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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ma et al. (US 20230070642 A1), hereinafter Ma.
Re. Claim 1 and 11, Ma teaches A communication method and a communication apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to execute the program (¶0033 - A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor) to cause the communication apparatus to, receive resource configuration information, that indicates a first resource used by a terminal device to measure CLI (¶0033 - receive control signaling indicating a resource for measuring cross link interference); and when a first condition is met, canceling a CLI measurement on at least one symbol, comprising a symbol in which the first resource is located(¶0033 - means for refraining from measuring the cross link interference over the indicated resource based on the symbol overlapping with the indicated resource including the uplink symbol or the flexible symbol).
Re. Claims 2 and 12, Ma teaches claims 1 and 11.
Ma further teaches wherein the at least one symbol comprises the symbol and N0 symbols before the symbol, and N0 is a positive integer(¶0079 - Additionally, in cases where the resource overlaps (e.g., at least partially) with a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission occasion, or a threshold number of symbols before the PRACH transmission occasion, or both, the UE may refrain from measuring the CLI over the resource.).
Re. Claims 3 and 13, Ma teaches Claims 1 and 11.
Ma further teaches wherein the first condition comprises: the at least one symbol partially or completely overlaps with a symbol in which a second resource is located, and the symbol in which the second resource is located is an uplink symbol(¶0078 - For example, a UE may receive control signaling indicating a resource for measuring CLI and may determine that the indicated resource overlaps (e.g., at least partially overlaps) with one or more symbols of a set of symbols… if the common slot format or the dedicated slot format of the semi-static control signaling indicates that at least some symbols of the set of symbols is an uplink symbol, then the UE may refrain from measuring the CLI over the resource.).
Re. Claims 4 and 14, Ma teaches claims 3 and 13.
Ma further teaches wherein the symbol in which the second resource is located is configured as the uplink symbol by using radio resource control RRC signaling, or the symbol in which the second resource is located is indicated as the uplink symbol by a slot format indicator SFI(¶0120 - The UE 115-c may determine a slot format (e.g., whether a symbol is in an uplink or downlink direction or flexible) according to a semi-static configuration or a dynamic configuration. For example, the base station 105-c may indicate a semi-static configuration to the UE 115-c via semi-static control signaling 302. Semi-static control signaling, in some examples, may include RRC signaling. Additionally or alternatively, base station 105-c may indicate a dynamic configuration to the UE 115-c via dynamic control signaling 301. Dynamic control signaling 301 may include a slot format indication (SFI) DCI (e.g., DCI format 2_0), one or both of an uplink scheduling DCI or a downlink scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI formats 0_0, 0_1, 1_0, 1_1, or 2_3), or a higher layer configuration.).
Re. Claims 5 and 15, Ma teaches claims 1 and 11.
Ma further teaches wherein the first condition comprises: the at least one symbol partially or completely overlaps with a third resource, comprising a symbol corresponding to one or more valid physical random access channel PRACH occasions; or the at least one symbol partially or completely overlaps with the third resource, and the third resource comprises the symbol corresponding to one or more valid PRACH occasions and at least one of Ngap symbols before the symbol corresponding to the one or more valid PRACH occasions, wherein Ngap is a positive integer (¶0120 - in cases where the resource overlaps (e.g., at least partially) with a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission occasion, or a threshold number of symbols before the PRACH transmission occasion, or both, the UE may refrain from measuring the CLI over the resource.).
Re. claims 6 and 16, Ma teaches claims 1 and 11.
Ma further teaches wherein the first condition comprises: one or more of the at least one symbol indicated by downlink control information DCI are used to send an uplink signal or receive a downlink signal(¶0109 - For example, if one of the set of symbols is uplink or if the resource overlaps with a PRACH transmission occasion, the UE may not measure CLI ¶0120 - Dynamic control signaling 301 may include a slot format indication (SFI) DCI (e.g., DCI format 2_0), one or both of an uplink scheduling DCI or a downlink scheduling DCI).
Re. claims 7 and 17, Ma teaches claims 1 and 11.
Ma further teaches wherein the first condition comprises: one or more of the at least one symbol are configured as flexible symbols by using RRC(¶0120 - The UE 115-c may determine a slot format (e.g., whether a symbol is in an uplink or downlink direction or flexible) according to a semi-static configuration or a dynamic configuration. For example, the base station 105-c may indicate a semi-static configuration to the UE 115-c via semi-static control signaling 302. Semi-static control signaling, in some examples, may include RRC signaling), or a type of the at least one symbol is not configured by using the RRC, the at least one symbol is configured with an SFI(¶0120 - Additionally or alternatively, base station 105-c may indicate a dynamic configuration to the UE 115-c via dynamic control signaling 301. Dynamic control signaling 301 may include a slot format indication (SFI) DCI), the terminal device fails to detect the SFI, or the terminal device detects the SFI that indicates that the one or more of the at least one symbol are the flexible symbols, and the terminal device fails to detect that DCI indicates to perform CLI measurement on the first resource(¶0134 - when the UE 115 is configured with support for SFI DCI (e.g., a DCI with DCI format 2_0) but does not detect the SFI DCI, the UE 115 may refrain from measuring the CLI over CLI resource 405-c.).
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 8-10 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma in view of Abotabl et al. (US 20220271909 A1), hereinafter Abotabl.
Re. Claim 8 and 18, Ma teaches claims 1 and 11.
Ma further teaches wherein the terminal device is configured with a plurality of serving cells, comprising a reference cell and another cell, the other cell is a serving cell other than the reference cell in the serving cells (¶0088 - The wireless communications system 100 may support communication with a UE 115 using carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation. A UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers according to a carrier aggregation configuration.) and the first condition comprises: the first resource is configured by using radio resource control RRC in the reference cell to perform CLI measurement (¶0116 - the base station 105-a configures a CLI measurement resource via semi-static control signaling (e.g., RRC signaling).
However, Ma does not explicitly disclose one or more of the at least one symbol indicated by DCI in the other cell are used to send an uplink signal or receive a downlink signal; the first resource is configured in the other cell by using radio resource control RRC to perform CLI measurement, and one or more of the at least one symbol are configured as uplink symbols in the reference cell by using the RRC; or the first resource is configured in the other cell by using radio resource control RRC to perform CLI measurement, and one or more of the at least one symbol are configured in the reference cell by using the radio resource control RRC to send an uplink signal or receive the downlink signal.
Yet, in the same field of endeavor of improving wireless communication, Abotabl teaches wherein one or more of the at least one symbol indicated by DCI in the other cell are used to send an uplink signal or receive a downlink signal(¶0067 - the SFI used in the neighboring cell may be indicated to the served UEs via RRC signaling, a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), or DCI (e.g., the serving cell DCI format 2_0 or a separate DCI). ¶0065 - the DCI may include an SFI, which may have a value within a particular range (e.g., from 0 to 255) to indicate an allocation of downlink, uplink, and flexible symbols within a particular slot).); the first resource is configured in the other cell by using radio resource control RRC to perform CLI measurement, and one or more of the at least one symbol are configured as uplink symbols in the reference cell by using the RRC; or the first resource is configured in the other cell by using radio resource control RRC to perform CLI measurement, and one or more of the at least one symbol are configured in the reference cell by using the radio resource control RRC to send an uplink signal or receive the downlink signal(Note: examiner interprets the use of semicolons with “; or” in the claim language to mean that any one of the grouped features is sufficient to anticipate the claim).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Ma to include a condition of using a symbol indicated by DCI in the other cell to send an uplink signal or receive a downlink symbol, as taught by Abotabl. The motivation to do so is that indicating SFI used in a neighboring cell to a UE may enable improved network operation and/or optimization and may enable the UE to perform measurements and determine interference caused by communication in neighboring cells, as noted by Abotabl (¶0066).
Re. Claim 9 and 19, Abotable and Ma teach claims 8 and 18.
Ma further teaches wherein the first resource is configured in the serving cell by using the RRC to perform CLI measurement(¶0116 - the base station 105-a configures a CLI measurement resource via semi-static control signaling (e.g., RRC signaling).; and the at least one symbol is configured as the downlink symbol by using the RRC in the reference cell, and is configured as the uplink symbol by using the RRC in the other cell(¶0142 - the base station 105-d may transmit semi-static control signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) to the UE 115-d indicating a slot format for one or more slots (e.g., via a common slot format or dedicated slot format, or both, included in the semi-static control signaling). The semi-static control signaling may indicate that a symbol of a slot of the one or more slots is uplink, downlink, or flexible. The UE 115-d may receive the semi-static control signaling. Also see ¶0112 - an uplink symbol 220 of slot format 205-b may overlap with a downlink symbol 210 of slot format 205-a); or the at least one symbol is configured as the uplink symbol by using the RRC in the reference cell, and is configured as the downlink symbol by using the RRC in the other cell.
Re. Claim 10 and 20, Ma and Abotabl teach claims 8 and 18.
Ma further teaches wherein the reference cell and the other cell have different frequency bands(¶0091 - Devices of the wireless communications system 100 (e.g., the base stations 105, the UEs 115, or both) may have hardware configurations that support communications over a given carrier bandwidth or may be configurable to support communications over one of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, the wireless communications system 100 may include base stations 105 or UEs 115 that support simultaneous communications via carriers associated with multiple carrier bandwidths. In some examples, each served UE 115 may be configured for operating over portions (e.g., a sub-band, a BWP) or all of a carrier bandwidth.).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM LANE RUSTERHOLZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5984. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays 9am-6pm EST.
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/A.L.R./Examiner, Art Unit 2465
/GARY MUI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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