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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on November 8, 2023 and July 25, 2024 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
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, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16, 19, 21-24, 26-27, 39 and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al (US Pat. Pub. No. 2022/0232639).
Regarding claim 1, Wang et al discloses a method for wireless communication, comprising: enhancing, by a user equipment (UE) (paragraph 90 [UE]), an uplink coverage of a cell with a base station (paragraph 107 [network device, gNB]) by: receiving, by the UE, a configuration from the cell (see at least paragraph 88 discloses receiving system information including a configuration); determining, by the UE, a random access (RA) resource based on the configuration and a measured downlink signal strength (see at least paragraph 89 UE selects preamble); sending, by the UE, the RA preamble to the base station to request Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraph 81 preamble is transmitted to network device; also in paragraph 88 discloses preamble used for requesting Msg3 repetitions); and receiving, by the UE, an RA response from the base station indicating transmission resource for Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraphs 81 UE receives RAR message).
Regarding claim 3, Wang et al discloses the configuration comprises at least one of the following: a list of synchronization signal block (SSB) indexes; an SSB bitmap; a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold configuration; a pathloss threshold configuration; or a random access channel (RACH) resource configuration (see at least paragraphs 89-90 discloses random access resources, SSB, RSRP).
Regarding claim 4, Wang et al discloses the list of SSB indexes indicates that any SSB in the list of SSB indexes is available for the UE to request Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraphs 89-90 discloses random access resources, SSB, RSRP).
Regarding claim 5, Wang et al discloses the SSB bitmap indicates that any SSB in the SSB bitmap is available for the UE to request Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraph 106).
Regarding claim 6, Wang et al discloses the RSRP threshold configuration comprises at least one of the following: an Msg3 repetition RSRP threshold; an SSB selection RSRP threshold; or a set of two carrier selection RSRP thresholds (see at least paragraph 106).
Regarding claim 8, Wang et al discloses the configuration is configured differently for at least one of the following: different uplink carriers comprising a normal uplink (NUL) carrier and a supplementary uplink (SUL) carrier; different bandwidth parts; or different SSBs (see at least paragraph 19).
Regarding claim 9, Wang et al discloses the set of two carrier selection RSRP thresholds comprises a first carrier selection RSRP threshold and a second carrier selection RSRP threshold, the first carrier selection RSRP threshold being applicable to a UE not supporting Msg3 repetition, and the second carrier selection RSRP threshold being applicable to a UE supporting Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraphs 89 and 107).
Regarding claim 11, Wang et al discloses the RACH resource configuration comprises at least one of the following: a RACH occasion associated with an SSB; at least one random access preamble associated with an SSB; at least one preamble for RACH group A; or at least one preamble for RACH group B (see at least paragraph 82).
Regarding claim 12, Wang et al discloses the RACH resource configuration comprises at least one of the following parameters for triggering RACH with Msg3 repetition: a preambleTransMax; a preambleReceivedTargetPower; a powerRampingStep; an ra-ResponseWindow; or an Msg3-DeltaPreamble (see at least paragraph 90).
Regarding claim 15, Wang et al discloses performing, by the UE, cell selection and reselection based on at least one access threshold, the at least one access threshold being configured by the base station via system information (see at least paragraph 88).
Regarding claim 16, Wang et al discloses the at least one access threshold comprises at least one of the following: a first threshold being applicable to a UE not supporting SUL and Msg3 repetition; a second threshold being applicable to a UE supporting Msg3 repetition and not supporting SUL; a third threshold being applicable to a UE supporting SUL and not supporting Msg3 repetition; or a fourth threshold being applicable to a UE supporting SUL and Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraph 89).
Regarding claim 19, Wang et al discloses method for wireless communication, comprising: enhancing, by a base station, an uplink coverage of a cell for a user equipment (UE) by: sending, by the base station, a configuration to the UE (see at least paragraph 88 discloses receiving system information including a configuration), so that the UE determines a random access (RA) resource based on the configuration and a measured downlink signal strength (see at least paragraph 89 UE selects preamble ); receiving, by the base station, the RA preamble from the UE to request Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraph 81 preamble is transmitted to network device; also in paragraph 88 discloses preamble used for requesting Msg3 repetitions); and sending, by the base station, an RA response to the UE indicating transmission resource for Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraphs 81 UE receives RAR message).
Regarding claims 21-24 and 26-27, see above rejection of claims 3-6 and 8-9.
Regarding claim 39, Wang et al discloses an apparatus 400 (figure 4 and paragraph 0114) comprising: a memory 434 storing instructions; and a processor 428 in communication with the memory, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions, the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform: enhancing an uplink coverage of a cell with a base station by: receiving a configuration from the cell (see at least paragraph 88 discloses receiving system information including a configuration); determining a random access (RA) resource based on the configuration and a measured downlink signal strength (see at least paragraph 89 UE selects preamble); sending the RA preamble to the base station to request Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraph 81 preamble is transmitted to network device; also in paragraph 88 discloses preamble used for requesting Msg3 repetitions); and receiving an RA response from the base station indicating transmission resource for Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraphs 81 UE receives RAR message).
Regarding claim 40, Wang et al discloses an apparatus 400 (figure 4 and paragraph 0114) comprising: a memory 434 storing instructions; and a processor 428 in communication with the memory, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions, the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform: enhancing an uplink coverage of a cell for a user equipment (UE) by: sending a configuration to the UE (see at least paragraph 88 discloses receiving system information including a configuration), so that the UE determines a random access (RA) resource based on the configuration and a measured downlink signal strength (see at least paragraph 89 UE selects preamble); receiving the RA preamble from the UE to request Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraph 81 preamble is transmitted to network device; also in paragraph 88 discloses preamble used for requesting Msg3 repetitions); and sending an RA response to the UE indicating transmission resource for Msg3 repetition (see at least paragraphs 81 UE receives RAR message).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
The following prior art are cited to show a method, which is considered pertinent to the claimed invention:
Taherzadeh Boroujeni et al (US Pat. Pub. No. 2022/0150984) directed toward preamble corresponds to request for Msg3 repetition.
Echigo et al (US Pat. Pub. No. 2024/0244667) directed toward requesting/supporting Msg3 repetition.
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/LITON MIAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
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