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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-9,11-19,21-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Matsumura et al. (US 20220322410; hereinafter “Matsumura”).
Regarding claims 1,11, Matsumura discloses:
A method for configuring a downlink control channel, performed by a network device, comprising:
configuring a multiple-transmission-time-interval (multi-TTI) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), scheduled by downlink control information (DCI) ([0077] When a plurality of PDSCHs (which may be referred to as multiple PDSCHs) from the multiple TRPs as shown in FIG. 2B are scheduled with use of one piece of DCI (e.g., multi-TTI), the DCI may be referred to as single DCI (single PDCCH).), to comprise at least one of:
a first category of PDSCH or a second category of PDSCH; ([0059] In a case where time offset between reception of DL DCI and reception of a PDSCH corresponding to the DCI is equal to or greater than a certain threshold value…; [0092] a TCI state or QCL (QCL assumption) applied to the PDSCH (or DMRS for the PDSCH) in a case where time offset (scheduling offset) between reception of DL DCI and reception of the PDSCH corresponding to the DCI is less than the scheduling offset threshold value.)
wherein a scheduling offset between each of the first category of PDSCH and a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of the DCI is less than a preset threshold ([0064] When the scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold value, the UE may assume that DM-RS ports for the PDSCH in the serving cell are QCL with RS(s) in the TCI state with respect to QCL parameter(s) used for PDCCH QCL indication corresponding to the lowest CORESET-ID in the latest (most recent) slot in which one or more control resource sets (CORESETs) are configured for the UE within an active BWP (bandwidth part) of the serving cell (the DM-RS ports of PDSCH of a serving cell are quasi co-located with the RS(s) in the TCI state with respect to the QCL parameter(s) used for PDCCH quasi co-location indication of the lowest CORESET-ID in the latest slot in which one or more CORESETs within the active BWP of the serving cell are configured for the UE)) and a scheduling offset between each of the second category of PDSCH and the PDCCH of the DCI is greater than or equal to the preset threshold. ([0059] In a case where time offset between reception of DL DCI and reception of a PDSCH corresponding to the DCI is equal to or greater than a certain threshold value, the UE may assume that DMRS ports for the PDSCH in a serving cell are QCL with RS(s) in the TCI state with respect to QCL type parameter(s) given by the TCI state indicated by the DCI (“the DM-RS ports of PDSCH of a serving cell are quasi co-located with the RS(s) in the TCI state with respect to the QCL type parameter(s) given by the indicated TCI state”).
Regarding claims 2,12, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring a transmission configuration indication (TCI) of a quasi-co-location (QCL) for a first PDSCH in the first category of PDSCH to be the same as a TCl of a control resource set (CORESET) with a smallest index in CORESETs in a search space of a nearest slot, from the PDSCH, to which a user equipment is monitoring. ([0064] When the scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold value, the UE may assume that DM-RS ports for the PDSCH in the serving cell are QCL with RS(s) in the TCI state with respect to QCL parameter(s) used for PDCCH QCL indication corresponding to the lowest CORESET-ID in the latest (most recent) slot; [0065] For example, the UE may assume that the DMRS ports for the PDSCH are QCL with a DL-RS based on the TCI state activated with respect to a CORESET corresponding to the above-described lowest CORESET-ID. The latest slot may be, for example, a slot for receiving DCI to schedule the above-described PDSCH; [0184] For detection of the PDCCH, a control resource set (CORESET) and a search space may be used. The CORESET corresponds to a resource to search DCI. The search space corresponds to a search area and a search method of PDCCH candidates. One CORESET may be associated with one or more search spaces. The UE may monitor a CORESET associated with a certain search space, based on search space configuration; Examiner’s Note: If scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold (¶[0064]), the PDSCH is QCL “based on the TCI state activated with respect to a CORESET” which means that the PDSCH applies that same activated TCI state rather than a different or new TCI (¶[0064]-[0065]). It further specifies that the CORESET is the one corresponding to the lowest CORESET-ID (e.g., smallest index) (¶[0064]-[0065]). Accordingly, the TCI used for the PDSCH is the same TCI as the one used for the smallest-index CORESET monitored by the UE (¶[0184]))
Regarding claims 3,13, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring a transmission configuration indication (TCI) of a quasi-co-location (QCL) for a first PDSCH in the first category of PDSCH to be the same as a TCI of a control resource set (CORESET) with a smallest index in CORESETs in a search space of a nearest slot, from the PDSCH, to which a user equipment is monitoring. ([0064] When the scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold value, the UE may assume that DM-RS ports for the PDSCH in the serving cell are QCL with RS(s) in the TCI state with respect to QCL parameter(s) used for PDCCH QCL indication corresponding to the lowest CORESET-ID in the latest (most recent) slot; [0065] For example, the UE may assume that the DMRS ports for the PDSCH are QCL with a DL-RS based on the TCI state activated with respect to a CORESET corresponding to the above-described lowest CORESET-ID. The latest slot may be, for example, a slot for receiving DCI to schedule the above-described PDSCH; [0184] For detection of the PDCCH, a control resource set (CORESET) and a search space may be used. The CORESET corresponds to a resource to search DCI. The search space corresponds to a search area and a search method of PDCCH candidates. One CORESET may be associated with one or more search spaces. The UE may monitor a CORESET associated with a certain search space, based on search space configuration; Examiner’s Note: If scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold (¶[0064]), the PDSCH is QCL “based on the TCI state activated with respect to a CORESET” which means that the PDSCH applies that same activated TCI state rather than a different or new TCI (¶[0064]-[0065]). It further specifies that the CORESET is the one corresponding to the lowest CORESET-ID (e.g., smallest index) (¶[0064]-[0065]). Accordingly, the TCI used for the PDSCH is the same TCI as the one used for the smallest-index CORESET monitored by the UE (¶[0184]))
Regarding claims 4,14, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring a TCl of a QCL for each PDSCH in the first category of PDSCH except for the first PDSCH, to be the same as a TCl of the first PDSCH. ([0092] a TCI state or QCL (QCL assumption) applied to the PDSCH (or DMRS for the PDSCH) in a case where time offset (scheduling offset) between reception of DL DCI and reception of the PDSCH corresponding to the DCI is less than the scheduling offset threshold value…[0094] The UE may judge the default TCI state for either or both of multiple PDSCHs scheduled with use of a single PDCCH on the basis of at least one of the following: [0095] (1) the same rule (an QCL assumption for a CORESET related to the lowest CORESET-ID in the latest slot) as that of Rel. 15 NR; [0101] In a case of the above-described (1), the UE may judge that the default TCI state for either or both of the multiple PDSCHs scheduled with use of the single PDCCH is an QCL assumption for a CORESET related to the lowest CORESET-ID in the latest slot in which one or more CORESETs within an active BWP in a certain serving cell are configured for the UE; Examiner’s Note: when time offset (scheduling offset) is less than the scheduling offset threshold value (e.g., first category of PDSCH), specific TCI/QCL setting is applied to PDSCH (¶[0092]). It further states that when multiple PDSCHs are scheduled by the same PDCCH, the same default TCI/QCL setting is used. This shows that all first category of PDSCH share the same TCI meaning each PDSCH uses the same TCI as the first PDSCH.(¶[0094]-[0095],¶[0101]))
Regarding claims 5,15, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring a transmission configuration indication (TCI) of a quasi-co-location (QCL) for at least one PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH to be the same as a TCl of the PDCCH of the DCI, in response to the DCI configured with no TCI. ([0094] The UE may judge the default TCI state for either or both of multiple PDSCHs scheduled with use of a single PDCCH on the basis of at least one of the following: [0097] (3) a TCI state with a TCI state ID with respect to a corresponding panel (in other words, a TCI state for a corresponding panel indicated by the TCI field) out of TCI states corresponding to TCI code points designated by a TCI field for the above-described single PDCCH; [0103] In a case of the above-described (3), a TCI state applied to either or both of the multiple PDSCHs in a case where the scheduling offset is equal to or greater than the scheduling offset threshold value can be the same as that in a case where the scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold value; Examiner’s Note: When the scheduling offset is equal to or greater than the scheduling offset threshold value, the TCI used for the PDSCH can be the same as the TCI used when the offset is less than the threshold, which corresponds to the TCI of the PDCCH. This shows that when no TCI is configured for the PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH, the PDSCH uses the same TCI/QCL as the PDCCH)
Regarding claims 6,16, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring, in response to the DCI configured with one transmission configuration indication (TCI), a TCI of a quasi-co-location (QCL) for at least one PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH to be the same as the one TCI. ([0093] the default TCI state may be a TCI state assumed in a case where a TCI state/QCL designated by DCI with respect to a certain channel/signal (e.g., a PDSCH) is not available [0094] The UE may judge the default TCI state for either or both of multiple PDSCHs scheduled with use of a single PDCCH on the basis of at least one of the following: [0097] (3) a TCI state with a TCI state ID with respect to a corresponding panel (in other words, a TCI state for a corresponding panel indicated by the TCI field) out of TCI states corresponding to TCI code points designated by a TCI field for the above-described single PDCCH …[0103] In a case of the above-described (3), a TCI state applied to either or both of the multiple PDSCHs in a case where the scheduling offset is equal to or greater than the scheduling offset threshold value can be the same as that in a case where the scheduling offset is less than the scheduling offset threshold value; Examiner’s Note: the UE assume a default TCI for either or both PDSCHs scheduled by the same PDCCH, and this TCI remain the same.)
Regarding claims 7,17, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring, in response to the DCI being configured with more than one transmission configuration indication (TCI), a TCI of a quasi-co-location (QCL) for at least one PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH to be determined based on at least one of the more than one TCI. ([0094] The UE may judge the default TCI state for either or both of multiple PDSCHs scheduled with use of a single PDCCH on the basis of at least one of the following: [0098] (4) a TCI state corresponding to a specific TCI code point capable of being designated by a TCI field for the above-described single PDCCH, [0104] In a case of the above-described (4), for example, the “specific TCI code point” may be the lowest TCI code point out of TCI code points indicating an arbitrary number of TCI states (in other words, out of all TCI code points) (4-1), or may be the lowest TCI code point out of TCI code points indicating two TCI states (4-2); Examiner’s Note: When the DCI includes multiple TCI code points, the TCI applied to a PDSCH may be selected from among those TCI code points. This shows that when more than one TCI is configured in the DCI, the TCI is determined based on at least one of the multiple TCIs.)
Regarding claims 8,18, Matsumura discloses:
wherein configuring the TCl of the QCL for the at least one PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH to be determined based on the at least one of the more than one TCl comprises: configuring the TCl of the QCL for the at least one PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH to correspond to N of the more than one TCl one to one, in response to a number of the at least one PDSCH in the second category of PDSCH being less than or equal to a number of the more than one TCI, wherein N is equal to or greater than one, and is a number of PDSCHs in the second category of PDSCH. ([0094] The UE may judge the default TCI state for either or both of multiple PDSCHs scheduled with use of a single PDCCH on the basis of at least one of the following: [0097] (3) a TCI state with a TCI state ID with respect to a corresponding panel (in other words, a TCI state for a corresponding panel indicated by the TCI field) out of TCI states corresponding to TCI code points designated by a TCI field for the above-described single PDCCH, [0099] (5) a TCI state for a specific TCI state ID with respect to a corresponding panel out of all TCI states corresponding to code points capable of being designated by a TCI field for the above-described single PDCCH; Examiner’s Note: when multiple PDSCHs are scheduled by a single PDCCH, the UE may determine the TCI/QCL for each PDSCH based on TCI states designated by a TCI field in the DCI. Specific TCI states may be selected from among multiple TCI states corresponding to different TCI code points indicated by the DCI, including selecting TCI for corresponding panel. PDSCHs can be associated one-to-one with selected TCI.)
Regarding claims 9,19, Matsumura discloses:
further comprising: configuring, in response to two of the more than one TCI configured in the DCI being corresponding to different QCL type D, a time domain interval between two PDSCH slots corresponding to the two of the more than one TCI to be greater than or equal to a set interval. ([0069] In a case where a CORESET associated with a search space set for cross-carrier scheduling is configured for the UE, TCI presence information is set to “enabled” for the CORESET for the UE, when at least one of TCI states configured relative to a serving cell scheduled by the search space set includes QCL type D, the UE may assume that time offset between a detected PDCCH and a PDSCH corresponding to the PDCCH is equal to or greater than a threshold value)
Regarding claims 21,22, Matsumura discloses:
An apparatus for configuring a downlink control channel, implemented in a network side device, comprising: a first configuration module (Fig.13: a diagram to show an example of a hardware structure of the base station and the user terminal according to one embodiment. Physically, the above-described base station 10 and user terminal 20 may each be formed as a computer apparatus that includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication apparatus 1004, an input apparatus 1005, an output apparatus 1006, a bus 1007, and so on.)
Regarding claim 23, Matsumura discloses:
A network side device, comprising: ([0286] it is clear that various operations that are performed to communicate with terminals can be performed by base stations, one or more network nodes (for example, Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), Serving-Gateways (S-GWs), and so on may be possible, but these are not limiting) other than base stations, or combinations of these.) a processor (a processor 1001); and a memory (a memory 1002) for storing instructions executable by the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions in the memory to implement steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 0. ([0237] Each function of the base station 10 and the user terminals 20 is implemented, for example, by allowing certain software (programs) to be read on hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, and by allowing the processor 1001 to perform calculations to control communication via the communication apparatus 1004 and control at least one of reading and writing of data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.)
Regarding claim 24, Matsumura discloses:
A user equipment, comprising: ([0234] user terminal 20 may each be formed as a computer apparatus that includes) a processor (a processor 1001); and a memory (a memory 1002) for storing instructions executable by the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions in the memory to implement steps of the method of any one of claims 11 to 20. ([0237] Each function of the base station 10 and the user terminals 20 is implemented, for example, by allowing certain software (programs) to be read on hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, and by allowing the processor 1001 to perform calculations to control communication via the communication apparatus 1004 and control at least one of reading and writing of data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.)
Regarding claim 25, Matsumura discloses:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ([0241] The storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be constituted with, for example, at least one of a flexible disk, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magneto-optical disk (for example, a compact disc (Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM) and so on), a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a removable disk, a hard disk drive, a smart card, a flash memory device (for example, a card, a stick, and a key drive), a magnetic stripe, a database, a server, and other appropriate storage media.) with executable instructions stored thereon, wherein when the executable instructions are executed by a processor, steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 10 or steps of the method of any one of claims 11 to 20 are implemented.([0239] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, and so on from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication apparatus 1004, into the memory 1002, and executes various processes according to these.)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 10,20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumura et al. (US 20220322410; hereinafter “Matsumura”) in view of Raghavan et al. (US 20200229161; hereinafter “Raghavan”).
Regarding claims 10,20, Matsumura does not disclose:
further comprising: configuring the time domain interval between the two PDSCH slots corresponding to the two of the more than one TCI to be related to a subcarrier spacing.
Raghavan discloses:
further comprising: configuring the time domain interval between the two PDSCH slots corresponding to the two of the more than one TCI to be related to a subcarrier spacing. ([0027] If the PDCCH carrying the scheduling DCI is received on one component carrier, and the PDSCH scheduled by that DCI is on another component carrier: The timeDurationForQCL is determined based on the subcarrier spacing of the scheduled PDSCH.)
It would be obvious to the person of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings
of Matsumura with the teachings of Raghavan to include configuring the time domain interval between the two PDSCH slots corresponding to the two of the more than one TCI to be related to a subcarrier spacing. The motivation would have been to help ensure successful reception of a PDCCH or a PDSCH with a new TCI state using a TCI state switch (Raghavan ¶ [0003]).
Conclusion
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/NHU PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2479 /JAE Y LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2479