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
1. 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.
2. Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 19, 21, 22, 25, 27 and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by You (US PG Pub. No. 2026/0051984).
As per claim 1:
You teaches an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (see Figure 23, paragraph [0371], UE), comprising:
one or more memories (see Figure 23, paragraph [0373], memory 2330);
and one or more processors (see Figure 23, paragraph [0372], processor 2310), coupled to the one or more memories (see Figure 23, processor 2310 coupled to memory 2330), configured to cause the UE to:
receive a semi-static physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see Figure 19, paragraph [0302], base station instructs PUSCH repetition activation counted based on available slots as indicated in PUSCH configuration message (PUSCH-Config). Said PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources, please see paragraph [0286]) or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configuration (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
and selectively transmit (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots), in accordance with the semi-static PUSCH or PUCCH configuration (see paragraph [0283], the UE may receive a higher layer signal including field informing or indicating whether to enable PUSCH repetitions counted based on available slots. The higher layer signal may be said PUSCH configuration message and thus said PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots as disclosed in paragraph [0305] is based on said PUSCH configuration message. Note: As explained earlier in paragraph [0286], PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources. Therefore, the PUSCH configuration message is a semi-static PUSCH configuration), a PUSCH communication or a PUCCH communication in a PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots) or a PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record) of a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot based at least in part on an availability of the PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0233], for a cell supporting SBFD operation, a UE may be able to transmit PUSCH/PUCCH even if the symbols transmitting SS/PBCH (by the base station) overlap) or the PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), wherein the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion is unavailable when the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides (see Figure 18, paragraph [0299], in FD slot#3, PUSCH transmission resources overlaps with non-uplink subband resources (e.g., semi-statically configured downlink resources) in the frequency domain. As such PUSCH repeated transmission in FD slot #3 is excluded from the available slots) with a tracking reference signal (TRS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion (MO) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art) or search space (SS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), or a synchronization signal block (SSB) (see paragraph [0340], for cells operating in SBFD, if a PUSCH transmission symbol overlaps with an SS/PBCH transmission symbol in a specific slot, the slot is excluded from the available slots. The reference signal in this case is SS/PBCH).
As per claim 3:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to selectively transmit the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication, are configured to cause the UE to selectively transmit the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication based at least in part on whether the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication is dropped due to a collision between:
the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion, and
the TRS, the PDCCH MO or SS, or the SSB (see paragraph [0237], if the PUSCH transmission symbol and the SS/PBCH transmission symbol overlap in a specific available slot and the UE determines that it does not perform PUSCH transmission (for reception of SS/PBCH), the PUSCH transmission in the corresponding slot is omitted/dropped).
As per claim 4:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PUSCH communication is transmitted in the PUSCH transmission occasion when the PUSCH transmission occasion is available (see paragraphs [0318]-[0319], UE determines the N*K available slots where PUSCH transmission is performed).
As per claim 10:
You teaches an apparatus for wireless communication at a network node (see Figure 27, device 200), comprising:
one or more memories (see Figure 27, memory unit 130);
and one or more processors (see Figure 27, control unit 120 (e.g., processor(s))), coupled to the one or more memories (see Figure 27, paragraph [0386], control unit 120 is electrically connected to communication unit 110, memory 130 and additional components 140), configured to cause the network node to:
transmit a semi-static physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see Figure 19, paragraph [0302], base station instructs PUSCH repetition activation counted based on available slots as indicated in PUSCH configuration message (PUSCH-Config). Said PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources, please see paragraph [0286]) or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configuration (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
and selectively receive (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots. As shown in figure 19, the repeated transmission of PUSCH in the available slots is received by the BS), in accordance with the semi-static PUSCH or PUCCH configuration (see paragraph [0283], the UE may receive a higher layer signal including field informing or indicating whether to enable PUSCH repetitions counted based on available slots. The higher layer signal may be said PUSCH configuration message and thus said PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots as disclosed in paragraph [0305] is based on said PUSCH configuration message. Note: As explained earlier in paragraph [0286], PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources. Therefore, the PUSCH configuration message is a semi-static PUSCH configuration), a PUSCH communication or a PUCCH communication in a PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots) or a PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record) of a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot based at least in part on an availability of the PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0233], for a cell supporting SBFD operation, a UE may be able to transmit PUSCH/PUCCH even if the symbols transmitting SS/PBCH (by the base station) overlap) or the PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), wherein the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion is unavailable when the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides (see Figure 18, paragraph [0299], in FD slot#3, PUSCH transmission resources overlaps with non-uplink subband resources (e.g., semi-statically configured downlink resources) in the frequency domain. As such PUSCH repeated transmission in FD slot #3 is excluded from the available slots) with a tracking reference signal (TRS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion (MO) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art) or search space (SS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), or a synchronization signal block (SSB) (see paragraph [0340], for cells operating in SBFD, if a PUSCH transmission symbol overlaps with an SS/PBCH transmission symbol in a specific slot, the slot is excluded from the available slots. The reference signal in this case is SS/PBCH).
Claim 12 is rejected in the same scope as claim 3.
Claim 13 is rejected in the same scope as claim 4.
As per claim 19:
You teaches a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) (see abstract), comprising:
receiving a semi-static physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see Figure 19, paragraph [0302], base station instructs PUSCH repetition activation counted based on available slots as indicated in PUSCH configuration message (PUSCH-Config). Said PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources, please see paragraph [0286]) or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configuration (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
and selectively transmitting (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots), in accordance with the semi-static PUSCH or PUCCH configuration (see paragraph [0283], the UE may receive a higher layer signal including field informing or indicating whether to enable PUSCH repetitions counted based on available slots. The higher layer signal may be said PUSCH configuration message and thus said PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots as disclosed in paragraph [0305] is based on said PUSCH configuration message. Note: As explained earlier in paragraph [0286], PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources. Therefore, the PUSCH configuration message is a semi-static PUSCH configuration), a PUSCH communication or a PUCCH communication in a PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots) or a PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record) of a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot based at least in part on an availability of the PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0233], for a cell supporting SBFD operation, a UE may be able to transmit PUSCH/PUCCH even if the symbols transmitting SS/PBCH (by the base station) overlap) or the PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), wherein the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion is unavailable when the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides (see Figure 18, paragraph [0299], in FD slot#3, PUSCH transmission resources overlaps with non-uplink subband resources (e.g., semi-statically configured downlink resources) in the frequency domain. As such PUSCH repeated transmission in FD slot #3 is excluded from the available slots) with a tracking reference signal (TRS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion (MO) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art) or search space (SS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), or a synchronization signal block (SSB) (see paragraph [0340], for cells operating in SBFD, if a PUSCH transmission symbol overlaps with an SS/PBCH transmission symbol in a specific slot, the slot is excluded from the available slots. The reference signal in this case is SS/PBCH).
Claim 21 is rejected in the same scope as claim 3.
Claim 22 is rejected in the same scope as claim 4.
As per claim 25:
You teaches a method of wireless communication performed by a network node (see abstract), comprising:
transmitting a semi-static physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see Figure 19, paragraph [0302], base station instructs PUSCH repetition activation counted based on available slots as indicated in PUSCH configuration message (PUSCH-Config). Said PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources, please see paragraph [0286]) or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configuration (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
and selectively receiving (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots. As shown in figure 19, the repeated transmission of PUSCH in the available slots is received by the BS), in accordance with the semi-static PUSCH or PUCCH configuration (see paragraph [0283], the UE may receive a higher layer signal including field informing or indicating whether to enable PUSCH repetitions counted based on available slots. The higher layer signal may be said PUSCH configuration message and thus said PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots as disclosed in paragraph [0305] is based on said PUSCH configuration message. Note: As explained earlier in paragraph [0286], PUSCH configuration message may include resource allocation that semi-statically configures the uplink subband resources and the non-uplink subband resources. Therefore, the PUSCH configuration message is a semi-static PUSCH configuration), a PUSCH communication or a PUCCH communication in a PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0305], UE performs PUSCH repeated transmission in available slots) or a PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record) of a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot based at least in part on an availability of the PUSCH transmission occasion (see paragraph [0233], for a cell supporting SBFD operation, a UE may be able to transmit PUSCH/PUCCH even if the symbols transmitting SS/PBCH (by the base station) overlap) or the PUCCH transmission occasion (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), wherein the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion is unavailable when the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides (see Figure 18, paragraph [0299], in FD slot#3, PUSCH transmission resources overlaps with non-uplink subband resources (e.g., semi-statically configured downlink resources) in the frequency domain. As such PUSCH repeated transmission in FD slot #3 is excluded from the available slots) with a tracking reference signal (TRS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion (MO) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art) or search space (SS) (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art), or a synchronization signal block (SSB) (see paragraph [0340], for cells operating in SBFD, if a PUSCH transmission symbol overlaps with an SS/PBCH transmission symbol in a specific slot, the slot is excluded from the available slots. The reference signal in this case is SS/PBCH).
Claim 27 is rejected in the same scope as claim 3.
Claim 28 is rejected in the same scope as claim 4.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 2, 11, 20 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You in view of Seok (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0266979).
As per claim 2:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides with the TRS, the PDCCH MO or SS, or the SSB when at least one symbol of a time domain resource allocation (TDRA) associated with the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion collides with the TRS, the PDCCH MO or SS, or the SSB.
Seok teaches wherein the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides with the TRS, the PDCCH MO or SS, or the SSB when at least one symbol of a time domain resource allocation (TDRA) associated with the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion collides with the TRS, the PDCCH MO or SS, or the SSB (see paragraph [0189], within a slot, if at least one symbol in a symbol set allocated in a row in a TDRA table indicated by the DCI overlaps a downlink symbol indicated by tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon or tdd-UL-DL-COnfigurationDedicated, or overlaps an SSB symbol indicated by ssb-PositionsInBurst, the slot is not available and it is not included in a slot count of the multi-slot PUSCH/PUCCH).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to implement the uplink-downlink slot configuration (as disclosed in Lu) into You as a way of ensuring that PUSCH/PUCCH are transmitted in slots that do not coincide with downlink symbol in an SBFD slot (please see paragraph [0204] of Yu).
Claims 11, 20 and 26 are rejected in the same scope as claim 2.
5. Claims 5, 14, 23 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You in view of Ma (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0016753).
As per claim 5:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 4 with the exception of:
wherein the PUSCH communication is a configured grant (CG) PUSCH communication associated with transport block (TB) processing over multiple slots (TBoMS).
Ma teaches wherein the PUSCH communication is a configured grant (CG) PUSCH communication associated with transport block (TB) processing over multiple slots (TBoMS) (see paragraph [0074], resource allocation schemes in time domain for CG type 1 or CG type 2 PUSCH transmission(s) include: PUSCH repetition type A, PUSCH repetition type B, enhanced PUSCH repetition type A and TBOMS).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to implement the resource allocation scheme (as disclosed in Ma) into You as a way of indicating to the UE the scheduled time and frequency resources on which to perform PUSCH transmission(s) (please see paragraph [0051]-[0052] of Ma). Therefore, implementing the resource allocation scheme can help to uplink coverage and capacity (please see paragraph [0004] of Ma).
Claims 14, 23 and 29 are rejected in the same scope as claim 5.
6. Claims 6, 15, 24 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You in view of Lu (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0227708).
As per claim 6:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the PUCCH communication is transmitted in the PUCCH transmission occasion when the PUCCH transmission occasion is available.
Lu teaches wherein the PUCCH communication is transmitted in the PUCCH transmission occasion when the PUCCH transmission occasion is available (see paragraph [0206], disclose a specific implementation for transmitting a multi-slot PUSCH/PUCCH on SBFD based on existing available-slot counting method. The terminal sends first PUCCH on a first time unit set, please see paragraph [0208]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the uplink-downlink slot configuration (as disclosed in Lu) into You as a way of supporting PUSCH/PUCCH transmission on an uplink subband of a downlink symbol within an SBFD time unit to improve resource utilization (please see paragraph [0226] of Lu).
Claims 15, 24 and 30 are rejected in the same scope as claim 6.
7. Claims 7 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You in view of Li (US PG Pub. No. 2024/0015757).
As per claim 7:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the TRS is associated with a periodic TRS (P-TRS) occasion.
Li teaches wherein the TRS is associated with a periodic TRS (P-TRS) occasion (paragraph [0022], disclose the periodic tracking reference signal includes a tracking reference signal. The TRS (i.e., RSs 515 as shown in figure 5 and paragraph [0129] is transmitted during one or more symbol periods)).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to implement the periodic transmission of reference signals (as disclosed in Li) into You as a way of providing transmission of data in a high-pathloss mode while still enabling beam management and other functions that support communications efficiency (please see paragraph [0130] of Li).
Claim 16 is rejected in the same scope as claim 7.
8. Claims 8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You in view of Khoshkholgh (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0193912).
As per claim 8:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to selectively transmit the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication, are configured to cause the UE to selectively transmit the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication based at least in part on whether the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides with two initial symbols in a TRS occasion associated with the TRS.
Khoshkholgh teaches wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to selectively transmit the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication, are configured to cause the UE to selectively transmit the PUSCH communication or the PUCCH communication based at least in part on whether the PUSCH transmission occasion or the PUCCH transmission occasion at least partially collides with two initial symbols in a TRS occasion associated with the TRS (see paragraph [0364], the wireless device may, based on determining at least one symbol of the transmission occasion/slot of the m-th TB/PUSCH overlapping/colliding with at least one DL symbol, the wireless device may not increment nm-1 by 1 to determine nm. Paragraph [0136] disclose said downlink RS could be PT-RS).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to implement the uplink downlink configuration of the TB/PUSCH (as disclosed in Khoshkholgh) into You as a way of ensuring transmission in multiple UL symbols without collision (please see paragraph [0364] of Khoshkholgh).
Claim 17 is rejected in the same scope as claim 8.
9. Claims 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You in view of Ma (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0151046).
As per claim 9:
You teaches the apparatus of claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the PDCCH MO or SS is a control resource set (CORESET) 0 or common search space (CSS).
Ma teaches wherein the PDCCH MO or SS is a control resource set (CORESET) 0 or common search space (CSS) (see paragraph [0044], disclose supporting HARQ-ACK transmission of information bits in PUCCH resource 323 in such a way that it does not overlap a symbol of the downlink such as CORESET associated with a Type0-PDCCH CSS set).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to implement the Type0-PDCCCH CSS set (as disclosed in Ma) into You as a way of transmitting PUCCH in a target slot for transmitting HARQ-ACK information (please see paragraphs [0043]-[0044] of Ma).
Claim 18 is rejected in the same scope as claim 9.
Conclusion
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PRINCE AKWASI. MENSAH
Examiner
Art Unit 2474
/PRINCE A MENSAH/ Examiner, Art Unit 2474
/Michael Thier/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2474