DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 03/16/2024.
Claims 1- 20 are pending for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 03/16/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1- 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiang (US 20240373419 A1), hereinafter “Jiang”; and in further view of Jiang2 (US 20200281010 A1), hereinafter “Jiang2”.
Regarding claim 1, Jiang teaches A method for triggering a Scheduling Request (SR), wherein the method is applied to a terminal in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, and comprises [Jiang: Fig. 1; Par. 42 discloses scheduling request triggering for a terminal in NR/NTN system (Par. 3)]:
triggering an SR when a Timing Advance (TA) report is triggered and an uplink resource satisfies an unavailable condition [Jiang: Fig. 1; Par. 71- 75 teaches of TA report triggered the SR in a case that there is no available uplink resource],
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However, Jiang does not teach wherein the uplink resource is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource for a new uplink transmission.
Nevertheless, Jiang2, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches wherein the uplink resource is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource for a new uplink transmission [Jiang2: Fig. 1, 2; Par. 41- 50, 87 teaches of trigger SR with PUSCH, and in response to preset RA trigger condition, trigger contention-based request (condition include that no valid uplink resource therefore once valid uplink resource information is detected (new), previous triggered RA procedure is cancelled)].
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Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was made to utilize the teachings of Jiang2 for performing SR and RA trigger condition. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Jiang2 in the Jiang system in order to provide transmission on unavailable condition [Jiang2: Par. 31].
Regarding claim 2, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Jiang in view of Jiang 2 further teaches wherein the TA report comprises at least one of: a TA report based on a periodicity; a TA report based on an event trigger; or a TA report based on a network request [Jiang: Par. 61 teaches of periodically reporting of TA].
Regarding claim 3, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches wherein the unavailable condition satisfied by the uplink resource comprises a first condition or a second condition [Jiang2; Par. 34 teaches of more than one trigger conditions] ,
wherein the first condition comprises that there is no first uplink resource for a new transmission, the second condition comprises that there is a second uplink resource for a new transmission and the second uplink resource is unable to accommodate a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) of the TA report [Jiang: Fig. 8; Par. 214 teaches of TA report in the MAC PDU].
Regarding claim 4, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches when the SR is in a pending state, cancelling the SR when a cancellation condition is satisfied [Jiang2: Fig. 2; Par. 91- 94].
Regarding claim 5, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 4. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches wherein the cancellation condition comprises that:
the TA report is completed; [Jiang2: Fig. 2; Par. 91- 94].
Regarding claim 6, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches further comprising: when the SR is in a pending state triggering a random access procedure when a trigger condition is satisfied [Jiang2: Par. 48 teaches of SR trigger condition is satisfied, SR is in pending state triggering].
Regarding claim 7, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 6. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches there is no Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resource for transmitting the SR; or a number of transmitting the SR corresponding to the SR has reached a maximum SR transmission number [Jiang2: Figs. 1,2; Par. 42- 52 teaches of no PUCCH for transmitting SR condition].
Regarding claim 8, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 7. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches receiving second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information is used for configuring a SR configuration [Jiang2: Par. 50- 52 teaches of receiving current and new configuration information for SR configuration].
Regarding claim 9, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 8. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches determining a PUCCH resource for transmitting the SR based on the SR configuration; and transmitting the SR through the PUCCH resource [Jiang2: Figs. 1,2; Par. 42- 52 teaches of no PUCCH for transmitting SR condition].
Regarding claim 10, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 8. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches determining that there is no PUCCH resource for transmitting the SR when no SR configuration is configured [Jiang2; Par. 138 SR determination is satisfied if there is no PUCCH to configure].
Regarding claim 11, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 10. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches further comprising, before a random access procedure is ended, stopping the random access procedure when a stopping condition is satisfied [See. Jiang2; Figs. 1, 2].
Regarding claim 12, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 11. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches wherein the random access procedure is triggered when there is no PUCCH resource for transmitting the SR [Jiang2; Par. 138 SR determination is satisfied if there is no PUCCH to configure].
Regarding claim 13, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 11. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches an uplink scheduling grant is received, and the TA report is transmitted by using an uplink resource scheduled by the uplink scheduling grant [Jiang2: Figs. 1-2; Par. 138- 143 teaches of if there is an available UL-SCH resource received or the UL-grant is configured within the first preset time interval, send to-be-transmitted data and/or the BSR to a base station by using the available UL-SCH resource or an uplink transmission resource indicated by the UL-grant].
Regarding claim 14, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 13. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches an uplink scheduling grant is received, and the uplink scheduling grant is not indicated in a message 2 or a message B, the terminal transmits a Medium Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) using the uplink scheduling grant, and the MAC PDU comprises a medium access control element (MAC CE) of the TA report [Jiang: Par. 51, 214 teaches of transmit MAC PDU containing in TA report].
Regarding claim 15, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches wherein the method is applied to a Non Terrestrial Network (NTN) scenario [Jiang: Par. 3].
Regarding claim 16, Jiang teaches A terminal, comprising:
a processor;
a transceiver; and a memory which is configured for storing executable instructions of the processor and is coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to[Jiang: Fig. 1 illustrates scheduling request triggering for a terminal in NR/NTN system (Par. 3)]:
trigger an SR when a Timing Advance (TA) report is triggered and an uplink resource satisfies an unavailable condition [Jiang: Fig. 1; Par. 71- 75 teaches of TA report triggered the SR in a case that there is no available uplink resource],
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However, Jiang does not teach wherein the uplink resource is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource for a new uplink transmission.
Nevertheless, Jiang2, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches wherein the uplink resource is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource for a new uplink transmission [Jiang2: Fig. 1, 2; Par. 41- 50, 87 teaches of trigger SR with PUSCH, and in response to preset RA trigger condition, trigger contention-based request (condition include that no valid uplink resource therefore once valid uplink resource information is detected (new), previous triggered RA procedure is cancelled)].
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Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was made to utilize the teachings of Jiang2 for performing SR and RA trigger condition. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Jiang2 in the Jiang system in order to provide transmission on unavailable condition [Jiang2: Par. 31].
Regarding claim 17, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 16. Jiang in view of Jiang 2 further teaches wherein the TA report comprises at least one of: a TA report based on a periodicity; a TA report based on an event trigger; or a TA report based on a network request [Jiang: Par. 61 teaches of periodically reporting of TA].
Regarding claim 18, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 16. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches wherein the unavailable condition satisfied by the uplink resource comprises a first condition or a second condition [Jiang2; Par. 34 teaches of more than one trigger conditions] ,
wherein the first condition comprises that there is no first uplink resource for a new transmission, the second condition comprises that there is a second uplink resource for a new transmission and the second uplink resource is unable to accommodate a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) of the TA report [Jiang: Fig. 8; Par. 214 teaches of TA report in the MAC PDU].
Regarding claim 19, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 16. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches when the SR is in a pending state, cancelling the SR when a cancellation condition is satisfied [Jiang2: Fig. 2; Par. 91- 94].
Regarding claim 20, the combined Jiang in view of Jiang2 teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 19. Jiang in view of Jiang2 further teaches wherein the cancellation condition comprises that:
the TA report is completed; [Jiang2: Fig. 2; Par. 91- 94].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of the action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYAW Z SOE whose telephone number is (571)270-0304. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles C Jiang can be reached on 5712707191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYAW Z SOE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412