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 .
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 1-20 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the claim has multiple intended use statements: “the first signaling being used to determine”, “the first signaling is used to schedule”, “first parameter is used to determine” and “for potential HARQ-ACK transmission”, which makes the claim unclear in regards to what the metes and bounds of the subject matter to be protected is. The claim should positively recite limitations without any confusion. The last limitations are also unclear statements that are not positively recited and are vague “depends on” recitations that define essential elements solely by relational dependencies without sufficient criteria to limit the scope with reasonably certainty. For example, “target coded bit group depends on a first reserved resource pool” and “target coded bit group depends on the first UCI coded bit sequence”. It should at least state, for example: “determining a length of the first UCI coded bits sequence based on the second parameter”, “determining the target coded bit group based on the first UCI coded bit sequence”, etc. Similar issues for claims 8 and 14. Further regarding claim 8, the claim is an apparatus claim for a base station type of apparatus. It includes the same limitations as claim 1, except even if positively recited the limitations would be performed by the UE type apparatus and not the BS type apparatus (e.g. determining the UCI coded bit sequence would be performed by the UE not the claimed second node).
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.
Claims 1, 8 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abotabl et al (US 2023/0422257, hereinafter Abotabl) and in view of Park et al (US 12,323,982, hereinafter Park).
Regarding claim 1, Abotabl discloses a first node (UE, Fig. 2) for wireless communications, comprising: a first receiver (receiver, Para [0059]), receiving a first signaling, the first signaling being used to determine a first parameter and a second parameter, the first parameter and the second parameter being respectively for two Transport Blocks (TBs), the first parameter being one of MCS-related parameters or a number of transmission layer(s), and the second parameter being one of MCS-related parameters or a number of transmission layer(s) (UE receiving a configured grant, Para [0005], two transport block configured for a given uplink grant, where the transport blocks have first and second MCS and are configured with number of layers N1 and N2, Para [0069], “used to determine” is intended use); and a first transmitter (transmitter, Para [0059]), transmitting a first PUSCH (transmitting PUSCH, Para [0111]); wherein the first signaling is used to schedule the first PUSCH (schedule UEs for data transmission, Para [0052], via configured grant, Para [0007]); but does not disclose the first PUSCH carrying a target coded bit group, the target coded bit group comprising multiple coded bits, a first UCI coded bit sequence comprises coded bits for UCI. Park discloses multiplexing UCI with PUSCH, obtaining a UCI sequence and performing encoding operation on the UCI sequence, C: 2 R: 54-67. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Park the system of Abotabl in order to improve transmission and reception technologies including MIMO and improve transmission reliability of HARQ-ACK information; a length of the first UCI coded bit sequence depends on the second parameter, and the target coded bit group depends on the first UCI coded bit sequence; the target coded bit group depends on a first reserved resource pool, the first reserved resource pool comprises reserved resource elements for potential HARQ-ACK transmission, and the first parameter is used to determine the first reserved resource pool (“used to determine” is intended use and this lacks clarity).
Regarding claim 8, Abotablo discloses a second node (BS, Fig. 2) for wireless communications, comprising: a second transmitter (transmitter, Para [0059]), transmitting a first signaling, the first signaling being used to determine a first parameter and a second parameter, the first parameter and the second parameter being respectively for two TBs, the first parameter being one of MCS-related parameters or a number of transmission layer(s), and the second parameter being one of MCS-related parameters or a number of transmission layer(s) (UE receiving a configured grant, Para [0005], two transport block configured for a given uplink grant, where the transport blocks have first and second MCS and are configured with number of layers N1 and N2, Para [0069], “used to determine” is intended use); and a second receiver (receiver, Para [0059]), receiving a first PUSCH, (transmitting PUSCH, Para [0111], received by BS); wherein the first signaling is used to schedule the first PUSCH (schedule UEs for data transmission, Para [0052], via configured grant, Para [0007]); but does not disclose the first PUSCH carrying a target coded bit group, the target coded bit group comprising multiple coded bits, a first UCI coded bit sequence comprises coded bits for UCI. Park discloses multiplexing UCI with PUSCH, obtaining a UCI sequence and performing encoding operation on the UCI sequence, C: 2 R: 54-67. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Park the system of Abotabl in order to improve transmission and reception technologies including MIMO and improve transmission reliability of HARQ-ACK information; a length of the first UCI coded bit sequence depends on the second parameter, and the target coded bit group depends on the first UCI coded bit sequence; the target coded bit group depends on a first reserved resource pool, the first reserved resource pool comprises reserved resource elements for potential HARQ-ACK transmission, and the first parameter is used to determine the first reserved resource pool (“used to determine” is intended use and this lacks clarity).
Regarding claim 14, Abotabl discloses a method in a first node for wireless communications, comprising: receiving a first signaling, the first signaling being used to determine a first parameter and a second parameter, the first parameter and the second parameter being respectively for two TBs, the first parameter being one of MCS-related parameters or a number of transmission layer(s), and the second parameter being one of MCS-related parameters or a number of transmission layer(s) (UE receiving a configured grant, Para [0005], two transport block configured for a given uplink grant, where the transport blocks have first and second MCS and are configured with number of layers N1 and N2, Para [0069], “used to determine” is intended use); and transmitting a first PUSCH (transmitting PUSCH, Para [0111]); wherein the first signaling is used to schedule the first PUSCH (schedule UEs for data transmission, Para [0052], via configured grant, Para [0007]); but does not disclose the first PUSCH carrying a target coded bit group, the target coded bit group comprising multiple coded bits, a first UCI coded bit sequence comprises coded bits for UCI. Park discloses multiplexing UCI with PUSCH, obtaining a UCI sequence and performing encoding operation on the UCI sequence, C: 2 R: 54-67. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Park the system of Abotabl in order to improve transmission and reception technologies including MIMO and improve transmission reliability of HARQ-ACK information; a length of the first UCI coded bit sequence depends on the second parameter, and the target coded bit group depends on the first UCI coded bit sequence; the target coded bit group depends on a first reserved resource pool, the first reserved resource pool comprises reserved resource elements for potential HARQ-ACK transmission, and the first parameter is used to determine the first reserved resource pool (“used to determine” is intended use and this lacks clarity).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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