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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to Applicant's response filed under 37 C.F.R. § 1.111 in response to a Non-Final Office Action. Claims 2, 11, and 14 have been amended; No claims have been added; Claims 5-6, 17-18, 23 and 25-37 were canceled previously. Claims 1-4, 7-16, 19-22, 24 and 38 are subject to examination.
Acknowledgement is made to this application's amendment to claim 11 to obviate the previous objection. The previous objection to claim 11 is hereby withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/10/2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive for the following reasons:
Applicant's Argument:
Applicant argues in substance that "Jung fails to disclose or suggest at all an application scenario where the multiplexing of PUCCH B 1 210 fails in sub-slot 3 and another multiplexing of PUCCH B 1 210 will be implanted in another sub slot. Therefore, Jung fails to suggest the iterative multiplexing processing mechanism as cited in claim 1 ... However, the determination of the time unit of the multiplexing process in newly filed claim I of present application is mainly based on which time unit to perform multiplexing in a case that at least two uplink channels with different physical layer priorities or different types overlap in a time domain. This is a prerequisite for processing the multiplexing process ... R1-2007710 also fails to disclose the obtaining of a final processing result of the multiplexing process until the preset multiplexing end condition is met and the performing of uplink channel transmission based on the processing result of the multiplexing process.”
Examiner's Response:
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The Jung in view of R1-2007710 teaches the limitations "determining a time unit of a multiplexing process in a case that at least two uplink channels with different physical layer priorities or different types overlap in a time domain; for a target uplink channel spanning a plurality of time units in the at least two uplink channels, upon determining that a preset multiplexing end condition is not met, sequentially performing the multiplexing process in each time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel until the preset multiplexing end condition is met, to obtain a final processing result of the multiplexing process".
Jung teaches multiplexing of 206, 208, and 210 by resolving overlapping PUCCHs as shown below. Overlapping is resolved by multiplexing HP and LP HARQ-ACK on time unit sub-slot 3 and since there is no more overlapping exists with 208 in time unit sub-slot 6, no multiplexing is done for 208. Jung’s teaching “No overlapping” essentially implies end condition for multiplexing.
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Reference R1-2007710 teaches iterative multiplexing in Section 2.1.2.3 as shown below:
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R1-2007710 teaches that when priorities are different, multiplexing is continued sub-slot based until there is no overlapping. This case is depicted in Example C of R1-2007710, as shown below:
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The claims merely recites “end condition”, therefore the examiner contends that by determining no overlapping of different priority PUCCHs, in fact can be interpreted to be “end condition”.
The Examiner advises the applicant to further define the “end condition” limitation of the claims. By this rationale, Jung in view of R1-2007710 teaches the claimed limitations and therefore the rejection is maintained. See rejection below.
Regarding all other arguments presented by Applicant, the arguments are substantially the same as those which have already been addressed above and, in the interest of brevity, the Examiner directs Applicant to those responses above.
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.
Claim 1-3, 8-9, 13-15, 20-21, and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (Jung hereafter) (US 20240155667 A1) in view of R1-2007710 (R1-2007710 hereafter) (3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting, 2020, submitted in IDS).
Regarding claim 1, claim 13, and claim 38, Jung teaches, An uplink multiplexing transmission method, applied to a terminal or a base station, wherein the method comprises:
determining a time unit of a multiplexing process in a case that at least two uplink channels with different physical layer priorities or different types overlap in a time domain (Jung; in a given UL BWP, e.g., a first PUCCH configuration with a first slot/sub-slot length and a lower priority index and a second PUCCH configuration with a second slot/sub-slot length and a higher priority index, the UE handles overlapping PUCCH or PUSCH resources of different priority indices in per sub-slot basis, where a sub-slot is defined according to the second PUCCH configuration of the second sub-slot length, Par. 0208);
for a target uplink channel spanning a plurality of time units in the at least two uplink channels (Jung; PUCCH B1 210 including LP HARQ-ACK, the UE has overlapping PUCCHs in sub-slot 3 201 and sub-slot 6 203, Par. 0209), upon determining that condition is not met, sequentially performing the multiplexing process in each time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel until the preset multiplexing end condition is met, to obtain a final processing result of the multiplexing process (Jung; UE resolves the overlapping in sub-slot 3 201 by multiplexing HP HARQ-ACK and LP HARQ-ACK into PUCCH A3 212 that is selected from PUCCH resources of the second PUCCH configuration … Since the UE determines not to transmit PUCCH B1 210 after resolving the overlapping PUCCH resources (e.g., PUCCH A1 206 and PUCCH B1210), the UE can transmit PUCCH A2 208 in sub-slot 6 203, Par. 0209);
performing uplink channel transmission based on the processing result of the multiplexing process (Jung; repeated over two sub-slots 204 (sub-slot 2 205 and sub-slot 3 201) … the UE can transmit PUCCH A2 208 in sub-slot 6 203, Par. 0209).
Although Jung teaches after resolving overlapping in sub-slot 3 201, no multiplexing is done for sub-slot 6 203, but failed to explicitly teach,
a preset multiplexing end condition.
However, in the same field of endeavor, R1-2007710 teaches,
a preset multiplexing end condition (R1-2007710; Resolve overlapping between PUCCH resources based on Rel-15 procedures where the overlapping is resolved starting from the first set of mutually overlapping PUCCH resources in a slot (a.k.a. set Q} until there are no overlapping PUCCH resources in the slot, Section 2.1.2.3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Jung to include the use of remaining overlapping resources as taught by R1-2007710 in order to end multiplexing (R1-2007710; Section 2.1.2.3).
Specifically for claim 13, Jung teaches, An uplink multiplexing transmission apparatus, comprising a memory, a transceiver and a processor; wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program; the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive data under control of the processor; the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations (Jung; the UE, Par. 0208).
Specifically for claim 38, Jung teaches, A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium, wherein the processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to cause a processor to (Jung; the UE, Par. 0208).
Regarding claim 2 and claim 14, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 1 and The apparatus according to claim 13 respectively, wherein sequentially performing the multiplexing process in each time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel until the preset multiplexing end condition is met comprises:
for a low-priority physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) spanning a plurality of time units, performing the multiplexing process in a first time unit overlapping in the time domain with the low-priority PUCCH (Fig. 2 element “210”, “Sub slot 3”);
upon determining that in a current multiplexing process that the low-priority PUCCH is dropped or successfully multiplexed with a further uplink channel, stopping a subsequent multiplexing process of the low-priority PUCCH in a further time unit overlapping in the time domain with the low-priority PUCCH (Jung; UE resolves the overlapping in sub-slot 3 201 by multiplexing HP HARQ-ACK and LP HARQ-ACK into PUCCH A3 212 that is selected from PUCCH resources of the second PUCCH configuration … Since the UE determines not to transmit PUCCH B1 210 after resolving the overlapping PUCCH resources (e.g., PUCCH A1 206 and PUCCH B1210), the UE can transmit PUCCH A2 208 in sub-slot 6 203, Par. 0209);
otherwise, continuing the multiplexing process of the low-priority PUCCH in a next time unit overlapping in the time domain with the low-priority PUCCH;
repeating above process until the low-priority PUCCH is dropped or successfully multiplexed with a further uplink channel (Jung; Since the UE determines not to transmit PUCCH B1 210 after resolving the overlapping PUCCH resources (e.g., PUCCH A1 206 and PUCCH B1210), the UE can transmit PUCCH A2 208 in sub-slot 6 203, Par. 0209).
Regarding claim 3 and claim 15, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 1 and The apparatus according to claim 13 respectively, wherein sequentially performing the multiplexing process in each time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel comprises:
determining all PUCCHs in a time unit of a current multiplexing process as a Q set, and executing the multiplexing process according to a multiplexing rule in a case of time domain overlapping, to obtain a PUCCH with no time domain overlap in the time unit of the current multiplexing process (R1-2007710; Example A, B, and C, Section 2.1.2.3).
The rational and motivation for adding this teaching of R1-2007710 is the same as for Claim 1.
Regarding claim 8 and claim 20, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 1 and The apparatus according to claim 13 respectively, wherein the at least two uplink channels are at least two uplink channels with different physical layer priorities (Jung; Fig. 2 element “206” and “210”);
determining the time unit of the multiplexing process comprises:
determining the time unit of the multiplexing process according to transmission time units of HARQ-ACKs with different physical layer priorities (Jung; Fig. 2 element “Sub slot 2”, “Sub slot 3”; an initial transmission occasion of the third PUCCH is determined based on a slot where an earliest symbol from the first PUCCH and the second PUCCH is located ... a last transmission occasion of the third PUCCH is determined based on the slot where the second PUCCH is located, Par. 0223-0224).
Regarding claim 9 and claim 21, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 8 and The apparatus according to claim 20 respectively, wherein determining the time unit of the multiplexing process according to the transmission time units of the HARQ-ACKs with different physical layer priorities comprises:
determining a transmission time unit of a HARQ-ACK with a high priority among the different physical layer priorities as the time unit of the multiplexing process (Jung; in a given UL BWP, e.g., a first PUCCH configuration with a first slot/sub-slot length and a lower priority index and a second PUCCH configuration with a second slot/sub-slot length and a higher priority index, the UE handles overlapping PUCCH or PUSCH resources of different priority indices in per sub-slot basis, where a sub-slot is defined according to the second PUCCH configuration of the second sub-slot length, Par. 0208).
Claim 4 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung- R1-2007710 and in further view of WANG et al. (WANG hereafter) (US 20210105766 A1).
Regarding claim 4 and claim 16, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 3 and The apparatus according to claim 15 respectively, in a process of sequentially performing the multiplexing process in each time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel, further comprising.
Jung- R1-2007710 fail to explicitly teach,
upon determining that a preset condition is met, performing a dropping operation on at least one uplink channel in the Q set, wherein the preset condition comprises:
in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, the uplink channel obtained through the multiplexing process still spans a plurality of time units; or
in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, the uplink channel obtained through the multiplexing process is located in a further time unit; or
in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, a starting position of the uplink channel obtained through the multiplexing process is earlier than a starting position of the time unit of the current multiplexing process;
wherein performing the dropping operation on the at least one uplink channel in the Q set comprises:
upon determining that physical layer priorities of uplink channels in the Q set are different, dropping a low-priority uplink channel; or
upon determining that physical layer priorities of uplink channels in the Q set are identical, dropping an uplink channel carrying a low-priority UCI type based on preset priorities of UCI types carried by the uplink channels;
wherein an order of the preset priorities of the UCI types is: hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement HARQ-ACK> scheduling request SR> channel state information CSI.
However, in the same field of endeavor, WANG teaches,
upon determining that a preset condition is met, performing a dropping operation on at least one uplink channel in the Q set (WANG; Prioritization of two PUCCHs is determined for different sub-slots in the Q1 set, Par. 0145), wherein the preset condition comprises:
in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, the uplink channel obtained through the multiplexing process is located in a further time unit; or
in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, a starting position of the uplink channel obtained through the multiplexing process is earlier than a starting position of the time unit of the current multiplexing process; (WANG; Fig. 6; As illustrated in FIG. 6, the UE transmits the multiplexed UCI (e.g., “LP CSI+SR”) only if the PUCCH resource 600 for transmitting “LP CSI+SR” does not overlap the PUCCH resource 602 for transmitting “sub-slot HARQ ACK+HP SR”, Par. 0149);
wherein performing the dropping operation on the at least one uplink channel in the Q set comprises:
upon determining that physical layer priorities of uplink channels in the Q set are different, dropping a low-priority uplink channel (WANG; Otherwise, the UE dose not transmit the multiplexed UCI (e.g., “LP CSI+SR”), Par. 0149).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Jung- R1-2007710 to include the use of multiplexing rule as taught by WANG in order to drop LP PUCCH (WANG; Par. 0149).
Claim 7 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung- R1-2007710 and in further view of LIN et al. (LIN hereafter) (US 20220417967 A1).
Regarding claim 7 and claim 19, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 2 and The apparatus according to claim 13 respectively, wherein the method further comprises.
Jung- R1-2007710 failed to explicitly teach,
upon determining that there is no uplink channel overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, continuing the multiplexing process in a next time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel.
However, in the same field of endeavor, LIN teaches,
upon determining that there is no uplink channel overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel in the time unit of the current multiplexing process, continuing the multiplexing process in a next time unit overlapping in the time domain with the target uplink channel (LIN; Step 5, determine whether PUCCH B overlaps with other PUCCHs. If so, repeat the execution of steps 1 to 4, Par. 0081).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Jung- R1-2007710 to include the use of decision process as taught by LIN in order to continue multiplexing (LIN; Par. 0081).
Claim 10 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung- R1-2007710 and in further view of Chen et al. (Chen hereafter) (US 20220394707 A1).
Regarding claim 10 and claim 22, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 1 and The apparatus according to claim 13 respectively.
Although Jung teaches in Par. 0208 that the UE handles overlapping PUCCH or PUSCH resources of different priority indices in per sub-slot basis, but failed to explicitly teach,
wherein the at least two uplink channels are at least two uplink channels with different types;
determining the time unit of the multiplexing process comprises:
determining a transmission time unit of an uplink channel with a shorter transmission time unit among the at least two uplink channels as the time unit of the multiplexing process; or
determining a transmission time unit of an uplink channel with a target type among the at least two uplink channels as the time unit of the multiplexing process.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Chen teaches,
wherein the at least two uplink channels are at least two uplink channels with different types;
determining the time unit of the multiplexing process comprises:
determining a transmission time unit of an uplink channel with a shorter transmission time unit among the at least two uplink channels as the time unit of the multiplexing process (Chen; A PUSCH that conflicts with multiple HARQ-ACKs at the same time may be a high priority or a low priority, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9D … techniques can be employed to treat slot-level conflicts as sub-slot-level conflicts, Par. 0062).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Jung- R1-2007710 to include the use of treating conflicts as sub-slot-level conflicts as taught by Chen in order to resolve overlapping (Chen; Par. 0062).
Claim 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung- R1-2007710-Chen and in further view of LEE et al. (LEE hereafter) (US 20220232610 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Jung- R1-2007710-Chen teaches, The method according to claim 10.
Jung- R1-2007710-Chen fail to explicitly teach,
wherein the at least two uplink channels with different types comprise a multicast broadcast service (MBS) PUCCH and a unicast PUCCH.
However, in the same field of endeavor, LEE teaches,
wherein the at least two uplink channels with different types comprise a multicast broadcast service (MBS) PUCCH and a unicast PUCCH (LEE; When the PUCCH (or UCI) for MBS HARQ feedback collides/overlaps with the unicast PUCCH, Par. 0225).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Jung- R1-2007710-Chen to include the use of MBS PUCCH and unicast PUCCH conflicts as taught by LEE in order to resolve overlapping (LEE; Par. 0225).
Claim 12 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung- R1-2007710 and in further view of R1- 2101204 (R1- 2101204 hereafter) (3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting, February 2021, submitted in IDS).
Regarding claim 12 and claim 24, Jung- R1-2007710 teaches, The method according to claim 2 and The apparatus according to claim 13 respectively, wherein the method further comprises:
in a case that a PUCCH and a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH overlap in the time domain, upon determining that the terminal supports parallel transmission of the PUCCH and the PUSCH (R1-2007710; enabled by RRC configuration, Section 2.1.4), transmitting the PUCCH and the PUSCH simultaneously (R1-2007710; Simultaneous transmission, Section 2.1.4);
upon determining if it is determined that the terminal does not support the parallel transmission of the PUCCH and the PUSCH (R1-2007710; dynamically disabled, Section 2.1.4), performing multiplexing transmission on the PUCCH and the PUSCH, or dropping one of the uplink channels (R1-2007710; UE that supports the capability for both features, i.e. PUCCH/PUSCH multiplexing (Alt A) and simultaneous transmission (Alt B), Section 2.1.4).
Jung- R1-2007710 failed to explicitly teach,
PUCCH in the processing result of the multiplexing process.
However, in the same field of endeavor, R1-2101204 teaches,
PUCCH in the processing result of the multiplexing process (R1-2101204; Intra-UE multiplexing should be performed in the following order, Step 1: Multiplexing PUCCH(s) ... Step2: Multiplexing PUCCH(s) and ... PUSCH(s), Section 2.1.2.3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Jung- R1-2007710 to include the use of remaining overlapping resources as taught by R1-2101204 in order to end multiplexing (R1-2101204; Proposal 9).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art CHEN et al. (US 20220287010 A1) teaches multiplexing of different uplink channels in Fig. 2A-2G.
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 SHARMIN CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-6419. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached at 5712705630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHARMIN CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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