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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 11 May 2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11 May 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The amended claims simply recite steps included in the 3GPP specifications version 16.1.0 published in July 2020. Su fully incorporates the specifications of a 5G communication system ([0004]) which can be referenced directly in 3GPP specifications 38.211, 38.212, 38.213, 38.214, and 38.331.
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.
Claim(s) 1 - 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0248449 in further view of Yeo, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0116967.
Su teaches a method for scheduling uplink shared channel transmissions in a wireless communication system. Su does not teach adjusting a transport block size based on a number of sub- carriers. Yeo teaches adjusting a transport block size based upon a number of sub-carriers. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify the teachings of Su to incorporate the known technique of adjusting a transport block size as taught by Yeo in order to obtain the predictable result of more efficient transmissions.
The combination teaches:
1. (Currently Amended) An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:
memory ([0427], Su);
a transceiver ([0427], Su); and
at least one processor of a user equipment (UE), the at least one processor coupled with the memory and the transceiver ([0427], Su), and configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, via the transceiver, scheduling information for an uplink shared channel transmission, wherein the scheduling information indicates a frequency domain resource allocation comprising a sub-physical-resource-block allocation (UEs determine the specific time-frequency resource region first and then determine scheduling information corresponding to the DCI according to a relative position of the time-frequency resource position used for the PUSCH in the specific time-frequency resource region, [0221], Su, it is supported to use frequency-domain resources in the PRB level and the sub-PRB level, the frequency-domain resources can be distinguished by sub-PRB identifiers, [0225], Su), based at least in part on one or more fields of a downlink control information format, the one or more fields comprising a frequency domain resource allocation field that indicates a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, one or more sub-carriers within each of a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, or a combination thereof (as explained above, Su incorporates the 5G specifications by reference, for further clarification a webpage from How LTE Stuff Works (from April 2020) which provides a summary of the relevant specification, generally DCI utilizes a field for frequency domain resource assignment which carries the required resource allocation information); and
perform, via the transceiver, the uplink shared channel transmission in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein the uplink shared channel transmission comprises a transport block, and wherein a size of the transport block is based at least in part on a quantity of sub-carriers included in the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (configuration information on a resource block includes a number of subcarriers, the transport block size corresponds to the configuration information, [0014], Yeo).
2. (Original) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, via the transceiver, an indication of a capability of the UE to support sub-physical-resource-block allocations for uplink shared channel transmissions, wherein reception of the scheduling information is responsive to the indication of the capability of the UE (capability notice is used for scheduling, [0323], Su, frequency-domain resources exist at the sub-PRB level, [0225], Su).
3. (Original) The apparatus of claim 2, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a network entity via the transceiver, an indication of a capability of the network entity to support sub-physical-resource-block allocations for reception of uplink shared channel transmissions, wherein transmission of the indication of the capability of the UE is responsive to the indication of the capability of the network entity. (capability notice is used for scheduling, [0323], Su, frequency-domain resources exist at the sub-PRB level, [0225], Su)
4. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, via the transceiver, a control message indicating that the UE is to interpret the one or more fields of the downlink control information format as indicative of the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
5. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:
the frequency domain resource allocation field indicates the set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and the one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
6. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:
the one or more fields comprise the frequency domain resource allocation field and at least one additional field, the frequency domain resource allocation field indicates the set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, and the at least one additional field indicates one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
7. (Original) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one additional field comprises a modulation and coding scheme field, a transmit power command field, or a combination thereof (transmit power control in one piece of DCI, [0008], Su).
8. (Original) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, via the transceiver, the scheduling information via a downlink control information comprising a sub-physical-resource-block allocation field that indicates a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
9. (Original) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, via the transceiver, the scheduling information via a downlink control information comprising a first field indicating a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and a second field indicating one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218]).
10. (Previously Presented) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
generate, in accordance with the scheduling information, a transport block having the quantity of information bits based at least in part on the quantity of sub-carriers indicated in the sub-physical-resource-block allocation, wherein performing the uplink shared channel transmission comprises transmitting the transport block (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218]).
11. (Original)The apparatus of claim 10, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
account for the quantity of sub-carriers in a determination of a quantity of resource elements for transport block, wherein the quantity of information bits is based at least in part on the quantity of resource elements, and wherein the quantity of information bits being based at least in part on the quantity of sub-carriers is due at least in part to the quantity of information bits being based at least in part on the quantity of resource elements (UEs determine the specific time-frequency resource region first and then determine scheduling information corresponding to the DCI according to a relative position of the time-frequency resource position used for the PUSCH in the specific time-frequency resource region, [0221], Su, it is supported to use frequency-domain resources in the PRB level and the sub-PRB level, the frequency-domain resources can be distinguished by sub-PRB identifiers, [0225], Su).
12. (Original) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, to transmit the transport block, the at least one processor is further configured to:
transmit, via the transceiver, the transport block over a set of multiple slots, wherein the scheduling information comprises a time domain resource allocation that indicates the set of multiple slots (transmission over multiple slots, [0381] – [0383], Su).
13. (Currently Amended) An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:
memory ([0427]); and
at least one processor of a network entity, the at least one processor coupled with the memory, and the at least one processor ([0427]) configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE), scheduling information for an uplink shared channel transmission, wherein the scheduling information indicates a frequency domain resource allocation comprising a sub-physical-resource-block allocation (UEs determine the specific time-frequency resource region first and then determine scheduling information corresponding to the DCI according to a relative position of the time-frequency resource position used for the PUSCH in the specific time-frequency resource region, [0221], it is supported to use frequency-domain resources in the PRB level and the sub-PRB level, the frequency-domain resources can be distinguished by sub-PRB identifiers, [0225], Su) based at least in part on one or more fields of a downlink control information format, the one or more fields comprising a frequency domain resource allocation field that indicates a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, one or more sub-carriers within each of a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, or a combination thereof (as explained above, Su incorporates the 5G specifications by reference, for further clarification a webpage from How LTE Stuff Works (from April 2020) which provides a summary of the relevant specification, generally DCI utilizes a field for frequency domain resource assignment which carries the required resource allocation information) and
receive the uplink shared channel transmission from the UE in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein the uplink shared channel transmission comprises a transport block, and wherein a size of the transport block is based at least in part on a quantity of sub-carriers included in the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (configuration information on a resource block includes a number of subcarriers, the transport block size corresponds to the configuration information, [0014], Yeo).
14. (Original) The apparatus of claim 13, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the UE, an indication of a capability of the UE to support sub-physical-resource-block allocations for uplink shared channel transmissions, wherein transmission of the scheduling information is responsive to the indication of the capability of the UE (capability notice is used for scheduling, [0323], Su, frequency-domain resources exist at the sub-PRB level, [0225], Su).
15. (Original) The apparatus of claim 14, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the UE, an indication of a capability of the network entity to support sub-physical-resource-block allocations for reception of uplink shared channel transmissions, wherein reception of the indication of the capability of the UE is responsive to the indication of the capability of the network entity (capability notice is used for scheduling, [0323], Su, frequency-domain resources exist at the sub-PRB level, [0225], Su).
16. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 13, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the UE, a control message indicating that the UE is to interpret the one or more fields of the downlink control information format as indicative of the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
17. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:
the frequency domain resource allocation field indicates the set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and the one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
18. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:
the one or more fields comprise the frequency domain resource allocation field and at least one additional field, the frequency domain resource allocation field indicates the set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, and the at least one additional field indicates one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
19. (Original) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one additional field comprises a modulation and coding scheme field, a transmit power command field, or a combination thereof (transmit power control in one piece of DCI, [0008], Su).
20. (Original) The apparatus of claim 13, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit the scheduling information via a downlink control information comprising a sub-physical-resource-block allocation field that indicates a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
21. (Original) The apparatus of claim 13, the at least one processor further configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit the scheduling information via a downlink control information comprising a first field indicating a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and a second field indicating one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
22. (Previously Presented) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, to receive the uplink shared channel transmission, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive the transport block having a quantity of information bits based at least in part on the quantity of sub-carriers indicated in the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
23. (Original) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:
a quantity of resource elements for transport block accounts for the quantity of sub-carriers, the quantity of information bits is based at least in part on the quantity of resource elements, and the quantity of information bits being based at least in part on the quantity of sub-carriers is due at least in part to the quantity of information bits being based at least in part on the quantity of resource elements (UEs determine the specific time-frequency resource region first and then determine scheduling information corresponding to the DCI according to a relative position of the time-frequency resource position used for the PUSCH in the specific time-frequency resource region, [0221], Su, it is supported to use frequency-domain resources in the PRB level and the sub-PRB level, the frequency-domain resources can be distinguished by sub-PRB identifiers, [0225], Su).
24. (Original) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, to receive the transport block, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive the transport block over a set of multiple slots, wherein the scheduling information comprises a time domain resource allocation that indicates the set of multiple slots (transmission over multiple slots, [0381] – [0383], Su).
25. (Currently Amended) A method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving scheduling information for an uplink shared channel transmission, wherein the scheduling information indicates a frequency domain resource allocation comprising a sub-physical-resource-block allocation (UEs determine the specific time-frequency resource region first and then determine scheduling information corresponding to the DCI according to a relative position of the time-frequency resource position used for the PUSCH in the specific time-frequency resource region, [0221], Su, it is supported to use frequency-domain resources in the PRB level and the sub-PRB level, the frequency-domain resources can be distinguished by sub-PRB identifiers, [0225], Su) based at least in part on one or more fields of a downlink control information format, the one or more fields comprising a frequency domain resource allocation field that indicates a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, one or more sub-carriers within each of a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, or a combination thereof (as explained above, Su incorporates the 5G specifications by reference, for further clarification a webpage from How LTE Stuff Works (from April 2020) which provides a summary of the relevant specification, generally DCI utilizes a field for frequency domain resource assignment which carries the required resource allocation information); and
performing the uplink shared channel transmission in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein a quantity of information bits in the uplink shared channel transmission is based at least in part on a quantity of sub-carriers included in the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (configuration information on a resource block includes a number of subcarriers, the transport block size corresponds to the configuration information, [0014], Yeo).
26. (Original) The method of claim 25, further comprising:
transmitting an indication of a capability of the UE to support sub-physical-resource-block allocations for uplink shared channel transmissions, wherein reception of the scheduling information is responsive to the indication of the capability of the UE (capability notice is used for scheduling, [0323], frequency-domain resources exist at the sub-PRB level, [0225], Su).
27. (Original) The method of claim 26, further comprising:
receiving, from a network entity, an indication of a capability of the network entity to support sub-physical-resource-block allocations for reception of uplink shared channel transmissions, wherein transmission of the indication of the capability of the UE is responsive to the indication of the capability of the network entity (capability notice is used for scheduling, [0323], frequency-domain resources exist at the sub-PRB level, [0225], Su).
28. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 25, further comprising:
receiving a control message indicating that the UE is to interpret the one or more fields of the downlink control information format as indicative of the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
29. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 28, wherein:
the frequency domain resource allocation field indicates the set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission and the one or more sub-carriers within each of the set of physical resource blocks (sub-PRB identifier carried in the group DCI, [0218], Su).
30. (Currently Amended) A method for wireless communications at a network entity, comprising:
transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), scheduling information for an uplink shared channel transmission, wherein the scheduling information indicates a frequency domain resource allocation comprising a sub-physical-resource-block allocation (UEs determine the specific time-frequency resource region first and then determine scheduling information corresponding to the DCI according to a relative position of the time-frequency resource position used for the PUSCH in the specific time-frequency resource region, [0221], Su, it is supported to use frequency-domain resources in the PRB level and the sub-PRB level, the frequency-domain resources can be distinguished by sub-PRB identifiers, [0225], Su) based at least in part on one or more fields of a downlink control information format, the one or more fields comprising a frequency domain resource allocation field that indicates a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, one or more sub-carriers within each of a set of physical resource blocks for the uplink shared channel transmission, or a combination thereof (as explained above, Su incorporates the 5G specifications by reference, for further clarification a webpage from How LTE Stuff Works (from April 2020) which provides a summary of the relevant specification, generally DCI utilizes a field for frequency domain resource assignment which carries the required resource allocation information); and
receiving the uplink shared channel transmission from the UE in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein a quantity of information bits in the uplink shared channel transmission is based at least in part on a quantity of sub-carriers included in the sub-physical-resource-block allocation (configuration information on a resource block includes a number of subcarriers, the transport block size corresponds to the configuration information, [0014], Yeo).
Conclusion
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PETER G. SOLINSKY
Examiner
Art Unit 2463
/Peter G Solinsky/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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