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 .
1. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The Information Disclosure Statements dated 05/07/2025 are acknowledged by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
4. Claims 2, 5, 7-8, 10-11 and 13-15 are objected to because of the following informalities: Reciting “and/or” which should read “and” or “or”. 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.
5. Claims 1-20 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.
Claims 1-20 recite “an initial BWP independently configured by the network-side device for a first target terminal” however the claim does not recite what it is independent from. The Examiner is unable to determine if the initial BWP is independently configured from:
a). a second target terminal
b). second initial BWP
c). something else altogether different
For these reasons, claim 1-20 are indefinite. For examination purposes, the Examiner interprets “an initial BWP independently configured by the network-side device for a first target terminal” is configured independently based on device type. A first-type device would have an initial BWP that is independent of the initial BWP for a second-type device (see Chen et al, US 2022/0330133, [0179]-[0180]).
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 factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
6. Claim(s) 1 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al, US 2022/0330133 (as cited in the IDS dated 05/07/2025) hereafter Chen in view of Li et al, US 2023/0110787 hereafter Li.
As for claim 1, Chen discloses:
A method for obtaining an initial bandwidth part configuration, comprising:
monitoring, by a first target terminal, a cell-defining synchronization signal block CD-SSB ([0023], [0099], [0102], [0108, Receiving/monitoring by a terminal device a broadcast in a cell-defined SSB) and
obtaining target system information associated with the CD-SSB ([0099], [0108]: Synchronization signal block (SSB) may be classified into a cell-defined SSB and a non-cell-defined SSB. The cell-defined SSB indicates that the SSB defines a cell); and
obtaining, by the first target terminal by decoding the target system information ([0144], The terminal device reads/decodes system information of a cell, and obtains parameters),
a first initial bandwidth part BWP configured by a network-side device (Chen, [0019], A network device sends first indication information to a terminal device, where the first indication information indicates information about an initial bandwidth part of a first cell),
wherein the first initial BWP is an initial BWP independently configured by the network device for the first target terminal ([0179]-[0180], Only the type of the bandwidth that is of the initial BWP and that supports camping of the second-type/first-type terminal device may be indicated).
Chen does not explicitly disclose a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal.
However, Li discloses a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal (Li, [0003], [0132], A bandwidth of an initial BWP configured in the SIB 1 meets a maximum bandwidth condition supported by the terminal device, that is, the bandwidth of the initial BWP is less than the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal device).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Chen with a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal as taught by Li to provide improved initial access flexibility and access efficiency of the terminal device (Li, [0014]).
As for claim 18, Chen discloses:
A method for configuring an initial bandwidth part, comprising:
transmitting, by a network-side device, configuration information of a first initial BWP in target system information associated with a CD-SSB ([0023], [0099], [0102], [0108, Transmitting by the network device a broadcast in a cell-defined SSB);
wherein the first initial BWP is an initial BWP independently configured by the network-side device for a first target terminal ([0179]-[0180], Only the type of the bandwidth that is of the initial BWP and that supports camping of the second-type/first-type terminal device may be indicated).
Chen does not explicitly disclose a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal.
However, Li discloses a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal (Li, [0003], [0132], A bandwidth of an initial BWP configured in the SIB 1 meets a maximum bandwidth condition supported by the terminal device, that is, the bandwidth of the initial BWP is less than the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal device).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Chen with a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal as taught by Li to provide improved initial access flexibility and access efficiency of the terminal device (Li, [0014]).
As for claim 19, Chen discloses:
A terminal, comprising a processor, a memory (Chen, [0088], Fig. 1, The terminal device), and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the program or the instructions are executed by the processor, the following steps of a method for obtaining an initial bandwidth part configuration are implemented:
monitoring, by a first target terminal, a cell-defining synchronization signal block CD-SSB ([0023], [0099], [0102], [0108, Receiving/monitoring by a terminal device a broadcast in a cell-defined SSB) and
obtaining target system information associated with the CD-SSB ([0099], [0108]: Synchronization signal block (SSB) may be classified into a cell-defined SSB and a non-cell-defined SSB. The cell-defined SSB indicates that the SSB defines a cell); and
obtaining, by the first target terminal by decoding the target system information ([0144], The terminal device reads/decodes system information of a cell, and obtains parameters),
a first initial bandwidth part BWP configured by a network-side device (Chen, [0019], A network device sends first indication information to a terminal device, where the first indication information indicates information about an initial bandwidth part of a first cell),
wherein the first initial BWP is an initial BWP independently configured by the network device for the first target terminal ([0179]-[0180], Only the type of the bandwidth that is of the initial BWP and that supports camping of the second-type/first-type terminal device may be indicated).
Chen does not explicitly disclose a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal.
However, Li discloses a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal (Li, [0003], [0132], A bandwidth of an initial BWP configured in the SIB 1 meets a maximum bandwidth condition supported by the terminal device, that is, the bandwidth of the initial BWP is less than the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal device).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Chen with a bandwidth of the first initial BWP does not exceed a maximum bandwidth capability supported by the first target terminal as taught by Li to provide improved initial access flexibility and access efficiency of the terminal device (Li, [0014]).
As for claim 20, Chen discloses:
A network-side device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the program or the instructions are executed by the processor (Chen, [0088], Fig. 1, The network device may include one or more antennas. In addition, the network device may additionally include a transmitter chain and a receiver chain. A person of ordinary skill in the art may understand that the transmitter chain and the receiver chain each may include a plurality of components (such as a processor, a modulator, a multiplexer, a demodulator, a demultiplexer, or an antenna) related to signal sending and receiving.), the steps of the method for configuring an initial bandwidth part according to claim 18 are implemented.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 2-17 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.
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 2022/0232640 discloses [0174] the R-UE may not be greater than or equal to the bandwidth of the initial BWP in which the maximum UL channel bandwidth or the maximum DL channel bandwidth is supported.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENEE HOLLAND whose telephone number is (571)270-7196. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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JENEE HOLLAND
Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/JENEE HOLLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469