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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-30 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.
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(s) 1-6, 11-22, and 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (US 20200045700) (cited by applicant in IDS) (hereinafter Sun) in view of Matsumura et al. (USPN 12587343) (hereinafter Matsumura).
Regarding claim 1, Sun discloses a user equipment (Fig. 1 and 2, ref. 120) for wireless communication comprising:
a memory (Fig. 2, ref 292); and
one or more processors (Fig. 2, ref 280), coupled to the memory, configured to:
identify, based at least in part on configuration information received from a base station, whether the UE is in a single-transmit receive point (TRP) mode or a multiple-TRP mode (para. 47-48 UE receives configuration information causing the UE to operate in either a single-TRP mode or multi-TRP mode);
receive configuration information which includes configuration indicator (TCI) state indication, wherein a type of the beam indication is based at least in part on one or more beam indication rules for the single-TRP mode and the multiple-TRP mode (para. 83, depending on if multi-TRP mode is enabled/disabled in the UE, the UE can decode a single DCI or DCI formats for both single-TRP mode and multi-TRP mode; also see para 86 which shows the DCI can include a TCI field that indicates a TCI state of a TRP, of the multiple TRPs associated with the TCI field; also see para 78 discussing the BWP-level config may be associated with configuring the UE to operate in the multi-TRP mode), and
communicate with one or more TRPs using one or more beam directions associated with the configuration information (para 59 communicate DL data from the scheduling entity to subordinate entity).
Although Sun teaches receiving TCI state indication from the BS, it does not explicitly disclose receiving a beam indication that is one of a non-unified beam indication or a unified transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state indication, wherein a type of the beam indication is based at least in part on a UE capability for supporting the unified TCI state information and on one or more beam indication rules for the single-TRP mode and the multiple-TRP mode; and communicate with one or more TRPs using one or more beam directions associated with the beam indication.
In analogous art, Matsumura discloses another 5G telecommunications system which discloses transmitting, to a UE, a beam indication that is based at least in part of a UE capability for supporting the unified TCI state information and on one or more beam indication rules for single-TRP mode and the multiple-TRP mode (col. 6 line to col. 7, line 13: UE is able to determine whether it is operating in multi-TRP mode based on a single DCI, col. 9 lines 25-33: received MAC CE may activate a plurality of TCI states among a plurality of TCI states; also see col. 23 lines 46-60 which shows that the UE capability of operating in the unified TCI state framework is considered in the determination).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Matsumura’s beam selection techniques into the system of Sun in order to provide an efficient method of implementing multi-TRP carrier aggregation while still maintaining compatibility with the existing systems/specifications (Matsumura: col. 24, lines 11-13).
Regarding claim 2, Sun-Matsumura teaches receiving, based on the one or more beam indication rules, the non-unified beam indication in the multiple-TRP mode; or receiving, based on the one or more beam indication rules, the unified TCI state indication or the non-unified beam indication in the single-TRP mode (Sun, para 77: UE receives DCI to schedule PDSCH; para 89: UE receives TCI codepoint mapping in DCI, mapping to a pair of TCI states and PDSCH beams associated with the pair of TCI states).
Regarding claim 3, Sun-Matsumura teaches receiving, from the base station, a beam indication configuration, wherein, in the single-TRP mode, the unified TCI state indication or the non-unified beam indication is based at least in part on a beam indication configuration (Sun: para 79 disclose RRC reconfiguration to switch to a single TRP mode; para 83: if UE is configured with information that indicates the multi-TRP mode is enabled or not enabled, the UE may decode a single DCI format; para 85: DCI may include TCI field to identify a TCI state of a PDSCH).
Regarding claim 4, Sun-Matsumura discloses transmitting to the base station a UE capability report including an indication of a UE capability associated with the unified TCI state indication Matsumura: col. 23, lines 38-45: UE reported capability).
Regarding claim 5, Sun-Matsumura disclose the invention as described above. Sun-Matsumura further discloses the ability to determine if the device is operating in single-TRP mode or multiple-TRP mode (see citations above). Sun-Matsumura further discloses transmitting to the base station a UE capability report including an indication of a UE capability associated with the unified TCI state indication (Matsumura: Fig. 13 as well as col. 23 lines 38-45 discloses UE reporting capabilities of the device) .
Referring to claim 6, Sun-Matsumura discloses receiving the unified TCI state information in the multiple-TRP mode (Sun: paras 86-87 discloses the DCI may include a TCI field that indicates a TCI state of a TRP, of the multiple TRPs, associated with the TCI field; and a PDSCH may be configured to support the multi-TRP mode).
Claims 11-22, 27-30 are rejected for similar reasons as stated above. Furthermore Sun-Matsumura discloses a base station for wireless communication configured to transmit configuration information (Sun: Fig 6, ref 630).
Claim(s) 7-10 and 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun- Matsumura as applied above, and further in view of Matsumura et al. (WO 2022149272) (hereinafter Matsumura2).
Regarding claim 7, Sun-Matsumura discloses the invention as described above. Sun-Matsumura further discloses the multiple-TRP mode is a single downlink control information (DCI) multiple-TRP mode (Matsumura, col. 7, lines 6-9: operating in a single DCI scenario with a plurality of TRPs), wherein the unified TCI state indication is at least one of a separate downlink TCI state indication or a joint downlink and uplink TCI state indication, wherein the unified TCJ state indication is associated with a first TCI state and a second TCI state (Matsumura, col. 7 lines 45-50, up to eight TCI states to a codepoint in a DCI field). Sun-Matsumura does not explicitly disclose the processors, in order to communicate with one or more TRPS are configured to receive DCI from a first TRP or a second TRP using a beam with a lowest control resource set pool identifier index among a first beam associated with the first TCI state and a second beam associated with a second TCI state. In analogous art, Matsumura2 discloses another mTRP system operating in single-DCI mode (p. 13, paragraph 9) receiving DCI from a first TRP or a second TRP using a beam with a lowest control resource set pool identifier index among a first beam associated with the first TCI state and a second beam associated with a second TCI state (pp 24-25: When one TCI state is set for CORESET, each PUCCH spatial relationship of the new transmission scheme has the lowest ID of CORESET with the lowest ID of one or more CORESETs associated with each CORESET pool index. It may be determined according to. CORESET may be set with two beams (TCI state) only in the case of repetitive transmission between TRPs using single DCI-based scheduling. However, when single DCI and multi-DCI are set at the same time, CORESET may be set together with the two beams, even in the case of repeated transmission between TRPs using multi-DCI-based scheduling.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Matsumura2 into the system of Sun-Matsumura in order to provide an efficient method to provide an efficient method for detecting and scheduling communication signals in a 5g system.
Regarding claim 8, Sun-Matsumura-Matsumura2 discloses receiving a PDSCH communication from the first TRP on a first beam associated with a first TCI state and from the second TRP on the second beam associated with the second TCI state (Matsumura: Fig. 1 shows multiple TCI states applied across multiple component carriers).
Claims 9, 10, and 23-26 are rejected for similar reasons as stated above. Furthermore Matsumura2 discloses transmitting repetitions of a PUSCH communication on a first beam and second beam (pp. 13-14: The UE may decide to perform either repetitive transmission for a single TRP or repetitive transmission for multiple TRPs based on the particular fields contained in the DCI. For example, depending on the field included in the DCI, one of the first SRI field or the second SRI field among a plurality of (for example, two) SRI fields (first SRI field, second SRI field). When instructed to apply one, the UE may determine that repeated transmissions of multiple PUSCHs will take place in the SRI to which it applies. In other words, if the fields contained in the DCI indicate that one of the SRI fields be applied, the UE may decide to repeat the PUSCH in a single TRP.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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).
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 Joseph E Avellino whose telephone number is (571)272-3905. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
JOSEPH E. AVELLINO
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2478
/JOSEPH E AVELLINO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2478
Prosecution Insights