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
Receipt is acknowledged of the amendment filed 5/20/2024. Claims 1-20 have been canceled. Claims 21-40 have been added. No claims have been canceled. Claims 21-40 are pending and an action is as follows.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 21, 26, 31 and 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by SAKHNINI et al. US 2021/0329681 (hereinafter SAK).
Regarding claim 21, SAK teaches a method, comprising:
receiving, in a first control resource set or a second control resource set, first signaling from a network device, wherein the first signaling indicates a quantity of symbols occupied by the second control resource set; and
([SAK, Figs. 1, 3, 8 and 16, ¶133-¶134] The UE 106 receives from Base Station 108 (as indicated in Fig. 1 which may serve as a scheduling entity) downlink control transmissions comprising the first Downlink Control Information (DCI) 804 in a regular Control Resource Set (CORESET) 802, wherein the first DCI 804 (shown as Piggyback DCI that is in a solid box in in Fig. 8 which is interpreted as the claimed first signaling from the network device.). The first DCI indicates a quantity of symbols occupied by a dynamic CORESET (which is interpreted as the claimed second control resource set). It is further noted that the area of Fig. 8 that corresponds to the dynamic CORESET is allocated resources having both frequency and time which SAK discloses in Fig. 3 as having base level units of Resource Elements occupying a number of OFDM symbols along the Time axis.
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adjusting the second control resource set based on the first signaling.
([SAK, Figs. 8, 13 and 17, ¶102-¶103 and ¶134-¶136] altering/modifying the dynamic CORESET is performed based on the first DCI 804 (Piggyback DCI having solid box) which as shown in Fig. 8 aids in a chain of events (scheduling additional dynamic CORSETs that schedule DCI 812 to alter/modify dynamic CORESET 806c) resulting in the dynamic CORESET 806 being modified.)
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Regarding claim 26, SAK teaches a method, comprising:
sending, in a first control resource set or a second control resource set, first signaling to a terminal device, wherein the first signaling indicates a first quantity of symbols occupied by the second control resource set; and
([SAK, Figs. 1, 3, 8 and 16, ¶133-¶134] The Base Station 108 (as indicated in Fig. 1 which may serve as a scheduling entity) sends to the UE 106 downlink control transmissions comprising the first Downlink Control Information (DCI) 804 in a regular Control Resource Set (CORESET) 802, wherein the first DCI 804 (shown as Piggyback DCI that is in a solid box in in Fig. 8 which is interpreted as the claimed first signaling from the network device.). The first DCI indicates a quantity of symbols occupied by a dynamic CORESET (which is interpreted as the claimed second control resource set). It is further noted that the area of Fig. 8 that corresponds to the dynamic CORESET is allocated resources having both frequency and time which SAK discloses in Fig. 3 as having base level units of Resource Elements occupying a number of OFDM symbols along the Time axis.
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adjusting the second control resource set based on the first quantity of symbols.
([SAK, Figs. 3, 5-6, 8, 13 and 17, ¶102-¶103 and ¶134-¶136] altering/modifying the dynamic CORESET is performed based on the quantity of symbols associated with the dynamic CORESET as indicated/scheduled by the first DCI 804 (Piggyback DCI having solid box) which as shown in Fig. 8 aids in a chain of events (Thus the adjusting of the claim second CORESET is taught by SAK through scheduling additional dynamic CORSETs by their quantity of symbols and frequency resources (noted in Figs. 5-6 of SAK) that also comprise DCI 812 to alter/modify dynamic CORESET 806c) resulting in the dynamic CORESET 806 being modified.)
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Regarding claim 31, SAK teaches an apparatus [SAK, Fig. 1, UE 106],
comprising:
one or more processors in communication with a non-transitory memory storing computer instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, ([SAK, ¶9 Processor and Memory configured to perform operations])
cause the apparatus to:
receive, in a first control resource set or a second control resource set, first signaling from a network device, wherein the first signaling indicates a quantity of symbols occupied by the second control resource set; and
([SAK, Figs. 1, 3, 8 and 16, ¶133-¶134] The UE 106 receives from Base Station 108 (as indicated in Fig. 1 which may serve as a scheduling entity) downlink control transmissions comprising the first Downlink Control Information (DCI) 804 in a regular Control Resource Set (CORESET) 802, wherein the first DCI 804 (shown as Piggyback DCI that is in a solid box in in Fig. 8 which is interpreted as the claimed first signaling from the network device.). The first DCI indicates a quantity of symbols occupied by a dynamic CORESET (which is interpreted as the claimed second control resource set). It is further noted that the area of Fig. 8 that corresponds to the dynamic CORESET is allocated resources having both frequency and time which SAK discloses in Fig. 3 as having base level units of Resource Elements occupying a number of OFDM symbols along the Time axis.
adjust the second control resource set based on the first signaling.
([SAK, Figs. 8, 13 and 17, ¶102-¶103 and ¶134-¶136] altering/modifying the dynamic CORESET is performed based on the first DCI 804 (Piggyback DCI having solid box) which as shown in Fig. 8 aids in a chain of events (scheduling additional dynamic CORSETs that schedule DCI 812 to alter/modify dynamic CORESET 806c) resulting in the dynamic CORESET 806 being modified.)
Regarding claim 36, SAK teaches an apparatus,
[SAK, Fig. 1 and 11 Base Station 108, ¶111-¶114]
comprising:
one or more processors in communications with a non-transitory memory storing computer instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
[SAK, Fig. 1 and 11 Base Station 108, ¶111-¶115 (Processor 1104 and Memory 1106 storing instructions)]
send, in a first control resource set or a second control resource set, first signaling to a terminal device, wherein the first signaling indicates a first quantity of symbols occupied by the second control resource set; and
([SAK, Figs. 1, 3, 8 and 16, ¶133-¶134] The Base Station 108 (as indicated in Fig. 1 which may serve as a scheduling entity) sends to the UE 106 downlink control transmissions comprising the first Downlink Control Information (DCI) 804 in a regular Control Resource Set (CORESET) 802, wherein the first DCI 804 (shown as Piggyback DCI that is in a solid box in in Fig. 8 which is interpreted as the claimed first signaling from the network device.). The first DCI indicates a quantity of symbols occupied by a dynamic CORESET (which is interpreted as the claimed second control resource set). It is further noted that the area of Fig. 8 that corresponds to the dynamic CORESET is allocated resources having both frequency and time which SAK discloses in Fig. 3 as having base level units of Resource Elements occupying a number of OFDM symbols along the Time axis.
adjust the second control resource set based on the first quantity of symbols.
([SAK, Figs. 3, 5-6, 8, 13 and 17, ¶102-¶103 and ¶134-¶136] altering/modifying the dynamic CORESET is performed based on the quantity of symbols associated with the dynamic CORESET as indicated/scheduled by the first DCI 804 (Piggyback DCI having solid box) which as shown in Fig. 8 aids in a chain of events (Thus the adjusting of the claim second CORESET is taught by SAK through scheduling additional dynamic CORSETs by their quantity of symbols and frequency resources (noted in Figs. 5-6 of SAK) that also comprise DCI 812 to alter/modify dynamic CORESET 806c) resulting in the dynamic CORESET 806 being modified.)
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 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.
Claim(s) 22, 24, 27, 29, 32, 34, 37 and 39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAK as applied to claim 21, 26, 31 and 36 above, and further in view of KHOSHNEVISAN et al. US 2021/0377951 (hereinafter KHO).
Regarding claim 22 and claim 32, SAK teaches the method according to claim 21, (See the rejection of claim 21 above.) and the apparatus according to claim 31 (See the rejection of claim 31 above.) wherein adjusting the second control resource set based on the first signaling comprises:
determining, based on the first signaling, a quantity R of interleaving rows of the second control resource set, or a length L of a resource element group (REG) bundle of the second control resource set; and
([SAK, ¶102 and also see ¶88-¶89 (a number REs within REGs are comprised within CCE and the number symbols allocated to the REG are considered the claimed length L of a REG) ¶93-¶94 (CCEs in CORESET)] The DCI 804c (interpreted as the claimed first signaling) is used by the UE to determine a length of a REG bundle of the dynamic CORESET 806b as shown in Fig. 8, which is performed according to the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b. Furthermore, it is noted that the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b requires the scheduling of the resource element groups (REGs) 504 contained in the control channel element (CCE) structure 500, wherein a number of CCEs which is included in the CORESET as shown in Fig. 6. It is disclosed by SAK that the there is a scheduled number of REs in one OFDM symbol of a REG which are interpreted by the Examiner as the claimed length L of a REG which are further noted by SAK in Fig. 5 and ¶88 as being 12 consecutive REs 502)
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While SAK teaches that the dynamic CORESET occupies resources in frequency and time [SAK, Fig. 8 (note that the frequency axis and time axis are occupied by the dynamic CORESET 806b)] and that the CCE-to-REG mapping for a CORESET can be interleaved for frequency diversity [SAK, ¶98],
it does not teach wherein at least two interleaving row values are configured for the second control resource set, or at least two REG bundle length values are configured for the second control resource set.
However, KHO teaches wherein at least two interleaving row values are configured for the second control resource set, or at least two REG bundle length values are configured for the second control resource set.
([KHO, ¶87-¶90] Regarding the CORESET, the REG bundle size may be two or six (e.g. L=2 or L=6) where ‘L’ refers to the REG bundle size, interpreted as REG bundle Length. Additionally, KHO teaches wherein there are at least two interleaving row values configured for the CORESET - In the illustrated example of FIG. 4, in a first frequency (e.g., the top row), the left REG is numbered REG “0” and the right REG is numbered REG “1.” Jumping to the next frequency (e.g., the second row), the left REG is numbered REG “2” and the right REG is numbered REG “3,” etc.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SAK, indicating the ability to receiving signaling on one of the CORESETs and adjust the CORESET based on the signaling, with the teachings of KHO, indicating that different REG bundling sizes and interleaving row values are configured for the CORESET. The resulting benefit would have been the ability to enhance the overall reliability of a transmission [KHO, ¶42-¶43].
Regarding claim 27 and claim 37, SAK teaches the method according to claim 21, (See the rejection of claim 26 above.) and the apparatus according to claim 36 (See the rejection of claim 36 above.) respectively, wherein adjusting the second control resource set based on the first signaling comprises:
determining, based on configuration information, a quantity R of interleaving rows of the second control resource set, or a length L of a resource element group (REG) bundle of the second control resource set; and ([SAK, ¶102 and also see ¶88-¶89 (a number REs within REGs are comprised within CCE and the number symbols allocated to the REG are considered the claimed length L of a REG) ¶93-¶94 (CCEs in CORESET)] The DCI 804c (interpreted as the claimed first signaling is also configuration information for modifying parameters including time/frequency/spatial resources) is used to determine a length of a REG bundle of the dynamic CORESET 806b as shown in Fig. 8, which is performed according to the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b. Furthermore, it is noted that the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b requires the scheduling of the resource element groups (REGs) 504 contained in the control channel element (CCE) structure 500, wherein a number of CCEs which is included in the CORESET as shown in Fig. 6. It is disclosed by SAK that the there is a scheduled number of REs in one OFDM symbol of a REG which are interpreted by the Examiner as the claimed length L of a REG which are further noted by SAK in Fig. 5 and ¶88 as being 12 consecutive REs 502)
While SAK teaches that the dynamic CORESET occupies resources in frequency and time [SAK, Fig. 8 (note that the frequency axis and time axis are occupied by the dynamic CORESET 806b)] and that the CCE-to-REG mapping for a CORESET can be interleaved for frequency diversity [SAK, ¶98], it does not teach wherein at least two interleaving row values are configured for the second control resource set, or at least two REG bundle length values are configured for the second control resource set.
However, KHO teaches wherein at least two interleaving row values are configured for the second control resource set, or at least two REG bundle length values are configured for the second control resource set.
([KHO, ¶87-¶90] Regarding the CORESET, the REG bundle size may be two or six (e.g. L=2 or L=6) where ‘L’ refers to the REG bundle size, interpreted as REG bundle Length. Additionally, KHO teaches wherein there are at least two interleaving row values configured for the CORESET - In the illustrated example of FIG. 4, in a first frequency (e.g., the top row), the left REG is numbered REG “0” and the right REG is numbered REG “1.” Jumping to the next frequency (e.g., the second row), the left REG is numbered REG “2” and the right REG is numbered REG “3,” etc.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SAK, indicating the ability to receiving signaling reflecting configuration information on one of the CORESETs and adjust the CORESET based on the signaling, with the teachings of KHO, indicating that different REG bundling sizes and interleaving row values are configured for the CORESET. The resulting benefit would have been the ability to enhance the overall reliability of a transmission [KHO, ¶42-¶43].
Regarding claim 24 and claim 34, SAK, in view of KHO teaches the method according to claim 22, and the apparatus according to claim 32 respectively, wherein:
wherein:
there is a quantity of symbols indicated by the first signaling.
([SAK, Fig. 8, ¶102 and also see ¶88-¶89 (a number REs within REGs are comprised within CCE and the number symbols allocated to the REG are considered the claimed length L of a REG) ¶93-¶94 (CCEs in CORESET)] The DCI 804c (interpreted as the claimed first signaling) is used by the UE to determine a length of a REG bundle of the dynamic CORESET 806b as shown in Fig. 8, which is performed according to the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b. Furthermore, it is noted that the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b requires the scheduling of the resource element groups (REGs) 504 contained in the control channel element (CCE) structure 500, wherein a number of CCEs which is included in the CORESET as shown in Fig. 6. It is disclosed by SAK that the there is a scheduled number of REs in one OFDM symbol of a REG which are interpreted by the Examiner as the claimed length L of a REG which are further noted by SAK in Fig. 5 and ¶88 as being 12 consecutive REs 502)
While KHO teaches that there is a correspondence between R and the quantity of symbols indicated by the first signaling; or there is a correspondence between L and the quantity of symbols indicated by the first signaling.
([KHO, ¶87-¶91 and ¶129] Regarding the CORESET, the base station 802 transmits a CORSET configuration 830 that the UE receives wherein the CORESET configuration comprises parameters for the CORESET. The CORESET REG bundle size may be two or six (e.g. L=2 or L=6) where parameter ‘L’ refers to the REG bundle size, interpreted as REG bundle Length. Additionally, KHO teaches wherein there are at least two interleaving row values configured for the CORESET - In the illustrated example of FIG. 4, in a first frequency (e.g., the top row), the left REG is numbered REG “0” and the right REG is numbered REG “1.” Jumping to the next frequency (e.g., the second row), the left REG is numbered REG “2” and the right REG is numbered REG “3,” etc. While the parameter “R” represents the interleaver size, sometimes referred to as an “interleaver depth.” The interleaver size (“R”) may be configured to determine the number of sections that the CORESET bandwidth is divided into when applying the interleaving.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SAK, indicating the ability to receiving signaling on one of the CORESETs and adjust the CORESET based on the signaling, with the teachings of KHO, indicating that different REG bundling sizes with parameter “L” and interleaving row values are configured for the CORESET indicated by parameter “R”. The resulting benefit would have been the ability to enhance the overall reliability of a transmission [KHO, ¶42-¶43].
Regarding claim 29 and claim 39, SAK, in view of KHO teaches the method according to claim 27 and the apparatus according to claim 37 respectively, wherein:
there is a quantity of symbols occupied by the second control set indicated by the first signaling.
([SAK, Fig. 8, ¶102 and also see ¶88-¶89 (a number REs within REGs are comprised within CCE and the number symbols allocated to the REG are considered the claimed length L of a REG) ¶93-¶94 (CCEs in CORESET)] The DCI 804c (interpreted as the claimed first signaling) is used by the UE to determine a length of a REG bundle of the dynamic CORESET 806b as shown in Fig. 8, which is performed according to the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b. Furthermore, it is noted that the scheduling of the resources of the dynamic CORESET 806b requires the scheduling of the resource element groups (REGs) 504 contained in the control channel element (CCE) structure 500, wherein a number of CCEs which is included in the CORESET as shown in Fig. 6. It is disclosed by SAK that the there is a scheduled number of REs in one OFDM symbol of a REG which are interpreted by the Examiner as the claimed length L of a REG which are further noted by SAK in Fig. 5 and ¶88 as being 12 consecutive REs 502)
While KHO teaches that there is a correspondence between R and the quantity of symbols indicated by the second CORESET; or there is a correspondence between L and the quantity of symbols indicated by the second CORSET.
([KHO, ¶87-¶91, ¶129 and ¶137] Regarding the CORESETs, the base station 802 transmits a CORSET configuration 830 that the UE receives wherein the CORESET configuration comprises parameters for the CORESET. The CORESET REG bundle size may be two or six (e.g. L=2 or L=6) where parameter ‘L’ refers to the REG bundle size, interpreted as REG bundle Length. Additionally, KHO teaches wherein there are at least two interleaving row values configured for the CORESET - In the illustrated example of FIG. 4, in a first frequency (e.g., the top row), the left REG is numbered REG “0” and the right REG is numbered REG “1.” Jumping to the next frequency (e.g., the second row), the left REG is numbered REG “2” and the right REG is numbered REG “3,” etc. While the parameter “R” represents the interleaver size, sometimes referred to as an “interleaver depth.” The interleaver size (“R”) may be configured to determine the number of sections that the CORESET bandwidth is divided into when applying the interleaving.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SAK, indicating the ability to receiving signaling on one of the CORESETs and adjust the CORESET based on the signaling, with the teachings of KHO, indicating that different REG bundling sizes with parameter “L” and interleaving row values are configured for the CORESET indicated by parameter “R”. The resulting benefit would have been the ability to enhance the overall reliability of a transmission [KHO, ¶42-¶43].
Claim(s) 25, 30, 35 and 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAK as applied to claims 21, 26, 31 and 36 respectively above, and further in view of SU et al. US 2023/0071462 (hereinafter SU)
Regarding claim 25, claim 30, claim 35 and claim 40, SAK teaches the method according to claim 21, (See the rejection of claim 21 above), the method according to claim 26 (See the rejection of claim 26 above), the apparatus according to claim 31 (See the rejection of claim 31 above), the apparatus according to claim 36 (See the rejection of claim 36 above) respectively,
But it does not teach wherein:
a quantity of candidate physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) corresponding to at least one aggregation level is configured in a search space associated with the second control resource set, and a first aggregation level in the at least one aggregation level corresponds to a quantity of at least two candidate PDCCHs; or
a maximum quantity of candidate PDCCHs corresponding to at least one aggregation level is configured in a search space associated with the second control resource set.
However, SU teaches a quantity of candidate physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) corresponding to at least one aggregation level is configured in a search space associated with the second control resource set, and a first aggregation level in the at least one aggregation level corresponds to a quantity of at least two candidate PDCCHs; or a maximum quantity of candidate PDCCHs corresponding to at least one aggregation level is configured in a search space associated with the second control resource set.
([See SU, Fig, 3B, ¶257-¶260] PDCCH Candidate 1 of CORESET 1 and PDCCH Candidate 1 of CORESET 2 (interpreted as the claimed Candidate PDCCHs) correspond to at least one aggregation level (each having an aggregation level (AL) of 2 which are aggregated into a PDCCH candidate with an AL=4) is configured in a search space (SS) (referred to by SU as the larger search space (larger SS) shown as the box having a line dashed border) associated with a second control resource set (shown as CORESET 2), and a first aggregation level (previously referred to as the AL=4) in the at least one aggregation level corresponds to a quantity of at least two candidate PDCCHs (PDCCH Candidate 1 of CORESET 1 and PDCCH Candidate 1 of CORESET 2))
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SAK, indicating the ability to receiving signaling on one of the CORESETs and modify one or more CORESETs/Search Space sets based on the signaling [SAK, ¶99], with the teachings of SU, indicating that a quantity of candidate PDCCHs corresponding to an AL may be configured in a search space associated with the second CORESET wherein the first AL corresponds to a quantity of at least two candidate PDCCHs. The resulting benefit would have been the ability to provide a control information communication method and device, so as to enhance the reliability of the control information communication [SU, ¶5].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23, 28, 33 and 38 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The Examiner has conducted a prior art search of the available Patent and Non-Patent Literature and was unable to find any prior art which teaches either solely or in combination with another reference the claim limitation of “… wherein a quantity of resource blocks (RBs) of the second control resource set cannot be exactly divided by 12 or 18”, in combination with all the other claim limitations of their respective base claims (claims 21, 26, 31 and 36), in addition to their respective intervening claims (claims 22, 27, 32 and 37).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONNIE V SWEET whose telephone number is (571)270-3622. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/LONNIE V SWEET/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467