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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-7, 12, 15, 17-20 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 6, 7, 12, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LY et al. (US 20230421327 as supported by provisional 63137668 filed on 01/14/2021).
Regarding claims 1, 19, LY et al. (US 20230421327) teaches a wireless communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device, first indication information, wherein the first indication information is indicative that at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for uplink transmission of a target channel (par. 76, the base station may provide the UE with a configuration indicating or enabling the UE to perform DMRS bundling for joint channel estimation across PUSCH repetitions. For instance, when the PUSCH repetitions are dynamically scheduled in DCI, the base station may provide the configuration enabling DMRS bundling to the UE within the PUSCH configuration (e.g., PUSCH-Config), or within the DCI itself…one or more bits or flags indicating whether the UE is to bundle DMRS (e.g., maintain power consistency and phase continuity of DMRS) in slots carrying repeated uplink data on PUSCH); and
performing, by the terminal device, the uplink transmission according to the first indication information (par. 67, if the base station configures the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type B (e.g., four configured or nominal repetitions), then the UE may repeat the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots);
wherein the uplink transmission is uplink repetitions (par. 67, 76, the UE may repeat the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots…slots carrying repeated uplink data on PUSCH), and the first indication information is carried in a first message (par. 67, 76, 77, he base station may schedule the UE to transmit K PUSCH repetitions via RRC, where K corresponds to the number of repetitions indicated in the PUSCH configuration or configured grant configuration scheduling the PUSCH transmissions);
wherein the at least one target slot is a slot in a first slot set, wherein the first message further contains a number K1 of nominal repetitions for the uplink repetitions (par. 67, 76, 77), wherein K1 is an integer and K1>1 (par. 67, 76, 77, if the base station configures the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type A, then the UE may repeat the transport block across four consecutive slots applying the same symbol allocation in each slot. Alternatively, in PUSCH repetition Type B, the UE transmits a number of available repetitions for PUSCH, which may be less than the number of configured (or “nominal”) repetitions. For example, if the base station configures the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type B (e.g., four configured or nominal repetitions), then the UE may repeat the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots.), the K1 repetitions for the uplink repetitions correspond to K1 consecutive slots, and the K1 consecutive slots constitute the first slot set (par. 67, 76, 77, the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots…The base station may schedule the UE to transmit K PUSCH repetitions via RRC, where K corresponds to the number of repetitions indicated in the PUSCH configuration or configured grant configuration scheduling the PUSCH transmissions. For instance, K may be the value 2, 4, 8, or other number of configured repetitions).
Regarding claim 3, LY et al. (US 20230421327) teaches the method of claim 1, wherein one of: the target channel is a target physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); and the first message is first downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling the uplink repetitions; or
the target channel is a target physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and the first message is second DCI for scheduling a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (par. 53, 67, 76, 77, DMR-RS for the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)…the base station may provide the UE with a configuration indicating or enabling the UE to perform DMRS bundling for joint channel estimation across PUSCH repetitions. For instance, when the PUSCH repetitions are dynamically scheduled in DCI, the base station may provide the configuration enabling DMRS bundling to the UE within the PUSCH configuration (e.g., PUSCH-Config), or within the DCI itself… The configuration may be, for example, one or more bits or flags indicating whether the UE is to bundle DMRS (e.g., maintain power consistency and phase continuity of DMRS) in slots carrying repeated uplink data on PUSCH, so that the base station may perform joint channel estimation on received DMRS from the UE).
Regarding claim 6, LY et al. (US 20230421327) teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the uplink transmission is a multi-slot transmission of a transport block (TB), the first indication information is carried in fourth DCI for scheduling the multi-slot transmission, and the at least one target slot is a slot in a second slot set (fig. 4a, 4b, par. 67, 68, 76, 77, the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type A, then the UE may repeat the transport block across four consecutive slots applying the same symbol allocation in each slot… the base station may provide the UE with a configuration indicating or enabling the UE to perform DMRS bundling for joint channel estimation across PUSCH repetitions. For instance, when the PUSCH repetitions are dynamically scheduled in DCI, the base station may provide the configuration enabling DMRS bundling to the UE within the PUSCH configuration (e.g., PUSCH-Config), or within the DCI itself).
Regarding claim 7, LY et al. (US 20230421327) teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the fourth DCI further contains a number K3 of slots nominally used for multi-slot transmission in the multi-slot transmission, wherein K3 is an integer and K3> 1, the multi-slot transmission corresponds to K3 consecutive slots, and the K3 consecutive slots constitute the second slot set (par. 67, 76, 77, the UE transmits a number of available repetitions for PUSCH, which may be less than the number of configured (or “nominal”) repetitions. For example, if the base station configures the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type B (e.g., four configured or nominal repetitions), then the UE may repeat the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots… the UE may determine the DMRS bundling window to encompass the indicated number of repetitions (e.g., in the PUSCH configuration via parameter pusch-AggregationFactor for dynamically scheduled grants, in the configured grant configuration via parameter repK for Type-1 and Type-2 configured grants, or in DCI via the time domain resource assignment)… The base station may schedule the UE to transmit K PUSCH repetitions… K may be the value 2, 4, 8, or other number of configured repetitions… the UE may determine a DMRS bundling window 608 to have a start time 610 corresponding to a first physical or available slot or symbol of the initial repetition (Repetition 1) and an end time 612 corresponding to a last physical or available slot or symbol of the last repetition (Repetition K)).
Regarding claims 12, 20, LY et al. (US 20230421327) teaches a wireless communication method, comprising:
sending, a network device, first indication information, wherein the first indication information is indicative that at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for uplink transmission of a target channel (par. 76, the base station may provide the UE with a configuration indicating or enabling the UE to perform DMRS bundling for joint channel estimation across PUSCH repetitions. For instance, when the PUSCH repetitions are dynamically scheduled in DCI, the base station may provide the configuration enabling DMRS bundling to the UE within the PUSCH configuration (e.g., PUSCH-Config), or within the DCI itself…one or more bits or flags indicating whether the UE is to bundle DMRS (e.g., maintain power consistency and phase continuity of DMRS) in slots carrying repeated uplink data on PUSCH);
wherein the uplink transmission is uplink repetitions (par. 67, 76, the UE may repeat the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots…slots carrying repeated uplink data on PUSCH), and the first indication information is carried in a first message (par. 67, 76, 77, he base station may schedule the UE to transmit K PUSCH repetitions via RRC, where K corresponds to the number of repetitions indicated in the PUSCH configuration or configured grant configuration scheduling the PUSCH transmissions);
wherein the at least one target slot is a slot in a first slot set, wherein the first message further contains a number K1 of nominal repetitions for the uplink repetition (par. 67, 76, 77), wherein K1 is an integer and K1> 1 (par. 67, 76, 77, if the base station configures the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type A, then the UE may repeat the transport block across four consecutive slots applying the same symbol allocation in each slot. Alternatively, in PUSCH repetition Type B, the UE transmits a number of available repetitions for PUSCH, which may be less than the number of configured (or “nominal”) repetitions. For example, if the base station configures the UE to transmit a same transport block in four repetitions with PUSCH repetition Type B (e.g., four configured or nominal repetitions), then the UE may repeat the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots.), the K1 repetitions for the uplink repetitions correspond to K1 consecutive slots, and the K1 consecutive slots constitute the first slot set (par. 67, 76, 77, the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots…The base station may schedule the UE to transmit K PUSCH repetitions via RRC, where K corresponds to the number of repetitions indicated in the PUSCH configuration or configured grant configuration scheduling the PUSCH transmissions. For instance, K may be the value 2, 4, 8, or other number of configured repetitions).
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.
Claim(s) 4, 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LY et al. (US 20230421327 as supported by provisional 63137668 filed on 01/14/2021, herein LY 327) in view of LY (US 20220337368 as supported by provisional 63176831 filed on 04/19/2021, herein LY 368).
Regarding claim 4, LY 327 does not explicitly teach the method of claim 1,wherein the uplink repetitions are uplink repetitions of an initial transmission carrying message 3 (Msg3), and the first message is message 2 (Msg2).
But, LY (US 20220337368 as supported by provisional 63176831 filed on 04/19/2021) in a similar or same field of endeavor teaches wherein the uplink repetitions are uplink repetitions of an initial transmission carrying message 3 (Msg3) (par. 81, 87, Msg3 repetition), and the first message is message 2 (Msg2) (par. 81, 87, The Msg2 408 is a random access response (RAR) in response to Msg1 406 and may include a timing advance, an uplink (UL) grant for subsequent message 3 (Msg3), a temporary cell-radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), among other things).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filing date of the claimed invention to implement the system or method as taught by LY 368 in the system of LY 327 to transmit message using random access.
The motivation would have been to adapt to different protocols and versatile.
Regarding claim 5, LY 327 does not explicitly teach the method of claim 1,wherein the uplink repetitions are uplink repetitions of a retransmission carrying Msg3, and the first message is third DCI for scheduling the retransmission.
But, LY (US 20220337368 as supported by provisional 63176831 filed on 04/19/2021) in a similar or same field of endeavor teaches wherein the uplink repetitions are uplink repetitions of a retransmission carrying Msg3 (par. 81, 87, the initial transmit process in block 602 may utilize Msg3 repetition, and thus, multiple or repeat Msg3 transmissions), and the first message is third DCI for scheduling the retransmission (par. 87, the UE receives DCI with TC-RNTI from the gNB as shown at 612, which is transmitted via PDCCH resources in one example. The UE then retransmits the Msg3 as shown by block 614a. In this example, however, Msg3 repetition is also utilized and, therefore, multiple or repeat Msg3 transmissions are illustrated as shown by blocks 614a through 614n).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filing date of the claimed invention to implement the system or method as taught by LY 368 in the system of LY 327 to transmit message using random access.
The motivation would have been to adapt to different protocols and versatile.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LY et al. (US 20230421327 as supported by provisional 63137668 filed on 01/14/2021, herein LY 327) in view of LIU et al. (US 20240057074 supported by CN 202110057975.8 filed on 01/15/2021).
Regarding claim 15, LY 327 teaches the method of claim 12,
when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for the uplink transmission of the target channel, each first slot is an uplink slot or is the target slot used for the uplink repetitions indicated by the first indication information (par. 67, 76, 77, the transport block across up to four consecutive slots in valid (e.g., uplink) symbols and slots, but the UE may refrain from transmitting repetitions in invalid (e.g., downlink) symbols and slots…The base station may schedule the UE to transmit K PUSCH repetitions via RRC, where K corresponds to the number of repetitions indicated in the PUSCH configuration or configured grant configuration scheduling the PUSCH transmissions. For instance, K may be the value 2, 4, 8, or other number of configured repetitions); and when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for the uplink transmission, each first slot is an uplink slot or is the target slot used for joint channel estimation indicated by the first indication information (par. 76, the base station may provide the UE with a configuration indicating or enabling the UE to perform DMRS bundling for joint channel estimation across PUSCH repetitions. For instance, when the PUSCH repetitions are dynamically scheduled in DCI, the base station may provide the configuration enabling DMRS bundling to the UE within the PUSCH configuration (e.g., PUSCH-Config), or within the DCI itself…one or more bits or flags indicating whether the UE is to bundle DMRS (e.g., maintain power consistency and phase continuity of DMRS) in slots carrying repeated uplink data on PUSCH).
However, LY 327 does not teach wherein the first message further contains a number K2 of actual repetitions for the uplink repetitions, wherein K2 is an integer and K2> 1, and wherein: the K2 repetitions correspond to K2 first slots;
But, LIU et al. (US 20240057074 supported by CN 202110057975.8 filed on 01/15/2021) in a similar or same field of endeavor teaches
wherein the first message further contains a number K2 of actual repetitions for the uplink repetitions, wherein K2 is an integer and K2> 1 (fig. 2, par. 102, 103, 106, parameter configurations: a PUSCH mapping type, K2, and a start and length indicator value (start and length indicator value, SLIV)), and wherein:
the K2 repetitions correspond to K2 first slots (fig. 2, par. 102, 103, 106, the slot n is denoted as an actual repetition (that is, an actual repetition 0), and a period from the 1.sup.st symbol in the slot n+1 to the 10.sup.th symbol in the slot n+1 is recorded as another actual repetition (that is, an actual repetition 1));
Thus, it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filing date of the claimed invention to implement the system or method as taught by LY 368 in the system of LIU to segment the nominal resource to further actual resource.
The motivation would have been to cross a slot boundary or collide with invalid downlink symbols.
Claim(s) 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LY et al. (US 20230421327 as supported by provisional 63137668 filed on 01/14/2021, herein LY 327) in view of YI et al. (US 20220224484 with foreign app. KR 10-2021-0005324 filed on 01/14/2021 and foreign app. KR 10-2021-0007060 filed on 01/18/2021).
Regarding claim 17, LY 327 does not teach the method of claim 12, wherein the first indication information has a length of N1 bits, wherein the N1 bits are in one-to-one correspondence with the at least one target slot, and N1 is an integer and N1>1, and wherein:
when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for the uplink transmission of the target channel, each of the N1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding target slot is used for the uplink transmission; and when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for the uplink transmission, each of the N1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding target slot is used for joint channel estimation.
But, YI et al. (US 20220224484) in a similar or same field of endeavor teaches wherein the first indication information has a length of N1 bits (fig. 6, par. 168, A random variable and a grouping method configured for joint channel estimation may be configured by a bitmap, a symbol/slot length, and the number of nominal repetitions/actual repetitions), wherein the N1 bits are in one-to-one correspondence with the at least one target slot, and N1 is an integer and N1>1 (fig. 6, par. 114, 151, an invalid symbol may be configured by the higher layer parameter (e.g., InvalidSymbolPattern) providing a symbol level bitmap over one slot or two slots. A part indicated by 1 in the bitmap may indicate an invalid symbol. Additionally, the period and the pattern of the bitmap may be configured through a higher layer parameter (e.g., periodicityAndPattern)…The base station may configure, for the terminal, a method for performing resource allocation and DMRS mapping according to a method for PUSCH repetitive transmission and joint channel estimation… may be indicated according to a bitmap form and occasions and a count number of nominal repetitions/actual repetitions), and wherein:
when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for the uplink transmission of the target channel, each of the N1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding target slot is used for the uplink transmission (fig. 6, 13, par. 150, 151, 154,); and when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for the uplink transmission, each of the N1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding target slot is used for joint channel estimation (fig. 6, 13, par. 150, 151, 154, The terminal may determine a symbol which can be actually transmitted, based on the determined invalid symbol in each of the configured time domain PUSCH resource configurations at operation 1205, and allocate a PUSCH repetitive transmission and a DMRS to an actual PUSCH repetitive transmission resource having one symbol, based on the configured resource configuration for joint channel estimation at operation 1206).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filing date of the claimed invention to implement the system or method as taught by YI in the system of LY 327 to map the symbol.
The motivation would have been to provide quick determination and processing.
Regarding claim 18, LY 327 does not teach the method of claim 12, wherein the first indication information has a length of K1 bits, wherein the K1 bits are in one-to-one correspondence with the K1 consecutive slots, and wherein:
when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for the uplink transmission of the target channel, each of the K1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding slot in the K1 consecutive slots is used for the uplink transmission; and when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for the uplink transmission, each of the K1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding slot in the K1 consecutive slots is used for joint channel estimation.
But, YI et al. (US 20220224484) in a similar or same field of endeavor teaches wherein the first indication information has a length of K1 bits (fig. 6, par. 168, A random variable and a grouping method configured for joint channel estimation may be configured by a bitmap, a symbol/slot length, and the number of nominal repetitions/actual repetitions), wherein the K1 bits are in one-to-one correspondence with the K1 consecutive slots (fig. 6, par. 114, 151, an invalid symbol may be configured by the higher layer parameter (e.g., InvalidSymbolPattern) providing a symbol level bitmap over one slot or two slots. A part indicated by 1 in the bitmap may indicate an invalid symbol. Additionally, the period and the pattern of the bitmap may be configured through a higher layer parameter (e.g., periodicityAndPattern)…The base station may configure, for the terminal, a method for performing resource allocation and DMRS mapping according to a method for PUSCH repetitive transmission and joint channel estimation… may be indicated according to a bitmap form and occasions and a count number of nominal repetitions/actual repetitions), and wherein:
when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for the uplink transmission of the target channel, each of the K1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding slot in the K1 consecutive slots is used for the uplink transmission (fig. 6, 13, par. 150, 151, 154,); and when the first indication information is indicative of whether the at least one target slot is used for joint channel estimation for the uplink transmission, each of the K1 bits is indicative of whether a corresponding slot in the K1 consecutive slots is used for joint channel estimation (fig. 6, 13, par. 150, 151, 154, The terminal may determine a symbol which can be actually transmitted, based on the determined invalid symbol in each of the configured time domain PUSCH resource configurations at operation 1205, and allocate a PUSCH repetitive transmission and a DMRS to an actual PUSCH repetitive transmission resource having one symbol, based on the configured resource configuration for joint channel estimation at operation 1206).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filing date of the claimed invention to implement the system or method as taught by YI in the system of LY 327 to map the symbol.
The motivation would have been to provide quick determination and processing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
YU et al. (US 20240008011) teaches actual repetitions (par. 132); a case in which “a single actual repetition and a single nominal repetition are corresponding to a same quantity of RBs”, the target resource of the first actual repetition is expanded in a frequency domain (par. 215).
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/THINH D TRAN/for /Thinh Tran/, Patent Examiner of Art Unit 2466 09/25/2026
