DETAILED ACTION
It is hereby acknowledged that the following papers have been received and placed of record in the file: Amendment date 06/05/2026.
Claims 1-3, 5-11, 13-19 and 21-23 are presented for examination and claims 4, 12 and 20 are cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-3, 5-11, 13-19 and 21-23 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-11, 13-19 and 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. (US 2022/0232503 A1) in view of Fu et al. (US 2021/0136697 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Cheng teaches a wireless communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device, a first control channel, the first control channel corresponding to a first shared channel (UE receives narrowband physical downlink control channel (NPDCCH) or NPDSCH “NB-IoT UE detects NPDCCH with DCI Format N0 ending in DL subframe n or receives an NPDSCH carrying a random-access response grant ending in DL subframe n” see Cheng: ¶[0303]; Fig.20); and
not monitoring, by the terminal device, a control channel candidate at any time unit between a first time unit and a second time unit (UE not monitoring NPDCCH between n unit (corresponding first time unit) and n+k unit (corresponding to second time unit) in UE DL “if the corresponding NPUSCH format 1 transmission starts from (the end of) n+k+KNTN DL subframe, the UE is not required to monitor NPDCCH in any subframe starting from DL subframe n+1 to DL subframe n+k−1” see Cheng: Fig.20; ¶[0303]);
wherein the first time unit is determined according to at least one of n, n+k and n+m, the second time unit is determined according to at least one of n, n+k and n+m, where n, k and m are positive integers (first time unit at n unit and second time unit at n+k) in UE DL see Cheng:Fig.20; ¶[0303]); n denotes a time unit where the first control channel ends, n+k denotes a time unit where transmission of the first shared channel starts, and n+m denotes a time unit where the transmission of the first shared channel ends, and wherein the second time unit is later than the first time unit (n unit where receiving NPDCCH at RAR grant, n+k represents “one interpretation is to read “the corresponding NPUSCH format 1 transmission starts from n+k” as “the corresponding NPUSCH format 1 transmission starts at the end of n+k DL subframe” and first time unit at n unit and second time unit at n+k) in UE DL see Cheng: Fig.20; ¶[0303]; ¶[0301]; ¶[0303]).
Cheng does not explicitly teaches wherein at least one first downlink time unit that overlaps wholly or partially with time unit determined based on the at least on of n, n+k and n+m is comprised in a downlink timing of the terminal device, the at least first downlink time unit comprising the first time unit.
However, Fu teaches the wherein at least one first downlink time unit that overlaps wholly or partially with time unit determined based on the at least on of n, n+k and n+m is comprised in a downlink timing of the terminal device, the at least first downlink time unit comprising the first time unit (DL time slot n overlap with BWP-2 and BWP 3 where DL time slot n, n+k and n+M in the active BWP transition and first DL timeslot n is the first time unit “Within a time slot, where an active BWP and gap are overlapped, or when the time interval between the active BWP and gap is less than t′ (t′ is a delay resulted from BWP switch)” see Fu: ¶[0818-0819]; Fig. 45; Fig.85-89; ¶[0812]) in order to enhance reporting channel state information (CSI) (see Fu: ¶[0040])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Cheng to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein at least one first downlink time unit that overlaps wholly or partially with time unit determined based on the at least on of n, n+k and n+m is comprised in a downlink timing of the terminal device, the at least first downlink time unit comprising the first time unit as taught by Fu in order to enhance reporting channel state information (CSI) (see Fu: ¶[0040]).
Regarding claim 2, the modified Cheng taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein the at least one of n, n+k and n+m is a time unit based on an uplink timing of the terminal device, and the first time unit is determined based on the at least one of n, n+k and n+m (UE UL depend on n unit and n+k unit at UE DL see Cheng: Fig.20-Fig.24; ¶[0303]; ¶[0309])
Regarding claim 3, the modified Cheng taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein the at least one of n, n+k and n+m is a time unit based on the downlink timing of the terminal device, and the first time unit is determined based on the at least one of n, n+k and n+m (first time unit at unit n see Cheng: Fig.20).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Cheng taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein the at least one first downlink time unit is a plurality of first downlink time units and the first time unit is any one of the plurality of first downlink time units or an earliest first downlink time unit of the plurality of first downlink time units (first timing unit at n with NPDCCH with DCI format N0 see Cheng: Fig.15; ¶[0270]; Fig.20).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Cheng taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein the at least one of n, n+k and n+m is a time unit based on an uplink timing of the terminal device, and the second time unit is determined based on the at least one of n, n+k and n+m (Fig. 23 showing n, n+1 and n+N unit at UE UL see Cheng: Fig.23; ¶[0314]).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Cheng taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein at least one second downlink time unit that overlaps wholly or partially with a time unit determined based on the at least one of n, n+k and n+m is comprised in the downlink timing of the terminal device comprises, the at least one second downlink time unit comprising the second time unit (unit n overlapping at n+1 at UE UL see Cheng: Fig.13-14; ¶[0262-0265])..
Regarding claim 8, the modified Cheng taught the method of claim 7 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein the at least one second downlink time unit is a plurality of second downlink time units, and the second time unit is any one of the plurality of second downlink time units or a latest second downlink time unit of the plurality of second downlink time units (second timing unit such as n+1 or n+2 see Cheng: Fig.14; ¶[0265]; ¶[0267]).
Regarding claims 9-11 and 13-16, they are rejected for the same reasons as the wireless communication method of claims 1-3, and 5-8 as set forth hereinabove. Claims 9-11 and 13-16 recite a terminal device that performing the wireless communication method of claims 1-3 and 5-8 as described hereinabove.
Regarding claims 17-19 and 21-23, they are rejected for the same reasons as the wireless communication method of claims 1-3 and 5-7 as set forth hereinabove. Claims 17-19 and 21-23 recite a network device that performing vice versa direction respect to the wireless communication method of claims 1-3 and 5-7 as described hereinabove.
Conclusion
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUANG W LI whose telephone number is (571)270-1897. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7AM-5PMET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Avellino can be reached at (571) 272-3905. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
GUANG W. LI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2478
August 6, 2026
/GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
Prosecution Insights