DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
This communication is in response to the amendment of 6/5/2026. All changes made to the claims have been entered. Accordingly, Claims 1-5, 15-17, 19 are currently pending in the application and claims 18, 20 withdrawn. Examiner suggests cancelling the withdrawn claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1, 19 (dependent claims also being rejected since they are dependent upon rejected claims set forth) is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the quantity of blind detection objects" in line 23 and line 28. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the fifth” and “the sixth” in line 32-33. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the subject matter “a quantity of third blind detection objects is less than or equal to a channel monitoring budget corresponding to the second cell, the quantity of third blind detection objects is the quantity of blind detection objects within the control resource for scheduling the first cell by the second cell on which the terminal needs to perform the first operation within N3 time units, wherein N3 is a positive integer; wherein the channel monitoring budget corresponding to the second cell is a seventh channel monitoring budget determined based on at least one fifth channel monitoring budget and at least one sixth channel monitoring budget, wherein the fifth channel monitoring budget is the channel monitoring budget corresponding to the first cell, and the sixth channel monitoring budget is a joint channel monitoring budget corresponding to at least two cells in the M cells.” It is however unclear on exactly what is meant by such subject matter with regards to “third”, “seventh”, “fifth”, and “sixth” as prior number sequences are not introduced such as “second”, “third”, “fourth”, etc. It is further unclear on what is meant by “based on at least one fifth channel monitoring budget and at least one sixth channel monitoring budget”. Is such subject matter referring to fractions such as 1/5 or 1/6? Or is such subject matter referring to integer values? Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the quantity of blind detection objects" in line 25 and line 30. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the fifth” and “the sixth” in line 34-35. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the subject matter “a quantity of third blind detection objects is less than or equal to a channel monitoring budget corresponding to the second cell, the quantity of third blind detection objects is the quantity of blind detection objects within the control resource for scheduling the first cell by the second cell on which the terminal needs to perform the first operation within N3 time units, wherein N3 is a positive integer; wherein the channel monitoring budget corresponding to the second cell is a seventh channel monitoring budget determined based on at least one fifth channel monitoring budget and at least one sixth channel monitoring budget, wherein the fifth channel monitoring budget is the channel monitoring budget corresponding to the first cell, and the sixth channel monitoring budget is a joint channel monitoring budget corresponding to at least two cells in the M cells.” It is however unclear on exactly what is meant by such subject matter with regards to “third”, “seventh”, “fifth”, and “sixth” as prior number sequences are not introduced such as “second”, “third”, “fourth”, etc. It is further unclear on what is meant by “based on at least one fifth channel monitoring budget and at least one sixth channel monitoring budget”. Is such subject matter referring to fractions such as 1/5 or 1/6? Or is such subject matter referring to integer values? Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5, 15-17, 19 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
MolavianJazi et al. (US 2022/0053522) disclosing determination of “maximum” limits for PDCCH BD is provided when operating in cross-carrier scheduling mode with at least two active scheduling cells is provided. In one embodiment, when a UE is configured with at least two scheduling cells for a given scheduled cell, the UE can determine a limit on the maximum number of PDCCH candidates M.sub.PDCCH.sup.max, slot, μ (resp. non-overlapped CCEs C.sub.PDCCH.sup.max, slot, μ) for the scheduled cell based on a number of scheduling cell(s) and a numerology(ies) of the scheduling cells for the scheduled cell(s)([0145]-[0147]).
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 NGUYEN HOANG NGO whose telephone number is (571)272-8398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/NGUYEN H NGO/Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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