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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/12/2024, 07/21/2025 and 12/17/2025 were filed for consideration. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
Claims 1-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al (US 2023/0028824 A1), hereinafter, “Zhang” in view of Liu et al (US 2023/0261719 A1), hereinafter, “Liu”.
Regarding claim 1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (fig 2, para [0056], where, UE 204 equivalent to “an apparatus”), comprising: a memory (fig 2, para [0056], where, UE 204 equivalent to “an apparatus” includes memory module 234); and one or more processors, coupled to the memory (fig 2, para [0056], where, UE 204 equivalent to “an apparatus” includes Processor module 236, where, the processor 236 and the memory 234 are coupled together), configured to: receive, from a network, a list of serving cells including a first serving cell that is using a control resource set (CORESET) for single frequency network (SFN) transmissions (fig 3-5, para [0073], where, UE 315 equivalent to “an apparatus” may receive RRC signalling received from a gNB, where, a TCI state list may be associated with or related to the serving cell of the PDSCH); receive, from the network, a control element indicating two transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states and associated with the first serving cell and the CORESET (Zhang: fig 2, para [0008], where, “the SSB may be indicated in a TCI state of a TCI state list configured by radio resource control (RRC) signalling. The TCI state list may be associated with a serving cell of the PDSCH. In some embodiments, the SSB may be indicated in a TCI state of a TCI state list activated by a media access control element (MAC CE) signalling. The TCI state list may be associated with a bandwidth part (BWP) of the PDSCH”); Zhang does not explicitly teach: and process the control element based at least in part on determining that one or more additional serving cells in the list are not using the CORESET for SFN transmissions.
Liu teaches: process the control element based at least in part on determining that one or more additional serving cells in the list are not using the CORESET for SFN transmissions (Liu: fig 2, para [0062], where, “the PDSCH transmission on the current active BWP of a serving cell without configured CORESET (e.g. SCell or CC #2 equivalent to “additional serving cell”), a plurality of TCI states may be activated”, SEE further para [0058]-[0059]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use “process the control element based at least in part on determining that one or more additional serving cells in the list are not using the CORESET for SFN transmissions” as taught by Liu into Zhang in order to improve the transmit power for the uplink resource according to uplink power control procedure (Liu: para [0035]).
Regarding claim 8, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding packet processing apparatus at a base station, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto.
Regarding claim 14, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding packet processing apparatus at a user equipment (UE), and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto. Additionally, the claim includes a memory and a processor. However, Arora discloses the memory and the processor (Zhang: fig 2, para [0057]).
Regarding claim 20, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding packet processing apparatus at a user equipment (UE), and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto. Additionally, the claim includes a memory and a processor. However, Arora discloses the memory and the processor (Zhang: fig 2, para [0057]).
Regarding claims 2, 21 and 27, Zhang modified by Liu teaches: The apparatus of claims 1 and 20, wherein, to process the control element, the one or more processors are configured to apply the two TCI states for the CORESET in the first serving cell (Zhang: fig 2, para [0008], where, “the SSB may be indicated in a TCI state of a TCI state list configured by radio resource control (RRC) signalling. The TCI state list may be associated with a serving cell of the PDSCH. In some embodiments, the SSB may be indicated in a TCI state of a TCI state list activated by a media access control element (MAC CE) signalling. The TCI state list may be associated with a bandwidth part (BWP) of the PDSCH”); and apply one TCI state, of the two TCI states (Liu: fig 2, para [0003], where, one of two TCI states are applied), for the CORESET in the one or more additional serving cells (Liu: fig 2, para [0062], where, SCell or CC #2 equivalent to “additional serving cell”).
Regarding claims 3 and 26, Zhang modified by Liu teaches: The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one TCI state, of the two TCI states, is indicated by a bit included in the control element (Zhang: fig 2, para [0008], where, plurality of TCI states are indicated).
Regarding claims 4 and 17, Zhang modified by Liu teaches: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, to process the control element, the one or more processors are configured to apply the two TCI states for the CORESET in the first serving cel l (Zhang: fig 2, para [0008], where, plurality of TCI states are indicated); and apply a default TCI state for the CORESET in the one or more additional serving cells (Liou: para [0005], where, the serving cell is equivalent to “additional serving cell” for CORESET of one additional serving cell is applied).
Regarding claims 5, 17 and 18, Zhang modified by Liu teaches: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, to process the control element, the one or more processors are configured to (Zhang: fig 2, para [0056]-[0057], where, the processor 236 is configured to): apply the two TCI states for the CORESET in the first serving cell; and refrain from changing a TCI state for the CORESET in the one or more additional serving cells (Liu: fig 2, para [0062], where, SCell or CC #2 equivalent to “additional serving cell”).
Regarding claims 6, 15 and 22, Zhang modified by Liu teaches:. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, to process the control element, the one or more processors are configured to: discard the control element (Zhang: fig 2, para [0059], where, changes the duplex direction) and refrain from changing a TCI state (Zhang: fig 2, para [0059], where, changes the duplex direction) for the CORESET in the first serving cell and the one or more additional serving cells (Liu: fig 2, para [0062], where, SCell or CC #2 equivalent to “additional serving cell”).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Zhang modified by Liu teaches:. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, to process the control element, the one or more processors are configured to (Zhang: fig 2, para [0056]-[0057], where, the processor 236 is configured to): apply the two TCI states for the CORESET in the first serving cell (Liou: fig 13, para [0267], where, two TCI states, para [0168], for CORESET of one additional serving cell is applied, para [0293]); reconfigure the CORESET in the one or more additional serving cells for SFN transmissions ; and apply the two TCI states for the CORESET in the one or more additional serving cells (Liu: fig 2, para [0062], where, SCell or CC #2 equivalent to “additional serving cell”).
Regarding claims 9-10 and 11-12, Zhang modified by Liu teaches:. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more rules include a requirement that the CORESET be configured for SFN transmissions in each serving cell on the list of serving cells (Zhang: para [0053), Table-US-00001, where, “RRM Radio Resource Management RS Reference Signal RSRP Reference Signal Received Power SFN Single Frequency Network SINR Signal to Interference Plus Noise Ratio SSB Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) Block TB Transport Block TCI Transmission Configuration Indicator TRP Transmission/Reception Point TRS Tracking Reference Signal UE User Equipment UL Up Link or Uplink”, where, configuration equivalent to “rules”).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang modified by Liu teaches:. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit, to the UE, an indication to remove at least one serving cell from the list of serving cells to comply with the one or more rules (Zhang: para [0053), Table-US-00001, where, “RRM Radio Resource Management RS Reference Signal RSRP Reference Signal Received Power SFN Single Frequency Network SINR Signal to Interference Plus Noise Ratio SSB Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel (SS/PBCH) Block TB Transport Block TCI Transmission Configuration Indicator TRP Transmission/Reception Point TRS Tracking Reference Signal UE User Equipment UL Up Link or Uplink”, where, configuration equivalent to “rules”).
Regarding claim 19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, to process the control element, the one or more processors are configured to: reconfigure the CORESET in the first serving cell for non-SFN transmissions (Zhang: fig 3, para [0065], where, cell 305B is configured to non-serving cell); and apply the TCI state indicated in the control element for the CORESET in the first serving cell (Zhang: fig 3-4, para [0070]-[0071[, where, “the configuration index can be/include/represent a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state index, PCI (physical cell identity), or a control resource set (CORESET) pool index”).
Regarding claim 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first serving cell is associated with a lowest or highest index for a component carrier (CC) associated with the CORESET (Zhang: para [0130]-[0131], where, the (CC) component carrier is associated to the CORESET).
Regarding claim 24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first serving cell is associated with a component carrier (CC) used to receive the control element (Zhang: para [0131], where, the first serving cell associated with a CC component carrier).
Regarding claim 25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first type of SFN transmissions is associated with a majority of cells included in the list of serving cells (Zhang: fig 2, para [0008] and [0053], Table-US-00001, where,, the SFN transmission is associated with serving cell).
Conclusion
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/NIZAM U AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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