DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
This action is in response to the application filed on July 08, 2026
Claims 1-3, 5-14 are under examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 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:
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 1-3 and 5-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Feng et al (USP 2024/0292398 A1)
As per Claim 1 Feng teaches an apparatus for transceiving a signal, applicable to a reduced capability UE (Redcap UE), the apparatus comprising:
processor circuitry configured to obtain configuration of a first initial downlink BWP, the first initial downlink BWP being an initial downlink BWP that is separately configured for the Redcap UE (Paragraph 0024, 0057 FIG. 1 illustrates an initial downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) and initial downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) and/or a separate/additional common control-resource set (CORESET #0) for RedCap UES are ongoing issues. Currently, an agreement has been achieved that RedCap UEs and non-RedCap UEs (e.g., legacy UEs) can coexist in the same cell.); and
a receiver configured to receive, after selection of a carrier for random access(Paragraph 0061, 0204 The initial DL BWP configured in system information block one (SIB1) only takes effect after random access. When the enhanced CORESET #0 or the legacy CORESET #0 is used as the initial DL BWP for RedCap UEs before and during the random access processing, the new initial DL BWP becomes effective only after random access..), a signal by using the first initial downlink BWP during random access procedure initialization in an initial access procedure or a random access procedure (Paragraph 0061, 0204 the initial DL BWP before and during the random access processing (as shown in Table 1). The initial DL BWP configured in system information block one (SIB1) only takes effect after random access. The initial DL BWP for RedCap UEs before and during the random access processing, the new initial DL BWP becomes effective only after random access.).
As per Claim 2 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the receiver receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP before the initial access procedure or the random access procedure (Paragraph 0208, 0216 the DL messages are still operated in the legacy CORESET #0 before and during random access. This means that the new initial DL BWP may not be used immediately after being configured or enabled. Transmit DL messages to the RedCap UEs in the new initial DL BWP) even before or during or after random access.).
As per Claim 3 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, the receiver receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP upon reception of the configuration of the first initial downlink BWP or after receiving the configuration of the first initial downlink BWP (Paragraph 0218, 0238 the new initial DL BWP may not be used immediately after being configured or enabled. In other word, when the new initial DL BWP cannot be used immediately after being configured. The following mainly describes the case in which initial DL BWP is in effect during or before random access. With reference to FIG. 22, when the new initial DL BWP is configured in SIB1, and the gNB 20 doesn't recognize the type of UE in transmitting non-on-demand).
4.(Canceled)
As per Claim 5 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the receiver receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP upon reception of the configuration of the first initial downlink BWP or after receiving the configuration of the first initial downlink BWP (Paragraph 0058, 0061 Shared initial DL BWP between RedCap and non-RedCap UEs may have a congestion issue when a large number of RedCap UEs are in a cell. Non-RedCap UES may be affected. A separate initial DL BWP may be used to offload the traffic. The initial DL BWP configured in system information block one (SIB1) only takes effect after random access. ).
As per Claim 6 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the receiver receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP when a first initial uplink BWP is used and, the first initial uplink BWP is an initial uplink BWP separately configured or defined for the Redcap UE (Paragraph 0080, 0137 The base station may recognize the extended UE type based on at least one of a separate initial uplink BWP, a separate random access channel (RACH) preamble, or a separate RACH occasion of the extended UE type. At least one of a separate initial uplink BWP, a separate random access channel (RACH) preamble, or a separate RACH occasion of the extended UE type is used for recognition of the extended UE type by the base station. ).
As per Claim 7 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, the receiver receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP during or after a random access resource selection procedure (Paragraph 0082, 0207 FIG. 8 shows examples of selecting a CORESET #0 according to which the gNB 20 transmits messages and RedCap UEs receive messages when a new CORESET #0 is configured in MIB. The FIG. 20 shows examples in which the gNB 20 selects a CORESET #0 and transmits messages in the selected CORESET #0, and the RedCap UEs receive messages in the selected CORESET #0 when a new CORESET #0 is configured in MIB. ).
As per Claim 8 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the random access resource selection procedure, after the processor circuitry selects an SSB from SSBs defined by a cell, the Redcap UE receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP (Paragraph 0064, 0199 A gNB provides the initial DL BWP configuration in SIB1. DL messages mentioned in the disclosure may comprise one or more of synchronization signal block (SSB), paging, remaining minimum system information (RMSI) (e.g., SIB1), other system information (OSI) (e.g., SIBx), and physical random access channel (PRACH) DL messages (e.g., msg2, msg4, and msgB) during random access. The first downlink message may comprise an SSB, the second downlink message may comprise a SIB with an index one (SIB1) or a SIB with a greater index (SIBx), and the third downlink message may comprise a random access downlink message, and the random access downlink message comprises msg2, msg4, or msgB.).
As per Claim 9 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, the receiver receives the signal by using the first initial downlink BWP before receiving a random access response (RAR) or upon reception of a random access response (Paragraph 0061, see table RAR from gNB msg 3 (UE −> gNB) Initial RRC connection request UL BWP msg 4 ).
As per Claim 10 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, the receiver receives the RARafter transmitting a random access message 1 (Msg1, preamble) or a random access message A (preamble+PUSCH), or in starting a random access response window (ra-ResponseWindow) (Paragraph 0061 see table msg 1 (UE −> gNB) Initial Random access request to gNB UL BWP RAR from gNB ).
As per Claim 11 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when a random access message 3 (Msg3) is transmitted or after a random access message 3 (Msg3) is transmitted, the signal is received by using the first initial downlink BWP (Paragraph 0061 see table RAR from gNB msg 3 (UE −> gNB) Initial RRC connection request UL BWP ).
As per Claim 12 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the receiver receives a random access message 2 and/or a random access message 4 by using the first initial downlink BWP during the initial access procedure, and the first initial downlink BWP partially overlaps or does not overlap with a control resource set 0 (CORESET #0) (Paragraph 0062, 0064, 0130 physical random access channel (PRACH) DL messages (e.g., msg2, msg4, and msgB) during random access. Embodiments of the invention addresses on which resources (e.g., legacy CORESET #0, new CORESET #0, new initial DL BWP) these DL messages are transmitted or received. The initial DL BWP of course can be used for other messages. Sharing the legacy initial DL BWP between RedCap UEs and non-RedCap UEs.With reference to FIG. 1, in a serving cell, an initial DL BWP is associated with a CORESET #0, and the initial DL BWP generally contains the entire CORESET #0 of this serving cell in the frequency domain. During the random access phase, CORESET #0 is actually used as the initial DL BWP. The initial DL BWP configured in SIB1 takes effect after random access.).
As per Claim 13 Feng teaches an apparatus for transceiving a signal, applicable to a network device, the apparatus comprising a transmitter configured to: transmit configuration of a first initial downlink BWP to a Redcap UE, the first initial downlink BWP being an initial downlink BWP that is separately configured for the Redcap UE(Paragraph 0024, 0057 FIG. 1 illustrates an initial downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) and initial downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) and/or a separate/additional common control-resource set (CORESET #0) for RedCap UES are ongoing issues. Currently, an agreement has been achieved that RedCap UEs and non-RedCap UEs (e.g., legacy UEs) can coexist in the same cell.); and transmit, after selection of a carrier for random access (Paragraph 0061, 0204 The initial DL BWP configured in system information block one (SIB1) only takes effect after random access. When the enhanced CORESET #0 or the legacy CORESET #0 is used as the initial DL BWP for RedCap UEs before and during the random access processing, the new initial DL BWP becomes effective only after random access..) a signal to the Redcap UE by using the first initial downlink BWP during random access procedure initialization in an initial access procedure or a random access procedure (Paragraph 0061, 0204 the initial DL BWP before and during the random access processing (as shown in Table 1). The initial DL BWP configured in system information block one (SIB1) only takes effect after random access. The initial DL BWP for RedCap UEs before and during the random access processing, the new initial DL BWP becomes effective only after random access.).
As per Claim 14 Feng teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, the configuration of the first initial downlink BWP transmitted to the Redcap UE comprises: configuration of at least one control resource set (CORESET) and/or configuration of at least one common search space (CSS) (Paragraph 0063, FIG. 2, the master information block (MIB) provides CORESET #0 and common search space (CSS #0) configuration for monitoring PDCCH that carrying SIB1. The parameter “controlResourceSetZero” indicates an index which determines a common CORESET #0 ).
Response to Argument(s)
Applicant's argument(s) filed on July 08, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Therefore, the rejection is maintained.
In the remarks, at page 6 the Applicant argues in substance that:
Remark: (A) “However, Feng does not disclose transmitting signals on different carriers, nor does it disclose random access carrier selection. Therefore, Feng does not disclose "receive, after selection of a carrier for random access, a signal by using the first initial downlink BWP" as recited in claim 1”
Response: Examiner respectfully disagrees with applicant’s representative’s assertions. The Examiner has thoroughly reviewed Applicants' representative’s arguments but firmly believes that the cited references to reasonably and properly meet the claimed limitation. Applicant’s representative’s are reminded that the Examiner is entitled to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Examiner appreciates applicant’s representative’s explanation however, Feng explicitly states that after the configuration of the new initial DL BWP, messages can be operated in new initial DL BWP (i.e., the gNB 20 can transmit DL messages to the RedCap UEs in the new initial DL BWP) even before or during or after random access. This means that at least one of a separate initial uplink BWP, a separate random access channel (RACH) preamble, or a separate RACH occasion of the extended UE type is used for recognition of the extended UE type by the base station.. In other word, the initial DL BWP configured in SIB1 takes effect after random access..Example from Feng (Paragraph 0080, 0137 The base station may recognize the extended UE type based on at least one of a separate initial uplink BWP, a separate random access channel (RACH) preamble, or a separate RACH occasion of the extended UE type. At least one of a separate initial uplink BWP, a separate random access channel (RACH) preamble, or a separate RACH occasion of the extended UE type is used for recognition of the extended UE type by the base station....)
Therefore Feng reference teaches the claim limitation as currently presented.
Examiner’s Note
Examiner is open for discussion if the applicant’s representative need further clarifications.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL
Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/SYED ALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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