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 .
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, 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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-6, 9-11, 14-16 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo (US 20220417989) in view of Liu (US 20230109449).
With respect to independent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 1/6/11/16, Luo teaches A method performed by a network-controlled repeater (NCR) ([Fig.4 and 0082], relay node or network controlled repeater) in an unlicensed band in a wireless communication system ([0083], “a shared communication channel”), the method comprising:
receiving ([0082], “relay node receives a scheduling message from a serving base station, wherein the scheduling message identifies an AF window and an offset prior to a beginning of the AF window.”), from a base station (BS) ([0082], “a serving base station”), control information ([0082], “scheduling message” And [0096], “the repeater or relay node performs an LBT procedure before AF operations based on a received repeater control signaling from a base station that schedules an AF window.”) indicating a forwarding window ([Abs], “amplify and forward (AF) window”) for transmitting data to a user equipment (UE) ([0106], “With AF operations, UE 115 receives the transmitted downlink data at afDL burst 514” from the relay node or NCR.);
performing a channel access procedure (CAP) for a channel between the NCR and the UE ([0083], “At block 401, the relay node performs an LBT procedure on a shared communication channel, wherein the LBT procedure is performed within the offset before the AF window.”); and
in case that the CAP is successful ([0085], “At block 403, the relay node performs the AF operations on all received signals during the AF window in response to success of the LBT procedure.”),
receiving, from the BS, the data in the forwarding window ([Fig.5], DL burst 513 is transmitted from the base station to the relay node. The DL burst window is aligned with AF window 510. And [0090], “At block 412, the base station transmits downlink signals to the relay node, wherein the downlink signals are transmitted after a gap period scheduled to allow a relay station LBT procedure.”); and
transmitting, to the UE, the data in the forwarding window ([0085], “when relay node 300 detects success of the LBT procedure, relay node 300 activates RU 1204 and conducts AF operations on received signals and forwards the amplified signals.” And [0106], “With AF operations, UE 115 receives the transmitted downlink data at afDL burst 514.”),
wherein the control information further includes first time offset information ([0082], “the scheduling message identifies an AF window and an offset prior to a beginning of the AF window.”) indicating a first performing time of the CAP ([0083], “the LBT procedure is performed within the offset before the AF window.” And [Fig.5 and 0105], “base station 105 includes gap 504 before downlink burst 505 in order to allow relay node 300 to perform LBT procedure 506.”) and first information on a first contention window size for the CAP ([0096], “the repeater control signaling may include an indication to schedule an offset in slots/symbols from the repeater control signaling to the scheduled AF window.” The offset may have a length of few “slots.”).
However, Luo does not specifically disclose a first starting time of the CAP.
In an analogous art, Liu discloses the control information ([0049], “a configuration indicating a listen-before-talk (LBT) window from a BS 105.”) further includes ... information indicating a first starting time of the CAP ([0049], “The configuration may indicate an LBT window start 320 and an LBT window end 322.”) and first information on a first contention window size for the CAP ([0052], “the LBT window end 322 may be indicated as a number of slots or sub-slots after the LBT window start 320.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Luo to specify starting time of LBT as taught by Liu. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to start LBT as indicated.
With respect to dependent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 4/9/14/19, Lou teaches in case that the CAP is failed, transmitting, to the BS, a report on a failure of the CAP ([0105], “relay node 300 detects failure of LBT procedure 506 and, thus, does not conduct any AF operations with AF window 503. Relay node 300 may then transmit LBT status report 507 to base station 105 that identifies the failure of LBT procedure 506.”), wherein a resource for the transmission of the report is configured by the BS ([0146], “wherein the LBT status report scheduling messages schedules transmission of the LBT status report one of: periodically or aperiodically.” And [0105], “LBT status report 507 may always be sent by relay node 300 and include indications of both successful and unsuccessful LBT procedures.”))
Regarding claim(s) 5/10/15/20, Lou teaches wherein the CAP includes listen-before talk (LBT) or channel sensing ([0083], “At block 401, the relay node performs an LBT procedure on a shared communication channel, wherein the LBT procedure is performed within the offset before the AF window.”),
wherein the control information includes information indicating downlink or uplink for time resources in the forwarding window ([0082], “wherein the scheduling message identifies an AF window.” And [0106], “With AF operations, UE 115 receives the transmitted downlink data at afDL burst 514.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 3, 8, 13 and 18 is/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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims filed on 04/23/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection in instant Office action does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the Applicant’s arguments.
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 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.
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/ZHIREN QIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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