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 .
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 (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 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, 5, 9 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li [US 2020/0021420] in view of Reddy [US 2021/0135815].
As claims 1 and 9, Li [US 2020/0021420] discloses a method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: determining whether a bandwidth of a frequency band operated by the base station is narrower than a preconfigured bandwidth [Par. 0018, 0054, 0281, 0294, 0298, 0301, 0391, 0434 discloses a base station is configured with table 1 and 2 of par. 0294, wherein the base station selects bandwidth part such as synchronization signal “operation bandwidth between the UE and base station” for UE “5Mhz”. It must be less than the carrier bandwidth of the base station “20 Mhz”]; in a case that the bandwidth is narrower than the preconfigured bandwidth [Par. 0018, 0054, 0281, 0294, 0298, 0301, 0391, 0434 discloses a base station is configured with table 1 and 2 of par, 0294, wherein the base station select bandwidth part “BWP is operation bandwidth between the UE and base station” for UE “5Mhz”. It must be less than the carrier bandwidth of the base station “20 Mhz”, the BWP is less than the carrier bandwidth], determining a subcarrier spacing that is smaller than a preconfigured subcarrier spacing wherein the determined subcarrier spacing is lower than 15 kHz [Fig 12, Ref 1204, Par. 0342, 0344, 0353-0360 discloses in table 5 and Par. 0357-0359 when the carrier bandwidth which is 20 MHZ mapped to a subcarrier spacing “SCS” set which includes {3.75, 7.5, 15, 30 and 60 Khz}, the base station select an appropriated SCS which is less than maximum SCS for BWP such as 7.5 Khz, Par. 0342, 0348, the BWP is SS BWP for transmitting SSB, Par. 0351]. However, Li fails to disclose generating a synchronization signal block by using the determined subcarrier spacing; and transmitting the synchronization signal block. In the same field of endeavor, Reddy [US 2021/0135815] discloses generating a synchronization signal block by using the determined subcarrier spacing [Fig 12, Ref 1202 discloses generating SSB based on SCS]; and transmitting the synchronization signal block [Fig 12, Ref 1204].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for generating SSB based on SCS for transmitting as disclosed by Reddy [US 2021/0135815] into the teaching of Li [US 2020/0021420]. The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
As claims 5 and 13, Li [US 2020/0021420] discloses a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: determining whether a bandwidth of a frequency band accessed by the terminal is narrower than a preconfigured bandwidth [Par. 0018, 0054, 0281, 0294, 0298, 0301, 0391, 0434 discloses a base station is configured with table 1 and 2 of par, 0294, wherein the base station select bandwidth part such as synchronization signal “operation bandwidth between the UE and base station” for UE “5Mhz”. It must be less than the carrier bandwidth of the base station “20 Mhz” wherein the maximum is 20 Mhz and minimum is 5 Mhz, Par. 0361-0364 discloses UE and BS use the same method to determine SCS based on the trigger of current using bandwidth is less than carrier bandwidth]; in a case that the bandwidth is narrower than the preconfigured bandwidth [Par. 0018, 0054, 0281, 0294, 0298, 0301, 0391, 0434 discloses a base station is configured with table 1 and 2 of par, 0294, wherein the base station select bandwidth part “BWP is operation bandwidth between the UE and base station” for UE “5Mhz”. It must be less than the carrier bandwidth of the base station “20 Mhz”, the BWP is less than the carrier bandwidth], determining a subcarrier spacing that is smaller than a preconfigured subcarrier spacing wherein the determined subcarrier spacing is lower than 15 kHz [Fig 12, Ref 1204, Par. 0342, 0344, 0353-0360 discloses in table 5 and Par. 0357-0359 when the carrier bandwidth which is 20 MHZ mapped to a subcarrier spacing “SCS” set which includes {3.75, 7.5, 15, 30 and 60 Khz}, the base station select an appropriated SCS which is less than maximum SCS for BWP such as 7.5 Khz, Par. 0342, 0348, the BWP is SS BWP for transmitting SSB, Par. 0351]. However, Li fails to disclose obtaining a synchronization signal block by using the determined subcarrier spacing. In the same field of endeavor, Reddy [US 2021/0135815] discloses obtaining a synchronization signal block by using the determined subcarrier spacing [Fig 3 discloses receiver for receiving SSB from the transmitter].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for obtaining SSB based on SCS as disclosed by Reddy [US 2021/0135815] into the teaching of Li [US 2020/0021420]. The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
Claim(s) 2, 6, 10 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] as applied to claims 13 above, and further in view of Matsumura [US 2021/0227558].
As claims 2, 6, 10 and 14, Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] fail to discloses what Matsumura [US 2021/0227558] discloses a control resource set for a system information block 1 is determined based on a master information block of the synchronization signal block [Par. 0030] and the determined subcarrier spacing [Par. 0177].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system comprising a control resource set for a system information block 1 is determined based on a master information block of the synchronization signal block and the determined subcarrier spacing as disclosed by Matsumura [US 2021/0227558] into the teaching of Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] . The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
Claim(s) 3, 7 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] as applied to claims 13 above, and further in view of Luo [US 2018/0242324].
As claims 3, 7 and 11, Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] fail to discloses what Luo [US 2018/0242324] discloses a first symbol to which a primary synchronization signal of the synchronization signal block is mapped, a second symbol to which a secondary synchronization signal is mapped, and a third symbol to which a physical broadcast channel is mapped are located discontinuously [Par. 0058 discloses PSS, SSS and PBCH is non-consecutive].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system comprising a first symbol to which a primary synchronization signal of the synchronization signal block is mapped, a second symbol to which a secondary synchronization signal is mapped, and a third symbol to which a physical broadcast channel is mapped are located discontinuously as disclosed by Luo [US 2018/0242324] into the teaching of Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] . The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
Claim(s) 4, 8 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] as applied to claims 13 above, and further in view of Kim [USP 2020/0280940].
As claims 4, 8 and 12, Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] fail to discloses what Kim [USP 2020/0280940] discloses in a case that the determined subcarrier spacing is lower than 15 kHz [Par. 0049 discloses SCS is 7.5 Khz], a maximum number of synchronization signal blocks which are configured to be mapped to a half frame is 1 or 2 [Fig 23, half frame includes 2 SSBs and Par. 0585], and a minimum transmission period of the synchronization signal block is 10 ms or greater [Fig 26 discloses N which is window for transmitting SSB is 10ms or greater, Par. 0519].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system comprising in a case that the determined subcarrier spacing is lower than 15 kHz, a maximum number of synchronization signal blocks which are configured to be mapped to a half frame is 1 or 2, and a minimum transmission period of the synchronization signal block is 10 ms or greater as disclosed by Kim into the teaching of Li and Reddy. The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] as applied to claims 13 above, and further in view of Luo [US 2018/0242324] and Kim [USP 2020/0280940].
As claim 15, Li [US 2020/0021420] and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] fail to discloses what Luo [US 2018/0242324] discloses a first symbol to which a primary synchronization signal of the synchronization signal block is mapped, a second symbol to which a secondary synchronization signal is mapped, and a third symbol to which a physical broadcast channel is mapped are located discontinuously [Par. 0058 discloses PSS, SSS and PBCH are non-consecutive]. However, Li [US 2020/0021420], Lou and Reddy [US 2021/0135815] fail to discloses what Kim [USP 2020/0280940] discloses in a case that the determined subcarrier spacing is lower than 15 kHz [Par. 0049 discloses SCS is 7.5 Khz], a maximum number of synchronization signal blocks which are configured to be mapped to a half frame is 1 or 2 [Fig 23, half frame includes 2 SSBs and Par. 0585], and a minimum transmission period of the synchronization signal block is 10 ms or greater [Fig 26 discloses N which is window for transmitting SSB is 10ms or greater, Par. 0519].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system comprising in a case that the determined subcarrier spacing is lower than 15 kHz, a maximum number of synchronization signal blocks which are configured to be mapped to a half frame is 1 or 2, and a minimum transmission period of the synchronization signal block is 10 ms or greater as disclosed by Kim into the teaching of Lou comprising a first symbol to which a primary synchronization signal of the synchronization signal block is mapped, a second symbol to which a secondary synchronization signal is mapped, and a third symbol to which a physical broadcast channel is mapped are located discontinuously into the teaching of Li and Reddy. The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu [US 2019/0098591] discloses a method and device comprising determining, by a base station, a first subcarrier spacing corresponding to UE; and notifying, by the base station, the UE of the first subcarrier spacing. In the embodiments of this application, the UE may accurately learn of, in a multi-subcarrier-spacing system, a subcarrier spacing used for data transmission, and then perform data transmission. This can effectively ensure that the UE performs a corresponding service, thereby meeting a corresponding service requirement.
Shvodian [US 2023/0052535] discloses a method and device comprising determining that a spectrum block allocated to a sector has a bandwidth that is narrower than a threshold bandwidth, wherein the threshold bandwidth is based on a size of a synchronization signal block (SSB), configuring the spectrum block as a narrow bandwidth carrier, performing carrier aggregation with the narrow bandwidth carrier as a secondary component carrier aggregated with the primary component carrier, and scheduling the SSB within the primary component carrier.
Wu [US 2019/0166659] discloses a method is based on data transmission in a multi-parameter system, where a plurality of parameters include a subcarrier spacing. The method includes: sending, by the multi-parameter system, data over a physical channel or a physical signal by using at least one subcarrier spacing.
Tiirola [US 2021/0112552] discloses an apparatus of a communications network system provides (S11) a bandwidth part with a subcarrier spacing of 3.75*2.sup.M kHz, M being a value of 0 or 1, determines (S12) a resource allocation granularity for the bandwidth part, and performs (S13) resource allocation of allocating resource blocks of the bandwidth part based on the determined resource allocation granularity.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3159. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414