DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims Status
2. The response filed on January 30, 2026 has been entered and made of record.
3. Claims 1, 5, 7-9 and 12-18 have been amended.
4. Claim 11 is cancelled.
5. Claims 1-10 and 12-20 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
6. The applicant's arguments filed on January 30, 2026 regarding claims 1-10 and 12-20 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The rejection has been revised and set forth below according to the amended claims. A response is considered necessary for applicant’s arguments/remarks since the cited reference, Zhu will continue to be used to meet amended limitations.
Regarding claims 1, 16, 17 and 18, applicant argued that Zhu fails to teach the amended features of claims 1, 16, 17 and 18. Applicant stated that nowhere does Zhu ever teach or suggest that a downlink RS that is configured with a CORESET pool ID that is used to determine a beam state of a downlink signal, much less that such downlink RS is associated with a type of CORESETs (Applicant, page 6-8, Remarks Made in an Amendment dated January 30, 2026).
In response to applicant’s argument, the examiner respectfully disagrees with the above argument.
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs or columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well.
As a support of evidence, Zhu discloses:
“In the current 3GPP Rel. 15/16 based BFR designs, the UE may apply the new beam X symbols after the UE has received the BFRR, and the new beam applies only to the control channels such as PDCCH and PUCCH. For example, X symbols after the UE has received the BFRR, the UE may assume that the network uses the new beam to transmit the PDCCH(s), and the UE may accordingly set the receive spatial filter to receive the PDCCH(s). For another example, X symbols after the UE has received the BFRR, the UE may apply the same spatial filter as that for receiving the new beam to transmit the PUCCH. In the 3GPP Rel. 17, a unified TCI framework is specified, wherein common beam indication is introduced for all DL and UL channels (both data and control). Hence, for BFR, the new beam may be applied to all DL and UL data and control channels such as PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH and PUSCH as well” (paragraph [0100]).
“The UE can be configured with a list of up to M TCI-State configurations within the higher layer parameter PDSCH-Config to decode PDSCH according to a detected PDCCH with DCI intended for the UE and the given serving cell, where M depends on the UE capability maxNumberConfiguredTCIstatesPerCC. Each TCI-State contains parameters for configuring a quasi co-location relationship between one or two downlink reference signals and the DM-RS ports of the PDSCH, the DM-RS port of PDCCH or the CSI-RS port(s) of a CSI-RS resource” (paragraph [0113]).
“As discussed herein, after the UE has sent to the network a BFRQ, the UE would monitor for a BFRR to the BFRQ. Under the unified TCI framework, the BFRR could be a common/unified TCI state indication/update described/discussed herein in the present disclosure for various DL and/or UL channels/signals such as PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH or PUSCH. In this case, the QCL source RS provided/indicated in the common/unified TCI state could be a SSB or a CSI-RS corresponding to the NBI RS with index q_new (also referred to as the new beam) selected/identified by the UE from the corresponding NBI RS (beam) set” (paragraph [0173]).
“As discussed herein, after the UE has sent to the network a BFRQ, the UE would monitor for a BFRR to the BFRQ. Under the unified TCI framework, the BFRR could be a common/unified TCI state indication/update described/discussed herein in the present disclosure for various DL and/or UL channels/signals such as PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH or PUSCH. In this case, the QCL source RS provided/indicated in the common/unified TCI state could be a SSB or a CSI-RS corresponding to the NBI RS with index q_new (also referred to as the new beam) selected/identified by the UE from the corresponding NBI RS (beam) set” (paragraph [0173]).
“Yet for another example (example-D), as discussed herein in the present disclosure, the BFRR for the (failed) BFD RS set p or an entity ID could be a unified/common TCI state(s) indication/update associated with/for the BFD RS set p or the entity ID, where the unified/common TCI state(s) could be indicated/updated for various DL and/or UL channels/signals such as PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PUCCH, PUSCH or SRS associated with the BFD RS set p or the entity ID, and the unified/common TCI state(s) could be indicated/provided/configured in a beam indication DCI (e.g., DCI format 1_1 or 1_2 with or without DL assignment) received in a CORESET associated with the BFD RS set p or the entity ID. Here, p∈{ 1,2,...,M}, and the entity ID could be at least one of: a PCI (i.e., a serving cell PCI or a PCI other than the serving cell PCI), a PCI index pointing to an entry/PCI in a list of PCIs higher layer configured to the UE, a CORESET pool index/CORESETPoolIndex (e.g., provided in PDCCH-Config/PDSCH-Config/ControlResourceSet with value 0 or 1), a CORESET group index/CORESETGroupIndex (e.g., provided in PDCCH-Config/PDSCH-Config/ControlResourceSet with value 0 or 1), a TRP-specific index/ID, a TRP-specific resource set index/ID or a TRP-specific higher layer signaling index/ID” (paragraph [0803]).
“For the example-C, the UE is provided, in message 3 (Msg3) or message A (MsgA) of contention-based random-access procedure, a BFR MAC CE for the BFD RS set p or an entity ID, and a PUCCH resource associated with the BFD RS set p or the entity ID is provided with PUCCH-SpatialRelationInfo or UL-TCIState associated with the BFD RS set q or the entity ID, where p∈{ 1,2,...,M}, and the entity ID could be at least one of: a PCI (i.e., a serving cell PCI or a PCI other than the serving cell PCI), a PCI index pointing to an entry/PCI in a list of PCIs higher layer configured to the UE, a CORESET pool index/CORESETPoolIndex (e.g., provided in PDCCH-Config/PDSCH-Config/ControlResourceSet with value 0 or 1), a CORESET group index/CORESETGrouplndex (e.g., provided in PDCCH-Config/PDSCH-Config/ControlResourceSet with value 0 or 1), a TRP-specific index/ID, a TRP-specific resource set index/ID or a TRP-specific higher layer signaling index/ID. For the example-B, the UE can provide in a first PUSCH MAC CE (e.g., associated with the BFD RS set p or an entity ID) index(es) for at least corresponding BFD RS set p or the entity ID with radio link quality worse than Qout,LR, indication(s) of presence of qnew for corresponding BFD RS set p or the entity ID, and index(es) qnew for a periodic CSI-RS configuration or for a SS/PBCH block provided by higher layers, as described in [11, TS 38.321], if any, for corresponding BFD RS set p or the entity ID, where p∈{1,2,...,M}, and the entity ID could be at least one of: a PCI (i.e., a serving cell PCI or a PCI other than the serving cell PCI), a PCI index pointing to an entry/PCI in a list of PCIs higher layer configured to the UE, a CORESET pool index/CORESETPoolIndex (e.g., provided in PDCCH-Config/PDSCH-Config/ControlResourceSet with value 0 or 1), a CORESET group index/CORESETGrouplndex (e.g., provided in PDCCH-Config/PDSCH-Config/ControlResourceSet with value 0 or 1), a TRP-specific index/ID, a TRP-specific resource set index/ID or a TRP-specific higher layer signaling index/ID” (paragraph [0805]).
Applicant’s specification (US 2024/0172316 A1) stated that “As described in the specification, it should be appreciated that a beam state may be interchanged with beam, QCL states, transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states, spatial relation (which may also be referred to as spatial relation information), RS, spatial filter, and/or precoding (Specification, paragraph [0068]). Accordingly, beam state can be read as TCI states. In the context of the claims, the pending limitation is broadly interpreted to paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], [0803, [0805] of cited prior art Zhu as “determining according to a downlink reference signal (RS) associated with a type of control resource sets (CORESETs) configured with a CORESET pool identifier (ID), a beam state of a downlink signal associated with the type of CORESETs”. Zhu discloses source RS provided/indicated in the common/unified TCI state could be a SSB or a CSI-RS corresponding to the NBI RS with index q_new (also referred to as the new beam) selected/identified by the UE from the corresponding NBI RS (beam)set. It is clear that Zhu teaches amended claim features.
Therefore, in view of above, while Applicant’s remarks and arguments have been considered, they are not persuasive. The dependent claims 2-10, 12-15 and 19-20 are not patentable according to the solid prior art teachings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
8. A rejection on this statutory basis (35 U.S.C. 102(g) as in force on March 15, 2013) is appropriate in an application or patent that is examined under the first to file provisions of the AIA if it also contains or contained at any time (1) a claim to an invention having an effective filing date as defined in 35 U.S.C. 100(i) that is before March 16, 2013 or (2) a specific reference under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) to any patent or application that contains or contained at any time such a claim.
9. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
10. Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhu et al. (US 2023/0114010 A1; support for the cited paragraphs sporadically through the disclosure of provisional application numbers 63/248,372 field on September 24, 2021; 63/248,888 field on September 27, 2021; 63/276,970 field on November 8, 2021; 63/278,792 field on November 12, 2021; 63/286,408 field on December 06, 2021), hereinafter “Zhu”.
Regarding claim 1, Zhu discloses a method (Figs. 9, 10, 11, beam recovery operation in a wireless communication system) comprising:
receiving, by a wireless communication device (paragraphs [0010], [0173], beam failure between PCell and UE), a response for link recovery (paragraphs [0010], [0173], beam failure recovery response (BFRR)), from a wireless communication node (paragraphs [0010], [0173], as discussed herein, after the UE has sent to the network a BFRQ, the UE would monitor for a BFRR to the BFRQ); and
determining, by the wireless communication device (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], QCL source RS provided/indicated in the common/unified TCI state) according to a downlink reference signal (RS) (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], SSB or a CSI-RS corresponding to the NBI RS) associated with a type of control resource sets (CORESETs) configured with a CORESET pool identifier (ID) (paragraphs [0803], [0805], CORESET associated with entity ID; CORESET pool index/CORESETPoolIntex), a beam state (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], common/unified TCI state) of a downlink signal (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], DL channels/signals such as PDCCH, PDSCH) associated with the type of COREESTs (paragraphs [0319], [0337], COREESTs including all UE0dedicated PDCCH receptions), a predefined number of time units after receiving the response for link recovery (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], X symbols after the UE has received the BFRR).
Regarding claim 2, Zhu discloses determining, by the wireless communication device, a beam state of an uplink signal (paragraphs [0010], [0173], UL channels/signals such as PUCCH, PUSCH) according to the downlink RS (paragraphs [0010], [0173], SSB or a CSI-RS corresponding to the NBI RS).
Regarding claim 3, Zhu discloses at least one of the beam state of the uplink signal comprises a spatial filter (paragraphs [0322], [0337], spatial filter associated with index).
Regarding claim 4, Zhu discloses determining, by the wireless communication device, a power control parameter of the uplink signal, the power control parameter comprising at least one of: a pathloss RS, an open- loop parameter, or a closed loop index (paragraphs [0322], [0337], UL power control parameters (such as q_u, q_d, closed loop index 1) associated with the Rel. 17 TCI state associated with the RS resource (e.g., a SSB index/SSB resource or a CSI-RS resource/CSI-RS resource configuration index) in the CC).
Regarding claim 8, Zhu discloses the predefined number of time unit is 28 (paragraph [0329], value of X could correspond to 28, i.e., 28 symbols).
Regarding claim 16, Zhu discloses a method (Figs. 9, 10, 11, beam recovery operation in a wireless communication system) comprising:
sending, by a wireless communication device to a wireless communication device (paragraphs [0010], [0173], beam failure between PCell and UE), a response for link recovery (paragraphs [0010], [0173], beam failure recovery response (BFRR)); and
wherein the response for link recovery causes the wireless communication device to determine, according to a downlink reference signal (RS) (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], SSB or a CSI-RS corresponding to the NBI RS) associated with a type of control resource sets (CORESETs) configured with a CORESET pool identifier (ID) (paragraphs [0803], [0805], CORESET associated with entity ID; CORESET pool index/CORESETPoolIntex), a beam state (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], common/unified TCI state) of a downlink signal (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], DL channels/signals such as PDCCH, PDSCH) associated with the type of COREESTs (paragraphs [0319], [0337], COREESTs including all UE0dedicated PDCCH receptions), a predefined number of time units after receiving the response for link recovery (paragraphs [0100], [0113], [0173], X symbols after the UE has received the BFRR).
Regarding claim 17, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 16.
Regarding claim 18, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 19, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 2.
Regarding claim 20, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 3.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
11. 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 of this title, 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.
12. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (US 2023/0114010 A1; support for the cited paragraphs sporadically through the disclosure of provisional application numbers 63/248,372 field on September 24, 2021; 63/248,888 field on September 27, 2021; 63/276,970 field on November 8, 2021; 63/278,792 field on November 12, 2021; 63/286,408 field on December 06, 2021), hereinafter “Zhu” in view of Zhang et al. (US 2022/0322113 A1), hereinafter “Zhang”.
Regarding claim 5, Zhu discloses the method according claim 4.
Zhu does not explicitly disclose “determining, by the wireless communication device, the pathloss RS according to: the downlink RS, or the downlink RS from a set of candidate RSes associated with the downlink signal”.
However, Zhang from the same or similar field of endeavor discloses determining, by the wireless communication device, the pathloss RS according to: the downlink RS, or the downlink RS from a set of candidate RSes associated with the downlink signal (paragraphs [0131], [0140], pathloss derived based on DL RS reported for candidate beam detection and pathloss based on downlink RS reported for CBD).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “determining, by the wireless communication device, the pathloss RS according to: the downlink RS, or the downlink RS from a set of candidate RSes associated with the downlink signal” as taught by Zhang, in the system of Zhu, so that it would provide beam failure recovery based on a unified Transmission Configuration Indicator frame work in 5G NR systems (Zhang, paragraph [0001]).
13. Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (US 2023/0114010 A1; support for the cited paragraphs sporadically through the disclosure of provisional application numbers 63/248,372 field on September 24, 2021; 63/248,888 field on September 27, 2021; 63/276,970 field on November 8, 2021; 63/278,792 field on November 12, 2021; 63/286,408 field on December 06, 2021), hereinafter “Zhu” in view of GO et al. (US 2024/0064649 A1), hereinafter “Go”.
Regarding claim 6, Zhu discloses the method according claim 4.
Zhu does not explicitly disclose “determining, by the wireless communication device, the open-loop parameter according to an open-loop parameter with a specific index, wherein the specific index is a lowest value”.
However, Go from the same or similar field of endeavor discloses determining, by the wireless communication device, the open-loop parameter according to an open-loop parameter with a specific index, wherein the specific index is a lowest value (paragraphs [0223], [0317], index for open-loop control parameter; each parameter having a lowest value in PC parameter set for TCI state pool).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “determining, by the wireless communication device, the open-loop parameter according to an open-loop parameter with a specific index, wherein the specific index is a lowest value” as taught by Go, in the system of Zhu, so that it would provide a method for resolving ambiguity in a UE behavior related to existing power control scheme to be performed based on the type of channel/reference signal (Go, paragraph [0008]).
Regarding claim 7, Zhu discloses the method according claim 4.
Zhu does not explicitly disclose “determining, by the wireless communication device, the closed-loop index according to a specific value, wherein the specific value is a lowest value”.
However, Go from the same or similar field of endeavor discloses determining, by the wireless communication device, the closed-loop index according to a specific value, wherein the specific value is a lowest value (paragraphs [0223], [0272], [0278], [0317], Index I represents index for closed-loop power control; each parameter having a lowest value in PC parameter set for TCI state pool).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “determining, by the wireless communication device, the closed-loop index according to a specific value, wherein the specific value is a lowest value” as taught by Go, in the system of Zhu, so that it would provide a method for resolving ambiguity in a UE behavior related to existing power control scheme to be performed based on the type of channel/reference signal (Go, paragraph [0008]).
14. Claims 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (US 2023/0114010 A1; support for the cited paragraphs sporadically through the disclosure of provisional application numbers 63/248,372 field on September 24, 2021; 63/248,888 field on September 27, 2021; 63/276,970 field on November 8, 2021; 63/278,792 field on November 12, 2021; 63/286,408 field on December 06, 2021), hereinafter “Zhu” in view of HAKOLA et al. (US 2020/0389884 A1), hereinafter “Hakola”.
Regarding claim 9, Zhu discloses the method according claim 2.
Zhu does not explicitly disclose “the downlink or uplink signal, and the set of candidate RSes associated with the downlink or uplink signal, are associated with a type of control resource sets (CORESETs)”.
However, Hakola from the same or similar field of endeavor discloses the downlink or uplink signal, and the set of candidate RSes associated with the downlink or uplink signal, are associated with a type of control resource sets (CORESETs) (Fig. 2, paragraphs [0007]-[0009], [0011], CORESETs with one or more multiple TCI state associations).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “the downlink or uplink signal, and the set of candidate RSes associated with the downlink or uplink signal, are associated with a type of control resource sets (CORESETs)” as taught by Hakola, in the system of Zhu, so that it would provide control resource set and Quasi-colocation associations where a condition or rule based of active transmission configuration indication state relate to beam management and recovery procedures (Hakola, paragraph [0001]).
Regarding claim 10, Zhu in view of Hakola discloses the method according claim 9.
Hakola further discloses the type of CORESETs is associated with at least one of: a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a first type of physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a first type of physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a channel state information RS (CSI-RS), or a sounding RS (SRS) resource (Figs. 1-2, paragraphs [0007]-[0009], [0011], TCI table; CORESETS with TCI state association; candidate-beam-RS-list).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “the type of CORESETs is associated with at least one of: a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a first type of physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a first type of physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a channel state information RS (CSI-RS), or a sounding RS (SRS) resource” as taught by Hakola, in the system of Zhu, so that it would provide control resource set and Quasi-colocation associations where a condition or rule based of active transmission configuration indication state relate to beam management and recovery procedures (Hakola, paragraph [0001]).
Regarding claim 12, Zhu discloses the first type of PDSCH is scheduled by a first PDCCH, wherein the first CORESET associated with the first PDCCH r corresponds to the type of CORESETs (paragraphs [0138], [0539], [0541], TCI state or the QCL assumption for the PDSCH is identical to the first TCI state or QCL assumption which is applied for the CORESET used for the PDCCH transmission).
Regarding claim 13, Zhu discloses the first type of PUSCH is scheduled by a first PDCCH, wherein the first CORESET associated with the first PDCCH corresponds to the type of CORESETs (paragraphs [0539], [0541], corresponding PDSCH or PUSCH scheduled by the PDCCH, may be associated with the TRP-specific index/ID value x (x = n — 1 for CORESETPoolIndex with n=1, 2)).
Regarding claim 14, Zhu discloses the CSI-RS or the group of CSI-RSes is indicated by a command signaling to share one or more beam states that are same as those of a first PDCCH (paragraphs [0324], [0341], CSI-RS resource set sharing the same indicated TCI state as for the PDCCH/PDSCH).
Regarding claim 15, Zhu discloses the SRS or the group of SRSes is indicated by a command signaling to share one or more beam states that are same as those of a first PUCCH or a first PUSCH (paragraphs [0126], [0324], SRS sharing the same indicated TCI state as for the PUCCH/PUSCH).
Conclusion
15. 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SITHU KO whose telephone number is 571-272-8647. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pmEST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Edan Orgad can be reached on 571-272-7884. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SITHU KO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414