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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/05/2026 has been entered.
Other prior art
WO-2020102072-A1 In this embodiment, the MAC CE may include a component carrier (CC) index, one or more SSB indexes, and/or other like information
Gao (US-20230276519) [0050] and P-Q RS is the RS with same values as the RS indexes in the RS sets indicated/updated by TCI-State for respective CORESET (for example, C2) configured with CORESETPoolIndex=1.
Terms
BFI – beam failure instance
BFD – beam failure detection
BLER – block error rate
Reference signal – pilot [0063], CSI-RS, DMRS, NZP CSI-RS, CSI-IM, ZP CSI-RS [0064], BFD RS beam set
Resource – RB [0062]
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 9, 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Independent Claims
Claim(s) 1, 9, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US-20190053288) in view of 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16), 38.331, RAN#89-e, 15.2.0, 2020-10-07.
As to claim 1, 9, 15: Zhou teaches a user equipment (UE) comprising: a transceiver; and a processor operably coupled to the transceiver and configured to identify whether first information on reference signal (RS) sets including (i) a first RS set for detecting a first beam failure and … , receive, from a base station, a medium access control control element (MAC CE) message indicating a first RS resource from the first RS set and a second RS resource from the second RS set ([0237, 251, 252, 295] [0294], fig.26, fig.27, fig.28 The MAC CE may indicate RSs and or RACH resources that may be used in the event of that beam failure recovery is triggered. For example, the MAC CE may indicate CSI-RSs and BFR-PRACH resources, such as described above regarding FIG. 26. Resources may be associated with one or more beams in a variety of ways. One or more examples described herein (e.g., FIGS. 26, 27, and/or 28) may show different resource assignments for transmission beams that may be assigned using a MAC CE), and detect at least one of the first beam failure based on the first RS resource or the second beam failure based on the second RS resource ([0004, 251-255, 0294], fig.26, fig.27, fig.28 BFD, BFR-PRACH-config).
Zhou may not explicitly teach (ii) a second RS set for detecting a second beam failure are configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, in case that the first RS set and the second CS set are configured via the RRC signaling. However, 3GPP Teaches (ii) a second RS set for detecting a second beam failure are configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, in case that the first RS set and the second CS set are configured via the RRC signaling (p.561 failureDetectionResourcesToAddModList A list of reference signals for detecting beam failure and/or cell level radio link failure (RLF); wherein examiner takes official notice that RadioLinkMonitoringConfig IE is configured by the RRC).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement RRC signaling of RS, taught by 3GPP, into the BFD, taught by Zhou, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and enable UE to detect beam failures. In addition, it would have been obvious to combine Zhou and 3GPP in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references.
Dependent Claims
Claim(s) 2, 10, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US-20190053288), 3GPP in view of Tsai (WO-2021034672-A1).
As to claim 2, 10, 16: Zhou teaches the UE of claim 1.
Zhou may not explicitly teach wherein: the first RS set is associated with a control resource set (CORESET) pool index (CORESETPoolIndex) with a value (), and the second RS set is associated with CORESETPoolIndex with value 1. However, Tsai teaches wherein: the first RS set is associated with a control resource set (CORESET) pool index (CORESETPoolIndex) with a value (), and the second RS set is associated with CORESETPoolIndex with value 1 ([0083] For example, UE 200 determines the set (index i = 0) to include periodic CSI-RS resource configuration indexes with same values as the RS indexes in the RS sets configured or indicated (e.g. by RRC or MAC CE) by TCI-State for respective CORESETs with coresetPoolIndex-rl6 equal to pO (pO may be 0 or 1) that UE 200 uses for monitoring PDCCH and, if there are two RS indexes in a TCI state, the set includes RS indexes with QCL-TypeD configuration for the corresponding TCI states).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement CORESET Pool index, taught by Tsai, into the LTE communication system, taught by Zhou, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and to identify resources. In addition it would have been obvious to combine Zhou and Tsai in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references.
Claim(s) 3, 6, 11, 14, 17, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US-20190053288) in view of 3GPP.
As to claim 3, 11, 17: Zhou teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the MAC CE message is associated with the first RS set and the second RS set ([0004, 251-255, 0294], fig.26, fig.27, fig.28).
As to claim 6, 14, 20: Zhou teaches the UE of claim 1, 9, 15, wherein: the processor is further configured to receive, from the base station, second information on RS sets including (i) a third RS set for identifying a first candidate beam for recovering the first beam failure and (ii) a fourth RS set for identifying a second candidate beam for recovering the second beam failure, and wherein the first RS set is associated with the third RS set and the second RS set is associated with the fourth RS set ([0294], fig.26, fig.27, fig.28 The MAC CE may indicate RSs and or RACH resources that may be used in the event of that beam failure recovery is triggered. For example, the MAC CE may indicate CSI-RSs and BFR-PRACH resources, such as described above regarding FIG. 26. Resources may be associated with one or more beams in a variety of ways. One or more examples described herein (e.g., FIGS. 26, 27, and/or 28) may show different resource assignments for transmission beams that may be assigned using a MAC CE).
Claim(s) 4, 12, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US-20190053288), 3GPP in view of Loehr (US-20220311498), Tsai (US-20210029724).
(two mutually exclusive cases is effectively an “or” clause)
As to claim 4, 12, 18: Zhou teaches the UE of claim 1.
Zhou may not explicitly teach wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, from the base station, at least one scheduling request (SR) configuration associated with beam failure recovery (BFR), in case that a single SR configuration is received, transmit, to the base station based on the single SR configuration, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) including a SR for BFR associated with the first RS set or the second RS set. However, Loehr teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, from the base station, at least one scheduling request (SR) configuration associated with beam failure recovery (BFR), in case that a single SR configuration is received, transmit, to the base station based on the single SR configuration, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) including a SR for BFR associated with the first RS set or the second RS set ([0006] One method of a UE includes receiving a SR configuration from a wireless communication network. Here, the SR configuration comprising a set of PUCCH resources, where the SR configuration corresponds to one or more logical channels. The method includes detecting that a beam failure recovery procedure has been triggered for a SCell in the wireless communication network. The method includes triggering a SR for SCell beam failure recovery in response to determining that there are no UL-SCH resources available for a new transmission for the transmission of a beam failure MAC CE. The method includes transmitting SR on the PUCCH resources of the SR configuration in response to triggering the SR for SCell beam failure recovery).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement SR configuration, taught by Loehr, into the LTE Communication system, taught by Zhou, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and to perform beam failure recovery. In addition it would have been obvious to combine Loehr and Zhou in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references.
Zhou may not explicitly teach and in case that two SR configurations are received, transmit, to the base station, a first PUCCH including a SR for BFR associated with the first RS set based on a first SR configuration and a second PUCCH including a SR for BFR associated with the second RS set based on a second SR configuration. However, Tsai teaches and in case that two SR configurations are received, transmit, to the base station, a first PUCCH including a SR for BFR associated with the first RS set based on a first SR configuration and a second PUCCH including a SR for BFR associated with the second RS set based on a second SR configuration ([0218, 0219]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement multiple SR configurations, taught by Tsai, into the SR configuration, taught by Loehr, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and to perform beam failure recovery. In addition it would have been obvious to combine Tsai and Loehr in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references.
Claim(s) 5, 13, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US-20190053288), 3GPP in view of Lee (US-20210320838).
As to claim 5, 13, 19: Zhou teaches the UE of claim 1, 9, 15.
Zhou may not explicitly teach wherein: a counter for beam failure instance (BFI) indication, a beam failure detection timer, and a maximum number of BFI count are configured for each of the first RS set and the second RS set, and each of the first beam failure and the second beam failure is detected based on the counter for BFI indication, the beam failure detection timer, and the maximum number of BFI count. However, Lee teaches wherein: a counter for beam failure instance (BFI) indication, a beam failure detection timer, and a maximum number of BFI count are configured for each of the first RS set and the second RS set, and each of the first beam failure and the second beam failure is detected based on the counter for BFI indication, the beam failure detection timer, and the maximum number of BFI count ([0073, 174, 178] BFD timer, BFI counter, MAX; wherein multiple RS is taught by Zhou).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement BFD criteria, taught by Lee, into the BFR method, taught by Zhou, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and to determine beam failure. In addition it would have been obvious to combine Zhou and Lee in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (US-20190053288), 3GPP, Matsumura (US-20230388820) in view of Zhou (US-20200245176)
As to claim 7: Zhou teaches the UE of claim 6.
Zhou ‘288 may not explicitly teach wherein: the transceiver is further configured to receive information regarding a RS received power (RSRP) threshold; and the processor is further configured to: identify a first radio link quality by measuring a resource in the third RS set based on the first beam failure being declared or a second radio link quality by measuring a resource in the fourth RS set based on the second beam failure being declared; and identify the first candidate beam or the second candidate beam in case that the first radio link quality or the second radio link quality is larger than or equal to the RSRP threshold. However, Zhou ‘176 teaches wherein: the transceiver is further configured to receive information regarding a RS received power (RSRP) threshold (wherein examiner takes official notice that it is commonly known in the art for UE’s to be configured with and receive threshold information including RSRP); and the processor is further configured to: identify a first radio link quality by measuring a resource in the third RS set based on the first beam failure being declared or a second radio link quality by measuring ([0058, 0078], fig.4, fig.6 UE measures quality of candidate beams) a resource in the fourth RS set based on the second beam failure being declared; and identify the first candidate beam or the second candidate beam in case that the first radio link quality or the second radio link quality is larger than or equal to the RSRP threshold ([0049] In one aspect, after detecting beam failure, UE 115-a may compare a quality (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP)) of each candidate beam available for communicating with base station 105-a to a beam identification threshold, and UE 115-a may perform beam reporting based on the comparisons. For instance, if UE 115-a determines that the quality of a candidate beam is above the beam identification threshold, UE 115-a may transmit a beam report (e.g., in or after a BFRQ) identifying the candidate beam as a new beam for communicating with base station 105-a).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement measurement threshold, taught by Zhou ‘176, into the BFR method, taught by Zhou ‘288, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and to determine candidate beams for recovery. In addition it would have been obvious to combine Zhou ‘176 and Zhou ‘288 in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW CHUNG SUK OH whose telephone number is (571)270-5273. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12p-8p.
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/ANDREW C OH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466