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
Applicant’s reply filed on 02/12/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-7, 11-17, and 20-24 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-7, 11-17, and 20-24-are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al., US2023/0370209A1, (“Wang”).
Regarding independent claim 1:
Wang discloses a method comprising:
determining, by a wireless communication device (e.g., Fig. 2, 120) in response to an event, to delay sending of uplink control information (UCI), by sending the UCI in a valid second physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource determined according to at least one configuration, instead of sending the UCI in an indicated first PUCCH resource that is invalid and prior to the valid second PUCCH resource (e.g., Fig. 8, 810, [0050], “The terminal device 120 determines (320) whether a first resource for transmission of a first HARQ feedback for the first SPS downlink transmission is available or unavailable…If it is determined that the first resource is unavailable, the terminal device 120 determines (330) a second resource subsequent to the first resource in time domain,” [0051], [0055], [0058], “find the minimum integer m > 0 such that slot n+k1+m has PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK feedback for SPS PDSCH, where the HARQ-ACK has same priority with priority with HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH on slot n,” [0107], “Find the minimum integer m >= 0 such that slot n+k1+m × P has PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK feedback…if m > 0 AND PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH in slot n+m × P not collides with DL symbol/flexible symbol,” (valid PUCCH resource), see [0084], [0088], [0100], [0107], and [0112] for different examples for determining valid HARQ resource as related to Fig. 4A, 4F, 4H, 4I, and 4J); and
determining, by the wireless communication device, the valid second PUCCH resource from a plurality of candidate PUCCH resources, according to the at least one configuration (e.g., [0052], “the second resource is the earliest available resource among resources configured for transmission of a second HARQ feedback,” [0058], “The first SPS PDSCH indicated by active DCI is received on slot n1, k1 is HARQ timing indicated in DCI or configured by RRC…find the minimum integer m > 0 such that slot n+k1+m has PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK feedback for SPS PDSCH”),
wherein the valid PUCCH resource is in a slot with a transmission of another UCI; concatenating, by the wireless communication device, the UCI with the another UCI to produce a concatenated UCI (e.g., [0057], [0066], [0067], [0082], [0085], HARQ-ACK codebook, Fig. 4C and 4D);
determining, by the wireless communication device, a valid third PUCCH resource in the slot, according to at least one of indication information or the concatenated UCI; and transmitting, by the wireless communication device to a wireless communication node, the concatenated UCI in the valid third PUCCH resource (e.g., [0055]-[0057], [0073]-[0075], [0080]-[0082], [0085], [0149]-[0152], [0184]-[0186], Fig. 4E-4G, transmitting the postponed HARQ feedback with another HARQ feedback in a HARQ-ACK codebook).
Regarding claim 2:
Wang further discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the UCI comprises at least one of: hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, channel state information (CSI), or scheduling request (SR) information (e.g., [0051]).
Regarding claim 3:
Wang further discloses the method of claim 1, wherein determining the valid second PUCCH resources according to the at least one configuration includes determining the valid PUCCH resource according to at least one of: a condition, a rule, an indication or an instruction, to apply or use in determining the valid second PUCCH resource (e.g., [0058], [0084], [0100], [0107], and [0112]).
Regarding claim 4:
Wang further discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises at least one of: determining, by the wireless communication device, that the indicated PUCCH resource is invalid for sending the UCI, wherein the indicated PUCCH resource that is invalid comprises a PUCCH resource overlapping with one or more downlink symbols, or a PUCCH resource overlapping with one or more symbols not configured to transmit PUCCH resources (e.g., [0107]).
Regarding claim 5:
Wang further discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration includes at least one of: a first configuration to determine a set of PUCCH resources from which to select the valid second PUCCH resource (e.g., [0058], [0084], [0100], [0107], and [0112]), a second configuration to determine a set of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols from which to select for the valid second PUCCH resource, or a third configuration to select the valid PUCCH resource according to at least one of: a size of the UCI, an end or start symbol of the valid second PUCCH resource, a format of the valid PUCCH resource, a number of symbols in the valid PUCCH resource, or a configuration of the indicated first PUCCH resource.
Regarding claim 6:
Wang further discloses the method of claim 5, comprising: determining, by the wireless communication device according to the first configuration, that the set of PUCCH resources from which to select the valid PUCCH resource comprises: a first set of PUCCH resources configured for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration, a second set of PUCCH resources configured for dynamic physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or the first set of PUCCH resources and the second set of PUCCH resources ([e.g., [0052]-[0058], [0080]-[0084], [0088]).
Regarding claim 7:
Wang further discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the second set of PUCCH resources is configured by a PUCCH-ResourceSet parameter (e.g., [0088], [0144]).
Regarding independent claim 11:
Wang further discloses an apparatus (e.g., Fig. 12, 1200) comprising: at least one processor (Fig. 12, 1210); and a memory (Fig. 12, 1220) storing executable instructions, the executable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to: determine, in response to an event, to delay sending of uplink control information (UCI), by sending the UCI in a valid second physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource determined according to at least one configuration, instead of sending the UCI in an indicated first PUCCH resource that is invalid and prior to the valid PUCCH; and determine the valid PUCCH resource from a plurality of candidate PUCCH resources, according to the at least one configuration, wherein the valid second PUCCH resource is in a slot with a transmission of another UCI; concatenate the UCI with the another UCI, to produce a concatenated UCI; determine a valid third PUCCH resource in the slot, according to at least one of indication information or the concatenated UCI; and transmit, to a wireless communication node, the concatenated UCI in the valid third PUCCH resource. (See similar features in rejection of independent claim 1.)
Regarding claims 12-17:
See rejections of claims 2-7 which include similar features.
Regarding independent claim 20:
Wang discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions (e.g., Fig. 12, 1220), which when executed by at least one processor (Fig. 12, 1210), cause the at least one processor to perform the method recited in claim 1. (See similar features in rejection of independent claim 1.)
Regarding new claims 21-24:
See rejections for similar features with respect to claims 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Response to Arguments
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 over Wang
Applicant's arguments with respect to amended claim 1 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The present rejection of claim 1 has shown Wang discloses every limitation of claim 1 as amended.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/BO HUI A ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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