DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1, 4-10, and 14 have been examined and are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/13/2026 has been found to be in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
3. In response to the amendments received in the Office on 7/13/2026, the Office acknowledges the current status of the claims: claims 1, 4-10, and 14 have been amended, claims 2-3 and 11-13 have been canceled, and no new matter appears to be included.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 4-10, and 14 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 § 112
5. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
6. Claims 1, 4-10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
a) Claim 1 recites “the multicast PDSCH”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation within the claim.
b) Claims 4-9, dependent upon claim 1, do not satisfy the deficiencies of the rejected base claim and are therefore also rejected.
c) Claim 10 recites “the multicast PDSCH”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation within the claim.
d) Claim 14 recites “the multicast PDSCH”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation within the claim.
e) Claim 1 recites the following,
wherein the first configuration information includes information for at least one rate match pattern for a resource which is not available for a PDSCH,
wherein the second configuration information includes information for at least one rate match pattern for a resource which is not available for a PDSCH,
wherein the at least one rate match pattern of the second configuration information is applied for the multicast PDSCH.
It is unclear how the last wherein clause is operable since both the first and second configuration information clauses do not allow PDSCH availability. Both rate match patterns in both configurations cannot be allowed for use for PDSCH availability.
f) Claims 10 and 14, directed to separate apparatus embodiments of claim 1, recite similar features as claim 1 in a and c-e above and are therefore also rejected under the same grounds.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Claims 1, 4-5, 8-10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication 2022/0360360 A1 to Awadin et al. (hereinafter “Awadin”).
Regarding Claim 1, Awadin discloses a method comprising:
receiving, by a terminal, first configuration information related to a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), for a bandwidth part (BWP) (Awadin: [0045-0047] – corresponds to UE-specific configurations comprising a BWP for PDSCH for multicast/broadcast service (MBS).) and second configuration information related to the multicast PDSCH for a common frequency resource (CFR) configured within the BWP from a base station (Awadin: [0057], [0063-0065], [0131-0132], [0137-0138] – configuration information relates to PDSCH MBS for a CFR in a BWP.);
receiving, by the terminal, downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling the multicast PDSCH from the base station (Awadin: [0085-0087], Figure 4 with [0154-0161] – corresponds to DCI transmitted by base station to UE that schedules MBS PDSCH.); and
receiving, by the terminal, the multicast PDSCH within the CFR based on the DCI from the base station (Awadin: Figure 4 with [0154-0161] – the UE(s) receive the PDSCH, in one scenario, including the CFR, based on the DCI configuration information.),
wherein the first configuration information includes information for at least one rate match pattern for a resource which is not available for a PDSCH (Awadin: [0104-0111] – any DCI comprising a configuration may include a plurality of rate matching patterns per a BWP, wherein “It is beneficial to ensure that all UEs in the same MBS group have a common understanding of the REs that are not available for MBS PDSCH within the CFR. Therefore, the gNB configures several RateMatchPattern(s) that are fully confined within the CFR and to be indicated as part of PDSCH-config for MBS to be common among all UEs in the same MBS group.” That is, a configuration for a UE not part of the rate matching group will not use the PDSCH. These may be represented by unavailable resource elements (REs).),
wherein the second configuration information includes information for at least one rate match pattern for a resource which is not available for a PDSCH (Awadin: [0104-0111] – any DCI comprising a configuration may include a plurality of rate matching patterns per a BWP, wherein “It is beneficial to ensure that all UEs in the same MBS group have a common understanding of the REs that are not available for MBS PDSCH within the CFR. Therefore, the gNB configures several RateMatchPattern(s) that are fully confined within the CFR and to be indicated as part of PDSCH-config for MBS to be common among all UEs in the same MBS group.” That is, a configuration for a UE not part of the rate matching group will not use the PDSCH. These may be represented by unavailable resource elements (REs). Examiner also notes these one or more configurations that include CFR may have assigned a rate match pattern also not available for PDSCH, interpreted as the presence or absence of a rate match indicator, for example.),
wherein among the at least one rate match pattern of the first configuration information and the at least one rate match pattern of the second configuration information, only the at least one rate match pattern of the second configuration information is indicated in the DCI (Awadin: [0065-0068] – the DCI may include different rate matching patterns, suggesting each configuration may have a different rate matching pattern. See also [0105-0111] – DCI formats are assigned based on a rate matching pattern and are applied for MBS PDSCH.), and
wherein the at least one rate match pattern of the second configuration information is applied for the multicast PDSCH (Awadin: [0065-0068] – the DCI may include different rate matching patterns, suggesting each configuration may have a different rate matching pattern. See also [0105-0111] – DCI formats are assigned based on a rate matching pattern and are applied for MBS PDSCH.).
Regarding Claim 4, Awadin discloses the method of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one rate match pattern of the second configuration information is implicitly indicated by the DCI based on a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) scrambling cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the DCI (Awadin: [0111-0112] and Table 3 – defines the DCI formats comprising the rate matching patterns; [0130] describes the DCI formats depends on the scrambled RNTI; and [0038] describes the resources for PDSCH (scheduled in PDCCH/DCI) is contingent on a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by system information (SI)-radio network temporary identifier (RNTI). This is sufficient to show an implicit indication in the DCI.).
Regarding Claim 5, Awadin discloses the method of claim 1, wherein:
the DCI includes cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a group-radio network temporary identifier (G-RNTI) or a group-configured scheduling-radio network temporary identifier (G-CS-RNTI) (Awadin: [0111-0112] and Table 3 – defines the DCI formats comprising the rate matching patterns; [0130] describes the DCI formats depends on the scrambled RNTI; and [0038] describes the resources for PDSCH (scheduled in PDCCH/DCI) is contingent on a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by system information (SI)-radio network temporary identifier (RNTI). In [0140], Awadin discloses the DCI formats may also include CRC scrambled with G-RNTI.).
Regarding Claim 8, Awadin discloses the method the method of claim 1, wherein:
parameters configured within the first configuration information and the second configuration are applied to receive the multicast PDSCH within the CFR (Awadin: [0112], [0126-0128] – corresponds to a plurality of parameters for the reception of MBS PDSCH when the CFR is configured.).
Regarding Claim 9, Awadin discloses the method of claim 1, wherein:
based on a citation indication in the first configuration information, parameters configured within the first configuration information and the second configuration information are applied to receive the multicast PDSCH within the CFR (Awadin: [0006-0007], [0112], [0126-0127] – interpreted (for this embodiment) as a rate matching pattern and indication thereof that is included with the plurality of configurations (see claim 1) for MBS PDSCH that supports CFR inclusion.).
Claim 10, directed to an apparatus embodiment of claim 1, recites similar features as claim 1 and is therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claim 1. Please see above rejection of claim 1. Awadin discloses the apparatus as a user equipment comprising a transceiver, and a processor in at least Figure 13, elements 1301 (the UE/network device), 1320 (processor), and 1390 (communication module).
Claim 14, directed to an apparatus embodiment of claim 1, recites similar features as claim 1 and is therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claim 1. Please see above rejection of claim 1. Awadin discloses the apparatus as a network device comprising a transceiver, and a processor in at least Figure 13, elements 1301 (the UE/network device), 1320 (processor), and 1390 (communication module).
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claims 6-7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
11. Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet communications (PTO/SB/439, http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf) in the instant patent application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal mail; (3) EFS WEB; or (4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS web is the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
12. 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.
13. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV whose telephone number is (571)270-7163. The examiner can normally be reached M, T, R, F 5:00 AM-5:00 PM, W 5:00 AM-3:00 PM (EDT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached at (571) 272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BENJAMIN H. ELLIOTT IV
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2474
/BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474 September 24, 2026
