DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Oath/Declaration
The applicant’s oath/declaration has been reviewed by the examiner and is found to conform to the requirements prescribed in 37 C.F.R. 1.63.
Priority
This application is a continuation of PCT/CN2021/111363 filed on 08/06/2021.
Drawings
The applicant’s drawings submitted are acceptable for examination purposes.
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609(C), the applicant’s submissions of the Information Disclosure Statements dated 12/15/2023; 01/09/2024; 06/19/2024; 08/28/2025 and 02/11/2026 are acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. As required by M.P.E.P 609 C(2), a copy of the PTOL-1449 initialed.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 9 and 17 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 5 recites “at least one of n, n+k and n+m” suggests amend to include a limitation “where n, k and m are positive integers” to avoid covering any negative and fractional numbers. Similar issue exists in claims 9 and 17.
Appropriate correction is required.
Title
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 line 5 recites “where in 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” is vague and indefinite how first time unit and second time unit each be one of n, n+k and n+m applies to claim invention. For example #1, in case when the first time unit is one of n and second time unit is of n” they both have same time unit, there is time unit between, wherein n denotes a time unit where the first control channel ends. For example #2, in case when the first time unit is one of n+k and second time unit is of n, (first time unit after second time unit which is no valid invention), wherein n denotes a time unit where the first control channel ends. Similar issue exists in claims 9 and 17. Since dependent claims 2-8, 10-16 and 18-20 are corresponding depend on the independent claim 1, 9 or 15, they are rejected for the same reason as described hereinabove.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
(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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cheng et al. (US 2022/0232503 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 (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 (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” see Cheng: ¶[0301]; ¶[0303]).
Regarding claim 2, 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, 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 a 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 4, Cheng taught the method of claim 1 as described hereinabove. Cheng further teaches wherein at least one first 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 a timing downlink of the terminal device, the at least one first downlink time unit comprising the first time unit (unit n overlapping at n+1 see Cheng: Fig.13-14; ¶[0262-0265]).
Regarding claim 5, Cheng taught the method of claim 4 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, 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, 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 a 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, 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 9-16, they are rejected for the same reasons as the wireless communication method of claims 1-8 as set forth hereinabove. Claims 9-16 recite a terminal device that performing the wireless communication method of claims 1-8 as described hereinabove.
Regarding claims 17-20, they are rejected for the same reasons as the wireless communication method of claims 1-4 as set forth hereinabove. Claims 17-20 recite a network device that performing vice versa direction respect to the wireless communication method of claims 1-4 as described hereinabove.
Conclusion
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 on Monday - Thursday 7AM-5PMET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Avellino can be reached on (571) 272-3905. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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GUANG W. LI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2478
March 22, 2026
/GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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