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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 21, 23, 27, 29-32, 36, 38 and 40-50 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kundu et al. (US Publication 2021/0029731 A1; discovered by the examiner during prior art search; the examiner came across commonly owned application 18534701; the Kundu reference was applied in the outstanding Final Rejection for the commonly owned application).
In regards to claims 21 and 38, Kundu teaches, A method, comprising: obtaining a first formula determining a physical resource block (PRB} index of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH} resource based on the first formula and a PUCCH resource index, wherein the PUCCH resource is used by a first terminal device to transmit uplink control information (see paragraphs 25-28 and 35; The UE receives PUCCH resource configuration (including PRB offset, cyclic shift index set, etc.) from the network, either via higher layer signaling or system information, which is used to determine the frequency- domain position of the PUCCH resource, see paragraphs 25-28 and 35; also see paragraphs 62, 67 and 72 for examples of UCI transmission on PUCCH); and receiving third information, wherein the third information comprises first indication information, and the first indication information indicates the first formula: and wherein: when a PUCCH resource set of the first terminal device is located at an upper edge of a first initial uplink bandwidth part (BWP). the first formula is
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(see paragraph 36; the whole formula is stated for when [r.sub.PUCCH/8]=0; upper edge)
When the PUCCH resource set of the first terminal device is located at a lower edge of:
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209
683
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630
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(see paragraph 38; the whole formula is stated for when [r.sub.PUCCH/8]=1)
BWP comprises the PUCCH resource, and PUCCH resource set configuration information indicates the first PRB offset and the set of initial cyclic shift indexes (see paragraphs 83, 102 and 148 which describe additional parameters to enhance PUCCH resource set configuration from single PRB in NR-licensed to multiple PRBs in NR-unlicensed using contiguous allocation (using PUCCH formats 0 and 1).), and wherein the third information further indicates that no frequency hopping is performed on the PUCCH resource (see paragraph 51; a PUCCH resource includes the following parameters: a PUCCH resource index provided by pucch-Resourced; an index of the first PRB prior to frequency hopping or for no frequency hopping by startingPRB).
In regards to claims 23 and 40, Kundu teaches, wherein the third information further comprises PUCCH resource set configuration information, and the PUCCH resource set configuration information is used to determine the PRB index of the PUCCH resource (see paragraphs 83, 102 and 148 which describe additional parameters to enhance PUCCH resource set configuration from single PRB in NR-licensed to multiple PRBs in NR-unlicensed using contiguous allocation (using PUCCH formats 0 and 1).).
In regards to claim 27, the InterDigital document teaches, wherein the third information is a system information block 1 (SIB1), (see paragraph 27; a PUCCH resource set is provided by higher layer parameter pucch-ResourceCommon in SysteminformationBlockType1 through an index to a row of Table 1 for transmission of HARQ-ACK information on PUCCH in an initial active UL BWP of N.sub.BWP.sup.size PRBs provided by SystemInformationBlockType1).
In regards to claims 29 and 41, Kundu teaches, transmitting the uplink control information on a resource associated with the PRB index (see paragraphs 62, 67 and 72 for examples of UCI transmission on PUCCH)).
In regards to claims 30, 42-43, Kundu teaches, wherein the first terminal device, the communication apparatus and the firs terminal device respectively are reduced capability device, apparatus or terminal (see paragraph 178, UE can be a wearable device or sensor for example).
In regards to claim 31, Kundu teaches, a method comprising: sending third information comprising first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates a first formula (see paragraphs 25-28 and 35; The UE receives PUCCH resource configuration (including PRB offset, cyclic shift index set, etc.) from the network, either via higher layer signaling or system information, which is used to determine the frequency- domain position of the PUCCH resource, see paragraphs 25-28 and 35); and wherein the third information indicates that no frequency hopping is performed on the PUCCH resource (see paragraph 51; a PUCCH resource includes the following parameters: a PUCCH resource index provided by pucch-Resourced; an index of the first PRB prior to frequency hopping or for no frequency hopping by startingPRB), wherein: when a PUCCH resource set of a first terminal device is located at an upper edge of a first initial uplink bandwidth (BWP) the first formula is:
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(see paragraph 36; the whole formula is stated if [r.sub.PUCCH/8]=0; upper edge)
and when the PUCCH resource set of the first terminal device is located at a lower edge of the first initial uplink BWP, the first formula is:
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(see paragraph 38; the whole formula is stated if [r.sub.PUCCH/8]=1)
X is a physical resource block (PRB) index of the PUCCH resource, is a quantity of PRBs comprised in a bandwidth of the first initial uplink BWP, RBBWP is a first PRB offset of the PUCCH resource, PUCCH is a PUCCH resource index, Nᶜₛ is a quantity of ruccii Nᶜₛ elements in a set of initial cyclic shift indexes, indicates rounding down a result of "PUCCH Nᶜₛ , the first initial uplink BWP comprises the PUCCH resource, and PUCCH resource set configuration information indicates the first PRB offset and the set of initial cyclic shift indexes (see paragraphs 35-39 for what the variables represent).
In regards to claim 32, the InterDigital document teaches, wherein the third information further comprises PUCCH resource set configuration information, and the PUCCH resource set configuration information is used to determine the PRB index of the PUCCH resource (see paragraphs 83, 102 and 148 which describe additional parameters to enhance PUCCH resource set configuration from single PRB in NR-licensed to multiple PRBs in NR-unlicensed using contiguous allocation (using PUCCH formats 0 and 1).).
In regards to claim 36, the InterDigital document teaches, wherein the third information is a system information block 1 (SIB1), (see paragraph 27; a PUCCH resource set is provided by higher layer parameter pucch-ResourceCommon in SysteminformationBlockType1 through an index to a row of Table 1 for transmission of HARQ-ACK information on PUCCH in an initial active UL BWP of N.sub.BWP.sup.size PRBs provided by SystemInformationBlockType1).
In regards to claim 44, Kundu teaches, wherein the third information further indicates a frequency position of the first initial uplink BWP and a frequency position of a second initial uplink BWP(see paragraph 148; a new table can be introduced for enabling cell-specific PUCCH resource set configuration using interlace based PUCCH format 0/1, which can be a modified/extended version of Table 1. More specifically, if a UE 502 does not have dedicated PUCCH resource configuration, provided by PUCCH-ResourceSet in PUCCH-Config, a PUCCH resource set is provided by pucch-ResourceCommon through an index to a row of Table 1x if configured with interlace based PUCCH resource (for example, provided with RRC parameter useInterlacePUCCH-Common-r16) for transmission of HARQ-ACK information on PUCCH in an initial UL BWP of N.sub.BWP.sup.size PRBs; the N.sub. BWP.sup.size reads on the second initial uplink BWP).
In regards to claim 45, Kundu teaches, receiving second information; and determining, based on the second information, the PUCCH resource index (see paragraph 60; A PUCCH resource set is provided by higher layer parameter PUCCH-ResourceSet and is associated with a PUCCH resource set index provided by higher layer parameter pucch-ResourceSetId, with a set of PUCCH resource indexes provided by higher layer parameter resourceList that provides a set of pucch-ResourceId used in the PUCCH resource set).
In regards to claim 46, Kundu teaches, wherein the PUCCH resource set includes 16 PUCCH resources (see paragraph 31; a set of 16 cell-specific PUCCH resources).
In regards to claim 47, Kundu teaches, sending second information, wherein the second information is used to determine the PUCCH resource index, the first formula (see paragraph 35; The 3 bit PUCCH resource indicator in the DCI format (e.g., DCI format 1_0 or DCI format 1_1) and starting CCE index (for 1-bit) is used to derive PUCCH resource index r.sub.PUCCH (0≤r.sub.PUCCH≤15)) and the PUCCH resource index are used to determine the PRB index of the PUCCH resource (see paragraph 36 and the formula with respect to claim 21), and the PUCCH resource is used by the first terminal device to transmit uplink control information (also see paragraphs 62, 67 and 72 for examples of UCI transmission on PUCCH).
In regards to claim 48, Kundu teaches, wherein the PUCCH resource set includes 16 PUCCH resources (see paragraph 31; a set of 16 cell-specific PUCCH resources).
In regards to claim 49, Kundu teaches, receiving second information; and determining, based on the second information, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource index (see paragraph 60; A PUCCH resource set is provided by higher layer parameter PUCCH-ResourceSet and is associated with a PUCCH resource set index provided by higher layer parameter pucch-ResourceSetId, with a set of PUCCH resource indexes provided by higher layer parameter resourceList that provides a set of pucch-ResourceId used in the PUCCH resource set).
In regards to claim 50, Kundu teaches, wherein the PUCCH resource set includes 16 PUCCH resources (see paragraph 31; a set of 16 cell-specific PUCCH resources).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the amendment filed on 6/12/2026 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY P PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-3086. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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