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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
Claim(s) 1,6-812,15-17,21,25-28 and 31-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al (US 20240195440 A1) hereinafter as Liu in view of Deogun et al (US 20250330849 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 1,12,21 and 28, Liu discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (See Fig(s). 3), comprising:
one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories (See Fig(s). 21-22 with memory 2130 and processor 2120), configured to:
receive, from a network node, a first common downlink channel or reference signal in a downlink slot or symbol (See ¶ 111, UE receiving the first common signal from network node).
Liu fails to disclose receive, from the network node, synchronization signal block in at least one downlink sub-band associated with a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot or symbol.
Deogun discloses receive, from the network node, synchronization signal block in at least one downlink sub-band associated with a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot or symbol (See Fig(s). 2, See ¶ 139, The base station 5 is also configured to transmit synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in one or more cells 9 that it operates. The SSB includes both synchronization signals, See Fig(s). 19, See ¶ 223, 227, 232-233, the communication system 1, the base station 5 is configured for, in one or more same SBFD slots (or symbols), transmission to a UE 3 in the downlink via a first set (or group) of antenna elements).
SSB enables a user equipment (UE) to perform initial cell search, acquire time and frequency synchronization, and decode essential system information.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Deogun within Liu, so as to properly synchronize with given cell network.
Further with regards to claims 12 and 28, Liu discloses the communication at the network node for transmission/reception of first and second common signals from the UE (See Fig(s). 1, 21,22, See ¶ 31-32), and further regarding claim 28, network node with memory and processor (See Fig(s). 20, See ¶ 209).
Regarding claim(s) 6,15, Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with control resource set symbols or slots (See ¶ 109, The network device sends the first signal and the second signal to the terminal device. For example, the first signal may be downlink control information (DCI), and the second signal may be a signal carried on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).
Regarding claim(s) 7,16, Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common search space physical downlink control channel symbols or slots (See ¶ 123-125, The PDCCH carries the first signal, namely, the DCI.).
Regarding claim(s) 8,17, Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common search space physical downlink control channel scheduled physical downlink shared channel symbols or slots (See ¶ 109, The network device sends the first signal and the second signal to the terminal device. For example, the first signal may be downlink control information (DCI), and the second signal may be a signal carried on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)…. See also ¶ 123-125 for PDCCH).
Regarding claim(s) 26,31 Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first uplink channel or reference signal or the second uplink channel or reference signal is associated with sounding reference signal symbols or slots (See ¶ 112, the first signal is DCI, and the second signal is an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS).).
Regarding claim(s) 25, 27,32 Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first uplink channel or reference signal or the second uplink channel or reference signal is associated with physical uplink control channel symbols or slots (See ¶ 115, the first signal may be HARQ-ACK information of another signal, and the information is carried on a PUCCH. The second signal may be a semi-persistent report carried on a PUCCH, and the report includes a measurement result of a semi-persistent CSI-RS.).
Claim(s) 3-5,9-11,14,18-20,23-24 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al (US 20240195440 A1) hereinafter as Liu in view of Deogun et al (US 20250330849 A1) further in view of Park et al (US 20250038906 A1) hereinafter as Park with priority to provisional app(63/395133) filed Aug 4, 2022.
Regarding claim(s) 3,14,23,30, Park discloses wherein an uplink transmission in an uplink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol does not overlap in time with the second common downlink channel or reference signal in the at least one downlink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol (See Fig(s). 4A, See ¶ 2, 89, Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to wireless communications and, for example to methods, apparatus and systems for DL power adjustment and UE behaviors/procedures for subband non-overlapping full duplex (SBFD) or XDD).
Non-overlapping uplink and downlink allows for larger allocation of resources within a given sub-band for increased data transfers.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Park within Liu, so as to have an increase data throughput rates both in uplink and downlink channels without comprise.
Regarding claim(s) 4,24 Park discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: drop an uplink occasion in an uplink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol that at least partially overlaps in time with the second common downlink channel or reference signal in the at least one downlink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol (See ¶ 137,. a first FD mode (e.g., Mode 1) in which there is frequency-domain full-overlapping FD for the base station/gNB (e.g., one or more first RBs for DL transmissions from the base station/gNB and one or more second RBs for UL receptions at the base station/gNB may be overlapped or at least partially overlapped). Reasons for combining same as claim 3.
Regarding claim(s) 5, Deogun discloses wherein the uplink occasion is a radio resource control configured uplink occasion, and wherein the uplink occasion is a random access channel occasion or is associated with a configured grant (See Fig(s). See ¶ 203, In the communication system 1, UL communication by the UE 3 (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, and PRACH transmissions) is subject to power control (for example as defined in 3GPP TS 38.213 for a 5G communication system). The communication system supports multiple power states for both PUSCH transmission power and for PUCCH transmission power (e.g., to support multiple transmission reception points per cell). Reasons for combining same as claim 1.
Regarding claim(s) 9,18 Park discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common reference signals including tracking reference signals (See ¶ 164, A UE may be configured with one or more periodic and/or semi-persistent DL RS resources, e.g., one or more SSBs, one or more CSI-RS resources for CSI, beam management resources, mobility resources, positioning resources and/or tracking resources.) Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Regarding claim(s) 10,19, Park discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common semi-persistent scheduling occasions for broadcasting signals (See ¶ 76,78, The UE may apply the power-level compensation (e.g., based on the DPA) on/for particular symbol/slot (e.g., indicated as an XDD-symbol/slot, e.g., by using a mixed UL/DL slot/symbol format), for example when measuring a periodic/semi-persistent Channel State information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).. Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Regarding claim(s) 11,20, Park discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with group common downlink control information (See Fig(s). 2, See ¶ 83. NR supports dynamic time division duplex (TDD) by a group-common (GC) DCI format 2_0, ). Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1,3-12,14-21,23-28 and 30-32 have been considered but are moot based on new grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicants amendments.
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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAJ JAIN whose telephone number is (571)-272-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 8-5.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached 571-272-2123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAJ JAIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411