DETAILED ACTION
It is hereby acknowledged that the following papers have been received and placed of record in the file: Amendment date 02/27/2026.
Claims 24-47 are presented for examination.
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.
Claims 26, 30, 33, 35, 38, 42, 45 and 47 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 26 line 5, regarding the phrase "can be carried by a frequency domain resource unit” is unclear if the feature following the phrase "can be" is an required feature of the invention since the phrase "can be" makes optional but does not require the feature. Similar issue exists in claim 30 line 3; claim 33 line 5, claim 35 line 4.
Claim 38 line 5, regarding the phrase "are able to be carried by a frequency domain resource unit” is unclear if the feature following the phrase "can be" is an required feature of the invention since the phrase "can be" makes optional but does not require the feature. The claim should be amended to recite more direct and positive language such as “to”, “that”, or “which”. Similar issue exists in claim 42 line 3; claim 45 line 5 and claim 47 line 4.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 24-28, 30-40 and 42-47 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yin et al. (US 2019/0150143 A1) in view of Akkarakaran et al. (US 2020/0092828 A1).
Regarding claim 24, Yin teaches a method, comprising:
determining uplink control information (UCI) (The UE 102 may determine 2402 whether an uplink control channel (PUCCH) spans over multiple slots based on a signaling from a base station (gNB) see Yin: Fig.24 steps 2402-2408; ¶[0174-0180]);
receiving indication information sent by a network device, wherein the indication information indicates N frequency domain resource units, and N is a positive integer greater than 1 (receiving a signaling from a base station (gNB), where the signal include PUCCH location and number of slot in the multi-slot PUCCH with slot format indicator (SFI) and N is the number of actual configured slots for long PUCCH transmission in a multi-slot PUCCH see Yin: Fig.24 steps 2402-2408; ¶[0174-0180]; Fig.4; ¶[0108-0109]; ¶[0094]); and
sending the UCI to the network device on the N frequency domain resource units using a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) format 4 (The UE 102 may transmit 2410 uplink control information (UCI) on a selected channel and PUCCH format 4 see Yin: Fig.24; ¶[0181]; ¶[0081]; ¶[0116]).
Yin does not explicitly teaches on a band that is shared and unlicensed frequency band, where the UCI is sent on the band according t a maximum transmit power associated with the band.
However, Akkarakaran teaches the on a band that is shared and unlicensed frequency band (resource blocks for transmission of the control information with uplink shared channel transmission and Macro/small cell can be unlicensed frequency bands see Akkarakaran: Claims 5-6; ¶[0201]), where the UCI is sent on the band according to a maximum transmit power associated with the band (uplink control information based on maximum power limit associated with carrier “the transmit power for the uplink transmission of control information may be determined based on a maximum carrier power limit, and the transmit power for the PUSCH transmission may be determined based on the transmit power used for the PUCCH transmission and the maximum carrier power limit” see Akkarakaran: ¶[0082]) in order to support power control in New radio systems (see Akkarakaran: ¶[0005]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Yin to include (or to use, etc.) the on a band that is shared and unlicensed frequency band, where the UCI is sent on the band according to a maximum transmit power associated with the band as taught by Akkarakaran in order to support power control in New radio systems (see Akkarakaran: ¶[0005]).
Regarding claim 25, the modified Yin taught the method according to claim 24 as described hereinabove. Yin further teaches wherein: the UCI comprises N UCI subsegments (UCI include N is the number of actual configured slots for long PUCCH transmission in a multi-slot PUCCH see Yin: Fig.4; ¶[0108-0109]), and different UCI subsegments in the N UCI subsegments are carried by different frequency domain resource units in the N frequency domain resource units (The UCI bits may be segmented into multiple segments, each segment for each slot of a multi-slot PUCCH. Each UCI segment may be separately encoded and rate matched to the PUCCH symbols in the given slot. The UCI bits may be segmented proportional to the number of UCI carrying symbols in each slot; and different slots may have different number of PUCCH symbols, the coding rate may be different in different slots, especially if the number of PUCCH symbols in one or more slots is too small see Yin: ¶[0094-0095]).
Regarding claim 26, the modified Yin taught the method according to claim 25 as described hereinabove. Yin further teaches wherein: a sum of a quantity of bits of a UCI subsegment of the N UCI subsegments and a quantity of bits of a cyclic redundancy check code (CRC) corresponding to the UCI subsegment is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the first threshold is a maximum quantity of bits that can be carried by a frequency domain resource unit (compare the bit capacity of PUCCH to sufficient carry all encoded bit, where the threshold is the sufficient level carry all the bits; and UCI carry smaller than the number of UCI encoded bits 810 “If a multi-slot long PUCCH spans over multiple slots with gaps between PUCCH symbols, the UE may compare whether the bit capacity of PUCCH carrying symbols in each slot is sufficient to carry all encoded UCI bits 810. If the bit capacity of PUCCH UCI carrying symbols in any slot is smaller than the number of UCI encoded bits 810, UCI encoded bits may be rate matched and loaded to all PUCCH UCI carrying symbols of the long PUCCH 812” see Yin: ¶[0139]).
Regarding claim 27, the modified Yin taught the method according to claim 25 as described hereinabove. Yin further teaches wherein sending the UCI on the N frequency domain resource units comprises: performing physical-layer processing on the N UCI subsegments to obtain N first modulation symbols (each OFDM symbol refers as a resource element that indices in the frequency domain resources “one sub-carrier in frequency domain and one OFDM symbol in time domain is referred to as a resource element (RE) and is uniquely identified by the index pair (k, l) in a slot, where k and l are indices in the frequency and time domains” see Yin: ¶[0144]; Fig.9), wherein: the physical-layer processing comprises rate matching, and the rate matching is based on one frequency domain resource unit (Different UCI encoding and rate matching methods can be applied based on the UCI payload size and the long PUCCH resources in each slot see Yin: ¶[0047]; Fig.8); mapping the N first modulation symbols to the N frequency domain resource units; and sending the N first modulation symbols (UCI encoded bits may be rate matched and loaded to all PUCCH UCI carrying symbols of the long PUCCH 812. If the bit capacity of PUCCH UCI carrying symbols in all slots is greater than or equal to the number of UCI encoded bits, UCI encoded bits may be rate matched and loaded to PUCCH UCI carrying symbols of each slot of the long PUCCH separately 808 see Yin: ¶[0139]; Fig.8 step 812).
Regarding claim 28, the modified Yin taught the method according to claim 24 as described hereinabove. Yin further teaches wherein a quantity of bits of the UCI is A, and sending the UCI on the N frequency domain resource units comprises: performing physical-layer processing on the A-bit UCI to obtain a fifth modulation symbol, wherein the physical-layer processing comprises rate matching, and the rate matching is based on the N frequency domain resource units; mapping the fifth modulation symbol to the N frequency domain resource units; and sending the fifth modulation symbol (N UCI encoded bits rate matched and loaded to PUCCH UCI carrying symbols of each slot of the long PUCCH, which all PUCCH UCI carry include fifth modulation symbols “UCI encoded bits may be rate matched and loaded to all PUCCH UCI carrying symbols of the long PUCCH 812. If the bit capacity of PUCCH UCI carrying symbols in all slots is greater than or equal to the number of UCI encoded bits, UCI encoded bits may be rate matched and loaded to PUCCH UCI carrying symbols of each slot of the long PUCCH separately 808” see Yin: ¶[0139]; Fig.8 step 812).
Regarding claim 30, claim 30 is rejected for the same reason as claim 26 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 31, Yin teaches a method, comprising:
sending indication information to a terminal device, wherein the indication information indicates N frequency domain resource units, and N is a positive integer greater than 1 (base station 160 sending a signaling to UE 102, where the signal include PUCCH location and number of slot in the multi-slot PUCCH with slot format indicator (SFI) and N is the number of actual configured slots for long PUCCH transmission in a multi-slot PUCCH see Yin: Fig.24 steps 2402-2408; ¶[0174-0180]; Fig.4; ¶[0108-0109]; ¶[0094]);
receiving a signal from the terminal device on the N frequency domain resource units; and performing physical-layer processing on the signal to obtain uplink control information (UCI), wherein a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) format corresponding to the UCI is a PUCCH format 4 (base station 160 receiving UCI from the UE 102 on a selected channel and PUCCH format 4 see Yin: Fig.24; ¶[0181]; ¶[0081]; ¶[0116]).
Yin does not explicitly teaches on a band that is shared and unlicensed frequency band, where the UCI is sent on the band according to a maximum transmit power associated with the band.
However, Akkarakaran teaches the on a band that is shared and unlicensed frequency band (resource blocks for transmission of the control information with uplink shared channel transmission and Macro/small cell can be unlicensed frequency bands see Akkarakaran: Claims 5-6; ¶[0201]), where the UCI is sent on the band according to a maximum transmit power associated with the band (uplink control information based on maximum power limit associated with carrier “the transmit power for the uplink transmission of control information may be determined based on a maximum carrier power limit, and the transmit power for the PUSCH transmission may be determined based on the transmit power used for the PUCCH transmission and the maximum carrier power limit” see Akkarakaran: ¶[0082]) in order to support power control in New radio systems (see Akkarakaran: ¶[0005]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Yin to include (or to use, etc.) the on a band that is shared and unlicensed frequency band, where the UCI is sent on the band according to a maximum transmit power associated with the band as taught by Akkarakaran in order to support power control in New radio systems (see Akkarakaran: ¶[0005]).
Regarding claim 32, claim 32 is rejected for the same reason as claim 25 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 33, claim 33 is rejected for the same reason as claim 26 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 34, claim 34 is rejected for the same reason as claim 27 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 35, claim 35 is rejected for the same reason as claim 30 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 36, claim 36 is rejected for the same reason as claim 24 as set forth hereinabove. Regarding claim 36 recites a communication apparatus that perform the same functionalities as the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove.
Regarding claim 37, claim 37 is rejected for the same reason as claim 25 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 38, claim 38 is rejected for the same reason as claim 26 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 39, claim 39 is rejected for the same reason as claim 27 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 40, claim 40 is rejected for the same reason as claim 28 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 42, claim 42 is rejected for the same reason as claim 29 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 43, claim 43 is rejected for the same reason as claim 30 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 44, claim 44 is rejected for the same reason as claim 25 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 45, claim 45 is rejected for the same reason as claim 26 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 46, claim 46 is rejected for the same reason as claim 34 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 47, claim 47 is rejected for the same reason as claim 30 as set forth hereinabove.
Claims 29 and 41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yin et al. (US 2019/0150143 A1) in view of Akkarakaran et al. (US 2020/0092828 A1) and further in view of Li et al. (US 2021/0315000 A1).
Regarding claim 29, the modified Yin taught the method according to claim 28 as described hereinabove. The modified Yin does not explicitly teaches wherein a length E of an output bit sequence after the rate matching is determined based on Etol; and when a modulation scheme corresponding to the PUCCH format 4 is quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK): Etol =a.N.
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; or when the modulation scheme corresponding to the PUCCH format 4 is π/ 2 binary phase shift keying (BPSK): Etol =b.N.
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;,wherein
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is a spreading factor corresponding to the PUCCH format 4,
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is a time unit quantity corresponding to the first PUCCH format, and a and b are positive numbers.
However, Li teaches the wherein a length E of an output bit sequence after the rate matching is determined based on Etol; and when a modulation scheme corresponding to the PUCCH format 4 is quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK): Etol =a.N.
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; or when the modulation scheme corresponding to the PUCCH format 4 is π/ 2 binary phase shift keying (BPSK): Etol =b.N.
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59
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/
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;,wherein
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is a spreading factor corresponding to the PUCCH format 4,
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is a time unit quantity corresponding to the PUCCH format 4, and a and b are positive numbers (total length equation based on spreading factor, number of RB and modulation order “A UE may be configured with the spreading factor N.sub.SF,CG-UCI, and UE specific or group specific spreading code. When performing the rate matching, the UE may rate match the input bit sequence to the output bit sequence with total length E.sub.tot=K.sub.RM.Math.N.sub.symb,CG-UCI.Math.N.sub.PRB,CG-UCI/N.sub.SF,CG-UCI, where K.sub.RM is a constant depending on the modulation order, N.sub.symb,CG-UCI is the number of symbols assigned for CG-UCI transmitting, and N.sub.PRB,CG-UCI is the number of RBs assigned for CG-UCI transmitting” see Li: ¶[0156]; ¶[0203]; ¶[0089]) in order to provide MCS selection and reporting in grant-free NOMA see Li: ¶[0003]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of the modified Yin to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein a length E of an output bit sequence after the rate matching is determined based on Etol; and when a modulation scheme corresponding to the PUCCH format 4 is quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK): Etol =a.N.
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/
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; or when the modulation scheme corresponding to the PUCCH 4 format is π/ 2 binary phase shift keying (BPSK): Etol =b.N.
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59
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/
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19
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;,wherein
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is a spreading factor corresponding to the PUCCH format 4,
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is a time unit quantity corresponding to the PUCCH format 4, and a and b are positive numbers as taught by Li in order to provide MCS selection and reporting in grant-free NOMA see Li: ¶[0003]).
Regarding claim 41, claim 41 is rejected for the same reason as claim 29 as described hereinabove.
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 GUANG W LI whose telephone number is (571)270-1897. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7AM-5PMET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Avellino can be reached at (571) 272-3905. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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GUANG W. LI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2478
April 4, 2026
/GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478