DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to communications filed June 2nd, 2026.
Claims 1-3, 18-22, 24-31, 33-34, 51, and 70 are currently pending. Claim 70 is newly presented.
The present application is a 371 National Stage entry of International Application no. PCT/CN2021/094456, filed on May 18th, 2021.
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)(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 1-3, 18-22, 24-31, 33-34, 51, and 70 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tsai et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2022/0078881, hereinafter Tsai).
With respect to claim 1, Tsai discloses an apparatus (paragraph [0029], UE), comprising:
one or more processors (paragraph [0029], UE); and
memory storing instructions and data (paragraph [0029], UE) that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
determine mapping information of one or more hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission schemes to be utilized by a user equipment (UE) (paragraph [0145], lines 6-17, LCH(s) and/or MAC CE(s) is allowed to be mapped to a first state HARQ process (e.g. with enabled HARQ retransmission)), wherein the mapping information comprises an identifier of a logical channel and a corresponding HARQ retransmission scheme (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID); and
indicate the mapping information of the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes to the UE (paragraph [0142], lines 7-9, using the specific HARQ process based on the indication).
With respect to claim 2, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes are determined using a scheduling, wherein the scheduling is one of a dynamic scheduling or a configured grant (paragraphs [0149], lines 9-12).
With respect to claim 3, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes are each one of without HARQ retransmissions (paragraph [0145], lines 6-17, disabled HARQ), blind retransmissions (paragraph [0110]), or HARQ retransmissions utilizing an uplink (UL) decoding result (paragraph [0145], lines 6-17, UL transmission).
With respect to claim 18, Tsai discloses an apparatus (paragraph [0029], UE), comprising:
one or more processors (paragraph [0029], UE); and
memory storing instructions and data (paragraph [0029], UE) that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive one or more hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission schemes (paragraph [0145], lines 6-17, LCH(s) and/or MAC CE(s) is allowed to be mapped to a first state HARQ process (e.g. with enabled HARQ retransmission)) from a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node paragraph [0002]), wherein the mapping information comprises an identifier of a logical channel and a corresponding HARQ retransmission scheme (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID); and
perform a logical channel prioritization (LCP) procedure with the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes (paragraph [0139], lines 1-9, based on LCP).
With respect to claim 19, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the mapping information corresponding to the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes for one kind of service or one kind of logical channel (LCH) (paragraph [0145], lines 6-17, LCH(s) and/or MAC CE(s) is allowed to be mapped to a first state HARQ process (e.g. with enabled HARQ retransmission)) are received using at least one of a system information block or a radio resource control (RRC) signaling (paragraph [0067]).
With respect to claim 20, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the mapping information corresponding to the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes are received utilizing a HARQ retransmission scheme in a downlink control information (DCI) (paragraph [0143], lines 1-3).
With respect to claim 21, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein, when multiplexing, the LCP procedure utilizes an LCH from one or more LCHs (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID), where transmission data from the LCH utilizes a HARQ retransmission scheme that is the same as the HARQ retransmission scheme indicated in the DCI (paragraph [0143], lines 1-3).
With respect to claim 22, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the LCP procedure utilizes data from an LCH of one or more LCHs where a HARQ retransmission scheme of the LCH is different than a HARQ retransmission scheme derived from the DCI when space remains in an uplink (UL) transport block size (TBS) (paragraph [0062]).
With respect to claim 24, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein Log2M bits in a DCI indicates an index M HARQ retransmission scheme of the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes (paragraph [0143], lines 1-3).
With respect to claim 25, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein the Log2M bits is represented by two bits in the DCI (paragraph [0143], lines 1-3).
With respect to claim 26, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the mapping information corresponding to the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes for a logical channel group (LCG) are received utilizing a RRC signaling or a system information block, where one or more LCHs are part of the LCG (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID).
With respect to claim 27, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein the mapping information corresponding to the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes are received utilizing a mapping of IDs of one or more LCGs to a HARQ retransmission in a DCI, where one or more of the one or more LCHs are part of the one or more LCGs (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID).
With respect to claim 28, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein, when multiplexing, the LCP procedure utilizes a logical channel group (LCG) from the one or more LCHs, where data from the LCG utilizes a HARQ retransmission scheme that is the same as the HARQ retransmission scheme indicated in the DCI (paragraph [0139]).
With respect to claim 29, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein the LCP procedure utilizes data from an LCG of the one or more LCHs where a HARQ retransmission scheme of the LCG is different than a HARQ retransmission scheme derived from the DCI when space remains in an uplink (UL) transport block size (TBS) (paragraph [0062]).
With respect to claim 30, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein HARQ processes are grouped into one of a first HARQ group or a second HARQ group (paragraph [0177], lines 1-16), where the first HARQ group utilizes a first HARQ retransmission scheme and the second HARQ group utilizes a set of HARQ retransmission schemes (paragraph [0177], lines 1-16), the set of HARQ retransmission schemes includes at least two HARQ retransmission schemes, and the first HARQ retransmission scheme and the set of HARQ retransmission schemes are part of the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes (paragraph [0151], lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 31, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes for the first HARQ group and the second HARQ group are received utilizing a system information block or a RRC signaling (paragraph [0105]).
With respect to claim 33, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the first HARQ retransmission scheme utilizes a first HARQ process ID to indicate a first HARQ retransmission scheme (paragraph [0139], lines 1-8), and the set of HARQ retransmission schemes utilizes a second HARQ process ID and one or more bits in a DCI signal to indicate a second HARQ retransmission scheme in the set of HARQ retransmission schemes (paragraphs [0143]-[0144]).
With respect to claim 34, Tsai discloses the apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the set of HARQ retransmission schemes includes a HARQ retransmission based on UL decoding result and a blind retransmission (paragraph [0110]), and the set of HARQ retransmission schemes utilizes a second HARQ process ID and one bit in a DCI signal to indicate one of the HARQ retransmission based on UL decoding result or the blind retransmission (paragraph [0110]).
With respect to claim 51, Tsai discloses a method, comprising:
receiving one or more hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission schemes (paragraph [0145], lines 6-17, LCH(s) and/or MAC CE(s) is allowed to be mapped to a first state HARQ process (e.g. with enabled HARQ retransmission)) from a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node (paragraph [0002]), wherein the mapping information comprises an identifier of a logical channel and a corresponding HARQ retransmission scheme (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID); and
performing a logical channel prioritization (LCP) procedure with the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes (paragraph [0139], lines 1-9, based on LCP).
With respect to claim 70, Tsai discloses the apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus caused to indicated the mapping information of the one or more HARQ retransmission schemes comprises the apparatus caused to:
Selected a logical channel (LCH) having a configured HARQ retransmission scheme that is the same as a determined HARQ retransmission scheme (paragraph [0147], lines 1-9, LCH(s) ID); and
Indicate a logical channel identification (LCH ID) of the selected LCH in a downline control information (DCI) (paragraph [0143], lines 1-3).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3, 18-22, 24-31, 33-34, 51, and 70 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Seidel Pat. Pub. 2022/0224447
Tsai Pat. Pub. 2022/0210798
Li Pat. Pub. 2022/0086803
Chin Pat. Pub. 2021/0219322
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached on 571-272-4001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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8/7/26
/BLAKE J RUBIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
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