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.
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) 1-10, 12-25, and 27-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panteleev et al. (US 2024/0147453) (“Panteleev”) in view of Chien (US 2023/0112147).
For claims 1, 15, 28, and 30; Panteleev discloses: generating a first set of feedback bits associated with a first set of downlink transmissions of a first semi-persistent scheduling configuration and a second set of feedback bits associated with a second set of downlink transmissions of a second semi-persistent scheduling configuration, both the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits scheduled for transmission to a base station in a first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 75: any M SPS HARQ-ACK bits for M SPS configurations with enabled deferring which are multiplexed in the same UCI before the deferring are expected to be multiplexed in the same UCI after the deferring. When a UE considers a given SPS HARQ feedback transmission to be deferred); identifying, based at least in part on a change in format associated with the first set of uplink symbols, that at least a portion of the first set of uplink symbols is not available for transmission of the first set of feedback bits (paragraph 76: the UE then determines whether a potential PUCCH carrying SPS HARQ feedback can be transmitted on valid UL symbols using the nominal PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback time gap. If so, the UE determines the timing to transmit the deferred SPS HARQ-ACK transmission(s) at operation 408. At operation 410, the UE transmits the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission at the appropriate timing with or without deferment as appropriate and thus independent of whether the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission has been deferred. That is, the UE may defer transmission of the SPS HARQ feedback to a next valid occasion in response to a determination that the potential PUCCH cannot be mapped on valid UL symbols).
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: receiving, from the base station, an indication of the feedback deferment pattern from a set of candidate feedback deferment patterns (paragraph 68-71, 103-107: The UE 10 may use an adjusted value of K1 as a new K1 value for postponing HARQ-ACK transmission for each of the affected SPS PDSCHs… the new K1 value which match to one of K1 candidate values in the K1 set is determined according to a location of an available PUCCH resource… Possible indexing of K1 sets and K1 sets selection with reference to Table 1 are provided in the following. Each mapping of K1 value with respect to DL slot index in the table corresponds to the adjusted slot or sub-slot location n+K1_adj indicated dynamically by gNB... K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing) ; and transmitting the feedback bits in accordance with a feedback deferment pattern that defines a distribution of feedback bits across a plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 106: K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claim 2, 16, and 29; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the indication of the feedback deferment pattern is received via downlink control information (paragraph 100, 103: A set of K1 values may be selected based on a row index of the mapping table. The row index can be indicated semi-statically using RRC signaling or dynamically using a field, such as newly created field, an unused field for SPS, or the PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator field, in the DCI for SPS activation. In an embodiment, the adjusted slot or sub-slot location n+K1_adj for HARQ-ACK feedback transmission responding to the received SPS PDSCH is dynamically indicated in a DCI). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claim 3 and 17; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 2 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: receiving an identifier that is one of a plurality of identifiers, wherein the plurality of identifiers is indicative of one or more first feedback deferment patterns that each defines corresponding distributions of feedback bits across the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols, the plurality of identifiers also being indicative of a second feedback deferment pattern that defines inclusion of all of the feedback bits in a second set of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 103-107: K1 set index with a value of ‘00’ restricts HARQ-ACKs to be transmitted at the first UL slot due to latency requirement… K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claim 4 and 18; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 2 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: receiving radio resource control signaling comprising the indication of the feedback deferment pattern, a downlink control information message comprising the indication of the feedback deferment pattern, a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) comprising the indication of the feedback deferment pattern, or a combination thereof (paragraph 100: The row index can be indicated semi-statically using RRC signaling or dynamically using a field, such as newly created field). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claim 5 and 20; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: identifying that the feedback deferment pattern defines the distribution of a first portion of the feedback bits to a first subset of the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols, and a second portion of the feedback bits to a second subset of the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 106: K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claim 6 and 21; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the first portion of the feedback bits is equal to the second portion of the feedback bits (paragraph 106: K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the equal portioning as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev based on number of deferred HARQ bits being even. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claim 7 and 22; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the first portion of the feedback bits is not equal to the second portion of the feedback bits (paragraph 106: K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev based on number of deferred HARQ bits being odd. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claims 8 and 23; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action. Panteleev discloses: distributing the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits equally across multiple subsets of the plurality of uplink symbols, wherein a number of the multiple subsets is equal to a number of semi-persistent scheduling configurations comprising the first semi-persistent scheduling configuration and the second semi-persistent scheduling configuration. (paragraph 75: M SPS HARQ-ACK bits for M SPS configurations with enabled deferring which are multiplexed in the same UCI before the deferring are expected to be multiplexed in the same UCI after the deferring).
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: identifying one or more rules comprising the feedback deferment pattern that defines the distribution of the feedback bits across the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 104-107: K1 set index with a value of ‘00’ restricts HARQ-ACKs to be transmitted at the first UL slot due to latency requirement. K1 set index with a value of ‘01’ restricts HARQ-ACKs to be transmitted at the last UL slot due to latency requirement as well as UE 10 feedback processing time limitation. K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing. K1 set index with a value of ‘11’ postpones the feedback timing of the last 4 DL slots to the next TDD time window due to UE feedback processing time limitation). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claims 9 and 24; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 8 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: receiving, from the base station, an indication of the one or more rules. (paragraph 98: The gNB 20 can pre-configure multiple sets of K1 values and indicates to the UE 10 one of multiple K1 sets for one K1 value to one DL slot (or mini-slot) mapping). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claims 10 and 25; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 8 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: ordering the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits according to a prioritization based at least in part on a timing of the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 111: The UE 10 selects one of the feasible K1 values in the K1 candidate list using a pre-determined rule as a function of one or more of the following parameters…a latency restriction or a priority level of the corresponding SPS PDSCH); and distributing, according to the feedback deferment pattern and the ordering, the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits across the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph: 103-107: Possible indexing of K1 sets and K1 sets selection with reference to Table 1 are provided in the following. Each mapping of K1 value with respect to DL slot index in the table corresponds to the adjusted slot or sub-slot location n+K1_adj indicated dynamically by gNB). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claims 12 and 27; Panteleev discloses: wherein the first set of uplink symbols comprises a first physical uplink control channel occasion, and where the plurality of uplink symbols comprises one or more additional physical uplink control channel occasions subsequent to the first physical uplink control channel occasion (paragraph 76: the UE then determines whether a potential PUCCH carrying SPS HARQ feedback can be transmitted on valid UL symbols using the nominal PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback time gap…the UE may defer transmission of the SPS HARQ feedback to a next valid occasion in response to a determination that the potential PUCCH cannot be mapped on valid UL symbols).
For claim 13; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action. Panteleev discloses: wherein the plurality of feedback bits is associated with a plurality of semi-persistent scheduling configurations comprising the first semi-persistent scheduling configuration and the second semi-persistent scheduling configuration (paragraph 75: any M SPS HARQ-ACK bits for M SPS configurations with enabled deferring which are multiplexed in the same UCI before the deferring are expected to be multiplexed in the same UCI after the deferring. When a UE considers a given SPS HARQ feedback transmission to be deferred).
Panteleev does disclose grouping different SPS configuration’s feedback together and if necessary deferring the group in the same UCI (paragraph 75). Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: transmitting a plurality of feedback bits comprising the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits in accordance with the feedback deferment pattern (paragraph 68-71, 103-107: The UE 10 may use an adjusted value of K1 as a new K1 value for postponing HARQ-ACK transmission for each of the affected SPS PDSCHs… the new K1 value which match to one of K1 candidate values in the K1 set is determined according to a location of an available PUCCH resource… Possible indexing of K1 sets and K1 sets selection with reference to Table 1 are provided in the following. Each mapping of K1 value with respect to DL slot index in the table corresponds to the adjusted slot or sub-slot location n+K1_adj indicated dynamically by gNB... K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing) ; (paragraph 106: K1 set index with a value of ‘10’ distributes HARQ-ACK evenly to 2 UL slots due to codebook size balancing). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
For claims 14; Panteleev discloses: generating a third set of feedback bits associated with a third set of downlink transmissions of a third semi-persistent scheduling configuration, the third set of feedback bits scheduled for transmission to the base station in the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 56: the DL SPS procedures were enhanced with multiple concurrent DL SPS configurations); and refraining from transmitting the third set of feedback bits in accordance with the feedback deferment pattern that defines the distribution of the feedback bits across the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph 75: any M SPS HARQ-ACK bits for M SPS configurations with enabled deferring which are multiplexed in the same UCI before the deferring are expected to be multiplexed in the same UCI after the deferring; implicitly if HARQ deferment is not enabled then a third SPS PDSCH configuration would not be transmitted after the initial attempt at K1).
For claim 19; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 16 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: determining that a plurality of UEs comprising the UE are scheduled transmit uplink signaling during the first set of uplink symbols, the plurality of uplink symbols, or both, wherein transmitting the indication of the feedback deferment pattern is based at least in part on the determining. (paragraph 101-103: The mapping table may be created via RRC configuration. Each of the multiple K1 sets can be associated with one or more UL/DL TDD configurations… Table 1 shows examples of indexes for K1 set indication for one K1 value to one DL slot mapping. Assume periodicity of UL/DL TDD configuration is DDDDDDDDUU, and 8 DL slots within a TDD time window of 10 slots are available for SPS PDSCH transmission… Each mapping of K1 value with respect to DL slot index in the table corresponds to the adjusted slot or sub-slot location n+K1_adj indicated dynamically by gNB). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve deferment assignment.
Claim(s) 11 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panteleev in view of Chien as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lu et al. (US 2022/0174659) (“Lu”).
For claims 11 and 26; Panteleev discloses the subject matter in claim 1 as described above in the office action.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Lu from similar fields of endeavor teaches: ordering the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits according to a priority level of the first semi-persistent scheduling configuration and a priority level of the second semi-persistent scheduling configuration (paragraph 26: the feedback information codebook is constructed by using the feedback bit information of the selected SPS PDSCHs… In another example, priorities may alternatively be preset for SPS PDSCH configurations, and selection is performed in descending order of the priorities). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Lu in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
Panteleev does not expressly disclose, but Chien from similar fields of endeavor teaches: distributing, according to the feedback deferment pattern, the first set of feedback bits and the second set of feedback bits across the plurality of uplink symbols subsequent to the first set of uplink symbols (paragraph: 103-107: Possible indexing of K1 sets and K1 sets selection with reference to Table 1 are provided in the following. Each mapping of K1 value with respect to DL slot index in the table corresponds to the adjusted slot or sub-slot location n+K1_adj indicated dynamically by gNB). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the signaling as described by Chien in the SPS HARQ-ACK deferment as described by Panteleev. The motivation is to improve delayed feedback based on service/loading requirements.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhang et al. (US 12,484,063); Zhang discloses receiving, from the UE, HARQ-ACK information bits including second HARQ-ACK information bits associated with first HARQ-ACK information bits on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in a second slot, wherein a PUCCH resource for the first HARQ-ACK information bits associated with the SPS PDSCH is in a first slot, and the PUCCH resource overlaps with a downlink symbol, and wherein, in case that a PDSCH for a same HARQ process as a HARQ-ACK information bit from the second HARQ-ACK information bits is transmitted prior to receiving the PUSCH or the PUCCH in the second slot, the HARQ-ACK information bit is not included in the HARQ-ACK information bits received in the second slot.
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.
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/JOHN D BLANTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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