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 Objections
Claims 5 and 10 are objected for claim language “ ….. indicative of a time slot of a carrier from the M carriers that overlaps with the time slot in the time slot pattern according to reference carrier.…..” Examiner suggests the applicant to amend the claim language clarifying what time slot of a carrier is overlapping according to reference carrier.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 20claimed 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, 2, 5, 7-9, 12-13, 16, and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (WO 2020239042, hereinafter Zhang) in view of Qi (CN 101932031, hereinafter Qi).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a method of wireless communication (page 17; para 02; wireless communication), comprising: configuring a first wireless device for a communication between the first wireless device and a second wireless device (page 42; para 01; communication between terminal and base station) according to a semi-static configuration (page 23; last para; semi-static configuration) that specifies a time slot pattern for the communication (page 43; para 01; slot pattern), wherein M carriers are configured for the communication (page 50; para 01-03; multiple carriers), M being an integer greater than 1 (page 50; para 01-03; multiple carries implies more than one); wherein the M carriers include a reference carrier (page 23; last para and page 24; first para; page 40; last para; first carrier for the primary cell can be a reference carrier - as stated in applicant’s specs para 0151); wherein the time slot pattern is configured across the M carriers based on units of time slots of the reference carrier of the M carriers (page 43; para 01; page 46; para 01-02; page 47; para 01-03; and pages 48-49; para 01-04; Patterns 1-3; slot patterns for first carrier and other carriers).
Zhang does not explicitly disclose for each time slot in the time slot pattern, a corresponding carrier from the M carriers and/or a slot in the corresponding carrier on which the communication occurs is specified by a rule.
In an analogous art, Qi discloses for each time slot in the time slot pattern, a corresponding carrier from the M carriers and/or a slot in the corresponding carrier on which the communication occurs is specified by a rule (para 0057- 0058; 0170-0171; 0264; wherein the first set determining module before determining the carrier set can further judge the current TTI (Transmission Time authorization Interval, transmission time interval) with the emitting condition of multiple carriers in the same time slot, if there is, determining carrier aggregation, multiple carriers if allocated to the user terminal authorization of completely no common time slot, using the single carrier rules for E-TFC selection for these carriers. In a specific implementation process, the first set determination module is each authorization time slot of the current TTI is assigned a carrier set that has all the carriers corresponding to the carrier set of the authorized time slot are set in the carrier set. Because the network side will be assigned to each of the carriers of the user terminal authorization at least one time slot, the carrier set in at least one carrier wave). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s method/system by having Qi’s disclosure in order to improve resource utilization rate and transmission efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claim 12, Zhang discloses a wireless device comprising a processor (page 51; last para; a processor) and a memory (page 51; last para; a memory) storing instructions, execution of which by the processor causes the wireless device to (page 51; para 01): configure the wireless device for a communication between the wireless device and a second wireless device according to a semi-static configuration that specifies a time slot pattern for the communication (page 23; last para; semi-static configuration), wherein M carriers are configured for the communication (page 50; para 01-03; multiple carriers), M being an integer greater than 1 (page 50; para 01-03; multiple carries implies more than one); wherein the M carriers include a reference carrier (page 23; last para and page 24; first para; page 40; last para; first carrier for the primary cell can be a reference carrier - as stated in applicant’s specs para 0151); wherein the time slot pattern is configured across the M carriers based on units of time slots of the reference carrier of the M carriers (page 43; para 01; page 46; para 01-02; page 47; para 01-03; and pages 48-49; para 01-04; Patterns 1-3; slot patterns for first carrier and other carriers).
Zhang does not explicitly disclose for each time slot in the time slot pattern, a corresponding carrier from the M carriers and/or a slot in the corresponding carrier on which the communication occurs is specified by a rule.
In an analogous art, Qi discloses for each time slot in the time slot pattern, a corresponding carrier from the M carriers and/or a slot in the corresponding carrier on which the communication occurs is specified by a rule (para 0057- 0058; 0170-0171; 0264; wherein the first set determining module before determining the carrier set can further judge the current TTI (Transmission Time authorization Interval, transmission time interval) with the emitting condition of multiple carriers in the same time slot, if there is, determining carrier aggregation, multiple carriers if allocated to the user terminal authorization of completely no common time slot, using the single carrier rules for E-TFC selection for these carriers. In a specific implementation process, the first set determination module is each authorization time slot of the current TTI is assigned a carrier set that has all the carriers corresponding to the carrier set of the authorized time slot are set in the carrier set. Because the network side will be assigned to each of the carriers of the user terminal authorization at least one time slot, the carrier set in at least one carrier wave). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s method/system by having Qi’s disclosure in order to improve resource utilization rate and transmission efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claim 21, Zhang discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, execution of which by a processor of a computing system causes the computing system to perform the method steps of claim 1 (page 16; para 03; a computer program stored in the memory to be executed by the processor to perform method steps).
Regarding claims 2 and 13, Zhang does not explicitly disclose wherein the M carriers have a same time slot duration, and wherein the rule specifies that a parameter is associated with each time slot in the time slot pattern, wherein the parameter identifies a corresponding carrier from the M carriers that is used by a transmission in the corresponding time slot.
In an analogous art, Qi discloses wherein the M carriers have a same time slot duration (para 0058; and 0264; same slot for a set of carriers), and wherein the rule specifies that a parameter is associated with each time slot in the time slot pattern (para 0064-0067; 0170; and 0264), wherein the parameter identifies a corresponding carrier from the M carriers that is used by a transmission in the corresponding time slot (para 0062; 0064; 0067; and 0068; different identifiers for different carriers). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s method/system by having Qi’s disclosure in order to improve resource utilization rate and transmission efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 5, and 16, Zhang discloses when the M carriers have different time slot durations (page 21; las para; different time slots), and the reference carrier indicative of a time slot of a carrier from the M carriers that overlaps with the time slot in the time slot pattern according to reference carrier (page 6; para 03; page 12; para 01; page 15; para 01; page 57; last para; time domain resource for first and second carriers overlap).
Zhang does not explicitly disclose that the rule specifies that a parameter is associated with each time slot in the time slot pattern according to the reference carrier.
In an analogous art, Qi discloses that the rule specifies that a parameter is associated with each time slot in the time slot pattern according to the reference carrier (para 0064-0067; 0069; 0083-0084). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s method/system by having Qi’s disclosure in order to improve resource utilization rate and transmission efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 7, and 18, Zhang discloses wherein the first wireless device is a user equipment and the second wireless device is a network device (page 43; para 01; terminal and base station).
Regarding claims 8, and 19, Zhang discloses wherein the first wireless device is a network device and the second wireless device is a user equipment (page 43; para 01; base station & terminal).
Regarding claims 9, and 20, Zhang discloses wherein the reference carrier corresponds to a PCell or a carrier with a minimum index or a carrier with a maximum index or a carrier with a minimum subcarrier spacing, or a carrier with a maximum subcarrier Spacing or a carrier configured by a signaling (page 07; last para; page 13; para 02; primary cell).
Claims 3 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Zhang/Qi in view of Shen (WO 2019/095273, hereinafter Shen).
Regarding claims 3, and 14, Zhang/Qi does not explicitly disclose wherein the rule specifies that a first parameter and a second parameter are associated with each time slot in the time slot pattern, wherein the first parameter identifies a corresponding carrier from the M carriers and the second parameter identifies a time slot of the corresponding carrier that is used by a transmission.
In an analogous art, Shen discloses wherein the rule specifies that a first parameter and a second parameter are associated with each time slot in the time slot pattern (page 11; para 02-03), wherein the first parameter identifies a corresponding carrier from the M carriers and the second parameter identifies a time slot of the corresponding carrier that is used by a transmission (page 15; para 01; carrier index and slot index). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang/Qi’s method/system by having Shen’s disclosure in order to improve resource allocation of a communication system.
Claims 4 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Zhang/Qi in view of Yi et al. (US 2021/0360616, hereinafter Yi).
Regarding claims 4 and 15, Zhang/Qi does not explicitly disclose wherein the time slot pattern is repetitive with a pattern configuration period, wherein the pattern configuration period corresponds to a frame period of the main reference carrier, a
common frame period between the main reference carrier and other carriers, or a period configured by a radio resource control, RRC, signaling.
In an analogous art, Yi discloses wherein the time slot pattern is repetitive with a pattern configuration period (para 0231; and 0236; slot repetitions), wherein the pattern configuration period corresponds to a frame period of the main reference carrier, a common frame period between the main reference carrier and other carriers, or a period configured by a radio resource control, RRC, signaling (para 0132; and 0236; 0141; slot repetition may be configured by base station via RRC signaling). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang/Qi’s method/system by having Yi’s disclosure in order to improve reliability and reduce latency of a communication system.
Claims 6, 17 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Zhang/Qi in view of Ganesan et al. (US 2020/0396024, hereinafter Ganesan).
Regarding claims 6, 17 and 22, Zhang/Qi does not explicitly disclose determining, by the first wireless device, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process identifier (ID) for a transmission in a time slot in the time slot pattern in a carrier according to a period P, wherein the period P is determined based on the period of the time slots in the time slot pattern in the carrier.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses determining, by the first wireless device, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process identifier (ID) (para 0003; HARQ process ID) for a transmission in a time slot in the time slot pattern in a carrier according to a period P (para 0131-0132), wherein the period P is determined based on the period of the time slots in the time slot pattern in the carrier (para 0004; and 0131). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang/Qi’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve reliability of a communication system.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMINA CHOUDHRY whose telephone number is (571)270-7102. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday (7:30 a.m. to 5.00p.m.).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached on (571)272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SAMINA F CHOUDHRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462