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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 24 February 2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 11-12, filed 6 April 2026, in view of the amendments with respect to claims 1-22 and 28-29 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 112(b) rejections of claims have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 6 April 2026 regarding the prior art rejections have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claims 23-27 and 30, the applicant argued, “…Chakraborty describes a single transmitter 1611 and a single receiver 1613, collectively referred to as ‘a transceiver 1615,’…Action has not demonstrated where Chakraborty discloses multiple independent radio blocks, each ‘associated with a respective communication link of the plurality of communication links,’…” on pages 12-14.
In response to applicant’s argument, the examiner respectfully disagrees with the above argument.
In ¶165 and figure 16 Chakraborty clearly teaches a plurality of radio blocks associated with a plurality of communication links, each radio block of the plurality of radio blocks associated with a respective communication link of the plurality of communication links (¶165; see figure 16). The cited ¶165 explicitly states “The base station 1601 may also include (not shown) multiple transmitters, multiple receivers and/or multiple transceivers”. Even ignoring this explicit statement, “Chakraborty’s system, which operates on a single unlicensed DL carrier and a single licensed UL carrier” as stated by the applicant is a plurality of communication links (DL and UL) where a transmitter and receiver are respectively associated with the UL and DL.
Regarding claim 30, the applicant argued, “…Office Action has not demonstrated where Chakraborty discloses ‘provisioning the one or more communication links occurs independent of exchanging information between the apparatus and a station,’…” on pages 14-15.
In response to applicant’s argument, the examiner respectfully disagrees with the above argument.
In ¶¶140 and 143-146 and figures 8, 9B, and 10 Chakraborty clearly teaches provisioning the one or more communication links occurs independent of exchanging information between the apparatus and a station (¶¶140 and 143-146; see figures 8, 9B, and 10: provision DL band between base station and UE has nothing to do with communication between the base station and a station). The claim broadly recites “provisioning the one or more communication links occurs independent of exchanging information between the apparatus and a station” (emphasis added). The claim provides no limitation to the claimed “station”. As such the base station provisioning a DL band between the base station and the UE is completely independent of any communication (or lack thereof) between the base station and a station.
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.
Claim(s) 23-27 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chakraborty et al. US 2019/0335504 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Chakraborty”). Note: Chakraborty was cited by the applicant in the IDS received 29 April 2025.
As to claim 23, Chakraborty teaches an apparatus for wireless communications (¶¶5 and 162; see figure 16), comprising:
at least one transceiver (¶165; see figure 16);
at least one processor (¶¶5 and 162; see figure 16);
a plurality of radio blocks associated with a plurality of communication links, each radio block of the plurality of radio blocks associated with a respective communication link of the plurality of communication links (¶165; see figure 16); and
at least one memory comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to (¶¶5 and 163; see figure 16):
receive, via the at least one transceiver, first feedback information about at least one channel condition of the plurality of communication links used to communicate downlink data (¶¶139-140 and 144-146; see figures 8 and 10: receive feedback from UE including preamble detection report causing interference on the band between the base station and the UE, sub-band reports of the licensed and/or unlicensed DL bands between the base station and the UE, or implicit feedback via SRSs);
provision one or more communication links via which to transmit the downlink data using the at least one channel condition (¶¶140 and 143-146; see figures 8, 9B, and 10: prepare resources for DL band for DL burst to UE based on the channel condition report(s)); and
transmit, via the at least one transceiver and from one or more first radio blocks of the plurality of radio blocks, the downlink data via the one or more communication links (¶¶140, 143, 145-146, and 165; see figures 8, 9B, 10, and 16: transmit DL burst).
As to claim 24, Chakraborty teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more communication links are for downlink traffic and provisioning the one or more communication links occurs independent of provisioning a communication link for uplink traffic (¶¶140 and 143-146; see figures 8, 9B, and 10: preparing resources for transmission on unlicensed DL band is separate from licensed UL band).
As to claim 25, Chakraborty teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:
identify whether to use a single link to communicate the downlink data or multiple links to communicate the downlink data, wherein identifying the one or more communication links is based at least in part on identifying whether to use the single link or the multiple links (¶¶140, 143, 145-146, and 165; see figures 8, 9B, 10, and 16: use the unlicensed DL band).
As to claim 26, Chakraborty teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, via the at least one transceiver, second feedback information about at least one second channel condition of the plurality of communication links (¶¶139-140 and 144-146; see figures 8 and 10: receive feedback from UE including preamble detection report causing interference on the band between the base station and the UE, sub-band reports of the licensed and/or unlicensed DL bands between the base station and the UE, or implicit feedback via SRSs);
provision one or more second communication links of one or more second radio blocks of the plurality of radio blocks via which to transmit data using the at least one second channel condition (¶¶140 and 143-146; see figures 8, 9B, and 10: prepare resources for DL band for DL burst to UE based on the channel condition report(s)); and
transmit, via the at least one transceiver and from the one or more second radio blocks, the downlink data via the one or more second communication links (¶¶140, 143, 145-146, and 165; see figures 8, 9B, 10, and 16: transmit DL burst).
As to claim 27, Chakraborty teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein provisioning of the one or more communication links is based at least in part on satisfying a threshold quantity of communication links, a quantity of the one or more communication links being below the threshold quantity of communication links (¶¶140 and 143-146; see figures 8, 9B, and 10: provision DL band to join UL band).
As to claim 30, Chakraborty teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein provisioning the one or more communication links occurs independent of exchanging information between the apparatus and a station (¶¶140 and 143-146; see figures 8, 9B, and 10: provision DL band between base station and UE has nothing to do with communication between the base station and a station).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-22 and 27-28 contain allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JUSTIN T VAN ROIE whose telephone number is (571)270-0308. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm.
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, Ian N Moore can be reached at 571-272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN T VAN ROIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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