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 .
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.
Claims 17-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (U.S. Publication US 2022/0330300 A1) in view of Nimbalker et al. (U.S. Publication US 2023/0164818 A1).
With respect to claims 17 and 21, Wang et al. discloses a terminal comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and a processor controlling the terminal to perform a radio communication method (See the abstract, paragraph 30, paragraph 216, paragraph 270, and Figures 5 and 7 of Wang et al. for reference to a wireless transmission method performed by a UE, which is a terminal, comprising a receiving module and transmission module, which act as a transmitter and receiver performing signal transmission with another communication node, and comprising a processor performing the transmission method). Wang et al. also discloses receiving Downlink Control Information (DCI) indicating an available slot for an Aperiodic Sounding Reference Signal (A-SRS) transmission, after a reference slot indicated by a triggering offset indicating an offset between a slot in which the PDCCH is received and the reference slot related to the A-SRS transmission (See paragraphs 125-126, paragraph 132, paragraphs 138-141, and Figure 3 of Wang et al. for reference to receiving indication information sent through DCI including a first slot offset parameter corresponding to a slot for sending an aperiodic SRS and using the DCI to trigger the aperiodic SRS on a first target slot after a slot corresponding to the first offset parameter, wherein the target slot is a (k+1)th available slot after a slot corresponding to the first slot offset parameter, wherein k corresponds to the slot where the PDCCH triggering the SRS is located). Wang et al. further discloses performing the A-SRS transmission based on a DCI field indicating the available slot for the A-SRS transmission included in the DCI (See paragraph 127, paragraph 140, and Figure 3 of Wang et al. for reference to performing transmission of the aperiodic SRS according to the DCI). Although Wang et al. does disclose its method and devices taking into account the minimum timing requirement between the PDCCH triggering the aperiodic SRS and sending of all the SRS resources in the SRS resource set when determining a valid slot for sending the SRS (See paragraph 72 of Wang et al.), Wang et al. does not specifically disclose reporting capability information on the minimum timing requirement between a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) triggering an Aperiodic Sounding Reference Signal (A-SRS) transmission and an SRS resource in an SRS resource set. However, Nimbalker et al., in the field of communications, discloses a UE may indicate the capability to support A-SRS measurement and also indicate the capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and corresponding aperiodic SRS triggering by the PDCCH (See paragraph 105 of Nimbalker et al.). Indicating capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and A-SRS transmission has the advantage of allowing devices to be informed of the minimum scheduling offset such that A-SRS transmissions may be scheduled in accordance with the minimum scheduling offset. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Nimbalker et al., to combine indicating capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and A-SRS transmission, as suggested by Nimbalker et al., within the system and method of Wang et al., with the motivation being to allow devices to be informed of the minimum scheduling offset such that A-SRS transmissions may be scheduled in accordance with the minimum scheduling offset.
With respect to claim 18, Wang et al. discloses wherein the available slot for the A-SRS transmission is a slot satisfying that there are uplink (UL) or flexible symbols for a time-domain locations for all SRS resources in the SRS resource set and further satisfying the minimum timing requirement (See paragraph 72 of Wang et al. for reference to the valid slot for transmission of the aperiodic SRS including a unlink slot or a flexible slot which satisfies the minimum timing requirement between the PDCCH triggering the aperiodic SRS and the sending of all the SRS resources).
With respect to claim 19, Wang et al. discloses wherein the DCI indicates (t+1)th available slot for the A-SRS transmission counting from the reference slot indicated by the triggering offset, a list of t values is configured with Radio Resource Control (RRC) for each SRS resource set, and one t value is selected out of the list by the DCI field (See paragraphs 73-77 of Wang et al. for reference to the base station configuring the SRS resource set for the UE through RRC signaling wherein the SRS resource set includes plurality of k values indicating a slot offset from a set of slot offsets that may be dynamically modified according to the DCI).
With respect to claim 20, Wang et al. discloses wherein the DCI field exists only when configured by RRC (See paragraphs 73-77 of Wang et al. for reference to the DCI field dynamically configuring the slot offset existing based on the RRC signaling configuring the plurality of k values for the slot offset).
With respect to claim 22, Wang et al. discloses a base station comprising a receiver and a transmitter (See paragraph 30, paragraphs 170-172 and Figure 4 of Wang et al. for reference to base station comprising a sending module and transmission module acting as a receiver and transmitter to performing signal transmission with another communication node). Wang et al. also discloses transmitting Downlink Control Information (DCI) indicating an available slot for the A-SRS transmission, after a reference slot indicated by a triggering offset indicating an offset between a slot in which the PDCCH is received and the reference slot related to the A-SRS transmission (See paragraphs 125-126, paragraph 132, paragraphs 138-141, and Figure 3 of Wang et al. for reference to transmitting indication information sent through DCI including a first slot offset parameter corresponding to a slot for sending an aperiodic SRS and using the DCI to trigger the aperiodic SRS on a first target slot after a slot corresponding to the first offset parameter, wherein the target slot is a (k+1)th available slot after a slot corresponding to the first slot offset parameter, wherein k corresponds to the slot where the PDCCH triggering the SRS is located). Wang et al. further discloses receiving the A-SRS transmission transmitted based on a DCI field indicating the available slot for the A-SRS transmission included in the DCI (See paragraph 127, paragraph 140, and Figure 3 of Wang et al. for reference to receiving a transmission of the aperiodic SRS according to the DCI). Although Wang et al. does disclose its method and devices taking into account the minimum timing requirement between the PDCCH triggering the aperiodic SRS and sending of all the SRS resources in the SRS resource set when determining a valid slot for sending the SRS (See paragraph 72 of Wang et al.), Wang et al. does not specifically disclose receiving capability information on a minimum timing requirement between a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) triggering an Aperiodic Sounding Reference Signal (A-SRS) transmission and an SRS resource in an SRS resource set. However, Nimbalker et al., in the field of communications, discloses a UE may indicate the capability to support A-SRS measurement and also indicate the capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and corresponding aperiodic SRS triggering by the PDCCH (See paragraph 105 of Nimbalker et al.). Indicating capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and A-SRS transmission has the advantage of allowing devices to be informed of the minimum scheduling offset such that A-SRS transmissions may be scheduled in accordance with the minimum scheduling offset. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Nimbalker et al., to combine indicating capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and A-SRS transmission, as suggested by Nimbalker et al., within the system and method of Wang et al., with the motivation being to allow devices to be informed of the minimum scheduling offset such that A-SRS transmissions may be scheduled in accordance with the minimum scheduling offset.
With respect to claim 23, Wang et al. discloses a system comprises a terminal and a base station (See paragraph 30 of Wang et al. for reference to a system comprising a UE, which is a terminal, and a base station). Wang et al. also discloses the terminal comprising a first transmitter, a first receiver, and a processor controlling the terminal to perform a radio communication method (See the abstract, paragraph 30, paragraph 216, paragraph 270, and Figures 5 and 7 of Wang et al. for reference to a wireless transmission method performed by a UE, which is a terminal, comprising a receiving module and transmission module, which act as a transmitter and receiver performing signal transmission with another communication node, and comprising a processor performing the transmission method). Wang et al. also discloses receiving Downlink Control Information (DCI) indicating an available slot for an Aperiodic Sounding Reference Signal (A-SRS) transmission, after a reference slot indicated by a triggering offset indicating an offset between a slot in which the PDCCH is received and the reference slot related to the A-SRS transmission (See paragraphs 125-126, paragraph 132, paragraphs 138-141, and Figure 3 of Wang et al. for reference to receiving indication information sent through DCI including a first slot offset parameter corresponding to a slot for sending an aperiodic SRS and using the DCI to trigger the aperiodic SRS on a first target slot after a slot corresponding to the first offset parameter, wherein the target slot is a (k+1)th available slot after a slot corresponding to the first slot offset parameter, wherein k corresponds to the slot where the PDCCH triggering the SRS is located). Wang et al. further discloses performing the A-SRS transmission based on a DCI field indicating the available slot for the A-SRS transmission included in the DCI (See paragraph 127, paragraph 140, and Figure 3 of Wang et al. for reference to performing transmission of the aperiodic SRS according to the DCI). Wang et al. also discloses the base station comprising: a second receiver; and a second transmitter that transmits the DCI, wherein the second receiver receives the A-SRS transmission transmitted based on the DCI field included in the DCI (See paragraph 30, paragraphs 170-172 and Figure 4 of Wang et al. for reference to base station comprising a sending module and transmission module acting as a receiver and transmitter to performing signal transmission with another communication node, wherein the base station transmits the DCI and receives the A-SRS from the UE as shown above). Although Wang et al. does disclose its method and devices taking into account the minimum timing requirement between the PDCCH triggering the aperiodic SRS and sending of all the SRS resources in the SRS resource set when determining a valid slot for sending the SRS (See paragraph 72 of Wang et al.), Wang et al. does not specifically disclose reporting capability information on the minimum timing requirement between a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) triggering an Aperiodic Sounding Reference Signal (A-SRS) transmission and an SRS resource in an SRS resource set. However, Nimbalker et al., in the field of communications, discloses a UE may indicate the capability to support A-SRS measurement and also indicate the capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and corresponding aperiodic SRS triggering by the PDCCH (See paragraph 105 of Nimbalker et al.). Indicating capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and A-SRS transmission has the advantage of allowing devices to be informed of the minimum scheduling offset such that A-SRS transmissions may be scheduled in accordance with the minimum scheduling offset. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Nimbalker et al., to combine indicating capability to support operation using a minimum scheduling offset between PDCCH reception and A-SRS transmission, as suggested by Nimbalker et al., within the system and method of Wang et al., with the motivation being to allow devices to be informed of the minimum scheduling offset such that A-SRS transmissions may be scheduled in accordance with the minimum scheduling offset.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hakola et al. (U.S. Publication US 2022/0232611 A1) discloses another relevant system and method of scheduling and triggering aperiodic SRS.
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/JASON E MATTIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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