DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-20 have been examined and are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
3. Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 2/26/2024 and 12/03/2024 have been found to be in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
5. The drawings were received on 2/26/2024. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
6. The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
9. Claims 1-4, 10-13, and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0100201 A1 to Farmanbar et al. (hereinafter “Farmanbar”).
Regarding Claim 1, Farmanbar discloses a wireless communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a communication device, at least one reference signal in at least one wireless time unit and a timing advance adjustment message, wherein the timing advance adjustment message indicates a timing advance related information (Farmanbar: Figure 8 with [0068] – transmitting to a user equipment (UE) from a base station a timing advance group (TAG) configuration; Figure 2 with [0046] – receiving at a UE from a base station a timing advance group (TAG) configuration; [0047], [0067] – either base station of UE may adjust timing advances based on mobility and information in the TAG configuration; [0007], [0008], [0053-0058] – reference signals (types: CSI-RS, path loss, SSB) and/or information pertaining to may be transmitted/received via radio resource control (RRC) or downlink control information (DCI) messages (wireless time unit/resource in time/at a first time).), and wherein the timing advance adjustment message is associated with a transmission parameter that is same as that associated with the at least one reference signal (Interpreted to correspond to shared information between TAG comprising reference signals and timing advance information as one or more parameters that may comprise similar or different values associated with said parameter, as described by Farmanbar in at least [0048] – the base station may be a TRP (parameter) that is the transmitter of the TAG and reference signal; Figures 4-6 illustrate a grouping of reference signals (parameter); [0061] a control resource set (CORESET) and [0063] a reference signal resource set (both resource sets are parameters) may be included with the TAG configuration; TAG configuration (with ID) may use the same timing advance (information) as a serving cell (parameter).); and
transmitting, in response to the receiving the at least one reference signal, an uplink transmission in a second wireless time unit, wherein a start time of the second wireless time unit is based on at least one timing value of the at least one wireless time unit and the timing advance related information (Farmanbar: Figure 2 with [0046-0047] – corresponds to sending a first and second uplink signal (as a second time unit) over a component carrier or separate beams to the base station in response to the configuration TAG message (first time unit) received from the base station with a corresponding timing delay/advance; see also [0065-0067] – the timing advance is determined based on the reception of the configuration message from the base station at the UE.).
Regarding Claim 2, Farmanbar discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the start time of the second wireless time unit is obtained by advancing the second wireless time unit with a timing advance value determined by the timing advance related information (Farmanbar: [0047] – a timing advance value is dynamically adjusted per a delay for receiving the uplink signal from the UE. See also [0051-0053].).
Regarding Claim 3, Farmanbar discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one timing value of the at least one wireless time unit is associated with the transmission parameter that is different from another transmission parameter of another timing value of another wireless time unit where the reference signal is received (Interpreted to correspond to shared information between TAG comprising reference signals and timing advance information as one or more parameters that may comprise similar or different values associated with said parameter, as described by Farmanbar in at least [0048] – the base station may be a TRP (parameter) that is the transmitter of the TAG and reference signal; Figures 4-6 illustrate a grouping of reference signals (parameter); [0061] a control resource set (CORESET) and [0063] a reference signal resource set (both resource sets are parameters) may be included with the TAG configuration; TAG configuration (with ID) may use the same timing advance (information) as a serving cell (parameter). Farmanbar describes a variety of parameters (above) that may be different, the same, included, or excluded (by the mention of “may”).).
Regarding Claim 4, Farmanbar discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is configured with a plurality of time alignment groups (TAGs) or TAG indexes for a serving cell in an information element received by the communication device (Farmanbar: [0047] – base station may update one or more TAG configurations with one or more TAG IDs that may be received in a Media Access Controls (MAC) Control Element (CE); see also [0051] – the base station may send an information element comprising TAG ID information to the UE.).
Regarding Claim 10, Farmanbar discloses a wireless communication method, comprising:
transmitting, by a network device, at least one reference signal in at least one wireless time unit and a timing advance adjustment message, wherein the timing advance adjustment message indicates a timing advance related information (Farmanbar: Figure 8 with [0068] – transmitting to a user equipment (UE) from a base station a timing advance group (TAG) configuration; Figure 2 with [0046] – receiving at a UE from a base station a timing advance group (TAG) configuration; [0047], [0067] – either base station of UE may adjust timing advances based on mobility and information in the TAG configuration; [0007], [0008], [0053-0058] – reference signals (types: CSI-RS, path loss, SSB) and/or information pertaining to may be transmitted/received via radio resource control (RRC) or downlink control information (DCI) messages (wireless time unit/resource in time/at a first time).); and
receiving, in response to the transmitting the at least one reference signal, an uplink transmission in a second wireless time unit, wherein a start time of the second wireless time unit is based on at least one timing value of the at least one wireless time unit and the timing advance related information (Farmanbar: Figure 2 with [0046-0047] – corresponds to sending a first and second uplink signal (as a second time unit) over a component carrier or separate beams to the base station in response to the configuration TAG message (first time unit) received from the base station with a corresponding timing delay/advance; see also [0065-0067] – the timing advance is determined based on the reception of the configuration message from the base station at the UE.).
Claims 11-13, dependent upon claim 10, recite similar features as claims 2-4, respectively, and are therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claims 2-4. Please see above rejections of claims 2-4.
Claims 15-17, directed to an apparatus embodiment of claims 1-3, recite similar features as claims 1-3 and are therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claims 1-3. Please see above rejections of claims 1-3. Farmanbar further discloses the apparatus as a user equipment comprising at least a processor in at least Figure 9A with [0070], element 900.
Claims 18-20, directed to an apparatus embodiment of claims 10-12, recite similar features as claims 10-12 and are therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claims 10-12. Please see above rejections of claims 10-12. Farmanbar further discloses the apparatus as a base station comprising at least a processor in at least Figure 9B with [0070], element 950.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
14. Claims 5 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farmanbar in view of United States Patent Application Publication 2021/0160805 A1 to Xu et al. (hereinafter “Xu”).
Regarding Claim 5, Farmanbar discloses the method of claim 4, but does not expressly disclose wherein the plurality of TAGs that are associated with a special cell (SpCell) are primary TAGs (PTAGs).
However, this feature, in timing advance adjustments, cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Xu. Xu is similarly concerned with synchronization between a user device and a network based on timing advance information (Xu: [0004]). Xu discloses the plurality of TAGs that are associated with a special cell (SpCell) are primary TAGs (PTAGs) (Xu: [0184] – “The timing advance group (TAG) is a group of serving cells configured with uplink resource, and the serving ceils use a same timing reference cell and a same timing advance value TA A TAG that includes a special cell (SpCell) is referred to as a primary TAG, and a TAG that includes a non-Spcell cell is referred to as a secondary TAG. The primary TAG includes a primary ceil (PCell) or a primary secondary cell (PSCell)”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify TAG of Farmanbar in view of the TAG of Xu to identify pTAGs for the reasons of reducing communication delay in the synchronization process (Xu: [0003]).
Claim 14, dependent upon claim 10, recites similar features as claim 5 and is therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claim 5. Please see above rejection of claim 5.
15. Claims 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farmanbar in view of United States Patent Application Publication 22023/0048026 A1 to Huang et al. (hereinafter “Huang”).
Regarding Claim 6, Farmanbar discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is capable of simultaneous uplink transmission operation (Examiner notes any user equipment operable to transmit to two or more base stations is “capable” of simultaneous communications, as described by Farmanbar in at least [0044].), but does not expressly disclose wherein the simultaneous uplink transmission operation is enabled, allowed or indicated to the communication device, and wherein the communication device is scheduled or configured to perform two uplink transmissions that are associated with different panel related information.
However, these features cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Huang. Huang is similar concerned with uplink communications associated with timing advances (Huang: [0005]). Huang discloses simultaneous uplink transmission operation is enabled, allowed or indicated to the communication device (Huang: [0005], [0224], [0238-0239] – corresponds to simultaneous uplink communications at least based on a user equipment’s capabilities.), and wherein the communication device is scheduled or configured to perform two uplink transmissions that are associated with different panel related information (Huang: [0005], [0224], [0238-0239] – corresponds to simultaneous uplink communications at least based on a user equipment’s capabilities, and may be transmitted from different panels from the UE.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the simultaneous communication-capable device of Farmanbar in view of the simultaneous communication of Huang to perform simultaneous communications via different panels for the reasons of to providing higher data rate via spatial domain (Huang: [0238]).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Farmanbar and Huang discloses the method of claim 6, wherein Huang further discloses the two uplink transmissions are performed without reducing transmission duration of the two uplink transmissions or without canceling the two uplink transmissions (Huang: [0375] – the UE is “capable” of simultaneous transmission across multiple panels (STXMP), which necessarily defines two uplink transmissions being performed without reducing transmission duration of the two uplink transmissions or without canceling the two uplink transmissions.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the simultaneous communication-capable device of Farmanbar in view of the simultaneous communication of Huang to perform STxMP for the reasons of to providing higher data rate via spatial domain (Huang: [0238]).
Regarding Claim 8, Farmanbar discloses the method of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein when a time alignment timer (TAT) associated with any secondary timing advance groups (STAGs) expires, the communication device cancels all uplink transmissions associated with a TAG and maintains timing advance values of the TAG.
However, these features cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Huang. Huang is similar concerned with uplink communications associated with timing advances (Huang: [0005]). Huang discloses when a time alignment timer (TAT) associated with any secondary timing advance groups (STAGs) expires (Huang: [0066] – “…1> when a timeAlignmentTimer expires:…”, [0075] - :… 2> else if the timeAlignmentTimer is associated with an STAG…”.) the communication device cancels all uplink transmissions associated with a TAG (Huang: [0076] – “…3> flush all HARQ buffers…”.) and maintains timing advance values of the TAG (Huang: [0081] – “…3> maintain N.sub.TA (defined in TS 38.211 [8]) of this TAG…”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the simultaneous communication-capable device of Farmanbar in view of the simultaneous communication of Huang to TAT for the reasons of restricting interfering uplink transmissions.
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Farmanbar and Huang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein Huang further discloses the method of claim 8, wherein the canceling the uplink transmissions comprises at least one of: flushing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) buffers (Huang: [0076]), releasing configured physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or sounding reference signal (SRS) (Huang: [0077]), clearing configured downlink assignments (Huang: [0079), clearing configured uplink grants (Huang: [0079]) or clearing physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource for semi-persistent channel state information (CSI) reporting (Huang: [0080]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the simultaneous communication-capable device of Farmanbar in view of the simultaneous communication of Huang to TAT for the reasons of restricting interfering uplink transmissions.
Conclusion
16. 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.
17. 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 February 6, 2026