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 .
Response to Amendment
This is in response to an amendment/response filed on May 11, 2026.
Claims 13-16,18-21, and 23-24 have been amended.
Claims 17, and 22 have been cancelled.
No Claims have been added.
Claims 13-16,18-21, and 23-24 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-9, filed May 11, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 13-16,18-21, and 23-24 under 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Van Phan et al. (US Application 2023/0199757, hereinafter Van) which discloses based on each of uplink transmissions on the plurality of configured grant transmission occasions:
generating, by the UE, information related to subsequent configured grant transmission occasions on which subsequent uplink transmissions will be performed(Figs. 2, 5, [0030]-[0040], [0066], which recites defining (220), by the user device (e.g., UE), based on an amount of data to be transmitted and/or a latency requirement, that a transmission is to be performed by the UE using both the configuration associated with the first configured grant and at least part of the resources associated with the at least one second configured grant, and performing the transmission accordingly); and
transmitting, by the UE to the network, the information related to the on at least one subsequent configured grant transmission occasions(Figs. 2, 5, [0030]-[0040], [0066], which recites defining (220), by the user device (e.g., UE), based on an amount of data to be transmitted and/or a latency requirement, that a transmission is to be performed by the UE using both the configuration associated with the first configured grant and at least part of the resources associated with the at least one second configured grant, and performing the transmission accordingly and receiving, by the network node (e.g., BS or gNB) from the user device (e.g., UE), as an uplink data transmission, data according to at least the first configured grant (e.g., CG1, FIG. 3) and, when indicated by the user device (UE), also according to the second configured grant (e.g., CG2, FIG. 3). See, e.g., one or more of operations 420-426).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 13-16,18-21, and 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US Application 2024/0089953, hereinafter Takahashi) in view of Van Phan et al. (US Application 2023/0199757, hereinafter Van).
Regarding claims 13, 18, 23,and 24, Takahashi discloses a method, an apparatus, and a computer readable storage medium (Figs. 1, 8, 10,11) for performing operations by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
at least one transceiver(220,230 see [0149]); at least one processor(1001); and at least one computer memory (1002,1003) operably connectable to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations ([0174], which recites user terminal 20 may be configured as a computer apparatus that includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication apparatus 1004) comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment (UE) from a network, configuration related to a plurality of configured grant occasions([0009], which recites a reception section that receives information regarding a configured grant configuration. Multiple configured grants configuration is configured, determines a configured grant configuration to be applied).
Takahashi does not explicitly disclose generating, by the UE, information related to subsequent configured grant transmission occasions on which subsequent uplink transmissions will be performed; and
transmitting, by the UE to the network, the information related to the on at least one subsequent configured grant transmission occasions.
However, Van discloses generating, by the UE, information related to subsequent configured grant transmission occasions on which subsequent uplink transmissions will be performed(Figs. 2, 5, [0030]-[0040], [0066], which recites defining (220), by the user device (e.g., UE), based on an amount of data to be transmitted and/or a latency requirement, that a transmission is to be performed by the UE using both the configuration associated with the first configured grant and at least part of the resources associated with the at least one second configured grant, and performing the transmission accordingly); and
transmitting, by the UE to the network, the information related to the on at least one subsequent configured grant transmission occasions(Figs. 2, 5, [0030]-[0040], [0066], which recites defining (220), by the user device (e.g., UE), based on an amount of data to be transmitted and/or a latency requirement, that a transmission is to be performed by the UE using both the configuration associated with the first configured grant and at least part of the resources associated with the at least one second configured grant, and performing the transmission accordingly and receiving, by the network node (e.g., BS or gNB) from the user device (e.g., UE), as an uplink data transmission, data according to at least the first configured grant (e.g., CG1, FIG. 3) and, when indicated by the user device (UE), also according to the second configured grant (e.g., CG2, FIG. 3). See, e.g., one or more of operations 420-426).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Van with the teaching of Takahashi by using the above features such as generating, by the UE, information related to subsequent configured grant transmission occasions on which subsequent uplink transmissions will be performed; and transmitting, by the UE to the network, the information related to the on at least one subsequent configured grant transmission occasions as taught by Van for the purpose of enabling communication between two or more nodes or devices, such as fixed or mobile communication devices. Signals can be carried on wired or wireless carriers([0002]).
Regarding claims 14, 19, Takahashi discloses the method of claim 13, wherein the information related to the at least one subsequent configured grant occasion includes a number of the at least one subsequent configured grant occasion([0082]-[0084]).
Regarding claims 15, 20, Takahashi discloses the method of claim 13, wherein the information related to the at least one subsequent configured grant occasion includes an index of a configured grant to which the at least one subsequent configured grant occasion belongs([0034],[0048]).
Regarding claims 16, 21,Takahashi discloses the method of claim 13, wherein the information related to the at least one subsequent configured grant occasion is transmitted on preconfigured periodic resources([0067]-[0068]).
Conclusion
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 DADY CHERY whose telephone number is (571)270-1207. The examiner can normally be reached M to T, 8 am to 5pm.
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, Moo Jeong can be reached at 571-272-9617. 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.
/DADY CHERY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2418
Prosecution Insights