DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having application No 18/344,533 filed on 10/15/2025 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 5, 11-16, 20 and 26-30 have been considered. However, Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s arguments and would like to provide a further clarification regarding the interpretation of the cited references.
In response to the argument on page 15 of Applicant’s Remark, “determining, according to a quantity of at least some resources of the first PUSCH, a quantity of resources occupied by the first UCI in the first PUSCH”. In fact, Examiner interprets the “The UE perform multiplexing of UCI in at least one of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed. When the UE multiplexes UCI with PUSCH transmission in a plurality of slots, the UE may configure the numbers of bits of UCI to be the same. Specifically, when the UE multiplexes UCI with PUSCH transmission in a plurality of slots, the UE may configure the number of bits of all pieces of UCI multiplexed with PUSCH transmission as the maximum number of bits of UCI, among the UCI multiplexed with PUSCH transmission”. according to CHOI’s disclosure.
As stated in CHOI’s – page 21, par (0166), line 1-10, The UE perform multiplexing of UCI in at least one of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed. When the UE multiplexes UCI with PUSCH transmission in a plurality of slots, the UE configure the numbers of bits of UCI to be the same, when the UE multiplexes UCI with PUSCH transmission in a plurality of slots, the UE configure the number of bits of all pieces of UCI multiplexed with PUSCH transmission as the maximum number of bits of UCI, among the UCI multiplexed with PUSCH transmission.
whereas the Examiner wants to provide further clarification of the cited claim limitation, whereas the CHOI’s is directed to “page 13-14, par (0139), line 1-20, the UE repeatedly transmit a PUSCH according to the indicated time and frequency resource allocation information. If the UE transmits a PUSCH over a plurality of slots, and if PUSCH transmission including UCI in the slot in which the PUSCH is transmitted, the UE multiplex the UCI with the PUSCH transmission, thereby transmitting the PUSCH.
Therefore, Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant's arguments.
Thus, CHOI’s and Li’s disclosure still covers the limitations of claims 1, 5, 11-16, 20 and 26-30. Therefore, Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant's arguments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-2, 5, 15-16 and 19-20 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Li et al. (U.S 20210337538, Oct.28, 2021) in view of CHOI et al. (US 20210092762, Mar. 25, 2021).
Regarding Claim 1, Li discloses an uplink control information (UCI) multiplexing method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising multiplexing (page 11, par (0130), line 1-10, multiplexing uplink control information for transmission performed by a base station and UE (performed by terminal)),
in a case that a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) at least partially overlap in time domain (page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, Uplink control information (UCI) carried on a PUCCH includes HARQ-ACK information, channel state information (CSI), and a scheduling request (SR). After a PUCCH #1 and a PUCCH #2 overlap in time domain, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, when the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH overlap in time domain, also see par (0053), When time domain symbols corresponding to two time-frequency
resources are partially the same, it is considered that the two time-frequency resources partially overlap in time domain),
first UCI carried by the first PUCCH on the first PUSCH for transmission (page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, When the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH).
Li discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except the first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot.
CHOI is the same field of invention teaches the first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot (page 15, par (0146), line 1-10, the UE multiplex HARQ-ACK with PUSCH transmission in all of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed).
Li and CHOI l analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot the teaching of Li to include the UE multiplex HARQ-ACK with PUSCH transmission in all of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed the teaching of CHOI because it is providing efficiently multiplexing uplink control information in a wireless communication system and an apparatus using the same.
Regarding Claim 2, Li discloses determining, according to a quantity of at least some resources of the first PUSCH, a quantity of resources occupied by the first UCI in the first PUSCH (page 13, par (0154), line 1-10, UE select a PUSCH resource to perform UCI multiplex transmission).
Regarding Claim 5, Li discloses determining, depending on whether the first PUCCH is a repetition transmission, a quantity of times of the repetition transmission of the first UCI on the first PUSCH (page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, When the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH).
Regarding Claim 15, Li discloses a terminal, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and runnable on the processor, wherein the program, when being executed by the processor, implements multiplexing (page 11, par (0130), line 1-10, multiplexing uplink control information for transmission performed by a base station and UE (performed by terminal)), in a case that a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) at least partially overlap in time domain (page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, Uplink control information (UCI) carried on a PUCCH includes HARQ-ACK information, channel state information (CSI), and a scheduling request (SR). After a PUCCH #1 and a PUCCH #2 overlap in time domain, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, when the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH overlap in time domain, also see par (0053), When time domain symbols corresponding to two time-frequency resources are partially the same, it is considered that the two time-frequency resources partially overlap in time domain).
Li discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except first UCI carried by the first PUCCH on the first PUSCH for transmission, wherein the first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot.
CHOI is the same field of invention teaches first UCI carried by the first PUCCH on the first PUSCH for transmission, wherein CHOI is the same field of invention teaches the first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot (page 15, par (0146), line 1-10, the UE multiplex HARQ-ACK with PUSCH transmission in all of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH
transmission is performed).
Li and CHOI l analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot the teaching of Li to include the UE multiplex HARQ-ACK with PUSCH transmission in all of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed the teaching of CHOI because it is providing efficiently multiplexing uplink control information in a wireless communication system and an apparatus using the same.
Regarding Claim 16, Li discloses the program, when being executed by the processor, further implements determining, according to a quantity of at least some resources of the first PUSCH, a quantity of resources occupied by the first UCI in the first PUSCH (page 13, par (0154), line 1-10, UE select a PUSCH resource to perform UCI multiplex transmission).
Regarding Claim 19, Li discloses the program, when being executed by the processor, further implements determining, depending on whether the first PUCCH is a repetition transmission, a quantity of times of the repetition transmission of the first UCI on the first PUSCH(page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, When the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH).
Regarding Claim 20, Li discloses a non-transitory readable storage medium, storing a program or instructions, wherein the program or the instructions, when being executed by a processor, implements multiplexing (page 11, par (0130), line 1-10, multiplexing uplink control information for transmission performed by a base station and UE (performed by terminal)),
in a case that a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) at least partially overlap in time domain (page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, Uplink control information (UCI) carried on a PUCCH includes HARQ-ACK information, channel state information (CSI), and a scheduling request (SR). After a PUCCH #1 and a PUCCH #2 overlap in time domain, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, when the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH overlap in time domain, also see par (0053), When time domain symbols corresponding to two time-frequency resources are partially the same, it is considered that the two time-frequency resources partially overlap in time domain).
first UCI carried by the first PUCCH on the first PUSCH for transmission (page 4, par (0054), line 1-10, UCI1 carried on the PUCCH #1 and UCI 2 carried on the PUCCH #2 need to be multiplexed, and are sent on a resource corresponding to the PUCCH #1 or the PUCCH #2, When the PUCCH #1 and a PUSCH).
Li discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except the first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot.
CHOI is the same field of invention teaches the first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot (page 15, par (0146), line 1-10, the UE multiplex HARQ-ACK with PUSCH transmission in all of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed).
Li and CHOI l analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify first PUSCH is a PUSCH occupying a plurality of time units, the time unit comprises a slot the teaching of Li to include the UE multiplex HARQ-ACK with PUSCH transmission in all of a plurality of slots in which PUSCH transmission is performed the teaching of CHOI because it is providing efficiently multiplexing uplink control information in a wireless communication system and an apparatus using the same.
Examiner Notice
Claim 1 would be allowable if (i) claims 3 or 4 or 6 or 8 are incorporated into the independent claim 1.
Claim 15 would be allowable if (i) claims 17 or 18 are incorporated into the independent claim 15.
Claim 20 would be allowable if (i) claims 3 or 4 or 6 or 8 or 17 or 18 are incorporated into the independent claim 20.
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 extension fee 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 IQBAL ZAIDI whose telephone number is (571)270-3943. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon to Thu 8.a.m to 6.p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Q Ngo can be reached on 57-272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IQBAL ZAIDI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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