DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
2. Claims 2-15 and 21-24 are pending wherein claims 2 and 9 are in independent form.
3. Claims 2-5 and 9-12 have been amended. In view of amendments, rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph are withdrawn.
4. Claims 1 and 16-20 have been cancelled. Claims 23-24 have been added newly.
Response to Arguments
5. Applicant's arguments filed on 04/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The reasons set forth below.
6. On page 8 of the remarks, applicant argues, “As the Office Action appears to recognize, Eckhardt applies a frame number. This frame number is not generated from decoding a descrambled PBCH transmission. Instead Eckhardt tests hypotheses for various frame numbers (see Eckhardt at paragraph 0022). These frame numbers are tested iteratively (see Eckhardt at paragraph 0021) rather than generated from decoding a descrambled PBCH transmission. Therefore it is respectfully submitted that there is no disclosure of a processor configured to "after the PBCH transmission is descrambled, decode the descrambled PBCH transmission to generate timing information associated with the PBCH transmission, a scrambled PBCH payload, and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information" (emphasis added)”.
In response, examiner respectfully disagrees because:
Eckhardt discloses to decode the descrambled PBCH transmission using a different frame number in each of the decoding iteration until a successful CRC check. The PBCH transmission is descrambled and decoded by using the initial frame number and then, for each of the successive iteration (descrambling, decoding, CRC checking), the frame number is generated (at step 411) based on decoding and CRC checking in a previous iteration. The next frame number after the initial frame number (CRC not succeeding, step 48) is generated at step 411 after decoding the PBCH transmission.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. Claims 2-6, 9-13, and 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU et al (US 20190281534 A1, hereinafter referred to as Yu) in view of Eckardt et al (US 20180234112, hereinafter referred to as Eckardt) and further in view of Si et al (US 20180167946 A1, hereinafter referred to as Si).
Re claim 2, Yu teaches a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) (Terminal) (Fig. 2, Fig. 18, Fig. 33), the WTRU comprising:
(i) a processor (Controller) (Fig. 2, Fig. 18, Par 0108-0111) configured to:
(ii) receive a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) transmission (physical broadcast channel (PBCH)) (Fig. 2, Fig. 5-7, Par 0009-0013, Par 0017, Par 0061, Par 0067);
(iii) descramble the PBCH transmission using a first sequence associated with at least a synchronization signal (SS) block index corresponding to the PBCH transmission (descrambling PBCH using a sequence associated with the SS block index) (Fig. 2, Fig. 7, Fig. 35-36, Par 0009-0016, Par 0061, Par 0067, Par 0074-0075, Par 0191-0202);
Yu does not explicitly disclose to
(iv) after the PBCH transmission is descrambled, decode the descrambled PBCH transmission to generate timing information associated with the PBCH transmission, a scrambled PBCH payload, and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information,
(v) the PBCH transmission is polar encoded; and
(vi) after the PBCH transmission is decoded to generate the timing information, descramble the scrambled PBCH payload to generate a PBCH payload, wherein the processor is configured to generate the PBCH payload based on at least the timing information.
Re components (iv) and (vi), Eckardt teaches to
(iv) after the PBCH transmission is descrambled, decode the descrambled PBCH transmission (decoding PBCH transmission, step 46, Fig. 4) to generate timing information associated with the PBCH transmission (after the CRC check failed with the initial timing=0 (step 48, Fig. 4), next timing/system frame number is applied to descramble (step 44) the PBCH transmission), a scrambled PBCH payload (until CRC is successful, MIB within the PBCH transmission is not descrambled correctly), and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information (Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Par 0003-0004, Par 0018-0020, Par 0022-0023, Par 0033),
(vi) after the PBCH transmission is decoded to generate the timing information (obtaining system frame number/timing information at step 411, Fig. 4), descramble the scrambled PBCH payload to generate a PBCH payload (descrambling PBCH transmission to obtain MIB), wherein the processor is configured to generate the PBCH payload based on at least the timing information (descrambling PBCH transmission to retrieve MIB by using the system frame number/timing information obtained at step 411) (Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Par 0003-0004, Par 0018-0020, Par 0022-0023, Par 0033).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Yu by including the step that (iv) after the PBCH transmission is descrambled, decoding the descrambled PBCH transmission to generate timing information associated with the PBCH transmission, a scrambled PBCH payload, and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information (vi) after the PBCH transmission is decoded to generate the timing information, descrambling the scrambled PBCH payload to generate a PBCH payload, wherein the processor is configured to generate the PBCH payload based on at least the timing information, as taught by Eckardt for the purpose of properly retrieving MIB (Master Information Block) included in the PBCH transmission to perform initial cell access, as taught by Eckardt (Par 0003).
Re component (v), Si teaches that the PBCH transmission is polar encoded (Polar coding PBCH) (Fig. 17, Fig. 21-22, Par 0184, Par 0209, Par 0219-0220, Par 0243-0252).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Yu by including the step that (v) the PBCH transmission is polar encoded, as taught by Si, for the purpose of efficiently transmitting system information over a broadcast channel to enhance initial access procedure and RRM for the new radio access technology (NR), as taught by Si (Par 0002, Par 0129).
Claim 9 recites a method performing the functions recited in claim 2 above and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 2.
Re claims 3, 10, Yu teaches that the CRC information CRC bits (PBCH including CRC bits) (Fig. 7-8, Par 0071, Par 0084-0090).
Re claims 4, 11, Yu teaches to perform an error check of the timing information using the CRC bits (CRC tests indicating successful decoding to acquire system information including SS Block index, symbol index) (Fig. 7-8, Fig. 36, Par 0084-0090, Par 0202).
Re claims 5, 12, Yu teaches that the CRC bits are descrambled based on cell information (PBCH including CRC bits descrambled using cell ID) (Fig. 2, Fig. 8, Fig. 35-36, Par 0009-0016, Par 0067-0071, Par 0084-0090, Par 0200-0202).
Re claims 6, 13, Yu teaches that the cell information is a cell identity (PBCH descrambled using cell ID) (Par 0009-0016, Par 0067, Par 0074-0075).
Re claims 21, 22, Yu does not explicitly disclose that the timing information comprises a subset of system frame number bits, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the PBCH payload based on at least the subset of system frame number bits.
Si teaches that the timing information comprises a subset of system frame number bits, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the PBCH payload based on at least the subset of system frame number bits (PBCH payload including system frame number) (Abstract, Par 0005-0007, Par 0066, Par 0081, Par 0172).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Yu by including the step that the timing information comprises a subset of system frame number bits, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the PBCH payload based on at least the subset of system frame number bits, as taught by Si for the purpose of efficiently transmitting system information over a broadcast channel to enhance initial access procedure and RRM for the new radio access technology (NR), as taught by Si (Par 0002, Par 0129).
Re claims 23-24, Yu does not explicitly disclose to generate the timing information from the decoded PBCH transmission.
Eckardt teaches to generate the timing information from the decoded PBCH transmission (frame number is generated when the decoded PBCH transmission fails CRC check. Therefore, the frame number is dependent on the decoded PBCH transmission) (Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Par 0003-0004, Par 0018-0020, Par 0022-0023, Par 0033).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Yu by including the step to generate the timing information from the decoded PBCH transmission, as taught by Eckardt for the purpose of properly retrieving MIB (Master Information Block) included in the PBCH transmission to perform initial cell access, as taught by Eckardt (Par 0003).
9. Claims 7-8 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU, Eckardt, and Si as applied to claims 2 and 9 above and further in view of Malladi et al (US 20090046672 A1, hereinafter referred to as Malladi).
Re claims 7, 14, Yu teaches that the timing information comprises SS block index information (system information including SS block index) (Par 0009-0017, Par 0074-0075).
Yu does not explicitly disclose that the timing information comprises frame boundary information.
Malladi teaches that the timing information comprises frame boundary information (acquiring frame boundary by decoding PBCH) (Par 0061).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Yu by including the step that the timing information comprises frame boundary information, as taught by Malladi, for the purpose of providing system parameters more efficiently to optimize communication between the mobile device and base station, as taught by Malladi (Par 0012).
Re claims 8, 15, Yu teaches to generate the PBCH payload based on the SS block index information (system information including SS block index) (Par 0009-0017, Par 0074-0075).
Yu does not explicitly disclose to generate the PBCH payload based on frame boundary information.
Malladi teaches to generate the PBCH payload based on frame boundary information (acquiring frame boundary by decoding PBCH) (Par 0061).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Yu by including the step to generate the PBCH payload based on frame boundary information, as taught by Malladi, for the purpose of providing system parameters more efficiently to optimize communication between the mobile device and base station, as taught by Malladi (Par 0012).
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 HARUN UR R CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3895. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang B Yao can be reached at 5712723182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HARUN CHOWDHURY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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