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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted was filed after the mailing date. The submission 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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 10-12, 14-16, 18, 21, 23-27, 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated Zhu et al. (“Zhu”) (US 20240205841 A1, effective filing date of the provisional application 63/170,829 filed April 5, 2021).
Regarding claim 1, Zhu teaches:
A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising: receiving, from a base station, downlink control information or a configuration that schedules an uplink transmission [¶0024-25 “single downlink control information (DCI) based M-TRP PUSCH repetition schemes (i.e. operation), up to two beams may be supported” […] [0025] “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” thus configuration scheduling uplink] with two or more repetitions [¶0025 multi-TRP PUSCH repetition], wherein each of the two or more repetitions is associated to a different one of two or more Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, resource sets [¶0025 “an association between an SRS resource set and a TRP (or an uplink path)” thus each repetition to each TRP associated with SRS set, ¶0034-36 teaches repetition] and a different one of two or more power headrooms, PHs [¶0034, a PH value and a differentiation information to convey two (different) PH values corresponding, see also ¶0039 for each repetition / TRP], and a power headroom report, PHR, is triggered and is to be carried by the uplink transmission [¶0039 PHR triggered]; calculating from among the two or more PHs, either a first PH associated with a first SRS resource set or a second PH associated with a second SRS resource set [¶0039 first PHR determined with PH value thus calculated for repetition of uplink as in ¶0025 thus based at least on one of the first or second PH values]; receiving an indication from the base station about a corresponding SRS resource set that is associated with a first repetition of the two or more repetitions [¶0025 “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” as in e.g. DCI considered indication about corresponding SRS resources]; constructing a PHR Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE, comprising either the first PH or the second PH based on the indication; and transmitting the PHR MAC CE in the uplink transmission [¶0043, MAC CE with PH values, may be two single entry PHR MAC CEs thus a MAC CE with either first or second PH value, based on SRS configured for the repetitions corresponding to PHR].
Regarding claim 2, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 wherein the uplink transmission is a Physical Uplink Shared Chanel, PUSCH, transmission [¶0043 PUSCH].
Regarding claim 3, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 wherein either the first PH or the second PH is calculated based on a first transmission occasion in time from among those scheduled for the two or more repetitions [¶0043 PHR based on PUSCH repetitions which must include a repetition at a first transmission occasion].
Regarding claim 4, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 3 further comprising: receiving, from the base station, information that indicates which SRS resource set from among the two or more SRS resource sets is associated to the first transmission occasion [¶0025 SRS information indication for the first repetition as it is associated with an uplink path or TRP, and ¶0034-35 PHR includes values corresponding to first transmission, and ¶0036, SRS resource set indicated corresponding to the PHR, thus associated to the first transmission].
Regarding claim 5, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 4 wherein either the first PH or the second PH comprised in the PHR MAC CE is a PH associated to the SRS resource set associated to the first transmission occasion [¶0036 “The UE may use […] the other power control parameters, belonging to the same set of power control parameters associated to the corresponding SRS resource set or SRI, for the PHR calculation”].
Regarding claim 7, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 4, wherein the information that indicates which SRS resource set from among the two or more SRS resource sets is associated to the first transmission occasion is comprised in the downlink control information [¶0036 DCI].
Regarding claim 10, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 wherein the PHR MAC CE comprises information that indicates one of the two or more SRS resource sets associated to each of either the first PH or the second PH comprised in the PHR MAC CE [¶0036 “And, when the PHR is triggered (and there are available UL resources to carry it), the UE may indicate the determined pathloss reference or its corresponding SRS resource set or SRI, e.g., using 1-bit field in MAC CE”].
Regarding claim 11, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 wherein either the first PH or the second PH is a PH associated to one of the two or more SRS resource sets [¶0036 teaches PHR with PH value corresponding to one of first or second SRS resource sets as indicated by the UE], and the PHR MAC CE comprises information that indicates the one of the two or more SRS resource sets associated to the PH comprised in the PHR MAC CE [¶0036 “And, when the PHR is triggered (and there are available UL resources to carry it), the UE may indicate the determined pathloss reference or its corresponding SRS resource set or SRI, e.g., using 1-bit field in MAC CE”].
Regarding claim 12, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 wherein (a) the two or more repetitions consist of a first repetition associated to a first SRS resource set and a second repetition associated to a second SRS resource set [¶0035 regarding PUSCH repetition “two PUSCH pathloss references are indicated and/or configured (corresponding to two SRS sets or SRS resource indicators (SRI) or TRPs),”]; (b) the at least one PH value is either: (i) a PH value associated to one of the first and second SRS resource sets or (ii) both a first PH value associated to the first SRS resource set and a second PH value associated to the second SRS resource set; (c) the PHR MAC CE comprises information that indicates whether the PHR MAC CE comprises: (i) a PH value associated to one of the first and second SRS resource sets or (ii) both a first PH value associated to the first SRS resource set and a second PH value associated to the second SRS resource set; or (d) any combination of two or more of (a)-(c).
Regarding claim 14, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a triggering event for a PHR [Zhu teaches ¶0027 PHR triggered].
Regarding claim 15, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 14 wherein the triggering event is when a PHR timer has expired and a pathloss has changed more than a threshold amount since a last transmission of a PHR, wherein the pathloss change is with respect to any pathloss reference signal among one or multiple pathloss reference signals configured in a same uplink power control parameter set associated with one of the two or more SRS resource sets [¶0027 “In the current PHR framework, a PHR may be triggered if phr-ProhibitTimer expires or has expired and the path loss has changed more than phr-Tx-PowerFactorChange dB for at least one activated serving cell of any medium access control (MAC) entity of which the active downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) is not dormant BWP”].
Regarding claim 16, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 14 wherein the triggering event is when a timer has expired and a pathloss associated to any one of the two or more SRS resource sets has changed more than a threshold amount since a last transmission of a PHR [¶0027 “In the current PHR framework, a PHR may be triggered if phr-ProhibitTimer expires or has expired and the path loss has changed more than phr-Tx-PowerFactorChange dB for at least one activated serving cell of any medium access control (MAC) entity of which the active downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) is not dormant BWP”].
Regarding claim 18, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 1 wherein the PHR MAC CE is in accordance with a defined PHR MAC CE format that can carry multiple PHs [¶0042 MAC CE defined formats multiple PHs].
Regarding claim 21, Zhu teaches:
A wireless communication device comprising: one or more transmitters; one or more receivers; and processing circuitry associated with the one or more transmitters and the one or more receivers, the processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless communication device [¶0074] to: receive, from a base station, downlink control information or a configuration that schedules an uplink transmission [¶0024-25 “single downlink control information (DCI) based M-TRP PUSCH repetition schemes (i.e. operation), up to two beams may be supported” […] [0025] “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” thus configuration scheduling uplink] with two or more repetitions [¶0025 multi-TRP PUSCH repetition], wherein each of the two or more repetitions is associated to a different one of two or more Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, resource sets [¶0025 “an association between an SRS resource set and a TRP (or an uplink path)” thus each repetition to each TRP associated with SRS set, ¶0034-36 teaches repetition] and a different one of two or more power headrooms, PHs [¶0034, a PH value and a differentiation information to convey two (different) PH values corresponding, see also ¶0039 for each repetition / TRP], and a power headroom report, PHR, is triggered and is to be carried by the uplink transmission [¶0039 PHR triggered]; calculate from among the two or more PHs, either a first PH associated with a first SRS resource set or a second PH associated with a second SRS resource set [¶0039 first PHR determined with PH value thus calculated for repetition of uplink as in ¶0025 thus based at least on one of the first or second PH values]; receive an indication from the base station about a corresponding SRS resource set that is associated with a first repetition of the two or more repetitions [¶0025 “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” as in e.g. DCI considered indication about corresponding SRS resources]; construct a PHR Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE, comprising either the first PH or the second PH based on the indication; and transmit the PHR MAC CE in the uplink transmission [¶0043, MAC CE with PH values, may be two single entry PHR MAC CEs thus a MAC CE with either first or second PH value, based on SRS configured for the repetitions corresponding to PHR].
Regarding claim 23, Zhu teaches:
A method performed by a base station [Figure 6] the method comprising: transmitting, to a wireless communication device, downlink control information or a configuration that schedules an uplink transmission [¶0024-25 “single downlink control information (DCI) based M-TRP PUSCH repetition schemes (i.e. operation), up to two beams may be supported” […] [0025] “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” thus configuration scheduling uplink] with two or more repetitions [¶0025 multi-TRP PUSCH repetition], wherein each of the two or more repetitions is associated to a different one of two or more Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, resource sets [¶0025 “an association between an SRS resource set and a TRP (or an uplink path)” thus each repetition to each TRP associated with SRS set, ¶0034-36 teaches repetition] and a different one of two or more power headrooms, PHs [¶0034, a PH value and a differentiation information to convey two (different) PH values corresponding, see also ¶0039 for each repetition / TRP], and a power headroom report, PHR, is triggered and is to be carried by the uplink transmission [¶0039 PHR triggered]; transmitting, to the wireless communication device, an indication about a corresponding SRS resource set that is associated with a first repetition of the two or more repetitions [¶0025 “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” as in e.g. DCI considered indication about corresponding SRS resources, see also ¶0036 “UE may be indicated, by the network (e.g. via MAC CE), which pathloss reference or SRS resource set or SRI to consider for the PHR”]; and receiving from the wireless communication device a power headroom report, PHR, carried over the uplink transmission, the PHR comprising at least one PH among the two or more PHs. [¶0043, MAC CE with PH values sent, may be two single entry PHR MAC CEs thus a MAC CE with either first or second PH value, based on SRS configured for the repetitions corresponding to PHR].
Regarding claim 24, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 23 wherein the PHR is carried in a PHR Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE, and comprises either a first PH associated with a first SRS resource set or a second PH associated with a second SRS resource set based on the indication [¶0043 MAC CE with PHR, may be two single entry PHR MAC CEs thus a MAC CE with either first or second PH value, based on SRS configured for the repetitions corresponding to PHR].
Regarding claim 25, Zhu teaches:
The methods of claim 23 wherein the PHR MAC CE used to provide the PHR comprises at least one PH [¶0043], and the at least one PH is calculated based on a first transmission occasion in time from among those scheduled for the two or more repetitions [¶0039 first PHR determined with PH value thus calculated for repetition of uplink as in ¶0025 thus based at least on one of the first or second PH values].
Regarding claim 26, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 25 further comprising: transmitting, to the wireless communication device, information that indicates which SRS resource set from among the two or more SRS resource sets is associated to the first transmission occasion [¶0025 SRS information indication for the first repetition as it is associated with an uplink path or TRP, and ¶0034-35 PHR includes values corresponding to first transmission, and ¶0036, SRS resource set indicated corresponding to the PHR, thus associated to the first transmission].
Regarding claim 27, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one PH comprised in the PHR MAC CE is a PH associated to the SRS resource set associated to the first PUSCH transmission occasion [[¶0036 “The UE may use […] the other power control parameters, belonging to the same set of power control parameters associated to the corresponding SRS resource set or SRI, for the PHR calculation”].
Regarding claim 36, Zhu teaches:
A base station comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the base station [Figure 6, element 10] to: transmit, to a wireless communication device, downlink control information or a configuration that schedules an uplink transmission [¶0024-25 “single downlink control information (DCI) based M-TRP PUSCH repetition schemes (i.e. operation), up to two beams may be supported” […] [0025] “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” thus configuration scheduling uplink] with two or more repetitions [¶0025 multi-TRP PUSCH repetition], wherein each of the two or more repetitions is associated to a different one of two or more Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, resource sets [¶0025 “an association between an SRS resource set and a TRP (or an uplink path)” thus each repetition to each TRP associated with SRS set, ¶0034-36 teaches repetition] and a different one of two or more power headrooms, PHs [¶0034, a PH value and a differentiation information to convey two (different) PH values corresponding, see also ¶0039 for each repetition / TRP], and a power headroom report, PHR, is triggered and is to be carried by the uplink transmission [¶0039 PHR triggered]; transmit to the wireless communication device an indication about a corresponding SRS resource set that is associated with a first repetition of the two or more repetitions [¶0025 “and up to two sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicators (SRIs) may be indicated” as in e.g. DCI considered indication about corresponding SRS resources, see also ¶0036 “UE may be indicated, by the network (e.g. via MAC CE), which pathloss reference or SRS resource set or SRI to consider for the PHR”]; and receive from the wireless communication device a power headroom report, PHR, carried over the uplink transmission, the PHR comprising at least one PH among the two or more PHs. [¶0043, MAC CE with PH values, may be two single entry PHR MAC CEs thus a MAC CE with either first or second PH value, based on SRS configured for the repetitions corresponding to PHR].
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 6, 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (“Zhu”) (US 20240205841 A1, effective filing date of the provisional application 63/170,829 filed April 5, 2021) in view of Manolakos et al. (“Manolakos” )(US 20210050971 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 4.
Zhu teaches SRS resources for transmissions but not different SRS resources for different uplink transmissions.
Manolakos teaches wherein different SRS resource sets may be indicated as being associated to first transmission occasions for different scheduled uplink transmissions [[¶0078, transmit repetitions according to a sequence of SRI values each corresponding to SRS resource for different uplink transmissions, received via DCI ¶0042]].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify different SRS resources for different transmissions as in Manolakos who teaches reducing latency associated with separately scheduling the multiple repetitions ¶0054.
Regarding claim 28, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 26.
Zhu teaches SRS resources for transmissions but not different SRS resources for different uplink transmissions.
Manolakos teaches wherein different SRS resource sets may be indicated as being associated to first transmission occasions for different scheduled uplink transmissions [[¶0078, transmit repetitions according to a sequence of SRI values each corresponding to SRS resource for different uplink transmissions, received via DCI ¶0042]].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify different SRS resources for different transmissions as in Manolakos who teaches reducing latency associated with separately scheduling the multiple repetitions ¶0054.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (“Zhu”) (US 20240205841 A1, effective filing date of the provisional application 63/170,829 filed April 5, 2021) in view of Jang et al. (“Jang”) (US 20220132534 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 7.
Zhu teaches multiple SRI but not a single bitfield.
Jang teaches wherein a single bitfield in the downlink control information is used to jointly encode whether the two or more repetitions are associated to a single SRS resource set or multiple SRS resource sets among the two or more SRS resource sets and which SRS resource set from among the two or more SRS resource sets is associated to the first transmission occasion [¶0475 DCI indicates via bitfield whether single or multiple TRP PUSCH transmission with multiple SRI fields, repetition as in ¶0479].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify bitfield for specifying multi or single TRP as in Jang who teaches this allows for dynamic switching between single and multiple TRP PUSCH transmissions ¶0475.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (“Zhu”) (US 20240205841 A1, effective filing date of the provisional application 63/170,829 filed April 5, 2021) in view of Joseph et al. (“Joseph”) (US 20200059338 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Zhu teaches
The method of claim 3.
Zhu teaches SRS resources but not changing with time.
Joseph teaches wherein the SRS resource set from among the two or more SRS resource sets that is associated with the first transmission occasion can be changed in different time periods [¶0012-13, ¶0106, update SRS configuration for transmissions according to a time offset].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify bitfield for updating SRS configurations to avoid the problem where SRS configuration techniques may be too slow or inflexible considering the latency targets and BLER targets associated with URLLC applications or services ¶0004.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (“Zhu”) (US 20240205841 A1, effective filing date of the provisional application 63/170,829 filed April 5, 2021) in view of 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #103-e R1-200xxxx, "Summary of email discussion [103-e-NR-L1enh-URLLC-06]", 2020, Vivo (hereinafter “Vivo”).
Regarding claim 13, Zhu teaches:
Zhu teaches power headroom equation but not the claimed equation.
Vivo teaches the method of claim 1 wherein separate power control parameters are associated to the two or more SRS resource sets, and calculating the at least one PH value comprises, for transmission occasion i on active uplink bandwidth part b of carrier f of serving cell c, calculating a PH value as:
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[page 5 shows the equation with corresponding variables indicated as this is a known 3GPP standard equation].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the particular claimed equation as in Vivo who teaches this allows for determining a type 1 power headroom for an activated serving cell based on a reference PUSCH transmission for multiple cells page 5.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (“Zhu”) (US 20240205841 A1, effective filing date of the provisional application 63/170,829 filed April 5, 2021) in view of Lim et al. (“Lim”) (WO 2022211416 A1, priority date 3/31/2021).
Regarding claim 17, Zhu teaches:
The method of claim 15.
Zhu teaches timers but not different timers for different SRS sets. Examiner notes that different SRS resource sets correspond directly to different TRPs, thus Lim teaches wherein different timers are associated to different SRS resource sets [page 108-109, different TRPs may have different power headroom reporting timing parameters].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify different reporting timers for PHR for different SRS resource sets. Zhu teaches each TRP for PUSCH repetition corresponds to SRS resource set and thus it would be obvious to specify different timers as in Lim page 108-109 to report power change for multiple TRPs.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220304035 A1
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/JAY L VOGEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478