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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 received on 1/29/2024 have been examined, of which claims 1, 9 and 17 are independent.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims, the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-10, 13-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 20230133947) in view of Sakhnini et al. (US 20220022188)
Regarding claim 1, Yao teaches a user equipment (UE) (UE 106, fig 2-3), comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive (cellular and wireless communication circuitry 329, 330, fig 3):
a threshold to indicate a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state selection time (fig 10, para 113: the UE is configured to receive the PDSCH within the threshold, i.e., the scheduling offset is less than the threshold of 28 symbols (which is exemplary only, and other numbers of symbols or time durations are envisioned), the UE may ignore the PDCCH TCI indication of TCI 5 and select between TCI 3 and 4 for slots N and N+1);
downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) with a scheduling offset less than or equal to the threshold (para 138-139: the UE may determine that scheduling of reception of the PDSCH for the UE is within a threshold duration (e.g., period of time, symbol duration, etc.) of the PDDCH (1304)); and
a processor operably coupled to the transceiver (processor 302, coupled to communication circuitry 329, 330 as shown in fig 3), the processor configured to:
determine, to receive the first PDSCH with a first TCI state or a second TCI state (para 158: based on the PDCCH and the PDSCH being scheduled within the threshold period of time, select one or more transmission control indicator (TCI) states for receiving the PDSCH; and receive the PDSCH using the selected one or more TCI states),
wherein the first and second TCI states are joint or downlink (DL) TCI states (para 153: receive information indicating one or more TCI states within downlink control information (DCI); wherein said selecting the one or more TCI states is performed based on the number of indicated TCI states).
Yao teaches URLLC scheme selection including the TCI state determination based on scheduling of downlink control and data being within threshold duration. Yao fails to teach the TCI state determination based on frequency range index and capability. Sakhnini is directed to facilitating communication based on frequency ranges.
Sakhnini further teaches identify a value of a frequency range index (para 116: the UE may receive the configuration through a MAC-CE activating a set of TCI states or spatial relations applicable to a plurality of frequency ranges including a first frequency range and a frequency range, or applicable to a plurality of frequency hops including a first set of frequency hops associated with the first frequency range and a second set of frequency hops associated with the second frequency range), and
determine, based on the value of the frequency range index and a capability, to receive the first PDSCH with a first TCI state or a second TCI state (para 108: the method may enable a UE (e.g., a reduced capability UE) to apply different TCI states and/or spatial relations when operating within respective hopping regions (or frequency ranges)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination based on scheduling threshold as taught by Yao with TCI state determination based on frequency ranges as taught by Sakhnini for the benefit of improving the efficient exchange of communication between a base station and a UE as taught by Sakhnini in para 143.
Regarding claim 9, Yao teaches a base station (BS) (base station 102, fig 2, 4), comprising:
a transceiver configured to transmit (radio 430, communication chain 432, antenna 434, fig 4; para 79: the radio 430 and at least one antenna 434 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE devices 106):
a threshold to indicate a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state selection time (fig 10, para 113: the UE is configured to receive the PDSCH within the threshold, i.e., the scheduling offset is less than the threshold of 28 symbols (which is exemplary only, and other numbers of symbols or time durations are envisioned), the UE may ignore the PDCCH TCI indication of TCI 5 and select between TCI 3 and 4 for slots N and N+1);
downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) with a scheduling offset less than or equal to the threshold (para 138-139: the UE may determine that scheduling of reception of the PDSCH for the UE is within a threshold duration (e.g., period of time, symbol duration, etc.) of the PDDCH (1304)); and
a processor (processor 404, fig 4) operably coupled to the transceiver (fig 4), the processor configured to:
determine, to transmit the first PDSCH with a first TCI state or a second TCI state (para 158: based on the PDCCH and the PDSCH being scheduled within the threshold period of time, select one or more transmission control indicator (TCI) states for receiving the PDSCH; and receive the PDSCH using the selected one or more TCI states),
wherein the first and second TCI states are joint or downlink (DL) TCI states (para 153: receive information indicating one or more TCI states within downlink control information (DCI); wherein said selecting the one or more TCI states is performed based on the number of indicated TCI states).
Sakhnini further teaches base station (base station 310, fig 3) to identifying a value of a frequency range index (steps 902, 904, fig 9; para 144-146: the configuring of the UE for communicating using the first frequency range and using the second frequency range is indicated through a MAC-CE activating a set of TCI states or spatial relations applicable to a plurality of frequency ranges including the first frequency range and the second frequency range, or applicable to a plurality of frequency hops including the first set of frequency hops and the second set of frequency hops); and
determining, based on the value of the frequency range index and a capability, to receive the first PDSCH with a first TCI state or a second TCI state (para 108: the method may enable a UE (e.g., a reduced capability UE) to apply different TCI states and/or spatial relations when operating within respective hopping regions (or frequency ranges); fig 9 describes base station determining TCI states for frequency ranges and configuring the UE). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination based on scheduling threshold as taught by Yao with TCI state determination based on frequency ranges as taught by Sakhnini for the benefit of improving the efficient exchange of communication between a base station and a UE as taught by Sakhnini in para 143.
Regarding claim 17, Yao teaches a method performed by a user equipment (UE) (UE 106, fig 2-3; abstract: methods for a user equipment device (UE) to perform URLLC scheme selection), the method comprising:
receiving a threshold to indicate a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state selection time (fig 10, para 113: the UE is configured to receive the PDSCH within the threshold, i.e., the scheduling offset is less than the threshold of 28 symbols (which is exemplary only, and other numbers of symbols or time durations are envisioned), the UE may ignore the PDCCH TCI indication of TCI 5 and select between TCI 3 and 4 for slots N and N+1);
receiving downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) with a scheduling offset less than or equal to the threshold (para 138-139: the UE may determine that scheduling of reception of the PDSCH for the UE is within a threshold duration (e.g., period of time, symbol duration, etc.) of the PDDCH (1304)); and
determining, to receive the first PDSCH with a first TCI state or a second TCI state (para 158: based on the PDCCH and the PDSCH being scheduled within the threshold period of time, select one or more transmission control indicator (TCI) states for receiving the PDSCH; and receive the PDSCH using the selected one or more TCI states),
wherein the first and second TCI states are joint or downlink (DL) TCI states (para 153: receive information indicating one or more TCI states within downlink control information (DCI); wherein said selecting the one or more TCI states is performed based on the number of indicated TCI states).
Yao teaches URLLC scheme selection including the TCI state determination based on scheduling of downlink control and data being within threshold duration. Yao fails to teach the TCI state determination based on frequency range index and capability. Sakhnini is directed to facilitating communication based on frequency ranges.
Sakhnini further teaches identifying a value of a frequency range index (para 116: the UE may receive the configuration through a MAC-CE activating a set of TCI states or spatial relations applicable to a plurality of frequency ranges including a first frequency range and a frequency range, or applicable to a plurality of frequency hops including a first set of frequency hops associated with the first frequency range and a second set of frequency hops associated with the second frequency range); and
determining, based on the value of the frequency range index and a capability, to receive the first PDSCH with a first TCI state or a second TCI state (para 108: the method may enable a UE (e.g., a reduced capability UE) to apply different TCI states and/or spatial relations when operating within respective hopping regions (or frequency ranges)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination based on scheduling threshold as taught by Yao with TCI state determination based on frequency ranges as taught by Sakhnini for the benefit of improving the efficient exchange of communication between a base station and a UE as taught by Sakhnini in para 143.
Regarding claim 2, 10 and 18, Yao fails to teach, but Sakhnini further teaches wherein, when the value of the frequency range index is 1, the processor is further configured to determine to receive (or transmit) the first PDSCH using both the first and second TCI states (fig 4; para 87: When the reduced capability UE is configured to track a wideband TRS (e.g., an example wideband TRS 450) across BWPs (e.g., from the first hopping region 402 to the second hopping region 404), the reduced capability UE may start tracking the wideband TRS 450 using the communication parameters associated with the first hopping region (e.g., the TCI state 1) and also using the communication parameters associated with the second hopping region (e.g., the TCI state 2) at a second time T2 (e.g., the first and second TCI states 412b)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination based on scheduling threshold as taught by Yao with TCI state determination based on frequency ranges as taught by Sakhnini for the benefit of improving the efficient exchange of communication between a base station and a UE as taught by Sakhnini in para 143.
Regarding claim 5, Yao further teaches wherein:
the transceiver (cellular and wireless communication circuitry 329, 330, fig 3) is further configured to:
receive an indicator for TCI state selection (fig 13; para 141: UE may be configured to receive information indicating one or more TCI states within the DCI, accordingly, selecting the one or more TCI states may be based on the number of indicated TCI states in the DCI); and
receive the first PDSCH using both the first and second TCI states (para 140-145: the UE may select one or more transmission control indicator (TCI) states for receiving the PDSCH (1306), the UE may receive the PDSCH using the selected one or more TCI states (1308)); and
the processor (processor 302, coupled to communication circuitry 329, 330 as shown in fig 3) is further configured to determine, based on the indicator, to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state to the first PDSCH (para 145: the UE may receive the PDSCH using the selected one or more TCI states (1308)).
Regarding claim 6, Yao further teaches wherein:
when the indicator is set to 'first' or '00', the processor is further configured to apply the first TCI state to the first PDSCH (option 1, fig 10; para 113: the TCI states may be activated by MAC CE, the UE may select TCI 3 (option 1));
when the indicator is set to 'second' or '01', the processor is further configured to apply the second TCI state to the first PDSCH (option 2, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select TCI 4 (option 2)); and
when the indicator is set to 'both' or '10' or '11', the processor is further configured to apply both the first and second TCI states to the first PDSCH (option 4, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select one TCI for slot N and a different TCI for slot N+1 (e.g., TCI 3 and 4 respectively)).
Regarding claim 7, Yao further teaches wherein:
the transceiver (cellular and wireless communication circuitry 329, 330, fig 3) is further configured to:
receive a second PDSCH with a scheduling offset greater than the threshold (fig 11, para 117: the PDSCH is transmitted both within the threshold (slot N+1) and outside the threshold (slot N+2)); and
receive an indicator for TCI state selection (para 117: the PDCCH indicates that TCI 5 should be used); and
the processor (processor 302, fig 3) is further configured to determine, based on the indicator, to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state to the second PDSCH (para 117: in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH as there is time for the UE to decode the PDCCH to determine and use the specified TCI state from the PDCCH).
Regarding claim 8, Yao further teaches wherein:
when the indicator is set to 'first' or '00', the processor is further configured to apply the first TCI state to the second PDSCH (option 1, fig 10; para 113: the TCI states may be activated by MAC CE, the UE may select TCI 3 (option 1); para 117: in slot N+1, TCI 3 or 4 may be used to receive PDSCH, e.g., which may be selected based on embodiments described above regarding FIG. 10,in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH);
when the indicator is set to 'second' or '01', the processor is further configured to apply the second TCI state to the second PDSCH (option 2, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select TCI 4 (option 2); ; para 117: in slot N+1, TCI 3 or 4 may be used to receive PDSCH, e.g., which may be selected based on embodiments described above regarding FIG. 10,in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH); and
when the indicator is set to 'both' or '10' or '11', the processor is further configured to apply both the first and second TCI states to the second PDSCH (option 4, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select one TCI for slot N and a different TCI for slot N+1 (e.g., TCI 3 and 4 respectively); para 117: in slot N+1, TCI 3 or 4 may be used to receive PDSCH, e.g., which may be selected based on embodiments described above regarding FIG. 10,in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH).
Regarding claim 13, Yao further teaches wherein:
the transceiver (radio 430, communication chain 432, antenna 434, fig 4) is further configured to transmit an indicator for TCI state selection (fig 13; para 141: UE may be configured to receive information indicating one or more TCI states within the DCI, accordingly, selecting the one or more TCI states may be based on the number of indicated TCI states in the DCI); and
the processor (processor 404, fig 4) is further configured to determine, based on the indicator, to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state to the first PDSCH (para 140-145: the UE may select one or more transmission control indicator (TCI) states for receiving the PDSCH (1306), the UE may receive the PDSCH using the selected one or more TCI states (1308)).
Regarding claim 14, Yao further teaches wherein:
when the indicator is set to 'first' or '00', the processor is further configured to apply the first TCI state to the first PDSCH (option 1, fig 10; para 113: the TCI states may be activated by MAC CE, the UE may select TCI 3 (option 1));
when the indicator is set to 'second' or '01', the processor is further configured to apply the second TCI state to the first PDSCH (option 2, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select TCI 4 (option 2)); and
when the indicator is set to 'both' or '10' or '11', the processor is further configured to apply both the first and second TCI states to the first PDSCH (option 4, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select one TCI for slot N and a different TCI for slot N+1 (e.g., TCI 3 and 4 respectively)).
Regarding claim 15, Yao further teaches wherein:
the transceiver (radio 430, communication chain 432, antenna 434, fig 4) is further configured to transmit an indicator for TCI state selection (para 117: the PDCCH indicates that TCI 5 should be used); and
the processor (processor 404, fig 4) is further configured to determine, based on the indicator, to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state to a second PDSCH that is transmitted with a scheduling offset greater than the threshold (para 117: the PDSCH is transmitted both within the threshold (slot N+1) and outside the threshold (slot N+2), in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH as there is time for the UE to decode the PDCCH to determine and use the specified TCI state from the PDCCH).
Regarding claim 16, Yao further teaches wherein:
when the indicator is set to 'first' or '00', the processor is further configured to apply the first TCI state to the second PDSCH (option 1, fig 10; para 113: the TCI states may be activated by MAC CE, the UE may select TCI 3 (option 1); para 117: in slot N+1, TCI 3 or 4 may be used to receive PDSCH, e.g., which may be selected based on embodiments described above regarding FIG. 10,in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH);
when the indicator is set to 'second' or '01', the processor is further configured to apply the second TCI state to the second PDSCH (option 2, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select TCI 4 (option 2); ; para 117: in slot N+1, TCI 3 or 4 may be used to receive PDSCH, e.g., which may be selected based on embodiments described above regarding FIG. 10,in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH); and
when the indicator is set to 'both' or '10' or '11', the processor is further configured to apply both the first and second TCI states to the second PDSCH (option 4, fig 10; para 113: the UE may select one TCI for slot N and a different TCI for slot N+1 (e.g., TCI 3 and 4 respectively); para 117: in slot N+1, TCI 3 or 4 may be used to receive PDSCH, e.g., which may be selected based on embodiments described above regarding FIG. 10,in slot N+2, TCI 5 can be used to receive PDSCH).
Claims 3-4, 11-12 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 20230133947) in view of Sakhnini et al. (US 20220022188) in further view of Zhang et al. (US 20250150243)
Regarding claim 3 and 19, Yao in view of Sakhnini teaches the limitations of the parent claim. The references do not teach TCI determination based on all of specific frequency range, capability and the scheduling threshold. Zhang is directed to TCI configuration for multi-beam indication.
Zhang further teaches wherein:
when (i) the value of the frequency range index is 2 (para 140: the indicated TCI states for multiple serving cells within a band or band group) and (ii) the capability indicates support for receiving, using two TCI states (para 140: if the UE supports simultaneous multi-beam reception, the UE may use the same criteria to identify a second default beam), a PDSCH that has a scheduling offset less than or equal to the threshold (para 140: PDSCH with scheduling offset smaller than a threshold reported by UE capability), the processor is further configured to determine to receive the first PDSCH using both the first and second TCI states (para 140-141: when multiple TCI states are provided, a default beam to buffer downlink data, e.g., to receive aperiodic CSI-RS or PDSCH with scheduling offset smaller than a threshold reported by UE capability, may be based on common TCI states for a serving cell as indicated by a MAC CE or DCI; para 149-150: when the UE supports simultaneous multi-beam reception, the UE may determine a second default beam to buffer downlink data based, at least in part, on at least one of common TCI states included in a TCI state list); and
the transceiver is further configured to transmit information indicating the capability (para 157-158: the threshold may be reported by UE capability, the UE supports simultaneous multi-beam reception). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination as taught by Yao and Sakhnini with TCI state determination for multi-beam reception as taught by Zhang for the benefit of supporting cross-cell TCI state list sharing as taught by Zhang in para 130.
Regarding claim 4 and 20, Yao in view of Sakhnini fail to teach, but Zhang further teaches wherein, when (i) the value of the frequency range index is 2 (para 149: the indicated TCI states for multiple serving cells within a band or band group) and (ii) the capability does not indicate support for receiving, using two TCI states (para 149: he UE does not support simultaneous reception of multiple beams), a PDSCH that has a scheduling offset less than the threshold (para 149: when the at least one TCI state list includes a plurality of TCI states, the UE may determine a default beam to buffer downlink data to receive an aperiodic Channel State Information (CSI) reference signal (CSI-RS) or a physical downlink shared channel with a scheduling offset less than a threshold), the processor is further configured to determine to receive the first PDSCH using the first TCI state (para 149: when the UE does not support simultaneous reception of multiple beams, the UE may select a TCI state from the common TCI states to buffer downlink data by (e.g., based, at least in part, on) selecting a first TCI state in the list of TCI states, selecting a last TCI state in the list of TCI states, selecting a TCI state in the TCI state list as indicated by the base station, and/or selecting a TCI state in the TCI state list based on one of a sub-slot index, slot index, subframe index, or frame index). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination as taught by Yao and Sakhnini with TCI state determination for multi-beam reception as taught by Zhang for the benefit of supporting cross-cell TCI state list sharing as taught by Zhang in para 130.
Regarding claim 11, Yao in view of Sakhnini fail to teach, but Zhang further teaches wherein:
when (i) the value of the frequency range index is 2 (para 140: the indicated TCI states for multiple serving cells within a band or band group) and (ii) the capability indicates support for transmitting, using two TCI states (para 140: if the UE supports simultaneous multi-beam reception, the UE may use the same criteria to identify a second default beam), a PDSCH that has a scheduling offset less than or equal to the threshold (para 140: PDSCH with scheduling offset smaller than a threshold reported by UE capability), the processor is further configured to determine to transmit the first PDSCH using both the first and second TCI states (para 140-141: when multiple TCI states are provided, a default beam to buffer downlink data, e.g., to receive aperiodic CSI-RS or PDSCH with scheduling offset smaller than a threshold reported by UE capability, may be based on common TCI states for a serving cell as indicated by a MAC CE or DCI; para 149-150: when the UE supports simultaneous multi-beam reception, the UE may determine a second default beam to buffer downlink data based, at least in part, on at least one of common TCI states included in a TCI state list); and
the transceiver is further configured to receive information indicating the capability (para 157-158: the threshold may be reported by UE capability, the UE supports simultaneous multi-beam reception). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination as taught by Yao and Sakhnini with TCI state determination for multi-beam reception as taught by Zhang for the benefit of supporting cross-cell TCI state list sharing as taught by Zhang in para 130.
Regarding claim 12, Yao in view of Sakhnini fail to teach, but Zhang further teaches wherein, when (i) the value of the frequency range index is 2 (para 149: the indicated TCI states for multiple serving cells within a band or band group) and (ii) the capability does not indicate support for transmitting , using two TCI states (para 149: he UE does not support simultaneous reception of multiple beams), a PDSCH that has a scheduling offset less than the threshold (para 149: when the at least one TCI state list includes a plurality of TCI states, the UE may determine a default beam to buffer downlink data to receive an aperiodic Channel State Information (CSI) reference signal (CSI-RS) or a physical downlink shared channel with a scheduling offset less than a threshold), the processor is further configured to determine to transmit the first PDSCH using the first TCI state (para 149: when the UE does not support simultaneous reception of multiple beams, the UE may select a TCI state from the common TCI states to buffer downlink data by (e.g., based, at least in part, on) selecting a first TCI state in the list of TCI states, selecting a last TCI state in the list of TCI states, selecting a TCI state in the TCI state list as indicated by the base station, and/or selecting a TCI state in the TCI state list based on one of a sub-slot index, slot index, subframe index, or frame index). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine TCI state determination as taught by Yao and Sakhnini with TCI state determination for multi-beam reception as taught by Zhang for the benefit of supporting cross-cell TCI state list sharing as taught by Zhang in para 130.
Conclusion
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/RINA C PANCHOLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477 1/6/2026