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 .
Applicant’s amendment filed 4/15/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-5,9, and 10 are amended.
Claims 14-17 are new.
Claims 1-17 are pending.
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) 1,4,7-9,12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini (US 20220086672) in view of Gaal (US 20210321416).
Re claim 1:
Abedini discloses a resource configuration method, comprising: sending, by an integrated access and backhaul central unit (IAB CU), first configuration information to an integrated access and backhaul distributed unit (IAB DU) (Fig.8 and Para.[0100] For example, a base station CU may configure a TDD configuration (e.g., a TDD pattern) with more uplink transmission time intervals (TTIs) (e.g., frames, subframes, slots, mini-slots, symbols, and/or the like) for a base station DU and Para.[0133] As further shown in FIG. 9, and by reference number 920, base station CU 910-1 may transmit information identifying the one or more resources (and, in some examples, the other parameters) to base station DU 905-1 and Para.[0113] The one or more resources may include one or more time-domain resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subframes, radio frames, and/or other time-domain resources), one or more frequency-domain resources (e.g., resource elements, resource blocks, frequency bands, subcarriers, and/or other frequency-domain resources), one or more transmission types (e.g., reference signals, CLI-received signal strength indicator (CLI-RSSI) transmissions)),
wherein the first configuration information comprises (Para.[0100] For example, a base station CU may configure a TDD configuration (e.g., a TDD pattern) with more uplink transmission time intervals (TTIs) (e.g., frames, subframes, slots, mini-slots, symbols, and/or the like) for a base station DU).
As shown above, Abedini discloses sending information about frequency resources and sending information about TDD configurations. Abedini does not explicitly disclose correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations, and each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to at least one TDD configuration.
Gaal discloses correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations, and each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to at least one TDD configuration (Para.[0005] In some cases, a baseline TDD configuration may be established for the set of frequency bands).
Abedini and Gaal are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include a correspondence between frequency sets and TDD configuration as taught by Gaal in order to improve asymmetric TDD coexistence (Gaal Para.[0005]).
Re claim 4: Claim 4 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 1 from the perspective of the IAB DU.
Re claim 7:
Abedini discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the first configuration information further comprises resource type information indicating a resource type of a frequency domain resource set corresponding to at least one TDD configuration (Para.[0122] The IAB nodes may exchange resource and/or configuration information as part of the IAB child-parent configuration, which may include the information associated with base station DU 805-2, as well as other information such as allocated DU cell resources (e.g. indicating Hard, Soft, Not-available and/or Uplink, Downlink, Flexible resources), resources and/or configurations of SSBs, reference signals, control resource sets (CORESETs), and/or other types of information).
Re claim 8:
Abedini discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the resource type comprises a hard resource, a soft resource, or a not available resource (Para.[0122] The IAB nodes may exchange resource and/or configuration information as part of the IAB child-parent configuration, which may include the information associated with base station DU 805-2, as well as other information such as allocated DU cell resources (e.g. indicating Hard, Soft, Not-available and/or Uplink, Downlink, Flexible resources), resources and/or configurations of SSBs, reference signals, control resource sets (CORESETs), and/or other types of information).
Re claim 9:
Abedini discloses sending, by an integrated access and backhaul central unit (IAB CU), first configuration information to a first integrated access and backhaul distributed unit (IAB DU) (Fig.8 and Para.[0133] As further shown in FIG. 9, and by reference number 920, base station CU 910-1 may transmit information identifying the one or more resources (and, in some examples, the other parameters) to base station DU 905-1 and Para.[0113] The one or more resources may include one or more time-domain resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subframes, radio frames, and/or other time-domain resources), one or more frequency-domain resources (e.g., resource elements, resource blocks, frequency bands, subcarriers, and/or other frequency-domain resources), one or more transmission types (e.g., reference signals, CLI-received signal strength indicator (CLI-RSSI) transmissions)),
wherein the first configuration information comprises (Para.[0114] In some aspects, the information associated with base station DU 805-2 includes a TDD configuration for one or more cells associated with base station DU 805-2 and Para.[0133] ] In some aspects, base station CU 910-1 transmits the information identifying the one or more resources to base station DU 905-1 in information associated with base station DU 905-2, as described above in connection with FIG. 8 – Examiner Note: DU ref. 805-2/905-2 is a neighboring node of DU ref. 805-1/905-1).
As shown above, Abedini discloses sending information about frequency resources and sending information about TDD configurations. Abedini does not explicitly disclose correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations.
As shown above, Abedini discloses sending information about frequency resources and sending information about TDD configurations. Abedini does not explicitly disclose correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations, and each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to at least one TDD configuration.
Gaal discloses correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations, and each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to at least one TDD configuration (Para.[0005] In some cases, a baseline TDD configuration may be established for the set of frequency bands).
Abedini and Gaal are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include a correspondence between frequency sets and TDD configuration as taught by Gaal in order to improve asymmetric TDD coexistence (Gaal Para.[0005]).
Re claim 12: Claim 12 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 7.
Re claim 13: Claim 13 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 8.
Re claim 14:
As discussed above, Abedini in view of Gaal meets all the limitations of the parent claims.
Abedini discloses the method of claim 1, the method further comprising: sending, by the IAB CU, second configuration information that comprises (Para.[0114] In some aspects, the information associated with base station DU 805-2 includes a TDD configuration for one or more cells associated with base station DU 805-2 and Para.[0133] ] In some aspects, base station CU 910-1 transmits the information identifying the one or more resources to base station DU 905-1 in information associated with base station DU 905-2, as described above in connection with FIG. 8 – Examiner Note: DU ref. 805-2/905-2 is a neighboring node of DU ref. 805-1/905-1).
As shown above, Abedini discloses sending information about frequency resources and sending information about TDD configurations. Abedini does not explicitly disclose correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations, and each second frequency domain resource set in the plurality of second frequency domain resource sets corresponds to at least one TDD configuration.
Gaal discloses correspondences between a plurality of frequency domain resource sets and TDD configurations, and each second frequency domain resource set in the plurality of second frequency domain resource sets corresponds to at least one TDD configuration (Para.[0005] In some cases, a baseline TDD configuration may be established for the set of frequency bands).
Abedini and Gaal are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include a correspondence between frequency sets and TDD configuration as taught by Gaal in order to improve asymmetric TDD coexistence (Gaal Para.[0005]).
Re claim 15:
As discussed above, Abedini in view of Gaal meets all the limitations of the parent claims.
Abedini does not explicitly disclose the method of claim 1, wherein each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a first format and one TDD configuration in a second format, wherein a configuration period of the TDD configuration in the first format begins with a downlink slot or a downlink time domain symbol, and a configuration period of the TDD configuration in the second format begins with an uplink slot or an uplink time domain symbol.
As shown above, Abedini discloses sending information about frequency resources and sending information about TDD configurations. Abedini does not explicitly disclose the method of claim 1, wherein each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a first format and one TDD configuration in a second format, wherein a configuration period of the TDD configuration in the first format begins with a downlink slot or a downlink time domain symbol, and a configuration period of the TDD configuration in the second format begins with an uplink slot or an uplink time domain symbol.
Gaal discloses the method of claim 1, wherein each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a first format and one TDD configuration in a second format, wherein a configuration period of the TDD configuration in the first format begins with a downlink slot or a downlink time domain symbol, and a configuration period of the TDD configuration in the second format begins with an uplink slot or an uplink time domain symbol (Para.[0005] In some cases, a baseline TDD configuration may be established for the set of frequency bands and Fig. 5 ref. Baseline TDD Config and Identified TDD Config and ref. 520-a in the first flexible slot is downlink in the first format and ref. 545-a in the first flexible slot is downlink in the second format).
Abedini and Gaal are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include a configuration period begins with an uplink slot as taught by Gaal in order to improve asymmetric TDD coexistence (Gaal Para.[0005]).
Re claim 16: Claim 16 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 15.
Re claim 17: Claim 17 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 15.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini (US 20220086672) in view of Gaal (US 20210321416) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Abedini2 (US 20220182130).
Re claim 2:
As discussed above, Abedini in view of Gaal meets all the limitations of the parent claims.
Abedini does not explicitly disclose each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a first format, a first type of TDD configuration in a second format, and a second type of TDD configuration in a second format, the first type of TDD configuration in the second format is used for spatial multiplexing transmission between each frequency domain resource set and an integrated access and backhaul mobile terminal (IAB MT), and the second type of TDD configuration in the second format is used for full-duplex multiplexing transmission between each frequency domain resource set and the IAB MT.
Abedini2 discloses each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a first format, a first type of TDD configuration in a second format, and a second type of TDD configuration in a second format, the first type of TDD configuration in the second format is used for spatial multiplexing transmission between each frequency domain resource set and an integrated access and backhaul mobile terminal (IAB MT), and the second type of TDD configuration in the second format is used for full-duplex multiplexing transmission between each frequency domain resource set and the IAB MT (Para.[0148] In an example, the control information can include one or more TDD patterns for providing the repeater function for the two or more upstream nodes in TDD (or in other multiplexing schemes, such as half/full duplex SDM) and Para.[0045] an upstream integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, which may include a centralized unit (CU) or distributed unit (DU), etc. An JAB node, for example, may be a node that has an access node (AN) function (AN-F), or a DU, and a UE function (UE-F), or a mobile termination (MT)).
Abedini and Abedini2 are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to different TDD patterns for different multiplexing schemes as taught by Abedini2 in order to improve quality of communication between nodes (Abedini2 Para.[0005]).
Claim(s) 3,5,6,10, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini (US 20220086672) in view of Gaal (US 20210321416) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of You (US 20240388413).
Re claim 3:
As discussed above, Abedini in view of Gaal meets all the limitations of the parent claims.
Abedini does not explicitly disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resource sets are a plurality of resource block (RB) sets of a cell of the IAB DU.
You discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resource sets are a plurality of resource block (RB) sets of a cell of the IAB DU (Para.[0285] At this time, information about frequency resources that the UE can use in a specific slot is additionally set. For this purpose, for example. ‘resourceBlocks’ is added to the TDD-UL-DL-SlotConfig of TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated IE, and ‘resourceBlocks’ sets information about the frequency resources available in the slot indicated by ‘slotIndex’ and Para.[0179] Hereinafter, the network may be interpreted as being replaced with a base station or CU (Centralized Unit)/DU (Distributed Unit). Additionally, the UE may be interpreted as being replaced by the MT (mobile terminal) of the IAB node).
Abedini and You are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include resource blocks as taught by You in order to prevent unnecessary interference and increase communication efficiency (You Para.[0015]).
Re claim 5:
As discussed above, Abedini in view of Gaal meets all the limitations of the parent claims.
Abedini does not explicitly disclose the method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resource sets correspond to a same TDD configuration in a first format, and each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a second format.
You discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resource sets correspond to a same TDD configuration in a first format, and each frequency domain resource set in the plurality of frequency domain resource sets corresponds to one TDD configuration in a second format (Para.[0365] When a plurality of BWPs are configured for a UE, independent DL/UL resource configurations can be applied to each BWP. These DL/UL resource configurations may more specifically mean TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon and/or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated – Examiner Note: the common configuration is “a same TDD configuration in a first format” because the common configuration is for a cell and the Dedicated configuration is a TDD configuration in a second format).
Abedini and You are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include a same TDD configuration and a TDD configuration in a second format as taught by You in order to prevent unnecessary interference and increase communication efficiency (You Para.[0015]).
Re claim 6: Claim 6 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 3.
Re claim 10: Claim 10 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 5.
Re claim 11: Claim 11 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 3.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD SAJID ADHAMI whose telephone number is (571)272-8615. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sujoy Kundu can be reached at (571) 272-8586. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMMAD S ADHAMI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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