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 .
This office action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on 04/07/2026.
Claims 7-11 are currently pending.
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 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nilsson et al. (US 2024/0372664 A1; hereafter NILSSON).
With respect to claim 7, NILSSON discloses a terminal (4110b, 4110c, wireless device in FIG. 39) comprising:
a receiver (4122 in FIG. 39) that receives a radio resource control (RRC) signaling that configures a single frequency network (SFN) scheme for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (3300, 3302, 3304 in FIG. 38; paragraphs [0075], [0076], [0077], [0078], [0079], [0080], and [0081]); and
a processor (4120 in FIG. 39) that:
when capability information indicating support of dynamic switching between the SFN scheme and a single transmission/reception point (TRP) is transmitted (paragraph [0160], see the SFN solution may use Dynamic switching between SFNed and Single TRP (S-TRP) transmission),
determines that one or two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states are indicated for a control resource set (CORESET) used for reception of the PDCCH (1st and 2nd TCI states in FIG. 29; paragraphs [0162] and [0163], see the TCI state setting), and
when the capability information is not transmitted, determines that two TCI states are indicated for the CORESET (paragraph [0165], see the default setting of the TCI state with the CORESET).
With respect to claim 8, NILSSON further discloses the terminal according to claim 7, wherein:
when one TCI state is indicated for the CORESET, the processor controls to apply the single TRP for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (1st and 2nd TCI states in FIG. 29; paragraphs [0162] and [0163], see the TCI state setting), and
when two TCI states are indicated for the CORESET, the processor controls to apply the SFN scheme for the PDSCH (paragraph [0160], see the SFN solution may use Dynamic switching between SFNed and Single TRP (S-TRP) transmission).
With respect to claim 9, NILSSON discloses a radio communication method for a terminal (4110b, 4110c, wireless device in FIG. 39), comprising:
receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling that configures a single frequency network (SFN) scheme for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (3300, 3302, 3304 in FIG. 38; paragraphs [0075], [0076], [0077], [0078], [0079], [0080], and [0081]); and
when capability information indicating support of dynamic switching between the SFN scheme and a single transmission/reception point (TRP) is transmitted (paragraph [0160], see the SFN solution may use Dynamic switching between SFNed and Single TRP (S-TRP) transmission),
determining that one or two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states are indicated for a control resource set (CORESET) used for reception of the PDCCH (1st and 2nd TCI states in FIG. 29; paragraphs [0162] and [0163], see the TCI state setting), and
when the capability information is not transmitted, determining that two TCI states are indicated for the CORESET (paragraph [0165], see the default setting of the TCI state with the CORESET).
With respect to claim 10, NILSSON discloses a base station (4160, network node, 4106b in FIG. 39) comprising:
a transmitter (4172 in FIG. 39) that transmits, to a terminal, a radio resource control (RRC) signaling that configures a single frequency network (SFN) scheme for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (3300, 3302, 3304 in FIG. 38; paragraphs [0075], [0076], [0077], [0078], [0079], [0080], and [0081]); and
a processor (4170 in FIG. 39) that:
when capability information indicating support of dynamic switching between the SFN scheme and a single transmission/reception point (TRP) is received from the terminal (paragraph [0160], see the SFN solution may use Dynamic switching between SFNed and Single TRP (S-TRP) transmission),
controls to indicate one or two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states for a control resource set (CORESET) used for reception of the PDCCH (1st and 2nd TCI states in FIG. 29; paragraphs [0162] and [0163], see the TCI state setting), and
when the capability information is not received from the terminal, controls to indicate two TCI states for the CORESET (paragraph [0165], see the default setting of the TCI state with the CORESET).
With respect to claim 11, NILSSON discloses a system comprising a terminal (4110b, 4110c, wireless device in FIG. 39) and a base station (4160, network node, 4106b in FIG. 39),
wherein the terminal comprises:
a receiver (4122 in FIG. 39) that receives a radio resource control (RRC) signaling that configures a single frequency network (SFN) scheme for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (3300, 3302, 3304 in FIG. 38; paragraphs [0075], [0076], [0077], [0078], [0079], [0080], and [0081]); and
a processor (4120 in FIG. 39) that:
when capability information indicating support of dynamic switching between the SFN scheme and a single transmission/reception point (TRP) is transmitted (paragraph [0160], see the SFN solution may use Dynamic switching between SFNed and Single TRP (S-TRP) transmission),
determines that one or two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states are indicated for a control resource set (CORESET) used for reception of the PDCCH (1st and 2nd TCI states in FIG. 29; paragraphs [0162] and [0163], see the TCI state setting), and
when the capability information is not transmitted, determines that two TCI states are indicated for the CORESET (paragraph [0165], see the default setting of the TCI state with the CORESET), and
the base station (4160, network node, 4106b in FIG. 39) comprises:
a transmitter (4172 in FIG. 39) that transmits the RRC signaling (paragraphs [0075], [0076], [0077], [0078], [0079], [0080], and [0081]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 04/07/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 7-11 under GAO have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of NILSSON.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian T O'Connor whose telephone number is (571)270-1081. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri Flex 10am-6:30pm.
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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.
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/BRIAN T O CONNOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465 June 22, 2026
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