DETAILED ACTION
This Action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on 4/29/2026. Claims 1-11 and 13-20 are still pending in the present application. This Action is made FINAL.
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 of this title, 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 1-11 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0294538) in view of Lu et al et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0227708)
Referring to Claim 1, Seok et al. disclose a user equipment (UE) (pars 109 and 271-273, UE), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code (par 109, memory); and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to (par 109, processor): receive control signaling that indicates a configuration comprising a set of one or more subband full duplex (SBFD) symbols (pars 271-273, configuration, SBFD symbols), wherein the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in one or more time division duplex (TDD) downlink symbols or one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-273, TDD – downlink/flexible); monitor for downlink control information comprising a slot format indicator (SFI), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as downlink, uplink, or flexible (pars 271-273, SFI, TDD, downlink, uplink, flexible); and perform wireless communication according to one or more of the configuration or the SFI (pars 12, 271-273, communication).
However, Seok et al. do not disclose SBFD symbols comprising one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, one or more flexible subbands, or a combination thereof, and perform wireless communication via the one or more uplink subbands, the one or more downlink subbands, or the one or more flexible subbands.
In the same field of endeavor, Lu et al. disclose SBFD symbols comprising one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, one or more flexible subbands, or a combination thereof, and perform wireless communication via the one or more uplink subbands, the one or more downlink subbands, or the one or more flexible subbands (par 8, uplink subband of SBFD symbol).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate SBFD symbols comprising one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, one or more flexible subbands, or a combination thereof, and perform wireless communication via the one or more uplink subbands, the one or more downlink subbands, or the one or more flexible subbands, as taught by Lu et al., in the UE of Seok et al., for the purpose of improving resource utilization (Lu et al., par 8).
Referring to Claim 2 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD downlink symbols or one or more TDD flexible symbols by converting the one or more TDD downlink symbols or one or more TDD flexible symbols to one or more SBFD symbols (pars 271-273, TDD then SBFD format).
Referring to Claim 3 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD downlink symbols, wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as downlink (pars 271-273, SBFD, downlink), and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a downlink communication via one or more downlink subbands associated with the set of one or more SBFD symbols, wherein the downlink communication comprises one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission, or a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission (pars 271-277, PDCCH, PDSCH).
Referring to Claim 4 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD downlink symbols (pars 271-273, SBFD, downlink), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as uplink (pars 271-273, SFI, TDD, uplink), and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: transmit an uplink communication via one or more uplink subbands associated with the set of one or more SBFD symbols, wherein the uplink communication comprises one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission (pars 276 and 277, PUCCH, PUSCH, SRS, PRACH).
Referring to Claim 5 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as flexible (pars 271-273, SBFD, flexible), and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a downlink communication or transmit an uplink communication based at least in part on a corresponding downlink control information, wherein to receive the downlink communication is based at least in part on canceling the uplink communication associated with one or more uplink subbands, and wherein to transmit the uplink communication is based at least in part on dropping the downlink communication associated with one or more downlink subbands (par 215, cancel).
Referring to Claim 6 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD downlink symbols, wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as flexible, and wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: refrain from receiving a downlink communication or transmitting an uplink communication via the set of one or more SBFD symbols indicated as flexible (pars 271-277, SBFD, flexible, downlink/uplink).
Referring to Claim 7 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, flexible), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as downlink, and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a downlink communication via one or more flexible subbands associated with the set of one or more SBFD symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, downlink), wherein the downlink communication comprises one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission, or a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission (pars 271-277, PDCCH, PDSCH).
Referring to Claim 8 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, flexible), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as flexible, and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a downlink communication via one or more flexible subbands associated with the set of one or more SBFD symbols, wherein the downlink communication comprises one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission, or a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission (pars 271-277, PDCCH. PDSCH).
Referring to Claim 9 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD flexible symbols, wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as flexible (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, flexible), and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: transmit an uplink communication via one or more uplink subbands associated with the set of one or more SBFD symbols, wherein the uplink communication comprises one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission configured by higher-layer signaling (pars 276-278, PUCCH, PUSCH, SRS, PRACH, higher layer).
Referring to Claim 10 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as are configured in the one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, flexible), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as uplink, and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: transmit an uplink communication via one or more uplink subbands and one or more flexible subbands associated with the set of one or more SBFD symbols, wherein the uplink communication comprises one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission (pars 276-278, PUCCH, PUSCH, SRS,PRACH).
Referring to Claim 11 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: determine an absence of the SFI that indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as flexible (pars 271-273 and 283, flexible, not detected).
Referring to Claim 13 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD downlink symbols or in the one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, downlink, flexible), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as flexible, and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform the wireless communication via the one or more SBFD symbols or one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, flexible).
Referring to Claim 14 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD flexible symbols, wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as uplink, and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: transmit one or more messages via the one or more SBFD symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, uplink).
Referring to Claim 15 as applied to Claim 1 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration indicates that one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in the one or more TDD flexible symbols or the one or more TDD downlink symbols (pars 271-277, SBFD, TDD, flexbile, downlink), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as uplink, and wherein, to perform wireless communication, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: perform an uplink communication irrespective of the SFI; or declare an error associated with configuring the one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols in the one or more TDD flexible symbols or the one or more TDD downlink symbols (pars 271-277, uplink).
Referring to Claim 16, Seok et al. disclose a user equipment (UE) (pars 109 and 271-273, UE), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code (par 109, memory); and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to (par 109, processor): receive control signaling that indicates a configuration comprising a set of one or more symbols (pars 271-273, configuration, wherein the configuration indicates one or more symbols of the set of one or more symbols as downlink or flexible (pars 271-273, downlink/flexible); receive downlink control information comprising a slot format indicator (SFI), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more symbols of the set of one or more symbols as time division duplexing (TDD) downlink symbols, TDD flexible symbols, or subband full duplex (SBFD) symbols (pars 271-273, SFI, TDD, downlink, flexible, SBFD); and perform wireless communication according to one or more of the configuration or the SFI (pars 12, 271-273, communication).
However, Seok et al. do not disclose perform wireless communication via one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, or one or more flexible subbands of the set of one or more symbols.
In the same field of endeavor, Lu et al. disclose perform wireless communication via one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, or one or more flexible subbands of the set of one or more symbols (par 8, uplink subband of symbol).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate perform wireless communication via one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, or one or more flexible subbands of the set of one or more symbols, as taught by Lu et al., in the UE of Seok et al., for the purpose of improving resource utilization (Lu et al., par 8).
Referring to Claim 17 as applied to Claim 16 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the configuration comprises at least one SFI table comprising one or more entries indicatives of the set of one or more symbols as one or more of downlink, uplink, flexible, or SBFB (Fig. 28 and pars 271-273, downlink, uplink, flexible, SBFD).
Referring to Claim 18 as applied to Claim 16 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive a radio resource control signaling that indicates a second configuration comprising a set of one or more SBFD symbol patterns, wherein to perform wireless communication is based at least in part on at least one SBFD symbol pattern of the set of one or more SBFD symbol patterns and wherein the SFI comprises a bitfield that enables the at least one SBFD symbol pattern of the set of one or more SBFD symbol patterns (pars 271-273 and 241, RRC, format; dynamic SFI).
Referring to Claim 19 as applied to Claim 18 above, Seok et al. disclose the UE, wherein the at least one SBFD symbol pattern of the set of one or more SBFD symbol patterns is applicable to one or more symbols associated with the SFI, or the at least one SBFD symbol pattern is applicable until a second SFI enables at least one second SBFD symbol pattern of the set of one or more SBFD symbol patterns (pars 271-273 and 241, dynamic SFI).
Referring to Claim 20, Seok et al. disclose a method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) (pars 109 and 271-273, UE), comprising: receiving control signaling that indicates a configuration comprising a set of one or more subband full duplex (SBFD) symbols (pars 271-273, configuration, SBFD symbols), wherein the set of one or more SBFD symbols are configured in one or more time division duplex (TDD) downlink symbols or one or more TDD flexible symbols (pars 271-273, TDD – downlink/flexible); monitoring for downlink control information comprising a slot format indicator (SFI), wherein the SFI indicates each of one or more SBFD symbols of the set of one or more SBFD symbols as downlink, uplink, or flexible (pars 271-273, SFI, TDD, downlink, uplink, flexible); and performing wireless communication according to one or more of the configuration or the SFI (pars 12, 271-273, communication).
However, Seok et al. do not disclose SBFD symbols comprising one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, one or more flexible subbands, or a combination thereof, and perform wireless communication via the one or more uplink subbands, the one or more downlink subbands, or the one or more flexible subbands.
In the same field of endeavor, Lu et al. disclose SBFD symbols comprising one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, one or more flexible subbands, or a combination thereof, and perform wireless communication via the one or more uplink subbands, the one or more downlink subbands, or the one or more flexible subbands (par 8, uplink subband of SBFD symbol).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate SBFD symbols comprising one or more uplink subbands, one or more downlink subbands, one or more flexible subbands, or a combination thereof, and perform wireless communication via the one or more uplink subbands, the one or more downlink subbands, or the one or more flexible subbands, as taught by Lu et al., in the method of Seok et al., for the purpose of improving resource utilization (Lu et al., par 8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/29/2026 have been fully considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection necessitated by amendment. See the above rejection for the relevant citations found in the cited prior art disclosing the amended limitations.
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 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAIL KHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7187. The examiner can normally be reached on M-TH 8:30am-6:30pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached on 5712727915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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/Suhail Khan/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
