of apparatuses, the group message indicating a time-frequency resource for a data channel, wherein a message is carried in the data channel on the time-frequency resource; and transmitting the TA message in the data channel on the time-frequency resource (see “physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) used to schedule msg2's physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)…DCI“, recited in paragraph [0072], which shows that a PDCCH that carries a DCI being a physical control channel that is used to schedule the msg2; or see paragraph [0084], which recites “in 2-step RA procedure…PDSCH scheduled by PDCCH” for a two-step RACH procedure, wherein the PDSCH for msgB is scheduled by the PDCCH; that is the UE receives the message on the PDCCH that schedules the resource on the PDSCH, a data channel, for receiving the msg2/msgB; and see Fig. 3, wherein the DCI being transmitted in step 306 including an identifier determined in step 304, which “may be an identifier which can be used by a group of terminal devices to detect a PDCCH with the DCI format” recited in paragraph [0096]).
Lin does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 1 and 8, wherein a TA message is carried in the data channel on the time-frequency resource; wherein the TA message is carried in the data channel; wherein the TA message includes a plurality of IDs, wherein each ID corresponding to a respective apparatus in the group of apparatuses, wherein included in the TA message for each ID is at least a TA value specific to the respective apparatus; and the TA message includes additional information relating to timing advance or synchronization, the additional information being separate from the plurality of IDs and from the TA value specific to the respective apparatus and the additional information indicating one or more of: a timing reference point that is not a timing advance value for any apparatus in the group of apparatuses, a beam direction or orientation configuration, a downlink/uplink or uplink/downlink switching time, or an offset associated with round trip propagation delay that is not a timing advance value for any apparatus in the group of apparatuses; obtaining, from the TA message, both (1) the TA value corresponding to the apparatus using the ID in the TA message that corresponds to the apparatus, and (2) the additional information relating to timing advance or synchronization; and transmitting information with a timing offset that is based on both the TA value corresponding to the apparatus and the additional information; regarding claim 4, 11 and 17, wherein the group message further indicates a common TA value for the group of apparatuses; regarding claims 5, 12 and 18, wherein the TA value corresponding to the apparatus is an updated TA value for an adjustment to the common value; regarding claim 15, determining at least one TA value for at least one apparatus in a group of apparatuses; wherein a TA message is carried in the data channel; and transmitting the TA message in the data channel, wherein the TA message includes a plurality of IDs, wherein each ID corresponding to a respective apparatus in the group of apparatuses, wherein included in the TA message for each ID is at least a TA value specific to the respective apparatus; and the TA message includes additional information relating to timing advance or synchronization, the additional information being separate from the plurality of IDs and from the TA value specific to the respective apparatus and the additional information indicating one or more of: a timing reference point that is not a timing advance value for any apparatus in the group of apparatuses, a beam direction or orientation configuration, a downlink/uplink or uplink/downlink switching time, or an offset associated with round trip propagation delay that is not a timing advance value for any apparatus in the group of apparatuses; and receiving a transmission from the at least one apparatus, the transmission having a timing offset based on both the at least one TA value and the additional information; regarding claims 26, 28 and 30, wherein the additional information comprises an indication of one or more of: a timing reference point, a beam direction, an orientation configuration, a subcarrier spacing, and/or a carrier frequency band
Wu discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1 and 8, wherein a TA message is carried in the data channel on the time-frequency resource (see step S102 in Fig. 1, wherein the terminal receives a message 2 including target configuration information as shown in paragraph [0048] and see “the target configuration information may include at least one of the following: multiple preamble identities, multiple timing advances, multiple pieces of uplink resource allocation information used to indicate a transmission resource for a feedback message of Msg2, multiple terminal device identities, multiple contention resolution identities, and multiple pieces of wireless connection configuration information” recited in paragraph [0049]; and see “a network side transmits a random access response message Msg2 based on content of Msg1 by using a downlink data channel (for example, a PDSCH)” recited in paragraph [0046]); obtain the TA message in the data channel (see step S102 in Fig. 1, wherein the terminal receives a message 2 including target configuration information including timing advance information as shown in paragraph [0048]-[0049]; and see “a network side transmits a random access response message Msg2 based on content of Msg1 by using a downlink data channel (for example, a PDSCH)” recited in paragraph [0046]), wherein the TA message includes a plurality of IDs, (see “see “the target configuration information may include at least one of the following: multiple preamble identities, multiple timing advances, multiple pieces of uplink resource allocation information used to indicate a transmission resource for a feedback message of Msg2, multiple terminal device identities, multiple contention resolution identities, and multiple pieces of wireless connection configuration information” recited in paragraph [0049]), and wherein the TA message includes additional information relating to timing advance or synchronization (see “the target configuration information may include at least one of the following: multiple preamble identities, multiple timing advances, multiple pieces of uplink resource allocation information used to indicate a transmission resource for a feedback message of Msg2, multiple terminal device identities, multiple contention resolution identities, and multiple pieces of wireless connection configuration information” recited in paragraph [0049], wherein at least the preamble identity is related to the timing advance/synchronization as the preamble transmission in msg1/msgA results in the transmission of the msg2/msgB that includes the timing advance); and
obtaining, from the TA message, both (1) the TA value corresponding to the apparatus using the ID in the TA message that corresponds to the apparatus, and (2) the additional information relating to timing advance or synchronization (see TA values and additional information as shown in paragraph [0049] and see “the terminal device 11 may obtain, based on the association relationship, configuration information that is associated with the target association parameter of the terminal device 11 from the target configuration information” recited in paragraph [0050], wherein the apparatus obtains the values corresponding information corresponding to the apparatus).
Regarding claim 15, determining at least one TA value for at least one apparatus in a group of apparatuses (see step S102 in Fig. 1, wherein the terminal receives a message 2 including target configuration information as shown in paragraph [0048] and see “the target configuration information may include at least one of the following: multiple preamble identities, multiple timing advances, multiple pieces of uplink resource allocation information used to indicate a transmission resource for a feedback message of Msg2, multiple terminal device identities, multiple contention resolution identities, and multiple pieces of wireless connection configuration information” recited in paragraph [0049], wherein the base station must determine the TA value in order to transmit the TA value to the terminal); wherein a TA message is carried in the data channel and transmitting the TA message in the data channel (see “a network side transmits a random access response message Msg2 based on content of Msg1 by using a downlink data channel (for example, a PDSCH)” recited in paragraph [0046]).
Qian discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 15, wherein the additional information being separate from the plurality of IDs and from the TA value specific to the respective apparatus and the additional information indicating one or more of: a timing reference point that is not a timing advance value for any apparatus in the group of apparatuses, a beam direction or orientation configuration (see “base station determines the conventional parameter information shall be contained in the contention-free random access response such as the TA parameter, Cell-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) of the UE, data transmission resource allocation, the current preamble sequence, the base station optimal receiving beam direction and the UE optimal transmitting beam direction, and so on, and then transmits these information to the UE by RAR. Wherein, the UE optimal transmitting beam direction can be indicated by the detected random access transmission occasion index” recited in paragraph [0115], wherein the beam direction information is included in the RAR, which may be incorporated into the Msg2 of Wu), a downlink/uplink or uplink/downlink switching time, or an offset associated with round trip propagation delay that is not a timing advance value for any apparatus in the group of apparatuses; and transmit/receive a transmission to/from the at least one apparatus, the transmission having a timing offset based on both the at least one TA value and the additional information (see “After transmitting the random access request, the UE detects the RAR at dedicated time-frequency resources according to pre-agreed timing or according to indication of the base station. If the detection is succeed, then transmits ACK, adjusts TA and transmitting beam direction, and waits for the further scheduling for the base station” recited in paragraph [0117]).
Wang discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 15, wherein each ID corresponding to a respective apparatus in the group of apparatuses, wherein included in the TA message for each ID is at least a TA value specific to the respective apparatus (see “the aggregated-command message includes a table of user equipment identities (UEIDs) for the UEs in the UECS and respective timing advance values for those UEs” recited in paragraph [0072]).
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 17, wherein the group message further indicates a common TA value for the group of apparatuses (see “In an alternative, the aggregated-command message values can be sent as a timing advance value for the coordinating UE” recited in paragraph [0072], or alternatively, see “a command setting (e.g., a transmit power control setting or a timing advance setting) may be the same for (common to) all the UEs in the UECS” recited in paragraph [0074]).
Regarding claims 5, 12 and 18, wherein the TA value corresponding to the apparatus is an updated TA value for an adjustment to the common value (see “In an alternative, the aggregated-command message values can be sent as a timing advance value for the coordinating UE and difference (delta) timing advance values for the other UEs from the timing advance value for the coordinating UE” recited in paragraph [0072]).
Regarding claims 26, 28 and 30, wherein the additional information comprises an indication of one or more of: a timing reference point (see “In an alternative, the aggregated-command message values can be sent as a timing advance value for the coordinating UE and difference (delta) timing advance values for the other UEs from the timing advance value for the coordinating UE” recited in paragraph [0072], wherein the timing advance value for the coordinating UE can be considered as a timing reference point), a beam direction, an orientation configuration, a subcarrier spacing, and/or a carrier frequency band
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Lin using features, as taught by Wu, Qian and Wang, in order to reduce transmission overhead by aggregating configuration information and commands transmitted for a plurality of UEs (see paragraph [0049] of Wu and paragraph [0015] of Wang) and in order to configure the optimal transmitting and receiving beam direction (see paragraph [0115] of Qian).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Cirik (US 12,003,988).
Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang disclose the features as shown above.
Lin does not disclose the following features: regarding claim 20, wherein the group message is transmitted during a wake-up duration of the at least one apparatus when the at least one apparatus is in a power saving state.
Cirik discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 20, wherein the group message is transmitted during a wake-up duration of the at least one apparatus when the at least one apparatus is in a power saving state (see Fig. 16A, wherein the UE monitors the PDCCH during the DRX On duration; Zhou as applied to claim 15 above, receives the group message in a DCI transmitted on the PDCCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang using features, as taught by Cirik, in order to save power consumption (see column 36, lines 26-41 of Cirik).
Claim(s) 27, 29 and 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Luo (US 2020/0112890).
Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang disclose the features as shown above.
Lin does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 27, 29 and 31, transmitting a capability report upon initial entry into a network, wherein the capability report indicates, for the apparatus, at least one of: support for group TA adjustment, one or more frequency bands of operation, a beam capability, and/or ability to transmit a dedicated uplink synchronization signal.
Luo discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 27, 29 and 31, transmitting a capability report upon initial entry into a network (see “during an initial registration process of the UE with the network including the BS” recited in paragraph [0054]), wherein the capability report indicates, for the apparatus, at least one of: support for group TA adjustment, one or more frequency bands of operation, a beam capability (see “a UE may report a beam correspondence capability to a BS” recited in paragraph [0054]), and/or ability to transmit a dedicated uplink synchronization signal.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang using features, as taught by Luo, in order to report the UE’s beam correspondence capability to a base station (see paragraph [0054] of Luo).
Claim(s) 32-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Jung (US 2018/0235013).
Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang disclose the features as shown above.
Lin does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 32-33, wherein the timing reference point is associated with a base station or a drone or a satellite node or a reference node or a relative timing point.
Jung discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 32-33, wherein the timing reference point (see “The RAR message, carrying multiple TA values and their DL timing references” recited in paragraph [0031], wherein the msg2 message of Wu may incorporate this DL timing reference) is associated with a base station or a drone or a satellite node or a reference node or a relative timing point (see paragraph [0059], wherein the reference DL timing is associated with a specific access point).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Lin, Wu, Qian and Wang using features, as taught by Jung, in order to expedite multi-link synchronization and enhance timing and frequency tracking performances (see paragraph [0031] of Jung).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JUTAI KAO whose telephone number is (571)272-9719. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-17:00 EST.
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/JUTAI KAO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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