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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 14, 2026 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new grounds 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.
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) 12-13 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Jang et al. (US 2022/0255700) in view of Zhou et al. (USPN 11,464,008)
Regarding claim 12, Jang discloses a transmitter, configured to communicate in a communication system (Jang, Fig. 25, transmitter 2510; paragraph [0700] , transmitter 2510), the transmitter comprising:
one or more interfaces configured to communicate with multiple transmission-reception points (multi-TRPs) within the communication system (Jang, paragraph [0479] , Single-DCI-Based Multi-TRP; paragraph [0484], when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs); and a circuitry (Jang, paragraph [0055], circuits) configured to:
for a PDCCH repetition scheme, when DCIs of repeated PDCCHs are used to schedule a same A-CSI/SP-CSI reporting on a PUSCH, define a referenced PDCCH candidate as a candidate that ends later in time among two linked PDCCH candidates corresponding to the repeated PDCCHs in a time domain; and
when the circuitry receives a DCI that schedules A-CSI/SP-CSI report without any transport block on two PUSCH repetitions and on PUSCH repetition type B, transmit the A-CSI/SP-CSI report on a first nominal repetition corresponding to a first beam and a first nominal repetition corresponding to a second beam (Jang, paragraph [0009], receiving, from the base station, DCI scheduling aperiodic CSI report or activating semipersistent CSI report; paragraph [0479] , Single-DCI-Based Multi-TRP; paragraph [0484], transmission type A or B, in a case where the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is multiplexed when no transport block is transmitted in the repeated PUSCH transmission type B, at least one transmission is to be secured for each TRP even though the number of PUSCH repetitions is configured to be greater than 1. when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs; paragraph [0690], the terminal may assume that the number of nominal repetitions corresponds to two, regardless of the configured number of repeated transmissions of PUSCH repetition type B. the terminal may map the first transmission beam to the first PUSCH repetition and map the second transmission beam to the second PUSCH repetition, regardless of the configuration in which the transmission beam mapping scheme during the multi-TRP-based PUSCH repetition; paragraph [0692], the terminal may only consider transmission for two nominal repetitions, regardless of the configured number of repeated PUSCH transmissions, the terminal may transmit one PUSCH transmission for each transmission beam, such as nominal repetition);
wherein the number of nominal repetitions is always assumed to be two, regardless of the value of higher layer parameter numberOfRepetitions-r16 (Jang, paragraph [0334], NR Release 16; paragraph [0479] , Single-DCI-Based Multi-TRP; paragraph [0329], base station may notify the terminal of the number of repeated transmissions (numberofrepetitions) via higher layer signaling; paragraph [0690], the terminal may assume that the number of nominal repetitions corresponds to two, regardless of the configured number of repeated transmissions of PUSCH repetition type B. the terminal may map the first transmission beam to the first PUSCH repetition and map the second transmission beam to the second PUSCH repetition, regardless of the configuration in which the transmission beam mapping scheme during the multi-TRP-based PUSCH repetition; paragraph [0692], the terminal may only consider transmission for two nominal repetitions, regardless of the configured number of repeated PUSCH transmissions, the terminal may transmit one PUSCH transmission for each transmission beam, such as nominal repetition).
Jang does not explicitly disclose for a PDCCH repetition scheme, when DCIs of repeated PDCCHs are used to schedule a same A-CSI/SP-CSI reporting on a PUSCH, define a referenced PDCCH candidate as a candidate that ends later in time among two linked PDCCH candidates corresponding to the repeated PDCCHs in a time domain.
Zhou discloses for a PDCCH repetition scheme, when DCIs of repeated PDCCHs are used to schedule a same A-CSI/SP-CSI reporting on a PUSCH, define a referenced PDCCH candidate as a candidate that ends later in time among two linked PDCCH candidates corresponding to the repeated PDCCHs in a time domain (Zhou, Fig. 7; column 8, lines 6-7, PDCCH carries DCI; column 12, line 42 to column 13, line 3, the particular repeated PDCCH may be the last received PDCCH transmission, the reference slot index may be the index of the slot containing the end of the particular PDCCH, the scheduled transmission may be determined based on the last PDCCH slot; column 16, lines 7-9, repetitive PDCCH schedules the channel for transmission of the A-CSI-RS by the UE; column 16, lines 48-53, PDCCH is being repeated across the first two slots, slot n and slot n+1, the PDCCH received at slot n+1 may be the last received PDCCH of the repetitive PDCCH; column 22, lines 40-45, the reference slot is indexed to one of the plurality of repetitions that is later in time than each other repetition of the plurality of repetitions of the PDCCH).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for a PDCCH repetition scheme, when DCIs of repeated PDCCHs are used to schedule a same A-CSI/SP-CSI reporting on a PUSCH, define a referenced PDCCH candidate as a candidate that ends later in time among two linked PDCCH candidates corresponding to the repeated PDCCHs in a time domain, in the invention of Jang. The motivation to combine the references would have been to determine which of multiple received PDCCHs to use to schedule transmission.
Regarding claim 13, Jang discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, wherein in the case that the A- CSI/SP-CSI report is transmitted on a first nominal repetition corresponding to a first beam and a first nominal repetition corresponding to a second beam, if any of both the first nominal repetitions corresponding to the first beam and the second beam is segmented into multiple actual repetitions, the A-CSI/SP-CSI report is transmitted on a first actual repetition of the first nominal repetition (Jang, paragraph [0484], in a case where the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is multiplexed when no transport block is transmitted in the repeated PUSCH transmission type B, at least one transmission is to be secured for each TRP even though the number of PUSCH repetitions is configured to be greater than 1. when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs; paragraph [0653], nominal repetition separated into two actual repetitions at the slot boundary; paragraph [0689], map the first transmission beam to the first actual repetition and map the second transmission beam to the second actual transmission; paragraph [0690], the terminal may assume that the number of nominal repetitions corresponds to two, regardless of the configured number of repeated transmissions of PUSCH repetition type B. the terminal may map the first transmission beam to the first PUSCH repetition and map the second transmission beam to the second PUSCH repetition, regardless of the configuration in which the transmission beam mapping scheme during the multi-TRP-based PUSCH repetition; paragraph [0692], the terminal may only consider transmission for two nominal repetitions, regardless of the configured number of repeated PUSCH transmissions, the terminal may transmit one PUSCH transmission for each transmission beam, such as nominal repetition and actual repetition).
Regarding claim 16, Jang discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the first nominal repetition corresponding to the first beam is expected to be the same as the corresponding first actual repetition, and the first nominal repetition corresponding to the second beam is expected to be the same as the corresponding first actual repetition (Jang, paragraph [0379], when the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is scheduled or activated without scheduling for the transport block, based on repeated PUSCH transmission type B, the terminal may expect that the first nominal repetition is identical to the first actual repetition).
Regarding claim 17, Jang discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to: when the circuitry receives the DCI that schedules A-CSI/SP-CSI report without any transport block on more than two PUSCH repetitions and on PUSCH repetition type B, transmit the A-CSI/SP-CSI report on the nominal repetitions corresponding to the first beam and the nominal repetitions corresponding to the second beam until all the PUSCH repetitions are completed (Jang, Fig. 16B, 4 unsegmented transmissions; paragraph [0009], receiving, from the base station, DCI scheduling aperiodic CSI report or activating semipersistent CSI report; paragraph [0325], two or more repeated PUSCH transmissions are scheduled, each repeated transmission occupies consecutive symbols; paragraph [0484], in a case where the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is multiplexed when no transport block is transmitted in the repeated PUSCH transmission type B, at least one transmission is to be secured for each TRP even though the number of PUSCH repetitions is configured to be greater than 1. when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs).
Regarding claim 18, Jang discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to: when the circuitry receives the DCI that schedules A-CSI/SP-CSI report without any transport block on more than two PUSCH repetitions and on PUSCH repetition type B, transmit the A-CSI/SP-CSI report on the actual repetitions corresponding to the first beam and the actual repetitions corresponding to the second beam, wherein every actual repetition has at least two symbols in time domain and these actual repetitions corresponding to the two beams have the same number of symbols as the first actual repetition of the first nominal repetition with the first beam (Jang, Fig. 16B, 4 unsegmented transmissions; paragraph [0009], receiving, from the base station, DCI scheduling aperiodic CSI report or activating semipersistent CSI report; paragraph [0325], two or more repeated PUSCH transmissions are scheduled, each repeated transmission occupies consecutive symbols; paragraph [0484], in a case where the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is multiplexed when no transport block is transmitted in the repeated PUSCH transmission type B, at least one transmission is to be secured for each TRP even though the number of PUSCH repetitions is configured to be greater than 1. when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs).
Regarding claim 19, Jang discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
when the circuitry receives the DCI that schedules A-CSI/SP-CSI report without any transport block on more than two PUSCH repetitions and on PUSCH repetition type B, transmit the A-CSI/SP-CSI report on the nominal repetitions corresponding to the first beam and the nominal repetitions corresponding to the second beam, wherein every nominal repetition is the same as the first actual repetition of this nominal repetition, and the nominal repetition is not divided into multiple actual repetitions (Jang, Fig. 16B, 4 unsegmented transmissions; paragraph [0009], receiving, from the base station, DCI scheduling aperiodic CSI report or activating semipersistent CSI report; paragraph [0325], two or more repeated PUSCH transmissions are scheduled, each repeated transmission occupies consecutive symbols; paragraph [0484], in a case where the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is multiplexed when no transport block is transmitted in the repeated PUSCH transmission type B, at least one transmission is to be secured for each TRP even though the number of PUSCH repetitions is configured to be greater than 1. when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs).
Regarding claim 20, Jang discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to: when the circuitry receives the DCI that schedules A-CSI/SP-CSI report without any transport block on PUSCH repetition type A, transmit the A-CSI/SP-CSI report on a first PUSCH repetition corresponding to the first beam and a first PUSCH repetition corresponding to the second beam (Jang, paragraph [0009], receiving, from the base station, DCI scheduling aperiodic CSI report or activating semipersistent CSI report; paragraph [0479] , Single-DCI-Based Multi-TRP; paragraph [0484], transmission type A or B, in a case where the aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting is multiplexed when no transport block is transmitted in the repeated PUSCH transmission type B, at least one transmission is to be secured for each TRP even though the number of PUSCH repetitions is configured to be greater than 1. when the aperiodic/semi-persistent CSI reporting is transmitted or multiplexed, a method for multiplexing or transmitting the CSI report for repeated PUSCH transmission in consideration of multiple TRPs).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Jang et al. (US 2022/0255700) in view of Zhou et al. (USPN 11,464,008), and further in view of Takeda et al. (US 2020/0359361).
Regarding claim 21, Jang in view of Zhou discloses the transmitter according to claim 12, , wherein, for the PDCCH repetition scheme, a reference PDCCH candidate for release is defined as a candidate that ends later in time among the two linked PDCCH candidates in time domain (Zhou, Fig. 7; column 8, lines 6-7, PDCCH carries DCI; column 12, line 42 to column 13, line 3, the particular repeated PDCCH may be the last received PDCCH transmission, the reference slot index may be the index of the slot containing the end of the particular PDCCH, the scheduled transmission may be determined based on the last PDCCH slot; column 16, lines 7-9, repetitive PDCCH schedules the channel for transmission of the A-CSI-RS by the UE; column 16, lines 48-53, PDCCH is being repeated across the first two slots, slot n and slot n+1, the PDCCH received at slot n+1 may be the last received PDCCH of the repetitive PDCCH; column 22, lines 40-45, the reference slot is indexed to one of the plurality of repetitions that is later in time than each other repetition of the plurality of repetitions of the PDCCH).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for a PDCCH repetition scheme, when DCIs of repeated PDCCHs are used to schedule a same A-CSI/SP-CSI reporting on a PUSCH, define a referenced PDCCH candidate as a candidate that ends later in time among two linked PDCCH candidates corresponding to the repeated PDCCHs in a time domain, in the invention of Jang. The motivation to combine the references would have been to determine which of multiple received PDCCHs to use to schedule transmission.
Jang in view of Zhou does not explicitly disclose wherein the DCIs of the repeated PDCCHs are used to release SP-CSI transmission on the PUSCH.
Takeda discloses wherein the DCIs of the repeated PDCCHs are used to release SP-CSI transmission on the PUSCH (Takeda, paragraph [0032], PDCCH that transmits DCI used for controlling (activating or releasing) Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS), UL grant free transmission, and/or Semi-Persistent CSI (SP-CSI)).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for the DCIs of the repeated PDCCHs to be used to release SP-CSI transmission on the PUSCH, in the invention of Jang in view of Zhou. The motivation to combine the references would have been to inform the UE to release SP-CSI transmission on the PUSCH.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sun et al. (US 2022/0360382) discloses in response to transmit A-CSI/SP-CSI report on two PUSCH repetitions and on PUSCH repetition type B, transmit the A-CSI/SP-CSI report on a first nominal repetition corresponding to a first beam and a first nominal repetition corresponding to a second beam.
Lyu et al. (US 2021/0036822) discloses to mitigate possible collisions, the EDs 110 may use repetitions. A repetition, without grant, of an original CG or SPS uplink transmission is referred to herein generally as “configured grant repetitions”. Any discussion of a CG or SPS repetition herein should be understood to refer to either a first repetition (i.e., initial transmission) or a subsequent repetition.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Un Cho can be reached at (571) 272-7919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.L.L./
Examiner, Art Unit 2413
/UN C CHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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