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
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-2, 8-10, 12, and 18-20 are elected for examination.
Claims 3-7, 11, 13-17 is/are withdrawn as being directed non-elected species.
Applicant elected with traverse, with the arguments as below:
Claims 1-20 all relate to determining the configuration information of a periodic signal based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS) and/or the configuration information of a first periodic signal. This enables more appropriate resource configuration for the periodic signal, adapts to the configuration of the periodic signal in case of a plurality of subcarrier spacings, reduces complexity of blind detection of the terminal, and reduces the requirements for data processing capability of the terminal.
Hence, these groups of inventions do relate to a single general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1, and possess unity of invention.
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Simply being related to a concept in itself cannot handwave a restriction requirement as the test of distinction is not based solely the grouping being related to a same concept.
Most importantly, the restriction requirement did not invoke Unity of Invention since the instant Application appears to be a Bypass Continuation under 111(a). Thus the arguments are moot.
In the Election Requirement (09/19/2025), pages 4-5, the examiner had specifically detailed the difference between the groupings pertaining categories of operation, design, or effect. Applicant has not addressed any of the established rationale. Therefore, the arguments are not persuasive.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 and 12 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
The claim language of “adding M 0s behind each symbol” is constructed in an ambiguous way. Alternative language is suggested as follow, but not limited to: “adding a M number of zero values (0s) behind each symbol”. Claim 12 similarly recites “adding N Os behind each symbol” and is subjected to the same reasoning.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 18 is/are 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.
Claim 18 of record is reproduced below:
As to claim 18:
The signal configuration method according to claim 2, wherein:
i) in a case that the second configuration information comprises the periodicity configuration information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises:
determining a periodicity of the first periodic signal based on the periodicity configuration information in the second configuration information;
or,
ii) in a case that the second configuration information comprises the slot offset information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises: determining a position of a target slot for the first periodic signal based on the slot offset information in the second configuration information;
or,
iii) in a case that the second configuration information comprises the duration information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises: determining a time interval between slots for the first periodic signal based on the duration information in the second configuration information and determining positions of other slots based on the time interval, wherein the other slots comprise slots other than the target slot;
or,
iv) in a case that the second configuration information comprises the symbol position configuration information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises:
determining a symbol position for the first periodic signal in each slot based on the symbol position configuration information in the second configuration information.
(Emphasis and roman-numbering added for ease of reference)
The claim comprises of four distinct stipulations i-iv, each is an alternative to one another (i.e. connected by conjunction ‘or’), thus their presence is optional to and cannot serve as antecedent basis for one another.
In this case, the third stipulation reads “wherein the other slots comprise slots other than the target slot”. There is no antecedent basis for element “the target slot” previously established in the third stipulation. While, there is in fact an instance of recitation of “a target slot” in the second stipulation, i.e. “determining a position of a target slot for the first periodic signal”, but since the second stipulation is optional/alternative to the third stipulation, it raises antecedent basis issue for the language “the target slot in (iii). Namely, the step in (ii) might or might not occur if (iii) is to be selected. Correction is required.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable over Huang (2020/0059878).
As to claim 1:
Huang discloses:
A signal configuration method, wherein the method comprises:
configuring, by a communications device based on first configuration information, a first periodic signal; (¶0025-0026, 0162, configuring the uplink signal for transmission using various configuration parameters, and the uplink signal is periodic. See ¶0204, 0206 pertaining various parameters of the first configuration such as resource, period, time location, a start symbol)
wherein second configuration information in the first configuration information is determined based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS), and/or second configuration information in the first configuration information is predefined; (¶0204-0205, “RACH configuration information includes a physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration index and a random access preamble subcarrier spacing field”, ¶0009, “the first RACH resources in every X RACH resource configuration periods are associated with same synchronization signal blocks, X is received from the network device or is prestored; and/or Y is received from the network device or is prestored” – prestored = predefined)
and the first configuration information comprises: periodicity configuration information;
(See ¶0204, parameter P explicitly defines a periodicity configuration)
slot offset information; (¶0204 “ Q indicates a time location (for example, a frame or a subframe) in which the random access resource appears in one period (for example, a random access configuration period P)”, Q or the subframe index serves the offset within the period P, i.e. offset as compared to the start of the frame)
duration information; (See ¶0204, “ a value of P may be represented by using a quantity of frames, for example, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256 frames, where each frame is 10 ms”, i.e. duration of a frame specified as 10ms)
and symbol position configuration information (¶0204, “ a start symbol may be any value from 0 to 13”)
As to claim 20:
Huang discloses:
A communications device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor (See ¶0284, processor, memory, with instructions), wherein the program or instructions are executed by the processor to perform: configuring a first periodic signal; (¶0025-0026, 0162, configuring the uplink signal for transmission using various configuration parameters, and the uplink signal is periodic. See ¶0204, 0206 pertaining various parameters of the first configuration such as resource, period, time location, a start symbol)
wherein second configuration information in the first configuration information is determined based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS), and/or second configuration information in the first configuration information is predefined; (¶0204-0205, “RACH configuration information includes a physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration index and a random access preamble subcarrier spacing field”, ¶0009, “the first RACH resources in every X RACH resource configuration periods are associated with same synchronization signal blocks, X is received from the network device or is prestored; and/or Y is received from the network device or is prestored” – prestored = predefined)
and the first configuration information comprises: periodicity configuration information;
(See ¶0204, parameter P explicitly defines a periodicity configuration)
slot offset information; (¶0204 “ Q indicates a time location (for example, a frame or a subframe) in which the random access resource appears in one period (for example, a random access configuration period P)”, Q or the subframe index serves the offset within the period P, i.e. offset as compared to the start of the frame)
duration information; (See ¶0204, “ a value of P may be represented by using a quantity of frames, for example, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256 frames, where each frame is 10 ms”, i.e. duration of a frame specified as 10ms)
and symbol position configuration information (¶0204, “ a start symbol may be any value from 0 to 13”)
As to claim 2:
Huang discloses all limitations of claim 1, wherein the second configuration information comprises at least one of the following: periodicity configuration information; slot offset information; duration information; and symbol position configuration information. (as the second configuration is part of the first configuration, see ¶0204, “ a start symbol may be any value from 0 to 13”)
As to claim 18:
Huang discloses all limitations of claim 2, wherein:
in a case that the second configuration information comprises the periodicity configuration information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises:
determining a periodicity of the first periodic signal based on the periodicity configuration information in the second configuration information;
or,
in a case that the second configuration information comprises the slot offset information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises: determining a position of a target slot for the first periodic signal based on the slot offset information in the second configuration information;
or,
in a case that the second configuration information comprises the duration information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises: determining a time interval between slots for the first periodic signal based on the duration information in the second configuration information and determining positions of other slots based on the time interval, wherein the other slots comprise slots other than the target slot;
or,
,in a case that the second configuration information comprises the symbol position configuration information, the configuring a first periodic signal based on first configuration information comprises:
determining a symbol position for the first periodic signal in each slot based on the symbol position configuration information in the second configuration information.
(Since each stipulation listed above is an alternative to one another (i.e. connected by conjunction ‘or’), only one of the above needs to be met)
(See at least, ¶0007, “every X RACH resource configuration periods Y are associated with same synchronization signal blocks when one random access resource configuration period is P, where P and X are integers and Y is equal to P multiplied by X”, corresponding the first stipulation of determining periodicity)
As to claim 19:
Huang discloses all limitations of claim 1, wherein periodicity information of the first periodic signal comprises at least one of the following: search space in a PDCCH; channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); tracking reference signal (TRS); received signal strength indicator (RSSI); synchronization signal and PBCH block-measurement timing configuration information (SSB-MTC);scheduling request information; and sounding reference signal (SRS). (See ¶0160, “the first uplink signal is at least one of the following: a periodic (periodic) signal, a semi-static (semi-static) signal, a semi-persistent (semi-persistent) signal, a periodic sounding reference signal (sounding reference signal, SRS), a periodic demodulation reference signal (demodulation reference signal, DMRS), a periodic physical uplink shared channel (physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH) signal, a periodic physical uplink control channel (physical uplink control channel, PUCCH) signal, and a dynamic (dynamic) scheduling/configuration signal; and the second uplink signal is a random access signal.”)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8-10, and 12 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 8 reads: “The signal configuration method according to claim 2, wherein when the second configuration information comprises the symbol position configuration information, the determining the second configuration information based on the subcarrier spacing (SCS) comprises: determining a value of the symbol position configuration information by adding M Os behind each symbol based on a value corresponding to original symbol position configuration information of the first periodic signal, wherein M is a first fixed value, the first fixed value being determined based on the subcarrier spacing (SCS)”.
Claim 8 requires determining symbol position information. The process requires determining a fixed value of M, as a function of the subcarrier spacing (SCS). In turn, a quantity of M zeroes are to be appended behind each of the symbols that were configured in an initial (original configuration).
Similarly, claim 12 recites “when the second configuration information comprises the symbol position configuration information, the predefining the second configuration information comprises: determining a value of the symbol position configuration information by adding N Os behind each symbol based on a value corresponding to original symbol position configuration information of the first periodic signal, wherein N is a second fixed value, the second fixed value being predefined”
The reference Huang does not suggest or imply any steps in the process above.
References pertinent to the concept of zero-padding for signal processing include:
US 10,609,707 – A method and system for communication, wherein control information and data are split into the distinct non-overlapping portions of the frame or subframe such that the control information and data can be received by separate receivers; and configuring different subcarrier spacing frequency for the control information and data, comprising configuring spacing of a control field for the control information to be larger than spacing for a data field for said data shortening the control information length minimizing an amount of control overhead, wherein different symbol time is provided for control information and data by the different subcarrier spacing, and wherein zero padding orthogonal frequency division multiple access is used for the control information and cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiple access is used for the data.
WO 2018/0130017 - n an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitting end has the following resources: in the time domain, the preamble and the data each occupy one subframe with a duration of 1 ms, and the total duration is 2 ms. The preamble subframe includes a zero-padding interval of 0.1375 ms and three consecutive preamble symbols. The length of a single preamble symbol (including the cyclic prefix CP) is 0.2875 ms. The data sub-frame contains 14 data symbols, which are in accordance with the relevant LTE system definition. In the frequency domain, the system bandwidth is 720 kHz, and the preamble subcarrier spacing is 3.75 kHz, data. The symbol subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz. The number of available subcarriers in the preamble is 192, and the number of available subcarriers in the data portion is 48. The number of available subcarriers in the preamble is 192, and a number of preset sequences of length 192 can be generated. In this embodiment, the preamble portion adopts a ZC sequence, and the root sequence length is 191, and the loop is extended to a length of 192 to occupy 192 subcarriers.
While both references disclose zero-padding concept in different applications of signal processing, however they do not disclose determining a specific fixed number of zeroes to be added for each symbol.
Claims 9 and 10 are depended on claim 8 and thus are addressed by the same reasoning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2020/0136882 - A method for receiving, by a terminal, downlink control information in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving information on a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) from among a plurality of SCS numerologies; receiving downlink control information through a terminal group common physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and obtaining information on a slot format from the downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information indicates the slot format on the basis of the reference SCS, and when the SCS of the terminal is different from the reference SCS, the terminal may convert the slot format of the reference SCS according to the SCS of the terminal
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUAN M HUA whose telephone number is (571)270-7232. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-6:30.
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/QUAN M HUA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645