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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Claims 1-15 are canceled and claims 15-17 have been added.
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.
Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 2025/0247888) in view of Abdelghaffar et al. (US 2025/0261236).
Regarding claim 16, Zhang discloses a user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more computer-executable instructions for transmitting a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) ([0101], “In some examples, the memory 242 or the memory 282 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions (for example, code or program code) for wireless communication.”); and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, and configured to execute the one or more computer-executable instructions to cause the UE to ([0101], “For example, the set of instructions, when executed (for example, directly, or after compiling, converting, or interpreting) by one or more processors of the network node 110, the UE 120, the CU 310, the DU 330, or the RU 340, may cause the one or more processors to perform process 1300 of FIG. 13, process 1400 of FIG. 14, or other processes as described herein.”): configure a first set of uplink (UL) resources, including non-subband full duplex (SBFD) UL resources ([0139], “and a second RACH configuration for non-SBFD symbols.”), for a PRACH transmission ([0126], “The RACH configuration 605 may indicate a number of RACH occasions (ROs) (sometimes referred to as physical RACH (PRACH) occasions or random access occasions)”); configure a second set of UL resources, including SBFD UL resources, for the PRACH transmission ([0139], “In some other aspects, the network node 110 may configure a first RACH configuration for SBFD symbols”). Zhang does not explicitly disclose the determination of using the first or second set of UL resource based on PDCCH order. Abdelghaffar discloses and determine whether to use the first set of UL resources or the second set of UL resources based on an indication in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) order, wherein the PRACH transmission is triggered by the PDCCH order ([0038], “Accordingly, techniques described herein may allow for the network entity to indicate to the UE to use the SBFD PRACH configuration or the TDD PRACH configuration (e.g., or both). For example, the PDCCH order message may include a bitfield that indicates which PRACH configuration for the UE to use.”; [0104], “In some examples, when the SBFD-aware UE 115 receives a PDCCH order message initiating a RACH procedure, the UE 115 may determine which PRACH configuration to use to transmit one or more RACH messages (e.g., msg1, msgA) in SBFD slots or in non-SBFD slots. That is, the UE 115 may determine whether to transmit the one or more RACH messages via the RACH occasions 320 in the SBFD slots, via the RACH occasions 320 in the TDD uplink slots, or both.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang in view of Abdelghaffar to have the determination of using the first or second set of UL resource based on PDCCH order. The motivation would have been to improve coverage and reduce collision (e.g., Abdelghaffar [0087]).
Regarding claim 17, Zhang discloses a base station apparatus, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more computer-executable instructions for receiving a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH); and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, and configured to execute the one or more computer-executable instructions to cause the base station apparatus to ([0071], “As shown in FIG. 2, the network node 110 may include a data source 212, a transmit processor 214, a transmit (TX) MIMO processor 216, a set of modems 232 (shown as 232a through 232t, where t≥1), a set of antennas 234 (shown as 234a through 234v, where v≥1), a MIMO detector 236, a receive processor 238, a data sink 239, a controller/processor 240, a memory 242, a communication unit 244, a scheduler 246, and/or a communication manager 150, among other examples.”; [0125], “As shown in FIG. 6, a network node 110 may transmit, and a UE 120 may receive, a RACH configuration 605. For example, the RACH configuration 605 may include or be included in RRC signaling, MAC signaling, DCI, or a combination thereof.”): configure a first set of uplink (UL) resources, including non-subband full duplex (SBFD) UL resources ([0139], “and a second RACH configuration for non-SBFD symbols.”), for a PRACH transmission ([0126], “The RACH configuration 605 may indicate a number of RACH occasions (ROs) (sometimes referred to as physical RACH (PRACH) occasions or random access occasions)”); configure a second set of UL resources, including SBFD UL resources, for the PRACH transmission ([0139], “In some other aspects, the network node 110 may configure a first RACH configuration for SBFD symbols”). Zhang does not explicitly disclose the determination of using the first or second set of UL resource based on PDCCH order. Abdelghaffar discloses include an indication in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) order, the indication for determining indicating whether the first set of UL resources or the second set of UL resources is to be used for the PRACH transmission; and transmit the PDCCH order to a user equipment (UE), wherein the PRACH transmission is triggered by the PDCCH order ([0038], “Accordingly, techniques described herein may allow for the network entity to indicate to the UE to use the SBFD PRACH configuration or the TDD PRACH configuration (e.g., or both). For example, the PDCCH order message may include a bitfield that indicates which PRACH configuration for the UE to use.”; [0104], “In some examples, when the SBFD-aware UE 115 receives a PDCCH order message initiating a RACH procedure, the UE 115 may determine which PRACH configuration to use to transmit one or more RACH messages (e.g., msg1, msgA) in SBFD slots or in non-SBFD slots. That is, the UE 115 may determine whether to transmit the one or more RACH messages via the RACH occasions 320 in the SBFD slots, via the RACH occasions 320 in the TDD uplink slots, or both.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang in view of Abdelghaffar to have the determination of using the first or second set of UL resource based on PDCCH order. The motivation would have been to improve coverage and reduce collision (e.g., Abdelghaffar [0087]).
Regarding claim 18, Zhang discloses a communication method performed by a user equipment (UE), the communication method comprising: configuring a first set of uplink (UL) resources, including non-subband full duplex (SBFD) UL resources ([0139], “and a second RACH configuration for non-SBFD symbols.”), for a PRACH transmission ([0126], “The RACH configuration 605 may indicate a number of RACH occasions (ROs) (sometimes referred to as physical RACH (PRACH) occasions or random access occasions)”); configuring a second set of UL resources, including SBFD UL resources, for the PRACH transmission ([0139], “In some other aspects, the network node 110 may configure a first RACH configuration for SBFD symbols”). Zhang does not explicitly disclose the determination of using the first or second set of UL resource based on PDCCH order. Abdelghaffar discloses and determining whether to use the first set of UL resources or the second set of UL resources based on an indication in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) order, wherein the PRACH transmission is triggered by the PDCCH order ([0038], “Accordingly, techniques described herein may allow for the network entity to indicate to the UE to use the SBFD PRACH configuration or the TDD PRACH configuration (e.g., or both). For example, the PDCCH order message may include a bitfield that indicates which PRACH configuration for the UE to use.”; [0104], “In some examples, when the SBFD-aware UE 115 receives a PDCCH order message initiating a RACH procedure, the UE 115 may determine which PRACH configuration to use to transmit one or more RACH messages (e.g., msg1, msgA) in SBFD slots or in non-SBFD slots. That is, the UE 115 may determine whether to transmit the one or more RACH messages via the RACH occasions 320 in the SBFD slots, via the RACH occasions 320 in the TDD uplink slots, or both.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang in view of Abdelghaffar to have the determination of using the first or second set of UL resource based on PDCCH order. The motivation would have been to improve coverage and reduce collision (e.g., Abdelghaffar [0087]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nick A Sundara whose telephone number is (571)272-6749. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7:30-5:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jae Y. Lee can be reached at (571) 270-3936. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICK ANON SUNDARA/Examiner, Art Unit 2479 /JAE Y LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2479
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