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 .
Response to Remarks
This Office Action is considered to be fully responsive to the communications filed on 02/05/2026. Claims 1-20 are currently pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks page 12, filed 02/05/2026, with respect to the objection to the Specification have been fully considered and are persuasive. The amendments overcome the previous objection and thus it has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks pages 12-14, filed 02/05/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Parkvall et al (WO 2015099585 A1) and Rao et al (US 20260082388 A1) for claims 1-8, and 10-20, and in view of Parkvall et al (WO 2015099585 A1), Rao et al (US 20260082388 A1), and Christoffersson et al (US 20250167934 A1) for claim 9. Applicant argues on pages 12-13 of remarks that Parkvall does not teach the claimed “performing, on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions” step of independent claim 1, and that Parkvall does not teach the claimed “wherein each respective uplink transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions includes the respective indication of unused status for a number of uplink transmission occasions following the respective uplink transmission” feature of dependent claim 2. These arguments are however moot, as Rao does teach these features, and a claim mapping has been provided below. For these reasons, Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103. For more details, please see the Claim Rejections section below.
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 for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-8, and 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Parkvall et al (WO 2015099585 A1), and further in view of Rao et al (US 20260082388 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Parkvall teaches
A method, comprising ([Fig. 3] method):
receiving an uplink grant that indicates multiple uplink transmission occasions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant indicating first resources and second resources (indicates multiple uplink transmission occasions)); and
Parkvall does not explicitly teach performing, on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions.
However, Rao does teach performing, on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions ([0311] and [0313] the WRTU will indicate to the gNB about skipping of an unused CG resource, which may be one or more PUSCH occasions, during occasions/slots associated with a CG cycle, and the indication may be sent on a per slot basis (uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Parkvall and Rao are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring uplink resources. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to include the teachings of Rao where the UE sends an unused CG indicator on uplink before each unused CG PUSCH resource. The rationale behind this would be to improve resource usage efficiency ([0341] Rao).
Regarding claim 2, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 1, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein each respective uplink transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions includes the respective indication of unused status for a number of uplink transmission occasions following the respective uplink transmission ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] the wireless device 30 sends information indicating that the first resources are unused (each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the uplink transmission occasions)).
Regarding claim 3, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 2, as is described above.
Parkvall does not explicitly teach wherein every uplink transmission on the multiple uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions.
However, Rao does teach wherein every uplink transmission on the multiple uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions wherein every uplink transmission on the multiple uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions ([0311] and [0313] the WRTU will indicate to the gNB about skipping of an unused CG resource, which may be one or more PUSCH occasions (indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions), during occasions/slots associated with a CG cycle (plurality of uplink transmission occasions), and the indication may be sent on a per slot basis (uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Parkvall and Rao are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring uplink resources. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to include the teachings of Rao where the UE sends an unused CG indicator on uplink before each unused CG PUSCH resource. The rationale behind this would be to improve resource usage efficiency ([0341] Rao).
Regarding claim 4, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 3, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the plurality of uplink transmissions comprise physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmissions, wherein the respective indications are comprised in uplink control information (UCI) multiplexed in the PUSCH transmissions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device uses PUSCH to send the resource transmissions, where the wireless device sends information about the resources that are unused (uplink control information multiplexed in the PUSCH transmissions)).
Regarding claim 5, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 1, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the uplink grant includes one of ([Fig. 3] method with uplink grant):
a radio resource control (RRC) configured Type 1 configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission; or
a downlink control information (DCI) associated type 2 CG PUSCH transmission ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant indicating resources that are derived from a downlink control signal carrying the uplink grant, and the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (DCI PUSCH transmission)).
Regarding claim 6, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 1, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the uplink grant includes a configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with type B repetition ([Page 1] lines 25-28 semi-persistent scheduling where the UE is provided an uplink grant for multiple subframes according to a preconfigured time periodicity (uplink grant includes repetition); [Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant, where the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (PUSCH transmission)).
Regarding claim 7, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 1, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the uplink grant includes a dynamic grant (DG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission ([Page 1] lines 29-31 scheduling grant may be a dynamic scheduling grant; [Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant, where the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (PUSCH transmission)).
Regarding claim 8, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 1, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches further comprising: selecting a subset of the multiple uplink transmission occasions for the one or more uplink transmissions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] the wireless device 30 sends information indicating that the first resources are unused, where the information is sent on a chosen second set of resources that are determined based on the first resources indicated in the uplink scheduling grant (wireless device selects a subset of the multiple uplink transmission occasions for the uplink transmissions)).
Regarding claim 10, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 1, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches further comprising: providing an indication to a cellular base station of uplink resources for a subsequent configured grant period for the wireless device that are vacated by the wireless device ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] the wireless device 30 sends information indicating that the first resources are unused (each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the uplink transmission occasions; i.e. the resources are vacated by the wireless device), where the information is sent on a second set of resources (subsequent configured grant period for the wireless device) that are determined based on the first resources indicated in the uplink scheduling grant).
Regarding claim 11, Parkvall teaches
A wireless device, comprising ([Fig. 3] wireless device):
radio circuitry ([Fig. 8] wireless device contains a receiver and a transmitter); and
a processor operably coupled to the radio circuitry ([Page 11] lines 1-8, and [Fig. 8] wireless device contains processing unit which communicates with the transmitter/receiver);
wherein the wireless device is configured to ([Page 11] lines 1-10, and [Fig. 8] wireless device contains processor which is configured to execute instructions stored on the memory):
receive an uplink grant that provides multiple uplink transmission occasions ([Page 5] lines 30-32 and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant indicating first resources (indicates multiple uplink transmission occasions)); and
Parkvall does not explicitly teach perform, on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions.
However, Rao does teach perform, on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions ([0311] and [0313] the WRTU will indicate to the gNB about skipping of an unused CG resource, which may be one or more PUSCH occasions, during occasions/slots associated with a CG cycle, and the indication may be sent on a per slot basis (uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Parkvall and Rao are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring uplink resources. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to include the teachings of Rao where the UE sends an unused CG indicator on uplink before each unused CG PUSCH resource. The rationale behind this would be to improve resource usage efficiency ([0341] Rao).
Regarding claim 12, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 11, as is described above.
Parkvall does not explicitly teach wherein each respective uplink transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions includes the respective indication of unused status for a number of uplink transmission occasions following the respective uplink transmission.
However, Rao does teach wherein each respective uplink transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions includes the respective indication of unused status for a number of uplink transmission occasions following the respective uplink transmission ([0311] and [0313] the WRTU will indicate to the gNB about skipping of an unused CG resource, which may be one or more PUSCH occasions (indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions), during occasions/slots associated with a CG cycle (plurality of uplink transmission occasions), and the indication may be sent on a per slot basis (uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Parkvall and Rao are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring uplink resources. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to include the teachings of Rao where the UE sends an unused CG indicator on uplink before each unused CG PUSCH resource. The rationale behind this would be to improve resource usage efficiency ([0341] Rao).
Regarding claim 13, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 12, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein every uplink transmission on the multiple uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] the wireless device 30 sends information indicating that the first resources are unused (each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the uplink transmission occasions), where the information is sent on a second set of resources that are determined based on the first resources indicated in the uplink scheduling grant (uplink transmissions performed on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Regarding claim 14, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 13, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the plurality of uplink transmissions comprise physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmissions, wherein the respective indications are comprised in uplink control information (UCI) multiplexed in the PUSCH transmissions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device uses PUSCH to send the resource transmissions, where the wireless device sends information about the resources that are unused (uplink control information multiplexed in the PUSCH transmissions)).
Regarding claim 15, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 11, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the uplink grant includes at least one of ([Fig. 3] wireless device):
a radio resource control (RRC) configured Type 1 configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission;
a downlink control information (DCI) associated type 2 CG PUSCH transmission ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant indicating resources that are derived from a downlink control signal carrying the uplink grant, and the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (DCI PUSCH transmission));
a CG PUSCH transmission with type B repetition ([Page 1] lines 25-28 semi-persistent scheduling where the UE is provided an uplink grant for multiple subframes according to a preconfigured time periodicity (uplink grant includes repetition); [Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant, where the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (PUSCH transmission)); or
a dynamic grant (DG) PUSCH transmission ([Page 1] lines 29-31 scheduling grant may be a dynamic scheduling grant; [Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant, where the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (PUSCH transmission)).
Regarding claim 16, Parkvall teaches
A non-transitory memory element storing instructions executable by a processor to ([Page 10] lines 10-11 and [Fig. 6] node comprises a processor and a memory that contains instructions executed by the processor):
provide, to a first wireless device, a first uplink grant that provides a first set of uplink transmission occasions to the first wireless device ([Page 5] lines 30-32 and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant indicating first resources (indicates multiple uplink transmission occasions) from node 60); and
Parkvall does not explicitly teach receive, from the first wireless device during the first set of uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the uplink transmission occasions associated with the first uplink grant.
However, Rao does teach receive, from the first wireless device during the first set of uplink transmission occasions, uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the uplink transmission occasions associated with the first uplink grant ([0311] and [0313] the WRTU will indicate to the gNB about skipping of an unused CG resource, which may be one or more PUSCH occasions, during occasions/slots associated with a CG cycle, and the indication may be sent on a per slot basis (uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Parkvall and Rao are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring uplink resources. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to include the teachings of Rao where the UE sends an unused CG indicator on uplink before each unused CG PUSCH resource. The rationale behind this would be to improve resource usage efficiency ([0341] Rao).
Regarding claim 17, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The non-transitory memory element of claim 16, as is described above.
Parkvall does not explicitly teach wherein each respective uplink transmission received on the first set of uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for a number of uplink transmission occasions following the respective uplink transmission.
However, Rao does teach wherein each respective uplink transmission received on the first set of uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for a number of uplink transmission occasions following the respective uplink transmission ([0311] and [0313] the WRTU will indicate to the gNB about skipping of an unused CG resource, which may be one or more PUSCH occasions (indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions), during occasions/slots associated with a CG cycle (plurality of uplink transmission occasions), and the indication may be sent on a per slot basis (uplink transmissions that each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Parkvall and Rao are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring uplink resources. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to include the teachings of Rao where the UE sends an unused CG indicator on uplink before each unused CG PUSCH resource. The rationale behind this would be to improve resource usage efficiency ([0341] Rao).
Regarding claim 18, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The non-transitory memory element of claim 17, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein every uplink transmission on the first set of uplink transmission occasions includes the respective indication of unused status for one or more of the first set of uplink transmission occasions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] the wireless device 30 sends information indicating that the first resources are unused (each include a respective indication of unused status for one or more of the uplink transmission occasions), where the information is sent on a second set of resources that are determined based on the first resources indicated in the uplink scheduling grant (uplink transmissions performed on a plurality of the multiple uplink transmission occasions)).
Regarding claim 19, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The non-transitory memory element of claim 18, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the uplink transmissions received on the first set of uplink transmission occasions comprise physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmissions, wherein the respective indications are comprised in uplink control information (UCI) multiplexed in the PUSCH transmissions ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device uses PUSCH to send the resource transmissions, where the wireless device sends information about the resources that are unused (uplink control information multiplexed in the PUSCH transmissions)).
Regarding claim 20, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The non-transitory memory element of claim 16, as is described above.
Parkvall further teaches wherein the uplink grant includes at least one of ([Page 10] lines 10-11 and [Fig. 6] node comprises a processor and a memory that contains instructions executed by the processor; [Fig. 3] uplink grant):
a radio resource control (RRC) configured Type 1 configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission;
a downlink control information (DCI) associated type 2 CG PUSCH transmission ([Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant indicating resources that are derived from a downlink control signal carrying the uplink grant, and the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (DCI PUSCH transmission)); or
a CG PUSCH transmission with type B repetition ([Page 1] lines 25-28 semi-persistent scheduling where the UE is provided an uplink grant for multiple subframes according to a preconfigured time periodicity (uplink grant includes repetition); [Page 5] lines 30-32, [Page 7] lines 25-34, and [Fig. 3] wireless device 30 receives uplink grant, where the wireless device communicates with the radio network node using the PUSCH (PUSCH transmission)).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Parkvall et al (WO 2015099585 A1), Rao et al (US 20260082388 A1), and further in view of Christoffersson et al (US 20250167934 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Parkvall modified by Rao teaches The method of claim 8, as is described above.
Parkvall does not explicitly teach further comprising:
selecting the subset of the multiple uplink transmission occasions for the one or more uplink transmissions based at least in part on one or more of:
uplink data buffer size for an uplink data buffer; or
reliability target information for uplink data stored in the uplink data buffer.
However, Christoffersson does teach selecting the subset of the multiple uplink transmission occasions for the one or more uplink transmissions based at least in part on one or more of ([0109]-[0110], and [Fig. 2] wireless device 130 sends second transmission in action 205, which is in a second subset of periodic resources, and is according to a selected method in action 204 (selecting the subset based in part on)):
uplink data buffer size for an uplink data buffer ([0099] selecting action 204 may be based on a periodicity of the set of resources, wherein the size of the buffer of the wireless device 130 is smaller than a threshold (based on the uplink data buffer size for an uplink data buffer of the wireless device)); or
reliability target information for uplink data stored in the uplink data buffer.
Parkvall, Rao, and Christoffersson are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are all in the same field of configuring resources for uplink transmissions. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall/Rao to include the teachings of Christoffersson where the resources used for the UL transmission are according to a selected method that includes being based on the buffer size of the wireless device being less than a threshold. The rationale behind this would be to improve the handling of transmission between a network node and a wireless device in a wireless communications network ([0022] Christoffersson).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM JOEL CERLANEK whose telephone number is (703)756-1272. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00.
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/A.J.C./Examiner, Art Unit 2478
/JAY L VOGEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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