DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-30 are pending.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/01/2024 and 6/30/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(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 1-5, 7-23 and 25-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US 20250301505, Choi hereinafter).
As to claim 1: Choi discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
one or more memories (see at least paragraph [0376], a memory); and
one or more processors (see at least paragraph [0373], a processor), coupled to the one or more memories, configured to cause the UE to: receive a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) configuration that indicates an uplink sub-band in a downlink symbol (see at least paragraphs [0014], [0239], [0273] and Figs. 12& 14-15, UE receives SBFD resource configuration information from a base station where the time-frequency resources available for uplink transmission within a downlink symbol or slot may be referred to as SBFD resources.);
receive a random access channel (RACH) configuration, wherein the RACH configuration indicates a plurality of RACH occasions (see at least paragraph [0274], the base station may transmit PRACH configuration to the UE via system information, and RACH occasions may be configured according to the PRACH configuration.);
identify a set of valid RACH occasions of the plurality of RACH occasions, wherein the set of valid RACH occasions includes one or more first valid RACH occasions on one or more uplink symbols and one or more second valid RACH occasions on the uplink sub-band in the downlink symbol (see at least paragraphs [0309-[0320] and Figs. 14b, as shown in Fig. 14b, valid RACH occasions with indexes of 2 and 3 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1412 with index 1 in the uplink symbols and valid RACH occasions with indexes of 0 and 1 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1411 with index 0 in the downlink symbols.);
identify a first set of synchronization signal block (SSB) indexes associated with the one or more first valid RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0309]-[0320] and Fig. 14b, SSB#0 and SSB#1 interpreted as set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.);
identify, after identifying the first set of SSB indexes, a second set of SSB indexes associated with the one or more second valid RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0307]-[0312] and Fig. 14b, SSB#2 and SSB#3 (interpreted as second set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.); and
transmit a RACH message on a valid RACH occasion of the set of valid RACH occasions, the valid RACH occasion being associated with an SSB index of the first set of SSB indexes or the second set of SSB indexes (see at least paragraphs [0339], [0344] and [0352], The SBFD UE may transmit a PRACH preamble in one RACH occasion among the valid RACH occasions.).
As to claim 2: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to identify the second set of SSB indexes, are configured to cause the UE to identify the second set of SSB indexes associated with the one or more second valid RACH occasions in the uplink sub-band in accordance with an SBFD-aware status of the UE (see at least paragraphs [0309]-[0313] and Fig. 14(b). SSB#2 and SSB#3 associated with valid ROs.).
As to claim 3: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to identify the second set of SSB indexes, are configured to cause the UE to identify an SSB index, of the second set of SSB indexes, as associated with the one or more second valid RACH occasions in the uplink sub-band in accordance with a particular SSB index on the one or more uplink symbols (see at least paragraphs [0309]-[0313] and Fig. 14(b). SSB#2 and SSB#3 associated with valid ROs.).
As to claim 4: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 3. Choi further discloses wherein the particular SSB index is an SSB index of a nearest preceding uplink symbol of the one or more uplink symbols (see at least Fig. 14(b).).
As to claim 5: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 3. Choi further discloses wherein the particular SSB index is an SSB index of a nearest following uplink symbol of the one or more uplink symbols (see at least Fig. 14(b).).
As to claim 7: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to identify the set of valid RACH occasions, are configured to cause the UE to identify a RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band as invalid in accordance with a synchronization signal block overlapping the RACH occasion in time (see at least paragraphs [0280], [0296], [0345] and [0353], identify RACH occasion as invalid.).
As to claim 8: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Choi further discloses wherein the UE is associated with a connected state, and wherein the RACH configuration comprises at least one of: a UE-specific RACH configuration, or a cell-common RACH configuration (see at least paragraph [0342], PRACH configuration is commonly applied to the TDD UE and the SBFD UE interpreted as UE-specific.).
As to claim 9: Choi discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a network node, comprising: one or more memories (see at least paragraph [0379], a memory); and one or more processors (see at least paragraph [0379], a processor), coupled to the one or more memories, configured to cause the network node to:
transmit a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) configuration that indicates an uplink sub-band in a downlink symbol (see at least paragraphs [0014], [0239], [0273] and Figs. 12& 14-15, UE receives SBFD resource configuration information from a base station where the time-frequency resources available for uplink transmission within a downlink symbol or slot may be referred to as SBFD resources.);
transmit a random access channel (RACH) configuration, wherein the RACH configuration indicates a plurality of RACH occasions (see at least paragraph [0274], the base station may transmit PRACH configuration to the UE via system information, and RACH occasions may be configured according to the PRACH configuration.);
identify a set of valid RACH occasions of the plurality of RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0309-[0320] and Figs. 14b, as shown in Fig. 14b, valid RACH occasions with indexes of 2 and 3 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1412 with index 1 in the uplink symbols and valid RACH occasions with indexes of 0 and 1 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1411 with index 0 in the downlink symbols.);
identify one or more sets of synchronization signal block (SSB) indexes associated with the set of valid RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0309]-[0320] and Fig. 14b, SSB#0 and SSB#1 interpreted as set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.);
monitor for a RACH message on a valid RACH occasion of the set of valid RACH occasions, the valid RACH occasion being associated with an SSB index of the one or more sets of SSB indexes (see at least paragraphs [0339], [0344] and [0352], The SBFD UE may transmit a PRACH preamble in one RACH occasion among the valid RACH occasions.).
As to claim 10: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 9. Choi further discloses wherein the plurality of RACH occasions includes at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band (see at least paragraphs [0309]-[0313] and Fig. 14(b), RACH occasions indexes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.).
As to claim 11: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 10. Choi further discloses wherein the at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band is invalid for a user equipment having an SBFD-aware status and a user equipment having a non-SBFD-aware status (see at least paragraphs [0280], [0296], [0306]-[0312], [0345] and [0353], identify RACH occasion as invalid.).
As to claim 12: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 9. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the RACH configuration, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the RACH configuration in accordance with a rule indicating that the network node is not allowed to configure RACH occasions in the uplink sub-band in the downlink symbol (see at least paragraph [0280]-[0286] and Fig. 13(a).).
As to claim 13: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 9. Choi further discloses wherein the RACH configuration comprises a single RACH configuration for a first user equipment (UE) having an SBFD-aware status and a second UE without the SBFD-aware status (see at least Fig. 14).
As to claim 14: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 13. Choi further discloses wherein, for the first UE, the set of valid RACH occasions includes at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band of the downlink symbol, and wherein, for the second UE, the set of valid RACH occasions includes no RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band of the downlink symbol (see at least Fig. 14).
As to claim 15: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 13. Choi further discloses wherein the RACH configuration is configured such that SSB indexes, associated with RACH occasions valid for the first UE, are aligned with SSB indexes associated with RACH occasions valid for the second UE (see at least Fig. 14).
As to claim 16: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 13. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the RACH configuration, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the RACH configuration via at least one of: a UE-specific RACH configuration, or a cell-common RACH configuration (see at least paragraph [0342], PRACH configuration is commonly applied to the TDD UE and the SBFD UE interpreted as UE-specific.).
As to claim 17: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 9. Choi further discloses wherein the RACH configuration comprises a first RACH configuration indicating one or more first RACH occasions for SBFD symbols and a second RACH configuration indicating one or more second RACH occasions for non-SBFD symbols (see at least Fig. 14).
As to claim 18: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 17. Choi further discloses wherein a first RACH occasion, of the one or more first RACH occasions, that occurs in an uplink symbol, is invalid for a user equipment having an SBFD-aware status (see at least paragraphs [0280], [0296], [0306]-[0312], [0345] and [0353], identify RACH occasion as invalid.).
As to claim 19: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 17. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the RACH configuration, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the first RACH configuration via first cell-common or UE specific signaling and the second RACH configuration via second cell-common or UE specific signaling (see at least paragraph [0342], PRACH configuration is commonly applied to the TDD UE and the SBFD UE interpreted as UE-specific.).
As to claim 20: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 17. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to identify the one or more sets of SSB indexes associated with the set of valid RACH occasions, are configured to cause the network node to: identify a first set of SSB indexes associated with the one or more second RACH occasions and identify, after the first set of SSB indexes, a second set of SSB indexes associated with the one or more first RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0307]-[0312] and Fig. 14b, SSB#2 and SSB#3 (interpreted as second set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.).
As to claim 21: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 9. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to identify the one or more sets of SSB indexes associated with the set of valid RACH occasions, are configured to cause the network node to identify a particular SSB index, of a set of SSB indexes associated with SBFD symbols, associated with at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band in accordance with a given SSB index on one or more uplink symbols (see at least paragraphs [0307]-[0312] and Fig. 14b, SSB#2 and SSB#3 (interpreted as second set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.).
As to claim 22: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 21. Choi further discloses wherein the given SSB index is an SSB index of a nearest preceding uplink symbol (see at least Fig. 14(b).).
As to claim 23: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 21. Choi further discloses wherein the given SSB index is an SSB index of a nearest following uplink symbol (see at least Fig. 14(b).).
As to claim 25: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 9. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to identify the set of valid RACH occasions, are configured to cause the network node to identify a RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band as invalid in accordance with a synchronization signal block in a downlink sub-band overlapping the RACH occasion in time (see at least paragraphs [0280], [0296], [0306]-[0312], [0345] and [0353], identify RACH occasion as invalid.).
As to claim 26: Choi discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
one or more memories (see at least paragraph [0376], a memory); and one or more processors (see at least paragraph [0373], a processor), coupled to the one or more memories, configured to cause the UE to:
receive a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) configuration that indicates an uplink sub-band in a downlink symbol (see at least paragraphs [0014], [0239], [0273] and Figs. 12& 14-15, UE receives SBFD resource configuration information from a base station where the time-frequency resources available for uplink transmission within a downlink symbol or slot may be referred to as SBFD resources.);
receive a random access channel (RACH) configuration, wherein the RACH configuration indicates a plurality of RACH occasions including at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band (see at least paragraph [0274], the base station may transmit PRACH configuration to the UE via system information, and RACH occasions may be configured according to the PRACH configuration.);
identify a set of valid RACH occasions of the plurality of RACH occasions, wherein the set of valid RACH occasions includes one or more valid RACH occasions on one or more uplink symbols (see at least paragraphs [0309-[0320] and Figs. 14b, as shown in Fig. 14b, valid RACH occasions with indexes of 2 and 3 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1412 with index 1 in the uplink symbols and valid RACH occasions with indexes of 0 and 1 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1411 with index 0 in the downlink symbols.), and
wherein the at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band is invalid for the UE having an SBFD-aware status (see at least paragraphs [0280], [0296], [0345] and [0353], identify RACH occasion as invalid.); and
transmit a RACH message on a valid RACH occasion of the set of valid RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0339], [0344] and [0352], The SBFD UE may transmit a PRACH preamble in one RACH occasion among the valid RACH occasions.).
As to claim 27: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 26. Choi further discloses wherein the RACH configuration comprises a single RACH configuration for SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols (see at least Fig. 14).
As to claim 28: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 26. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to identify the set of valid RACH occasions, are configured to cause the UE to identify the at least one RACH occasion in the uplink sub-band as invalid in association with the UE having the SBFD-aware status (see at least paragraphs [0280], [0296], [0345] and [0353], identify RACH occasion as invalid.).
As to claim 29: Choi discloses the apparatus of claim 26. Choi further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to receive the RACH configuration, are configured to cause the UE to receive the RACH configuration via at least one of: a UE-specific RACH configuration, or a cell-common RACH configuration (see at least paragraph [0342], PRACH configuration is commonly applied to the TDD UE and the SBFD UE interpreted as UE-specific.).
As to claim 30: Choi discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) configuration that indicates an uplink sub-band in a downlink symbol(see at least paragraphs [0014], [0239], [0273] and Figs. 12& 14-15, UE receives SBFD resource configuration information from a base station where the time-frequency resources available for uplink transmission within a downlink symbol or slot may be referred to as SBFD resources.);
receiving a random access channel (RACH) configuration, wherein the RACH configuration indicates a plurality of RACH occasions (see at least paragraph [0274], the base station may transmit PRACH configuration to the UE via system information, and RACH occasions may be configured according to the PRACH configuration.);
identifying a set of valid RACH occasions of the plurality of RACH occasions, wherein the set of valid RACH occasions includes one or more first valid RACH occasions on one or more uplink symbols and one or more second valid RACH occasions on the uplink sub-band in the downlink symbol (see at least paragraphs [0309-[0320] and Figs. 14b, as shown in Fig. 14b, valid RACH occasions with indexes of 2 and 3 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1412 with index 1 in the uplink symbols and valid RACH occasions with indexes of 0 and 1 may be mapped to a synchronization signal block 1411 with index 0 in the downlink symbols.);
identifying a first set of synchronization signal block (SSB) indexes associated with the one or more first valid RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0309]-[0320] and Fig. 14b, SSB#0 and SSB#1 interpreted as set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.);
identifying, after identifying the first set of SSB indexes, a second set of SSB indexes associated with the one or more second valid RACH occasions (see at least paragraphs [0307]-[0312] and Fig. 14b, SSB#2 and SSB#3 (interpreted as second set of SSB indexes associated with valid RACH occasions.); and
transmitting a RACH message on a valid RACH occasion of the set of valid RACH occasions, the valid RACH occasion being associated with an SSB index of the first set of SSB indexes or the second set of SSB indexes (see at least paragraphs [0339], [0344] and [0352], The SBFD UE may transmit a PRACH preamble in one RACH occasion among the valid RACH occasions.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 24 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Grant et al. (US 20260046103) discloses Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) For Subband Full Duplex Operation.
Zeng et al. (US 20260040368) discloses Random Access Method And Apparatus, Terminal, Network Device, And Medium.
Seok et al. (US 20250227773) discloses Method And Device For Transmitting Signal In Wireless Communication System.
Abotabl et al. (US 20250193937) discloses valid random access channel occasion in sub-band full duplex.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KABIR U JAHANGIR whose telephone number is (571)272-0796. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am to 6:30pm.
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/K. J./
Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464