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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 20 April 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment, filed 20 April 2026, has been entered and carefully considered.
Claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 are amended.
Claims 2, 7, 12, 17 and 21-24 are canceled.
Claims 25-28 are newly added.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-11, 13-16, 18-20 and 25-28 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 20 April 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant states “Deng does not teach determining a repetition count N1 based on N, N2 and a preset condition, as recited in the independent claims)” and “In Deng's mechanism, the device simply receives a codepoint and retrieves the corresponding pair of values. The device in Deng does not determine the value of N1 based on N, N2, and a preset condition.” The Office respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s position. The claim language in the independent claims indicates “determining a value of N1 based on N, N2 and a preset condition” followed by descriptions of what the variables represent and a condition that the variables respectively meet. The claim language is silent as to how the value of N1 is actually determined (i.e., active steps undertaken in order to determine the value of N1). Rather, the claim language sets forth conditions that the value of N1 meets (greater than or equal to 1, N1*N2≤N), but not that an explicit calculation is performed in order to determine N1. The Office further notes that N1 is claimed as being “a maximum quantity of repetitions allowed when the data is repeatedly transmitted by using the TBoMS”, rather than the “repetition count” stated by Applicant. To this end, the Office submits that Deng, as presented below, meets the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim language, as currently drafted. For these reasons, the rejection of Claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) is maintained.
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.
Claims 25-28 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. Each of these claims recites (emphasis added by the Office) “N is a maximum quantity of repetitions allowed when data is repeatedly transmitted based on transmission of a transport block over a single slot.” However, independent Claims 1, 6, 11 and 16, upon which these claims respectively depend, recite (emphasis added by the Office) “when the data is repeatedly transmitted by using the TBoMS.” Therefore, it is not clear whether the data in Claims 25-28 is the same data transmitted in the independent claims. Turning to Applicant’s specification, paragraph 0251 describes transmitting a TB in a single slot, as compared to transmitting using the TBoMS; however, this paragraph does not describe transmitting the same data using both TBoMS and in a single slot, as now recited in Claims 25-28. Therefore, these claims are indefinite. For examination and search purposes, these claims will be treated as best understood by the Office.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-11, 13-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Deng et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 2023/0345432), hereinafter Deng.
Regarding Claim 11, Deng discloses a communication apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor (Figure 21 and paragraph 0252, the radio station (UE) comprises processor 210) configured to:
determine a value of N1 based on N, N2 and a preset condition, when data is transmitted by using a transport block over multiple slots (TBoMS) (Figure 4A and paragraphs 0088-0089 – transmission of a transport block over multiple slots; Figure 14 at steps 1410-1430, the user device determines availability of transport block processing over multiple slots that satisfy given constraints),
wherein the preset condition is: N1*N2≤N (paragraph 0085 at Table 1 - multiple values can be configured such that the number of slots is not larger than the number of repetitions; paragraph 0089 – parameters for the transmission, including repetitions, number of slots, and numbers of consecutive slots are configured),
N1 is a maximum quantity of repetitions allowed when the data is repeatedly transmitted by using the TBoMS, N1≥1, N1 is an integer (paragraphs 0088-0089 – the number of repetitions is 4, which is an integer and greater than or equal to 1),
N2 indicates a quantity of slots occupied by one transport block (TB) when the data is transmitted by using the TBoMS, N2≥2, N2 is an integer (paragraphs 0088-0089 – number of slots for the transmission is set to 2, which is an integer and greater than or equal to 2),
N is a preset value, and N is a positive integer (paragraph 0085 at Table 1 – utilizing a codepoint, the number of repetitions and number of slots is configured); and
perform a repeated transmission of the data based on the value of N1 (Figure 4A, configuration of repeated transmission of the transport block over multiple slots; Figure 14 at step 1440 – perform transmission based on the determined parameters).
Claim 1 is a method claim comprising the same steps as claimed as being performed by the communication apparatus in Claim 11. Therefore, Claim 1 is rejected using the same reasons as presented above for Claim 11.
Regarding Claims 3 and 13, Deng discloses N=32 (paragraph 0085 at Table 1 – the number of repetitions is 8 and the number of slots is 4, therefore N would equal 32).
Regarding Claims 4 and 14, Deng discloses:
receiving a first message from a network device, wherein the first message indicates to transmit the data by using the TBoMS (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots); and
receiving a second message from the network device, wherein the second message indicates a value of N2 (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots (N2)).
Regarding Claims 5 and 15, Deng discloses:
receiving a message from a network device, wherein the message comprises a value of N2 (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots (N2)); and
determining, based on the value of N2, to use the TBoMS to transmit the data (Figure 14 at step 1440 – perform transmission based on the determined parameters).
Regarding Claim 16, Deng discloses a communication apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor (Figure 21 and paragraph 0252, the radio station (base station) comprises processor 210) configured to:
determine a value of N1 based on N, N2 and a preset condition, when data is transmitted by using a transport block over multiple slots (TBoMS) (Figure 4A and paragraphs 0088-0089 – transmission of a transport block over multiple slots; Figure 14 at steps 1410-1430, the user device determines availability of transport block processing over multiple slots that satisfy given constraints),
wherein the preset condition is: N1*N2≤N (paragraph 0085 at Table 1 - multiple values can be configured such that the number of slots is not larger than the number of repetitions; paragraph 0089 – parameters for the transmission, including repetitions, number of slots, and numbers of consecutive slots are configured),
N1 is a maximum quantity of repetitions allowed when the data is repeatedly transmitted by using the TBoMS, N1≥1, N1 is an integer (paragraphs 0088-0089 – the number of repetitions is 4, which is an integer and greater than or equal to 1),
N2 indicates a quantity of slots occupied by one transport block (TB) when the data is transmitted by using the TBoMS, N2≥2, N2 is an integer (paragraphs 0088-0089 – number of slots for the transmission is set to 2, which is an integer and greater than or equal to 2),
N is a preset value, and N is a positive integer (paragraph 0085 at Table 1 – utilizing a codepoint, the number of repetitions and number of slots is configured); and
receive a repeated transmission of the data based on the value of N1 (Figure 4A, configuration of repeated transmission of the transport block over multiple slots; Figure 14 at step 1440 – the user device performs transmission based on the determined parameters).
Claim 6 is a method claim comprising the same steps as claimed as being performed by the communication apparatus in Claim 16. Therefore, Claim 6 is rejected using the same reasons as presented above for Claim 16.
Regarding Claims 8 and 18, Deng discloses N=32 (paragraph 0085 at Table 1 – the number of repetitions is 8 and the number of slots is 4, therefore N would equal 32).
Regarding Claim 9, Deng discloses:
sending a first message to a terminal device, wherein the first message directs the terminal device to transmit the data by using the TBoMS (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots); and
sending a second message to the terminal device, wherein the second message indicates a value of N2 (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots (N2)).
Regarding Claims 10 and 20, Deng discloses:
sending a message to a terminal device, wherein the message comprises the value of N2 and the value of N2 indicates to the terminal device to transmit the data by using the TBoMS (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots (N2); Figure 14 at step 1440 – the user device performs transmission based on the determined parameters).
Regarding Claim 19, Deng discloses:
send a first message to a terminal device, wherein the first message indicates to transmit the data by using the TBoMS (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots); and
send a second message to the terminal device, wherein the second message indicates device of a value of N2 (paragraph 0084 – RRC signaling is used to indicate a set of values for number of slots (N2)).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW W. CHRISS whose telephone number is (571)272-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kevin Bates can be reached at (571) 272-3980. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW W CHRISS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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