DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Amendment filed 5/22/2026 was found to be non-compliant as filed 6/10/2026.
Supplemental Amendment filed 7/6/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 17-19, 22, 26-28, 35, and 36 have been amended.
Claims 25 and 34 are cancelled, Claims 37 and 38 are newly added.
Claims 17-24, 26-33, and 35-38 remain pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/22/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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, 18, 21-27, and 30-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US20240015717A1), hereafter Zhou, in view of R1-2008001, “Enhancements on Multi-TRP for PDCCH…”, hereafter CMCC.
Regarding claims 17, 26, 35, 37, and 38,
Zhou discloses a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) system (Fig. 7, 700-702; paragraph 101) comprising a transceiver (Fig. 7, transceiver 722), one or more processors (Fig. 7, processors 704-706), and memory coupled with the one or more processors storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors (paragraph 101) cause the one or more processors to effectuate operations of a method comprising to receive a first Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission (i.e. DCI conveyed via PDCCH) comprising the TCI codepoint (paragraphs 62-63; 1st DCI-based scheduling based on multiple sets of joint TCI states) and a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), wherein the MAC CE activates and applies a plurality of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for a TCI codepoint (Fig. 4, paragraph 61; MAC-CE activating joint DL/UL TCI states mapped to TCI codepoint of the 1st DCI).
Zhou further shows receiving a second PDCCH transmission using a set of first TCI states of the plurality of activated TCI states (paragraph 63; 2nd DCI applied to joint set of TCI states), wherein the second PDCCH transmission includes information for scheduling a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission (paragraphs 61-64 describe various examples of joint TCI state activation for PUCCH/PUSCH/PDSCH/PDCCH) with multiple transmission occasions (paragraph 65; multi-TRP where different DCIs schedule communication with different TRPs) and to transmit, by using a set of second TCI states of the plurality of activated TCI states, the PUCCH transmission or the PUSCH transmission on the multiple transmission occasions, wherein different TCI states of the second TCI states are used in different transmission occasions of the multiple transmission occasions (paragraphs 65-67; DL- and UL-only TCI state scheme via multi-TRP DCI scheduling).
Zhou discloses first PDCCH transmission is received before one or more of the plurality of TCI states are activated, as shown above with respect to claims 25 and 34 (Fig. 5, steps 506-512 before step 514-516; enabling a beam indication scheme before applying that beam indication scheme to activate TCI state for UL/DL beam communication) but does not expressly disclose a plurality of sets of TCI states applied at an activation time.
CMCC discloses analogous art (Title) including a plurality of sets of TCI states applied at an activation time (Sections 2.1-2.2; PDCCH schemes including configuring/activating two sets of TCI states for multiple, different TRPs).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to modify Zhou by applying a plurality of sets of TCI states at an activation time, as shown by CMCC, thereby supporting UEs capable of receiving multiple beams simultaneously from multiple TRPs to improve PDCCH reliability.
Regarding claims 18, 27, and 36,
The combination of Zhou and CMCC discloses the first TCI states comprise a plurality of downlink (DL) TCI states (paragraph 66) and the second TCI states comprise a plurality of uplink (UL) TCI states (paragraph 67).
Regarding claims 21, 22, 30, and 31,
The combination of Zhou and CMCC discloses the MAC CE comprises a TCI state identification field for the TCI codepoint and a number of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state identifiers for activation (Fig. 4; paragraph 61; BWP ID indicates the BWP for which the MAC CE applies as the codepoint and multiple TCI state ID fields).
Regarding claims 23 and 32,
The combination of Zhou and CMCC discloses the PDCCH transmission comprises Downlink Control Information (DCI) and the DCI comprises an indication of the TCI codepoint (paragraphs 61-65; see above rejections of claims 17 and 26).
Regarding claims 24 and 33,
The combination of Zhou and CMCC discloses the activated TCI states are activated based on a TCI activation timeline (paragraphs 40-42, 62, 75; TDM/TDD, timeslots/timing offset).
Regarding claims 25 and 34,
The combination of Zhou and CMCC discloses first PDCCH transmission is received before one or more of the plurality of TCI states are activated (Fig. 5, steps 506-512 before step 514-516; enabling a beam indication scheme before applying that beam indication scheme to activate TCI state for UL/DL beam communication).
Claims 19, 20, 28, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou and CMCC and further in view of Jang et al. (US20230006727A1), hereafter Jang.
Regarding claims 19 and 28,
Zhou discloses first PDCCH transmission is received before one or more of the plurality of TCI states are activated, as shown above with respect to claims 25 and 34 (Fig. 5, steps 506-512 before step 514-516; enabling a beam indication scheme before applying that beam indication scheme to activate TCI state for UL/DL beam communication) but does not expressly disclose a plurality of sets of TCI states used at an activation time.
Jang discloses analogous art (paragraph 227; TCI state activation via MAC CE) including a TCI state of the plurality of TCI states used at an activation time (i.e. that is signaled in advance; Fig. 6; paragraph 77-79).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to modify Zhou by using a TCI state of the plurality of TCI states is used at an activation time, as shown by Jang, thereby providing preconfigured mapping of activation of plural BWPs and their corresponding TCI state.
Regarding claims 20 and 29,
Zhou discloses the plurality of TCI states for the TCI codepoint are associated with a control resource set (CORESET) (paragraph 45) but the combination of Zhou and CMCC fails to expressly disclose a CORESET pool index value where the first PDCCH transmission is received on a CORESET associated with the CORESET pool index value.
Jang discloses analogous art (paragraph 227; TCI state activation via MAC CE) including a CORESET pool index value where the first PDCCH transmission is received on a CORESET associated with the CORESET pool index value (paragraphs 206, 211, 223-232; use of CORESET poolindex value corresponding to TCI states).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to modify Zhou and CMCC by utilizing a CORESET pool index value where the first PDCCH transmission is received on a CORESET associated with the CORESET pool index value, as shown by Jang, for efficient beam failure recovery.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to pending claims, as amended, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection relies on newly cited CMCC reference for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 5/22/2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). 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 GREGORY B SEFCHECK whose telephone number is (571)272-3098. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-4PM.
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/GREGORY B SEFCHECK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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