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 Amendment
This office action is in reply to Applicant’s amendment dated 06/03/2026. Claims 1 and 16 were amended. Claims 1-12 and 14-22 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
To teach the amendment a new reference Han et al. (USPGPub 2024/0195549) Han hereinafter is used.
Regarding applicant argument on claim 4, Han is now used to teach the claim more clearly than previous prior art. Regarding applicant argument on claim 8, another reference Khoshnevisan et al. (USPGPub 2024/0195549) Khoshnevisan hereinafter is used.
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.
In 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1-7, 11-19 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (U.S. PGPUB 2024/0284457), Li hereinafter, in view of Han et al. (USPGPub 20240195549) Han hereinafter.
Regarding Claims 1 and 16, Li teaches a method of wireless communication, comprising: (paragraph 0034 - FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system …)
determining, by a wireless device, a size of control messages on scheduling cells on which the wireless device is configured to monitor control channels for a scheduled cell, (paragraph 0037 - Step 21: When L scheduling cells are used to schedule a target cell, a communication device determines a size of DCI of each scheduling cell, where the DCI is used to schedule the target cell.)
wherein the scheduling cells include a first scheduling cell for self-scheduling and a second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling, and (paragraphs 0038 and 0068 - In this embodiment, L is greater than or equal to 2, that is, L≥2. For example, the target cell is a primary cell (Pcell). When a secondary cell (Scell) is configured to be used to schedule the Pcell, the Pcell is scheduled by using both the Scell and the Pcell. In this case, L is equal to 2. ...In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, when a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are not a same cell (that is, cross-carrier scheduling), a CIF field of the DCI is 3 bits. When a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are a same cell (that is, self-scheduling), whether a CIF field of the DCI exists depends on a configuration parameter of self-scheduling by a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.)
wherein the size of control messages on the first scheduling cell and the size of control messages on the second scheduling cell are same; and (paragraph 0090 - For another example, if one of all scheduling cells adds one bit to DCI 0_1/DCI 0_1 to distinguish different DCI formats in a process of DCI size alignment, one bit is padded to DCI 0_1/DCI 0_1 of all scheduling cells (such as the Pcell and the Scell). For example, if a size of non-fallback DCI 0_1 of a user-specific search space (USS) is the same as a size of DCI of another USS, one-bit 0 may be padded to the end of DCI 0_1. If a size of non-fallback fallback DCI 1_1 of a USS is the same as the size of the fallback DCI of the another USS, one-bit 0 may be padded to the end of DCI 1_1.)
monitoring the control channels for the control messages, (paragraph 0021 … The processor is configured to determine … The first condition includes at least one of the following: a quantity of different sizes of DCI used by a terminal to perform PDCCH monitoring is not greater than a first value; and a quantity of different sizes of DCI used by a terminal to perform PDCCH monitoring scrambled by using a specific identifier is not greater than a second value.).
Yet, Li does not expressly teach wherein, in response to a configuration for scheduling the scheduled cell using both the first scheduling cell and the second scheduling cell, both a format of the control messages on the first scheduling cell for self-scheduling and a format of the control messages on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling include a carrier indicator field (CIF),
wherein the CIF in the format of the control messages on the first scheduling cell for self-scheduling includes a reserved field in response to the configuration for scheduling the scheduled cell using the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling,
wherein the CIF on the first scheduling cell includes a same number of bits as the CIF on the second scheduling cell.
However, in the analogous art, Han explicitly discloses wherein, in response to a configuration for scheduling the scheduled cell using both the first scheduling cell and the second scheduling cell, both a format of the control messages on the first scheduling cell for self-scheduling and a format of the control messages on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling include a carrier indicator field (CIF), ([0096] … cif-InSchedulingCell The field indicates the CIF value used in the scheduling cell to indicate a grant or assignment applicable for this cell, see TS 38.213. If configured for an SpCell, the non-fallback DCI formats on the SpCell include same number of CIF bits as the corresponding non-fallback DCI formats on the scheduling cell, and the CIF bits are considered reserved. ... other Parameters for cross-carrier scheduling. If configured for an SpCell, the SpCell can be scheduled by the PDCCH on another SCell as well as by the PDCCH on the SpCell. If configured for an SCell, the SCell is scheduled by a PDDCH on another cell. ... )
wherein the CIF in the format of the control messages on the first scheduling cell for self-scheduling includes a reserved field in response to the configuration for scheduling the scheduled cell using the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling, ([0096] … cif-InSchedulingCell The field indicates the CIF value used in the scheduling cell to indicate a grant or assignment applicable for this cell, see TS 38.213. If configured for an SpCell, the non-fallback DCI formats on the SpCell include same number of CIF bits as the corresponding non-fallback DCI formats on the scheduling cell, and the CIF bits are considered reserved. ... other Parameters for cross-carrier scheduling. If configured for an SpCell, the SpCell can be scheduled by the PDCCH on another SCell as well as by the PDCCH on the SpCell. If configured for an SCell, the SCell is scheduled by a PDDCH on another cell. ... )
wherein the CIF on the first scheduling cell includes a same number of bits as the CIF on the second scheduling cell. ([0096] … cif-InSchedulingCell The field indicates the CIF value used in the scheduling cell to indicate a grant or assignment applicable for this cell, see TS 38.213. If configured for an SpCell, the non-fallback DCI formats on the SpCell include same number of CIF bits as the corresponding non-fallback DCI formats on the scheduling cell, and the CIF bits are considered reserved. ... )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Li’s Information processing method and apparatus, communication device, and readable storage medium to include Han's same number of CIF bits on first and second cell to achieve simpler UE hardware design.
Regarding Claims 2 and 17, Li in view of Han teaches claim 1 and 16.
Li further teaches wherein the messages include a downlink control information (DCI) format. (paragraph 0071 - In this embodiment of this application, when the budget of the size of the DCI is defined based on all scheduling cells, different sizes of DCI in a same DCI format in different scheduling cells … ).
Regarding Claims 3 and 18, Li in view of Han teaches claim 1 and 16.
Li further teaches wherein the scheduled cell includes a primary cell, the first scheduling cell includes the primary cell, and the second scheduling cell includes a secondary cell, and wherein the wireless device is configured for scheduling on the primary cell from the primary cell and from the secondary cell. (paragraph 0038 - In this embodiment, L is greater than or equal to 2, that is, L≥2. For example, the target cell is a primary cell (Pcell). When a secondary cell (Scell) is configured to be used to schedule the Pcell, the Pcell is scheduled by using both the Scell and the Pcell. In this case, L is equal to 2.).
Regarding Claims 4 and 19, Li in view of Han teaches claim 3 and 18.
Han further teaches wherein a number of bits of each field in a DCI format on the first scheduling cell for self-scheduling is same as a corresponding field in a same DCI format on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell. ([0096] … cif-InSchedulingCell The field indicates the CIF value used in the scheduling cell to indicate a grant or assignment applicable for this cell, see TS 38.213. If configured for an SpCell, the non-fallback DCI formats on the SpCell include same number of CIF bits as the corresponding non-fallback DCI formats on the scheduling cell, and the CIF bits are considered reserved. ... ).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Li’s Information processing method and apparatus, communication device, and readable storage medium to include Han's same number of CIF bits on first and second cell to achieve simpler UE hardware design.
Regarding Claim 5, Li in view of Han teaches claim 4.
Li further teaches wherein the DCI format on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell includes an SCell dormancy indication field. (paragraph 0069 - In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, a Scell dormancy indication domain of DCI exists when all the following conditions are satisfied, and a size of the Scell dormancy indication domain is determined based on a quantity of cell groups configured in a secondary cell: (1) the DCI is transmitted within discontinuous reception (DRX) active time of a primary cell (Pcell); (2) at least one Scell is configured with dormancyGroupWithinActive Time; (3) at least one Scell is configured with more than two downlink (DL) BWPs.).
Regarding Claim 6, Li in view of Han teaches claim 5.
Li further teaches wherein a number of bits of the SCell dormancy indication field in the DCI format on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell is same as the number of bits of the SCell dormancy indication field in the corresponding DCI format on the primary cell for self-scheduling. (paragraph 0089 - For another example, for a Scell dormancy indication domain in DCI, Scell dormancy indication domains exist in DCI 1_1 of all cells used to schedule a target cell (such as the Pcell and the Scell) and have a same size.).
Regarding Claim 7, Li in view of Han teaches claim 5.
Li further teaches wherein the SCell dormancy indication field is present in the DCI format on the primary cell for self-scheduling in a case that the wireless device is not configured for scheduling on the primary cell from the primary cell and from a secondary cell. (paragraph 0069 - In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, a Scell dormancy indication domain of DCI exists when all the following conditions are satisfied, and a size of the Scell dormancy indication domain is determined based on a quantity of cell groups configured in a secondary cell: (1) the DCI is transmitted within discontinuous reception (DRX) active time of a primary cell (Pcell); (2) at least one Scell is configured with dormancyGroupWithinActive Time; (3) at least one Scell is configured with more than two downlink (DL) BWPs.).
Regarding Claim 11, Li in view of Han teaches claim 1.
Li further teaches wherein a size alignment is performed in a case that the wireless device is configured for scheduling on a primary cell from the primary cell and from a secondary cell, and wherein a number of information bits in a DCI format for scheduling on the primary cell from the primary cell is not equal to the number of information bits in a same DCI format for scheduling on the primary cell from the second scheduling cell. (paragraphs 0062 to 67 - For example, when a size M of the first domain required by DCI of a scheduling cell is less than the determined size N of the first domain, UE may perform functional indication of the first domain by using high M bits or low M bits, and other N−M bits are set to a specific value such as 0. … a bit domain padded during DCI size alignment.).
Regarding Claim 12, Li in view of Han teaches claim 11.
Li further teaches wherein the size alignment includes adding padding bits to the DCI format that has a smaller number of bits to match the size of the DCI format that has a larger number of bits. (paragraph 0070 - In some embodiments, for DCI 1_1, a transmission configuration indication domain of the DCI is configured in each control resource set (Coreset) of a BWP of a scheduling cell. When a plurality of Coresets in a BWP are configured differently, a size of the field is different, such as 0 or 3 bits. When a plurality of search spaces are associated with different Coresets in a BWP, and sizes of the DCI 1_1 are different, 0 should be padded to the end of the DCI 1_1 to unify the sizes to a maximum size.).
Regarding Claim 14, Li in view of Han teaches claim 1.
Li further teaches wherein the CIF is reserved only in a DCI format for scheduling on a primary cell from the primary cell. (paragraph 0068 - In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, when a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are not a same cell (that is, cross-carrier scheduling), a CIF field of the DCI is 3 bits. When a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are a same cell (that is, self-scheduling), whether a CIF field of the DCI exists depends on a configuration parameter of self-scheduling by a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.).
Regarding Claim 15, Li in view of Han teaches claim 14.
Li further teaches wherein a value of CIF can be any one of integer 0-7 or nonnumeric when the CIF is reserved. (paragraph 0068 - … when a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are not a same cell (that is, cross-carrier scheduling), a CIF field of the DCI is 3 bits).
Regarding Claims 21 and 22, Li in view of Han teaches claim 1 and 16.
Li further teaches wherein the format of the control messages on the first scheduling cell and the format of the control messages on the second scheduling cell include a non-fallback DCI format. (paragraph0090] ... For another example, if one of all scheduling cells adds one bit to DCI 0_1/DCI 0_1 to distinguish different DCI formats in a process of DCI size alignment, one bit is padded to DCI 0_1/DCI 0_1 of all scheduling cells (such as the Pcell and the Scell). For example, if a size of non-fallback DCI 0_1 of a user-specific search space (USS) is the same as a size of DCI of another USS, one-bit 0 may be padded to the end of DCI 0_1. If a size of non-fallback fallback DCI 1_1 of a USS is the same as the size of the fallback DCI of the another USS, one-bit 0 may be padded to the end of DCI 1_1.).
Claims 8-10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (U.S. PGPUB 2024/0284457), Li hereinafter, in view of Han et al. (USPGPub 2024/0195549) Han hereinafter and further in view of Khoshnevisan et al. (USPGPub 2021/0360679) Khoshnevisan hereinafter.
Regarding Claims 8 and 20, Li in view of Han teaches claim 3 and 18.
Yet Li in view of Han does not expressly teach wherein one or more fields in a DCI format on the primary cell for self-scheduling are different from one or more corresponding fields in a same DCI format on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell.
However, in the analogous art, Khoshnevisan explicitly discloses wherein one or more fields in a DCI format on the primary cell for self-scheduling are different from one or more corresponding fields in a same DCI format on the second scheduling cell for cross-carrier scheduling the primary cell. ([0059] … The scheduling cell PDCCH also includes a Carrier Indicator Field (CIF) that identifies component carriers on which resources are scheduled. The CIF in the DCI is used to indicate the scheduled serving cell (or CC). A number of bits for the CIF may be from 0 bits to 3 bits. When no bits for the CIF are configured (e.g., no CIF bits are present, or said another way the CIF has no presence), the lack of a CIF indicates only self-scheduling is possible. If a CIF value is set to 0, the cell performs self-scheduling and the scheduling DCI is for the same serving cell (or CC). If a CIF value is set to a non-zero value (e.g., an integer value of 1 to 7), the serving cell may be scheduling a scheduled cell. In some embodiments, configuration may be provided as “CrossCarrierSchedulingConfig” in RRC. ...)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Li’s Information processing method and apparatus, communication device, and readable storage medium to include Khoshnevisan's different DCI format on the first and second cell to achieve optimized control overhead on each cell.
Regarding Claim 9, Li in view of Han and further in view of Khoshnevisan teaches claim 8.
Li further teaches wherein the one or more fields includes a carrier indicator field (CIF), and wherein the CIF is only in the DCI format for scheduling on the primary cell from the second scheduling cell. (paragraph 0068 - In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, when a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are not a same cell (that is, cross-carrier scheduling), a CIF field of the DCI is 3 bits. When a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are a same cell (that is, self-scheduling), whether a CIF field of the DCI exists depends on a configuration parameter of self-scheduling by a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.).
Regarding Claim 10, Li in view of Han and further in view of Khoshnevisan teaches claim 8.
Li further teaches wherein the one or more fields includes a CIF and a SCell dormancy indication field, and wherein the SCell dormancy indication field is only in the DCI format for scheduling on the primary cell from the primary cell, and the CIF is only in the DCI format for scheduling on the primary cell from the second scheduling cell. (paragraphs 0068 and 0069 - In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, when a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are not a same cell (that is, cross-carrier scheduling), a CIF field of the DCI is 3 bits. When a cell scheduled by using the DCI and a cell in which the DCI is located are a same cell (that is, self-scheduling), whether a CIF field of the DCI exists depends on … In some embodiments, for DCI 0_1 or DCI 1_1, a Scell dormancy indication domain of DCI exists when all the following conditions are satisfied, and a size of the Scell dormancy indication domain is determined based on a quantity of cell groups configured in a secondary cell: (1) the DCI is transmitted within discontinuous reception (DRX) active time of a primary cell (Pcell); (2) at least one Scell is configured with dormancyGroupWithinActive Time; (3) at least one Scell is configured with more than two downlink (DL) BWPs.).
Conclusion
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/A.L.O./Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/NICHOLAS A JENSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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