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 filed 3/3/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants argue that “the determined transmission slots are used to transmit the reference signals by the first communication node (e.g. base station) or receive the reference signals by the second communication node (e.g. UE) instead of directly measuring the channel state Information in the target BWP” (Remarks, page 2). This argument is not persuasive since in Lee et al. the measurement gap is used to transmit and receive reference signal CSI-RS by a base station and WTRU in order to perform measurements on a target (i.e. reference) BWP (see paragraphs 0002, 0082 and 0128).
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 7-12, 19, 20, 22, 25 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (WO 2019/165224 A1, filed with IDS on 6/12/2025).
Lee teaches the measuring of CSI in inactive BWPs using measurement gaps (Figure 7), where the measurement gap is used to measure reference signal CSI-RS in paragraph 0002.
With respect to the claims, references to the prior art appear in parenthesis.
Claims
1. (Currently amended) An information transmission method (Lee et al. WO2019/165224 A1) , applied by a first communication node and comprising:
determining transmission slots for reference signals on N reference bandwidth parts, wherein N>1 (Measurement gaps (i.e. transmission slots) for CSI reporting for non-active BWPs (i.e. reference BWPs are the target BWPS) in paragraphs 0083-0084 and 0088) ; and
sending channel state reporting indication information to a second communication node, wherein the channel state reporting indication information is used to trigger the second communication node to, based on the reference signals in the transmission slots, report on an uplink physical channel within an active bandwidth part a channel state for the N reference bandwidth parts (Steps 702-710 in Figure 7) ;
wherein the N reference bandwidth parts are inactive bandwidth parts whose channel state the second communication node needs to report (One or more BWPs may be configured for a WTRU and only one BWP may be active in paragraph 0083) ;
wherein the determining the transmission slots for the reference signals on the N reference bandwidth parts comprises:
determining, according to a reference signal transmission delay, a slot index of an active bandwidth part, a subcarrier spacing of the reference bandwidth part, and a subcarrier spacing of the active bandwidth part, the transmission slots for the reference signals on the reference bandwidth parts (Parameters of the BWP include non-active BWP delays in paragraph 0139, BWP index in paragraph 0075 and subcarrier spacing in paragraphs 0075 and 0120-0121) ;
wherein the first communication node transmits the reference signals in the transmission slots (Measurement gap is used to measure CSI-RSs in the target BWPs in paragraph 0002, where the CSI-RSs are transmitted and received in paragraphs 0082 and 0128) .
2. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the channel state reporting indication information comprises at least one of the following: a reference signal transmission delay, a channel state reporting delay, a channel state reporting period, a channel state reporting slot offset, identification information of the reference bandwidth part or a channel state reporting mode (CSI reporting setting and resource (i.e. bandwidth part) setting in paragraphs 0072-0073, where the slot offset is described in paragraphs 0082 and 0105) .
7. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein a configuration of the reference signal is determined by a higher-layer configuration parameter (Higher layer signaling of the configuration in paragraph 0126) , and the configuration of the reference signal comprises at least one of the following: a reference signal identification, a period, a slot offset, a resource mapping pattern, a power offset, quasi co-location information or a reference signal scrambling identification (QCL configuration for the reference signals in paragraph 0081) .
8. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein a resource mapping pattern of the reference signal on the reference bandwidth part is a same as a resource mapping pattern of a reference signal of the second communication node on the active bandwidth part (Resource mapping pattern is the same for the reference BWP as the active BWP in paragraph 0134, where the STRU may assume that the DL RS(s) for a TCI state configured or used for a CORESET may be in the same BWP and the WTRU may not need to measure DL RSs in non-active BWP) .
9. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein a reference signal on a reference bandwidth part having a reference bandwidth part index m is configured using one of the following configurations: a reference signal configuration on the active bandwidth part or a reference signal configuration on a reference bandwidth part having a reference bandwidth part index n, wherein n=0, 1, ..., and N-1, n#m, and N denotes a number of reference bandwidth parts (BWP part index for use on a wideband BWP that includes all other BWPs in paragraph 0087) .
10. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein in a case where a channel state reporting configuration of the reference bandwidth part is periodic reporting, a channel state reporting period is greater than or equal to a largest reference signal transmission period among all reference bandwidth parts (Periodic CSI reporting for non-active BWP is greater than the reporting cycle for the active BWP in paragraph 0085) .
11. (Currently amended) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending reference bandwidth part range information, wherein the reference bandwidth part range information is used to indicate bandwidth part identifications in the N reference bandwidth parts (BWP part index for subbands (i.e. range Information) for use on a wideband BWP that includes all other BWPs in paragraph 0087) .
12. (Currently amended) An information transmission method (Lee et al. WO2019/165224 A1) , applied by a second communication node and comprising:
receiving channel state reporting indication information sent by a first communication node, wherein the channel state reporting indication information used to trigger the second communication node to report a channel state for N reference bandwidth parts, and N>1 (Steps 702-710 in Figure 7) ;
determining transmission slots for reference signals on the N reference bandwidth parts (Measurement gaps (i.e. transmission slots) for CSI reporting for non-active BWPs (i.e. reference BWPs are target BWPs) in paragraphs 0083-0084 and 0088) ;
receiving the reference signals in the transmission slots (Step 708 in Figure 7) ;
measuring, based on the reference signals, the channel state of the N reference bandwidth parts (Step 708 in Figure 7) ; and
reporting the channel state for the N reference bandwidth parts on an uplink physical channel within an active bandwidth part (Step 710 in Figure 7) ;
wherein the N reference bandwidth parts are inactive bandwidth parts whose channel state the second communication node needs to report (Measurement gaps (i.e. transmission slots) for CSI reporting for non-active BWPs (i.e. reference BWPs are target BWPs) in paragraphs 0083-0084 and 0088) , and the determining the transmission slots for the reference signals on the reference bandwidth parts comprises:
determining, according to a reference signal transmission delay, a slot index of the active bandwidth part, a subcarrier spacing of the reference bandwidth part, and a subcarrier spacing of the active bandwidth part, the transmission slots for the reference signals on the reference bandwidth parts (Parameters of the BWP include non-active BWP delays in paragraph 0139, BWP index in paragraph 0075 and subcarrier spacing in paragraphs 0075 and 0120-0121) ;
wherein the first communication node transmits the reference signals in the transmission slots, and the second communication node receives the reference signals in the transmission slots (Measurement gap is used to measure CSI-RSs in the target BWPs in paragraph 0002, where the CSI-RSs are transmitted and received in paragraphs 0082 and 0128).
19. (Original) The method of claim 12, wherein in a case where the second communication node switches from the active bandwidth part to the reference bandwidth part to receive the reference signal, one time interval exists between a last orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbol occupied by a physical channel or physical signal configured for the second communication node on the active bandwidth part and a first orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbol occupied by the reference signal on the reference bandwidth part (Measurement gap/retuning time may be a time window in units of OFDM symbols, slots, subframes or frame in paragraph 0120) .
20. (Original) The method of claim 19, wherein the time interval is greater than or equal to L orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbols, wherein a value of L is determined according to a subcarrier spacing of a target bandwidth part switched to (Measurement gap/retuning time may be a time window in units of OFDM symbols, slots, subframes or frame, and determined based on SCS in paragraphs 0120-0121).
22. (Original) The method of claim 12, further comprising: reporting identification information of an optimal bandwidth part and a channel state of the optimal bandwidth part; wherein the optimal bandwidth part is a bandwidth part having an optimal channel state among the reference bandwidth parts; or the optimal bandwidth part is a bandwidth part having an optimal channel state among the reference bandwidth parts and the active bandwidth part (Channel state Information includes channel quality indicator measurement for all the reference BWPs in paragraphs 0071-0072 such that the optimal BWP and CSI are reported) .
25. (Currently amended) A first communication node (Lee et al. WO2019/165224 A1) , comprising: one or more processors; and a storage apparatus configured to store one or more programs;
wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, enable the one or more processors to implement an information transmission method (Computer program in storage media in paragraph 0178), wherein the information transmission method comprises:
determining transmission slots for reference signals on N reference bandwidth parts, wherein N>1 (Measurement gaps (i.e. transmission slots) for CSI reporting for non-active BWPs (i.e. reference BWPs are target BWPs) in paragraphs 0083-0084 and 0088) ; and
sending channel state reporting indication information to a second communication node, wherein the channel state reporting indication information is used to trigger the second communication node to, based on the reference signals in the transmission slots, report on an uplink physical channel within an active bandwidth part a channel state for the N reference bandwidth parts (Steps 702-710 in Figure 7) ;
wherein the N reference bandwidth parts are inactive bandwidth parts whose channel state the second communication node needs to report (One or more BWPs may be configured for a WTRU and only one BWP may be active in paragraph 0083) ;
wherein the determining the transmission slots for the reference signals on the reference bandwidth parts comprises:
determining, according to a reference signal transmission delay, a slot index of the active bandwidth part, a subcarrier spacing of the reference bandwidth part, and a subcarrier spacing of the active bandwidth part, the transmission slots for the reference signals on the reference bandwidth parts (Parameters of the BWP include non-active BWP delays in paragraph 0139, BWP index in paragraph 0075 and subcarrier spacing in paragraphs 0075 and 0120-0121) ;
wherein the first communication node transmits the reference signals in the transmission slots (Measurement gap is used to measure CSI-RSs in the target BWPs in paragraph 0002, where the CSI-RSs are transmitted and received in paragraphs 0082 and 0128).
26. (Currently amended) A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method of claim 1 (Computer program in storage media in paragraph 0178) .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 15 and 21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record fails to anticipate or make obvious the additional features of the dependent claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 MELVIN C MARCELO whose telephone number is (571)272-3125. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6:00.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad Nawaz can be reached at 571-272-3988. 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.
MELVIN C. MARCELO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2463
/MELVIN C MARCELO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463 March 18, 2026