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
This office action is in response to the application filed on 02/02/2024.
Claims 1-18 are currently pending.
Claims 1-18 are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claims 1-7, 9-16, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Esa Tapani Tiirola et al (US 20230007626 A1) in view of Chuanfeng He (US 20230396402 A1).
For Claim 1, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which (Tiirola teaches that FIG. 11(a) illustrates an apparatus 10, such as a UE, mobile equipment (ME), mobile station comprising processor 12 and memory 14), when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment apparatus at least to:
perform an initial cell search of one or more cells on a network, wherein performing the initial cell search comprises scanning for a plurality of synchronization signal block (SSB) transmissions corresponding to a plurality of synchronization raster points (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0026, in an initial cell selection (e.g., initial access), the UE may search for a primary synchronization signal (PSS) on the predefined synch raster points. In other words, the synchronization raster may indicate the frequency positions of the synchronization signal block (SSB) that can be used by the user equipment (UE) for system acquisition);
receive an SSB transmission of the plurality of SSB transmissions, wherein the SSB transmission is associated with a synchronization raster point of the plurality of synchronization raster points and with a transmission bandwidth having at least a first region and a second region (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0026, that the synchronization raster may indicate the frequency positions of the synchronization signal block (SSB) that can be used by the user equipment (UE) for system acquisition), and wherein the SSB transmission comprises a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0035, that when the UE may receive PBCH correctly with the puncturing hypothesis (considered as estimated PBCH puncturing pattern), the UE may assume that the PDCCH transmitted via control resource set #0 (CORESET #0) is also transmitted with reduced BW); and determine a PBCH puncturing pattern of a plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns for receiving the PBCH based on the size of the transmission bandwidth (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0037, that the UE may determine whether the puncturing is assumed at the high frequency or the low frequency, or the order for using or testing PBCH puncturing patterns whether to start from the patterns with puncturing on the high frequency or the low frequency),
wherein transmission bandwidths in the band comprise at least a first size and a second size larger than the first size (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0037, that the high frequency and the low frequency may be defined according to PRB indexes within the initial DL BWP), and
wherein the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns comprises at least a first PBCH puncturing pattern and a second PBCH puncturing pattern, the first PBCH puncturing pattern having a greater amount of puncturing than the second PBCH puncturing pattern (Tiirola teaches, in FIG. 6, for example, Puncturing 2 PRBs from high frequency and Puncturing 4 PRBs from high frequency).
Tiirola fails to expressly disclose that a size of the transmission bandwidth is based on location of the synchronization raster point.
However, He, in the analogous art, discloses that a size of the transmission bandwidth is based on location of the synchronization raster point (He teaches, in ¶ 0040 that the position of the first synchronization raster in the target bandwidth is related to the size of the target bandwidth).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system in Tiirola with the raster positions taught in He. The motivation is to enable the UE to quickly determine the location of the PBCH.
For Claim 2, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus, wherein the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns comprises a predefined set of PBCH puncturing patterns (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0041 that when receiving the PBCH, the UE may be expected to detect the PBCH with all determined puncturing patterns).
For Claim 3, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus, wherein in determining the PBCH puncturing pattern, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: determine that the synchronization raster point is in the first region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the first size; and based on determining that the synchronization raster point is in the first region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the first size, determine that the PBCH puncturing pattern is the first PBCH puncturing pattern of the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0038 that when the synch raster point is at a lower frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at high frequencies. Correspondingly, when the synch raster point is at a higher frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at the low frequency. This principle is illustrated in the example of FIG. 8, where the channel of interest is 919.4-925 MHz (DL), and N values 768 and 769 indicating cluster index of the synch raster points for the lower frequency and higher frequency of the channel, respectively).
For Claim 4, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus, wherein in determining the PBCH puncturing pattern, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: determine that the synchronization raster point is in the first region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the second size; and based on determining that the synchronization raster point is in the first region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the second size, determine that the PBCH puncturing pattern is the second PBCH puncturing pattern of the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0038 that when the synch raster point is at a lower frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at high frequencies. Correspondingly, when the synch raster point is at a higher frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at the low frequency. This principle is illustrated in the example of FIG. 8, where the channel of interest is 919.4-925 MHz (DL), and N values 768 and 769 indicating cluster index of the synch raster points for the lower frequency and higher frequency of the channel, respectively).
For Claim 5, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus, wherein in determining the PBCH puncturing pattern, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: determine that the synchronization raster point is in the second region of the band; and based on determining that the synchronization raster point is in the second region of the band, determine that the PBCH puncturing pattern is the second PBCH puncturing pattern of the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0038 that when the synch raster point is at a lower frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at high frequencies. Correspondingly, when the synch raster point is at a higher frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at the low frequency. This principle is illustrated in the example of FIG. 8, where the channel of interest is 919.4-925 MHz (DL), and N values 768 and 769 indicating cluster index of the synch raster points for the lower frequency and higher frequency of the channel, respectively).
For Claim 6, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus, wherein in determining the PBCH puncturing pattern, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: determine that the synchronization raster point is in the second region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the second size; and based on determining that the synchronization raster point is in the second region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the second size (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0038 that when the synch raster point is at a higher frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at the low frequency. This principle is illustrated in the example of FIG. 8, where the channel of interest is 919.4-925 MHz (DL), and N values 768 and 769 indicating cluster index of the synch raster points for the lower frequency and higher frequency of the channel, respectively), determine that the PBCH puncturing pattern is a third PBCH puncturing pattern of the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns, wherein the third PBCH puncturing pattern comprises a same amount of puncturing as the second PBCH puncturing pattern but has a different pattern of puncturing than the second PBCH puncturing pattern (Tiirola teaches, in FIG. 6, for example, Puncturing 2 PRBs [i.e., second] from high frequency and Puncturing 4 PRBs [i.e., first] from high frequency. Additionally, Tiirola teaches, in FIG. 6, Puncturing 2 PRBs Symmetric [i.e., third] with a same amount of puncturing as the second PBCH puncturing pattern but has a different pattern [i.e., symmetric] of puncturing than the second PBCH puncturing pattern).
For Claim 7, Tiirola discloses a user equipment apparatus, wherein in determining the PBCH puncturing pattern, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: determine that the synchronization raster point is in the second region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the first size; and based on determining that the synchronization raster point is in the second region of the band and the size of the transmission bandwidth is the first size (Tiirola teaches, in ¶ 0038 that when the synch raster point is at a higher frequency of the channel of interest, the UE may assume puncturing may be at the low frequency. This principle is illustrated in the example of FIG. 8, where the channel of interest is 919.4-925 MHz (DL), and N values 768 and 769 indicating cluster index of the synch raster points for the lower frequency and higher frequency of the channel, respectively), determine that the PBCH puncturing pattern is a fourth PBCH puncturing pattern of the plurality of PBCH puncturing patterns, wherein the fourth PBCH puncturing pattern comprises a same amount of puncturing as the first PBCH puncturing pattern but has a different pattern of puncturing than the first PBCH puncturing pattern (Tiirola teaches, in FIG. 6, for example, Puncturing 2 PRBs [i.e., second] from high frequency and Puncturing 4 PRBs [i.e., first] from high frequency. Additionally, Tiirola teaches, in FIG. 6, Puncturing 4 PRBs Symmetric [i.e., fourth] with a same amount of puncturing as the first PBCH puncturing pattern but has a different pattern [i.e., symmetric] of puncturing than the first PBCH puncturing pattern).
For Claim 9, Tiirola discloses all of the claimed subject matter with the exception to cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: perform at least one of: channel equalization, PBCH demodulation, or PBCH decoding.
However, He, in the analogous art, discloses to cause the user equipment apparatus at least to: perform at least one of: channel equalization, PBCH demodulation, or PBCH decoding (He teaches, in ¶ 0024 that The time-frequency resources occupied by the PBCH include a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) used for demodulation of the PBCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system in Tiirola with the raster positions taught in He. The motivation is to enable the UE to quickly determine the location of the PBCH.
For Claims 10-14, please refer to the rejection of Claims 1-5, above.
For Claims 15-16, please refer to the rejection of Claims 6-7, above.
For Claim 18, please refer to the rejection of Claim 9, above.
Claims 8, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Esa Tapani Tiirola et al (US 20230007626 A1) in view of Chuanfeng He (US 20230396402 A1) as applied to claims 1 or 10 above, and further in view of Hyunsoo Ko et al (US 20200154376 A1).
For Claims 8, 17, Tiirola & He disclose all of the claimed subject matter with the exception to perform channel estimation based on a PBCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS), wherein the channel estimation uses DMRS resource elements within the transmission bandwidth of the SSB transmission.
However, Ko, in the analogous art, discloses to perform channel estimation based on a PBCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (Ko teaches, in ¶ 0105, that The results of measuring PBCH decoding performance according to the number of REs for DMRSs reveal that if two OFDM symbols are allocated to the PBCH, 192 REs may be used for DMRSs), wherein the channel estimation uses DMRS resource elements within the transmission bandwidth of the SSB transmission (Ko teaches, in ¶ 0332, that A channel may be estimated from the NR-SSS, and coherent detection may be attempted by using the estimated channel in detecting an SSB index from an NR-PBCH DMRS).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system in Tiirola & He with the raster positions taught in Ko. The motivation is so that the decoding performance of a half frame indicator can be increased (Ko teaches, in ¶ 0019).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Vipul Desai et al (US 20250016661 A1) teaches that a base station generates a punctured synchronization signal block (SSB) for a channel of a frequency band based on a SSB. A bandwidth of the SSB exceeds a bandwidth of the channel. The punctured SSB includes a punctured physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMED A KAMARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5629. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, CHARLES JIANG can be reached on 5712707191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMED A KAMARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412