DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
PRIOR ART
The following references are prior art:
1. Appl. No.: 18/530,835 (“Awadin”) is prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) since it published as US 2024/0260018 A1, names another inventor (Mohamed AWADIN) and was filed Dec. 6, 2023 (provisional filed Jan. 31, 2023) before Jan. 19, 2024 the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
CLAIM REJECTIONS — 35 U.S.C. 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
35 U.S.C. 102 Conditions for patentability; novelty.
(a) NOVELTY; PRIOR ART.—A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—
(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
CLAIMS 1-20
Claims 1- 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Awadin for the reasons given below.
Claim 1
With respect to claim 1, Awadin disclosed:
A user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories ([0034] FIG. 1 illustrates a transmitting device or a receiving device in a communication system, according to an embodiment. [0035] Referring to FIG. 1, the device 100 may be a UE (e.g., a client device) or a gNB and includes a controller module 101 (e.g., a processor), a storage module 102, and an antenna module 103. [0037] The controller module 101 may include at least one processor and may execute instructions that are stored in the storage module 102)
and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a first message identifying a duplexing pattern that allocates a first subband for uplink communications and a second subband for flexible communications during subband full-duplex time periods ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0071] On the other hand, if the surrounding RBs have the flexibility for either DL reception or UL transmission, the gNB maintains the responsibility to instruct the UE regarding the operations to be executed within this set. [0072] FIG. 5 is a resource grid illustrating switching behavior for a UL subband in symbols configured as "F", according to an embodiment. [0073] In a first scenario, as depicted in (a) of FIG. 5, the UE switches from transmitting within the UL subband, specified in symbols denoted with "F", to a mode where it exclusively receives data within the neighboring RBs in the DL BWP. [0122] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method for overriding UL subband configurations in a UE, according to an embodiment. Some or all of the steps shown in FIG. 11 may be performed by a transmitting or receiving device, such as that which is shown in FIG. 1. [0123] Referring to FIG. 11, in step 1101, the UE is configured with a first UL subband configuration. The first UL subband configuration may be for communicating with an external device. The first UL subband configuration may designate a first RB inside of a subband for the UE to perform UL transmission.);
receive a second message identifying a modified duplexing pattern, wherein the modified duplexing pattern allocates a subset of the subband full-duplex time periods for the uplink communications or for downlink communications ([0071] the gNB maintains the responsibility to instruct the UE regarding the operations to be executed within this set. [0076] The gNB possesses the capability to signal to the UE the specific scenario ((a), (b), or (c) of FIG. 5) to implement. Depending on the indicated scenario, the UE will adopt a certain behavior. For instance, in the situation represented by (a) of FIG. 5, the UE prepares itself to receive DL transmissions that are confined within the DL BWP either directly related to the UL subband or associated with the UL BWP encompassing the UL subband. [0077] in the case of (b) of FIG. 5, the UE may anticipate the reception of DL transmissions within the RBs of the UL subband, implying a potential cancelation of the UL sub band. [0078] in the case of ( c) of FIG. 5, the UE's transmissions in the UL are confined within the UL BWP directly associated with the UL subband or associated with the DL BWP containing the UL subband, e.g., the UL BWP-DL BWP pair that has the same Id. This may be equivalent to expanding the UL sub band to cover the whole ULBWP. [0124] In step 1102, the UE may receive a DL signal indication. The DL signal indication may be received in accordance with one or more of the aforementioned methods (e.g., RRC, L1 signaling, MAC CE, etc.). [0079] The transmission of the indication ( or instruction) of which approach to apply may use any of the aforementioned solutions for the UL subband in symbols labeled as "D". [0125] In step 1103, the UE overrides the first UL subband configuration with a second UL sub band configuration based on the DL signal indication. The second subband configuration may designate a first communication configuration of the first RB inside of the subband and a second communication configuration of a second RB outside of the sub band.);
and perform, during one or more subband full-duplex time periods in the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods, the uplink communications or the downlink communications in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern, wherein the uplink communications or the downlink communications are performed in one or both of the first subband and in the second subband ([0076] The gNB possesses the capability to signal to the UE the specific scenario ((a), (b), or (c) of FIG. 5) to implement. Depending on the indicated scenario, the UE will adopt a certain behavior. For instance, in the situation represented by (a) of FIG. 5, the UE prepares itself to receive DL transmissions that are confined within the DL BWP either directly related to the UL subband or associated with the UL BWP encompassing the UL subband. [0077] in the case of (b) of FIG. 5, the UE may anticipate the reception of DL transmissions within the RBs of the UL subband, implying a potential cancelation of the UL sub band. [0078] in the case of ( c) of FIG. 5, the UE's transmissions in the UL are confined within the UL BWP directly associated with the UL subband or associated with the DL BWP containing the UL subband, e.g., the UL BWP-DL BWP pair that has the same Id. This may be equivalent to expanding the UL sub band to cover the whole ULBWP. [0124] In step 1102, the UE may receive a DL signal indication. The DL signal indication may be received in accordance with one or more of the aforementioned methods (e.g., RRC, L1 signaling, MAC CE, etc.). [0125] In step 1103, the UE overrides the first UL subband configuration with a second UL sub band configuration based on the DL signal indication. The second subband configuration may designate a first communication configuration of the first RB inside of the subband and a second communication configuration of a second RB outside of the sub band.).
Claim 2
With respect to claim 2, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the downlink communications in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0074] In a second scenario, as depicted in (b) of FIG. 5, the UE, after transmitting within the UL subband, switches to receive across all RBs confined within the DL BWP. [0077] On the other hand, in the case of (b) of FIG. 5, the UE may anticipate the reception of DL transmissions within the RBs of the UL subband, implying a potential cancelation of the UL sub band).
Claim 3
With respect to claim 3, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform second uplink communications in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0075] In a third scenario, illustrated in (c) of FIG. 5, the UE switches from transmitting within the UL subband to broadcasting across all RBs confined within its UL BWP. [0078] Furthermore, in the case of ( c) of FIG. 5, the UE's transmissions in the UL are confined within the UL BWP directly associated with the UL subband or associated with the DL BWP containing the UL subband, e.g., the UL BWP-DL BWP pair that has the same Id. This may be equivalent to expanding the UL sub band to cover the whole ULBWP.).
Claim 4
With respect to claim 4, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the downlink communications in the first subband and in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0074] In a second scenario, as depicted in (b) of FIG. 5, the UE, after transmitting within the UL subband, switches to receive across all RBs confined within the DL BWP. [0077] On the other hand, in the case of (b) of FIG. 5, the UE may anticipate the reception of DL transmissions within the RBs of the UL subband, implying a potential cancelation of the UL sub band.).
Claim 5
With respect to claim 5, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 4 (see rejection above),
wherein, to perform the downlink communications, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: combine the first subband and the second subband to form a downlink frequency band during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods ([0007] switching from transmitting in the UL portion of D-U-D of the symbols configured with UL subband to receiving in the DL portion of DL-DL-DL (D-D-D) of the symbols configured with UL subband which is equivalent to converting the UL subband to DL subband. [0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0074] In a second scenario, as depicted in (b) of FIG. 5, the UE, after transmitting within the UL subband, switches to receive across all RBs confined within the DL BWP. [0077] On the other hand, in the case of (b) of FIG. 5, the UE may anticipate the reception of DL transmissions within the RBs of the UL subband, implying a potential cancelation of the UL sub band).
Claim 6
With respect to claim 6, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 4 (see rejection above),
wherein, to perform the uplink communications, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: combine the first subband and the second subband to form an uplink frequency band during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods ([0007] shifting from transmitting in the UL portion of D-U-D of the symbols configured with UL subband to transmitting in the UL portion of UL-UL-UL (U-U-U) of the symbols configured with UL subband which is equivalent to converting the DL subbands to UL subbands [0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0075] In a third scenario, illustrated in (c) of FIG. 5, the UE switches from transmitting within the UL subband to broadcasting across all RBs confined within its UL BWP. [0078] Furthermore, in the case of ( c) of FIG. 5, the UE's transmissions in the UL are confined within the UL BWP directly associated with the UL subband or associated with the DL BWP containing the UL subband, e.g., the UL BWP-DL BWP pair that has the same Id. This may be equivalent to expanding the UL sub band to cover the whole UL BWP.).
Claim 7
With respect to claim 7, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the uplink communications in the first subband and in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0078] Furthermore, in the case of ( c) of FIG. 5, the UE's transmissions in the UL are confined within the UL BWP directly associated with the UL subband or associated with the DL BWP containing the UL subband, e.g., the UL BWP-DL BWP pair that has the same Id. This may be equivalent to expanding the UL sub band to cover the whole ULBWP.).
Claim 8
With respect to claim 8, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the uplink communications in the first subband and maintaining the second subband for the flexible communications during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0079] it may be beneficial to have a predefined duration, e.g., provided in a predefined specification, from the instance of receiving the indication for overriding the UL subband configurations to the instance at which the UL subband configurations are overridden. [0080] Additionally, with the UL subband in symbols tagged as "F", the UE might convey varying durations to the gNB, contingent on the specific switching scenario. The duration required to override the UL subband configurations for scenarios depicted in (a) and (b) of FIG. 5 might diverge from that needed for ( c) of FIG. 5. [0092] A time of use may be similar to the explicit indication case to determine the minimum time duration between the first or last symbol carrying the PDCCH, the slot or subframe boundaries in which the PDCCH is transmitted, or the TDD-UL-DL period in which the PDCCH is transmitted, and the instance at which the UL subband configuration is overridden. For the case in which an UL subband is configured with symbols configured as "F", allocating a dynamic DL transmission (e.g., PDSCH, aperiodic channel state information-reference signal (AP-CSIRS), etc.) may be used as an implicit switching command.).
Claim 9
With respect to claim 9, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the downlink communications scheduled in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern and discard the uplink communications scheduled in the first subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0074] In a second scenario, as depicted in (b) of FIG. 5, the UE, after transmitting within the UL subband, switches to receive across all RBs confined within the DL BWP. [0077] On the other hand, in the case of (b) of FIG. 5, the UE may anticipate the reception of DL transmissions within the RBs of the UL subband, implying a potential cancelation of the UL sub band).
Claim 10
With respect to claim 10, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the uplink communications scheduled in the first subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern and discard the downlink communications scheduled in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0075] In a third scenario, illustrated in (c) of FIG. 5, the UE switches from transmitting within the UL subband to broadcasting across all RBs confined within its UL BWP. [0078] Furthermore, in the case of ( c) of FIG. 5, the UE's transmissions in the UL are confined within the UL BWP directly associated with the UL subband or associated with the DL BWP containing the UL subband, e.g., the UL BWP-DL BWP pair that has the same Id. This may be equivalent to expanding the UL sub band to cover the whole UL BWP.).
Claim 11
With respect to claim 11, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 1 (see rejection above),
wherein the first message comprises a common or broadcast message or a first UE-specific message and the second message comprises a second UE-specific message ([0006] A second challenge emerges when UL subbands are configured within symbols marked as flexible by a TDD-UL-DL configuration (TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated), which refers to a common configuration parameter related to TDD in fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR), as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards [0009] the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon. [0052] The aforementioned indications might be transmitted through Layer 1 signaling (L1 ), such as PDCCH, or higher-layer signaling protocols, such as MAC-CE or RRC. For PDCCH indications, these might be either group-common or specific to the UE.).
Claim 12
With respect to claim 12, Awadin disclosed:
A user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories ([0034] FIG. 1 illustrates a transmitting device or a receiving device in a communication system, according to an embodiment. [0035] Referring to FIG. 1, the device 100 may be a UE (e.g., a client device) or a gNB and includes a controller module 101 (e.g., a processor), a storage module 102, and an antenna module 103. [0037] The controller module 101 may include at least one processor and may execute instructions that are stored in the storage module 102)
and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a first message identifying a duplexing pattern that allocates a first subband for uplink communications and a second subband for downlink communications during subband full-duplex time periods ([0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0042] FIG. 2 is a resource grid illustrating switching behavior for a UL subband in symbols configured as "D", according to an embodiment. [0045] Referring to FIG. 2, in the context of UL subband operation in symbols configured as "D", a particular scenario arises where the UL subband is situated within a slot alongside a set of RBs used for DL reception. [0123] Referring to FIG. 11, in step 1101, the UE is configured with a first UL subband configuration. The first UL subband configuration may be for communicating with an external device. The first UL subband configuration may designate a first RB inside of a subband for the UE to perform UL transmission);
receive a second message identifying a modified duplexing pattern, wherein the modified duplexing pattern allocates a subset of the subband full-duplex time periods for the uplink communications or for the downlink communications ([0046] In (a) of FIG. 2, a scenario is shown where the UL subband occupies a set of RBs for UL transmission, surrounded by another set of RBs meant for DL reception. This configuration is represented in the frequency domain as D-U-D, with the UL subband situated centrally with respect to the carrier. Here, the gNB might signal the UE to transition from transmitting in the UL sub band of the D-U-D configuration to only receiving in the surrounding RBs (receiving in "D" of D-U-D). The bold text (e.g., "D-U-D" or "D-U-D") corresponds to the subband(s) (or RB sets) used by a particular UE. This switching mode shown in (a) of FIG. 2 could be beneficial when the gNB intends to send DL information to a specific UE, ensuring the UL subband remains accessible to other UEs. [0047] In (b) of FIG. 2, a scenario is shown where the gNB can repurpose the RB set initially reserved for the UL sub band for DL reception. This is similar to switching off the UL subband and transitioning it to a DL. The gNB might instruct the UE to move from transmitting in the central UL subband of the D-U-D arrangement to receiving in all the RB sets around it, forming a D-D-D configuration. This mode is beneficial when the gNB wants to deliver DL information across the entire DL bandwidth part (BWP) of the UE. [0124] In step 1102, the UE may receive a DL signal indication. The DL signal indication may be received in accordance with one or more of the aforementioned methods (e.g., RRC, L1 signaling, MAC CE, etc.).);
and perform, during one or more subband full-duplex time periods in the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods, the uplink communications or the downlink communications in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern, wherein the uplink communications or the downlink communications are performed in one or both of the first subband and in the second subband ([0046] In (a) of FIG. 2, a scenario is shown where the UL subband occupies a set of RBs for UL transmission, surrounded by another set of RBs meant for DL reception. This configuration is represented in the frequency domain as D-U-D, with the UL subband situated centrally with respect to the carrier. Here, the gNB might signal the UE to transition from transmitting in the UL sub band of the D-U-D configuration to only receiving in the surrounding RBs (receiving in "D" of D-U-D). The bold text (e.g., "D-U-D" or "D-U-D") corresponds to the subband(s) (or RB sets) used by a particular UE. This switching mode shown in (a) of FIG. 2 could be beneficial when the gNB intends to send DL information to a specific UE, ensuring the UL subband remains accessible to other UEs. [0047] In (b) of FIG. 2, a scenario is shown where the gNB can repurpose the RB set initially reserved for the UL sub band for DL reception. This is similar to switching off the UL subband and transitioning it to a DL. The gNB might instruct the UE to move from transmitting in the central UL subband of the D-U-D arrangement to receiving in all the RB sets around it, forming a D-D-D configuration. This mode is beneficial when the gNB wants to deliver DL information across the entire DL bandwidth part (BWP) of the UE. [0124] In step 1102, the UE may receive a DL signal indication. The DL signal indication may be received in accordance with one or more of the aforementioned methods (e.g., RRC, L1 signaling, MAC CE, etc.). [0125] In step 1103, the UE overrides the first UL subband configuration with a second UL sub band configuration based on the DL signal indication. The second subband configuration may designate a first communication configuration of the first RB inside of the subband and a second communication configuration of a second RB outside of the sub band.).
Claim 13
With respect to claim 13, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the downlink communications scheduled in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern; and discard the uplink communications scheduled in the first subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0045] Referring to FIG. 2, in the context of UL subband operation in symbols configured as "D", a particular scenario arises where the UL subband is situated within a slot alongside a set of RBs used for DL reception. [0046] In (a) of FIG. 2, a scenario is shown where the UL subband occupies a set of RBs for UL transmission, surrounded by another set of RBs meant for DL reception. This configuration is represented in the frequency domain as D-U-D, with the UL subband situated centrally with respect to the carrier. Here, the gNB might signal the UE to transition from transmitting in the UL sub band of the D-U-D configuration to only receiving in the surrounding RBs (receiving in "D" of D-U-D). The bold text (e.g., "D-U-D" or "D-U-D") corresponds to the subband(s) (or RB sets) used by a particular UE. This switching mode shown in (a) of FIG. 2 could be beneficial when the gNB intends to send DL information to a specific UE, ensuring the UL subband remains accessible to other UEs.).
Claim 14
With respect to claim 14, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the uplink communications scheduled in the first subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern; and discard the downlink communications scheduled in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0007] To enable these different operational scenarios, the present disclosure introduces the concept of switching operations. These switching operations involve… shifting from transmitting in the UL portion of D-U-D of the symbols configured with UL subband to transmitting in the UL portion of UL-UL-UL (U-U-U) of the symbols configured with UL subband which is equivalent to converting the DL subbands to UL subbands… Moreover, if the UE is aware of shifting from transmitting in the UL portion of D-U-D of the symbols configured with UL subband to transmitting in the UL portion of U-U-U of the symbols configured with UL subband, the UE may need to adjust its transmission bandwidth and be ready for transmitting on a wider bandwidth than the UL subband.).
Claim 15
With respect to claim 15, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform flexible communications during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern, wherein the performing comprises performing the uplink communications in the first subband or the downlink communications in the second subband ([0009] the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon. [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0043] In TDD systems, communication channels are divided into different time symbols. Some of these symbols are allocated for DL transmission, where the gNB sends data/control information/reference signals to the UE, while others are allocated for UL transmission, where the UE sends data/control information/reference signals to the gNB. Moreover, there is a third category of symbols allocated as flexible which may be used DL transmission or UL transmission based on the scheduling needs. [0070] For the UL sub band symbols configured as "F" (for "flexible", where an "F" symbol can be used for either DL or UL transmission), the utilization of the UL subband may entail occupation of a specified set of RBs for UL transmission. This set may be bordered by another set of RBs, which might be designated for either DL reception or additional UL transmission. If the adjacent RBs are exclusively reserved for DL reception, the solutions previously proposed for the UL subband configured as "D" can be applied.).
Claim 16
With respect to claim 16, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the downlink communications scheduled in the first subband and in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern; and discard the uplink communications scheduled in the first subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0047] In (b) of FIG. 2, a scenario is shown where the gNB can repurpose the RB set initially reserved for the UL sub band for DL reception. This is similar to switching off the UL subband and transitioning it to a DL. The gNB might instruct the UE to move from transmitting in the central UL subband of the D-U-D arrangement to receiving in all the RB sets around it, forming a D-D-D configuration. This mode is beneficial when the gNB wants to deliver DL information across the entire DL bandwidth part (BWP) of the UE.).
Claim 17
With respect to claim 17, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the uplink communications scheduled in the first subband and in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern; and discard the downlink communications scheduled in the second subband during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern ([0007] To enable these different operational scenarios, the present disclosure introduces the concept of switching operations. These switching operations involve… shifting from transmitting in the UL portion of D-U-D of the symbols configured with UL subband to transmitting in the UL portion of UL-UL-UL (U-U-U) of the symbols configured with UL subband which is equivalent to converting the DL subbands to UL subbands… if the UE is aware of shifting from transmitting in the UL portion of D-U-D of the symbols configured with UL subband to transmitting in the UL portion of U-U-U of the symbols configured with UL subband, the UE may need to adjust its transmission bandwidth and be ready for transmitting on a wider bandwidth than the UL subband.).
Claim 18
With respect to claim 18, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform flexible communications during the subset of the subband full-duplex time periods in accordance with the modified duplexing pattern, wherein the performing comprises performing the uplink communications in the first subband or the downlink communications in the second subband ([0008] To reduce power consumption and enhance network flexibility, UEs should be aware of the appropriate operation mode. This awareness necessitates the design of corresponding signals and mechanisms to facilitate smooth switching between subband full duplex (SBFD) and non-SBFD operation modes. [0009] Furthermore, the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon. [0041] Although various embodiments are described herein with reference to a UL subband configured in symbols or slots configured as downlink "D" or flexible "F" by either TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated, they can also be extended for the case when DL subband is in symbols or slots configured as uplink "U" or "F" by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DLConfigDedicated. [0043] In TDD systems, communication channels are divided into different time symbols. Some of these symbols are allocated for DL transmission, where the gNB sends data/control information/reference signals to the UE, while others are allocated for UL transmission, where the UE sends data/control information/reference signals to the gNB. Moreover, there is a third category of symbols allocated as flexible which may be used DL transmission or UL transmission based on the scheduling needs. [0070] For the UL sub band symbols configured as "F" (for "flexible", where an "F" symbol can be used for either DL or UL transmission), the utilization of the UL subband may entail occupation of a specified set of RBs for UL transmission. This set may be bordered by another set of RBs, which might be designated for either DL reception or additional UL transmission. If the adjacent RBs are exclusively reserved for DL reception, the solutions previously proposed for the UL subband configured as "D" can be applied.).
Claim 19
With respect to claim 19, Awadin disclosed:
The UE of claim 12 (see rejection above),
wherein the first message comprises a common or broadcast message or a first UE-specific message and the second message comprises a second UE-specific message ([0006] A second challenge emerges when UL subbands are configured within symbols marked as flexible by a TDD-UL-DL configuration (TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated), which refers to a common configuration parameter related to TDD in fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR), as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards [0009] the disclosure describes scenarios where a single UL transmission spans both legacy UL symbols and SBFD symbols, where an SBFD symbol is a symbol with UL sub band where that symbol is configured as DL or flexible by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon. [0052] The aforementioned indications might be transmitted through Layer 1 signaling (L1 ), such as PDCCH, or higher-layer signaling protocols, such as MAC-CE or RRC. For PDCCH indications, these might be either group-common or specific to the UE.).
Claim 20
Claim 20 recites limitations similar to claim 1, except that it is from the perspective of the network entity, and is rejected by similar reasoning.
PERTINENT PRIOR ART
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
1. Appl. No.: 18/291,376 (“You”) is prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) since it published as US 2025/0007642 A1, names another inventor (Hyangsun YOU) and was filed by Aug. 5, 2022 (KR foreign priority Aug. 6, 2021) before Jan. 19, 2024 the effective filing date of the claimed invention. You [Abstract] described that the base station may inform the terminal of a first time resource operating in half duplex and a second time resource operating in full duplex. In addition, a first bandwidth part (BWP) set in which the terminal operates in the first time resource and a second BWP set in which the terminal operates in the second time resource may also be informed. When switching between the first time resource and the second time resource occurs, the terminal can operate in the corresponding BWP without additional signaling indicating a BWP change.
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher Davis whose telephone number is 703-756-1832. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri from 11AM to 7PM ET. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayaz Sheikh, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-3795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.R.D./
Examiner, Art Unit 2476
/AYAZ R SHEIKH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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