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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 31 and 37-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cirik et al (US 2020/0314885, hereinafter Cirik).
Regarding claim 1, Cirik discloses a method for activating a bandwidth part, applied to a user equipment (UE), wherein the method comprises: determining to use a reconfigured first bandwidth part or determining to use a second bandwidth part (UE devices switches from first BWP to second BWP, Para [0470]).
Regarding claims 2, 37 and 39, Cirik discloses the method/apparatus/medium according to claim 1/31/38, wherein a first bandwidth part comprises a first downlink (DL) bandwidth part and/or a first uplink (UL) bandwidth part, and the second bandwidth part comprises a second DL bandwidth part and/or a second UL bandwidth part (the second BWPs may comprise UL BWPs or DL BWPs, Para [0460]).
Regarding claim 3, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein said determining to use the reconfigured first bandwidth part or determining to use the second bandwidth part comprises: determining to use a reconfigured first DL bandwidth part and/or a reconfigured first UL bandwidth part based on a higher-layer parameter; or determining to use the second DL bandwidth part and/or the second UL bandwidth part based on a higher-layer parameter (BS configures the wireless device with one or more second BWPs by using configuration parameters, Para [0460], configuration parameters are in RRC messages, Para [0200], switching to second BWP, in one case by a BWP inactivity timer expiring which is configured by higher layer RRC, Para [0366]).
Regarding claim 4, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein said determining to use the reconfigured first bandwidth part comprises: receiving a message 2 (Msg2) and/or a message 4 (Msg4) within the reconfigured first DL bandwidth part; and/or sending a message 3 (Msg3) and/or a Msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (Msg4-HARQ-ACK) within the reconfigured first UL bandwidth part (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 6, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, further comprising: activating or using the reconfigured first UL bandwidth part and the reconfigured first DL bandwidth part after sending a Msg1 (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 8, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein said determining to use the reconfigured first bandwidth part comprises: receiving a Msg2 or a Msg4 within the reconfigured first DL bandwidth part; or sending a Msg1, a Msg3, or a Msg4-HARQ-ACK within the reconfigured first UL bandwidth part (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 10, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, further comprising: activating or using the reconfigured first DL bandwidth part after sending a Msg1 (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 12, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein said determining to use the reconfigured first bandwidth part comprises: receiving a first-type message, a Msg2, and/or a Msg4 within the reconfigured first DL bandwidth part; and/or sending a Msg3 and/or a Msg4-HARQ-ACK within the reconfigured first UL bandwidth part (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 14, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, further comprising: activating or using the reconfigured first UL bandwidth part after sending a Msg1 (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 16, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 12, wherein the first-type message comprises at least one of a system information block 1 (SIB1), other system information (OSI), or a paging message (optional limitation).
Regarding claim 31, Cirik discloses an apparatus (wireless device, Fig. 3) for activating a bandwidth part, comprising: at least one processor and a memory (processor and memory, Fig. 3) configured to store instructions executable by the at least one processor: wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to: determine to use a reconfigured first bandwidth part or determine to use a second bandwidth part (UE devices switches from first BWP to second BWP, Para [0470]).
Regarding claim 38, Cirik discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (computer readable media, Para [0217]), wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions thereon, the computer program instructions, when being executed by a processor, are configured to: determine to use a reconfigured first bandwidth part or determine to use a second bandwidth part (UE devices switches from first BWP to second BWP, Para [0470]).
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 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cirik and in view of Chen et al (US 2019/0166529, hereinafter Chen).
Regarding claim 5, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, but not wherein said determining to use the second bandwidth part comprises: receiving a Msg2 and/or a Msg4 within the second DL bandwidth part; and/or sending a Msg3 and/or a Msg4-HARQ-ACK within the second UL bandwidth part. Chen discloses a BWP switching operation can occur during the RA procedure, Para [0057], where UE can initiate an RA procedure on first BWP and continue the RA procedure on second BWP, Para [0061,63]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Chen in the system of Cirik in order to effectively handle RA procedures with BWP switching operations.
Regarding claim 7, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, but not further comprising: activating or using the second UL bandwidth part and the second DL bandwidth part after sending a Msg1. Chen discloses a BWP switching operation can occur during the RA procedure, Para [0057], where UE can initiate an RA procedure on first BWP and continue the RA procedure on second BWP, Para [0061,63].
Regarding claim 9, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, but not wherein said determining to use the second bandwidth part comprises: receiving a Msg2 or a Msg4 within the second DL bandwidth part; or sending a Msg1, a Msg3, or a Msg4-HARQ-ACK within the second UL bandwidth part. Chen discloses a BWP switching operation can occur during the RA procedure, Para [0057], where UE can initiate an RA procedure on first BWP and continue the RA procedure on second BWP, Para [0061,63].
Regarding claim 11, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, but not further comprising: activating or using the second DL bandwidth part after sending a Msg1. Chen discloses a BWP switching operation can occur during the RA procedure, Para [0057], where UE can initiate an RA procedure on first BWP and continue the RA procedure on second BWP, Para [0061,63].
Regarding claim 13, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, but not wherein said determining to use the second bandwidth part comprises: receiving a first-type message, a Msg2, and/or a Msg4 within the second DL bandwidth part; and/or sending a Msg3 and/or a Msg4-HARQ-ACK within the second UL bandwidth part. Chen discloses a BWP switching operation can occur during the RA procedure, Para [0057], where UE can initiate an RA procedure on first BWP and continue the RA procedure on second BWP, Para [0061,63].
Regarding claim 15, Cirik discloses the method according to claim 2, but not further comprising: activating or using the second UL bandwidth part after sending a Msg1. Chen discloses a BWP switching operation can occur during the RA procedure, Para [0057], where UE can initiate an RA procedure on first BWP and continue the RA procedure on second BWP, Para [0061,63].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461