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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-9, 11-15, 18, 19, 23, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin (US 2023/0038582 A1, hereinafter “Lin”).
Regarding claim 1:
Lin discloses a method for adjusting a timing relationship, performed by a network device (e.g., Fig. 7, 110-1) and comprising:
indicating a time offset of at least one service beam to a terminal device (e.g., Fig. 7, 120), wherein the time offset is configured to adjust the timing relationship between the network device and the terminal device (e.g., [0027], [0028], [0031], Fig. 2B, 221).
Regarding claim 2:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein indicating the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device comprises: explicitly or implicitly indicating the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device (e.g., [0028]-[0033]).
Regarding claim 3:
LIn further discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein indicating the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device comprises: sending a time offset set to the terminal device, wherein the time offset set comprises the time offset of at least one service beam (e.g., [0028], [0029], [0031]).
Regarding claim 4:
Lin further discloses wherein sending the time offset set to the terminal device comprises: sending the time offset set to the terminal device via group sharing downlink control information (e.g., [0028], [0032], group-common DCI).
Regarding claim 5:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein indicating the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device comprises: configuring the time offset of at least one service beam at a first position of a first downlink control signaling (DCI), and sending the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device via the first DCI (e.g., [0031], [0032], [0054], [0059], [0060]).
Regarding claim 6:
Lin further discloses wherein indicating the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device comprises: scrambling a second DCI based on a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); and configuring the time offset of at least one service beam at a second position of the scrambled second DCI, and sending the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device via the scrambled second DCI (e.g., [0032]).
Regarding claim 7:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein indicating the time offset of at least one service beam to the terminal device comprises: indicating a time offset of a target service beam to the terminal device, wherein the target service beam is a beam currently used by the terminal device (e.g., [0028], [0032], [0059], [0060]).
Regarding claim 8:
Lin further discloses wherein indicating the time offset of the target service beam to the terminal device comprises: indicating the time offset of the target service beam to the terminal device via a random access response (e.g., [0028], [0032], [0059], [0060]).
Regarding claim 9:
Lin further disloses the method according to claim 8, wherein a mapping relationship is present between a frequency domain resource where the random access response is located and the time offset of the target service beam (e.g., [0031], K_offset values and BWP configuration).
Regarding claim 11:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the time offset of the service beam comprises at least one of: an offset parameter of the service beam; an offset between an offset parameter of the service beam and a reference offset parameter; or a reference offset parameter, and an offset between an offset parameter of the service beam and the reference offset parameter (e.g., [0028]-[0033]).
Regarding claim 12:
Lin discloses a method for adjusting a timing relationship, performed by a terminal device and comprising: determining a time offset of at least one service beam; and adjusting the timing relationship based on the time offset. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 1.)
Regarding claim 13:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 12, wherein determining the time offset of at least one service beam comprises: receiving a time offset set sent by a network device, wherein the time offset set comprises the time offset of at least one service beam. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 1.)
Regarding claim 14:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein receiving the time offset set sent by the network device comprises: receiving group sharing downlink control information sent by the network device, wherein the group sharing downlink control information is configured to carry the time offset set. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 4.)
Regarding claim 15:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 12, wherein determining the time offset of at least one service beam comprises one of: receiving a first downlink control signaling (DCI) sent by a network device, and obtaining the time offset of at least one service beam from a first position of the first DCI; receiving a second DCI sent by the network device, and obtaining the time offset of at least one service beam from scrambling information on a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the second DCI; or receiving indication information sent by the network device, and determining a time offset of a target service beam based on the indication information, wherein the target service beam is a beam currently used by the terminal device. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claims 5, 6, and 7.)
Regarding claim 18:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 15, wherein receiving the indication information sent by the network device, and determining the time offset of the target service beam based on the indication information comprise: receiving a random access response carrying the indication information, and obtaining the time offset of the target service beam based on the indication information. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 8.)
Regarding claim 19:
Lin further discloses the method according to claim 18, wherein obtaining the time offset of the target service beam based on the indication information comprises: obtaining a target frequency domain resource where the random access response is located, wherein the target frequency domain resource is the indication information; and querying a mapping relationship between frequency domain resources and time offsets of service beams according to the target frequency domain resource to obtain a target time offset that matches the target frequency domain resource. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 9.)
Regarding claim 23:
Lin discloses a network device (e.g., Fig. 4, 1000), comprising: a processor (Fig. 4, 1008); and a memory (Fig. 4, 1006) having stored therein a computer program; wherein the processor is configured to: indicate a time offset of at least one service beam to a terminal device, wherein the time offset is configured to adjust a timing relationship between the network device and the terminal device. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 1.)
Regarding claim 24:
Lin discloses a terminal device (e.g., Fig. 4, 1000), comprising: a processor (Fig. 4, 1008); and a memory (Fig. 4, 1006) having stored therein a computer program; wherein the processor is configured to perform the method according to claim 12. (See rejection for similar claimed limitations with regard to claim 12.)
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.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Huang (WO 2015/010227 A1, hereinafter “Huang”).
Regarding claim 10:
Lin is silent regarding wherein a mapping relationship is present between an RNTI carried in the random access response and the time offset of the target service beam.
Huang teaches a mapping relationship between an RNTI in a random access response and a time offset (e.g. Page 4, “Optionally, the random access response further includes a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (Temporary C-RNTI), the value of the Temporary C-RNTI indicates that the terminal enables the preset Delay time. Further, the value of the Temporary C-RNTI may be OxFFFC to indicate that the terminal enables the preset delay time … It should be noted that the value of the Temporary C-RNTI may be regarded as an index of the time that the terminal needs to be delayed, that is, the value of the Temporary C-RNTI indicates that the terminal needs to delay, which is equivalent to The case where the value of the Temporary C RNTI is OxFFFC is directly regarded as indicating to the terminal that the preset delay time is a certain time.”)
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Lin based on the teaching from Huang to include the feature a mapping relationship is present between an RNTI carried in the random access response and the time offset of the target service beam, because it would reduce signaling overhead and delay for uplink scheduling.
Regarding claim 20:
Lin is silent regarding wherein obtaining the time offset of the target service beam based on the indication information comprises: obtaining a target radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) carried in the random access response, wherein the target RNTI is the indication information; and querying a mapping relationship between RNTIs and time offsets of service beams according to the target RNTI to obtain a target time offset that matches the target RNTI.
Huang teaches obtaining a time offset based on a an RNTI in a random access response and a mapping relationship between an RNTI and a time offset (e.g. Page 4, “Optionally, the random access response further includes a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (Temporary C-RNTI), the value of the Temporary C-RNTI indicates that the terminal enables the preset Delay time. Further, the value of the Temporary C-RNTI may be OxFFFC to indicate that the terminal enables the preset delay time … It should be noted that the value of the Temporary C-RNTI may be regarded as an index of the time that the terminal needs to be delayed, that is, the value of the Temporary C-RNTI indicates that the terminal needs to delay, which is equivalent to The case where the value of the Temporary C RNTI is OxFFFC is directly regarded as indicating to the terminal that the preset delay time is a certain time.”)
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Lin based on the teaching from Huang to include the features obtaining the time offset of the target service beam based on the indication information comprises: obtaining a target radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) carried in the random access response, wherein the target RNTI is the indication information, and querying a mapping relationship between RNTIs and time offsets of service beams according to the target RNTI to obtain a target time offset that matches the target RNTI, because it would reduce signaling overhead and delay for uplink scheduling.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alvin ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-1086. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6am-9am and 2pm-7pm.
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, Gary Mui can be reached at 571-270-1420. 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.
/BO HUI A ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465