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 .
Summary
This action is in reply to Applicant’s Amendments and Remarks filed on 06/30/2026.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments and remarks, filed 06/30/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive.
With respect to claim 1, the Applicant presented argument that Cao fails to disclose "performing a first retransmission to the receiving node, including transmitting at least one check block from a first set of one or more check blocks, the first set of one or more check blocks generated using a first subblock interleaver set associated with a first redundancy version (RV) index of the first retransmission, wherein each check block in the first set of one or more check blocks is generated using a part of each of the two or more information CBs after interleaving subblocks of each of the two or more information CBs using the first subblock interleaver set". (REMARKS, Page 9)
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Cao Fig. 12B clearly illustrates Parity Code Bits (PCBs), P1 and P2, generation from cyclic shifted subblocks for four Code Blocks (CBs), and Fig 19, [0213-0215] illustrates/describes PCB1 for 2nd transmission 1102 or first retransmission, and similarly PCB2/PCB3 for 3rd / 4th transmission 1104/1106 or second retransmission, PCB2, PCB3 are being generated referencing Fig. 12B.
See [0213] In response to the lack of an ACK from Device B within a time window following the initial transmission, Device A generates a parity CB, PCB1, for TB1 using an outer code based on all the original information CBs of TB1, and sends PCB1 to Device B in a second transmission, as indicated at 1102. For example, Device A may generate the parity CB PCB1 for TB1 by XORing the CBs of TB1 or cyclic shifts thereof, e.g., PCB1 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2⊕CB3⊕CB4⊕CB5⊕CB6⊕CB7⊕CB8⊕CB9.
[0214] In this example, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the second transmission, Device A sends a third transmission that includes a different parity CB, PCB2, for TB1 to Device B, as indicated at 1104. For example, Device A may use a cyclic shift based outer code similar to the one described above with reference to FIG. 12B. For example, PCB2 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(1)⊕CB3.sup.(2)⊕CB4.sup.(3)⊕CB5.sup.(4)⊕CB6.sup.(5)⊕CB7.sup.(6)⊕CB8.sup.(7)⊕CB9.sup.(8).
[0215] At 1106, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the third transmission, Device A sends a third parity CB, PCB3, for TB1 to Device B. PCB3 is different from both PCB1 and PCB2. For example, PCB3 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(2)⊕CB3.sup.(4)⊕CB4.sup.(6)⊕CB5.sup.(8)⊕CB6.sup.(10)⊕CB7.sup.(12)⊕CB8.sup.(14)⊕CB9.sup.(16).
Accordingly claim 1, and similarly claims 6, 11 and 16 are rejected.
Dependent claims 2-5, 7-10, 12-15 and 17-20, being dependent on claims 1, 6, 11 and 16, are also rejected for the same reason as above.
NOTICE for all US Patent Applications filed on or after March 16, 2013
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of AIA 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.
Claims 1, 4-6, 9-11, 14-16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as anticipated by Cao et al. (US 20200259600 A1, of IDS, hereinafter ‘CAO’).
Regarding claim 1, CAO teaches a method (
Fig. 19, [0212] FIG. 19, for example, is a diagram … of a HARQ retransmission scheme between two network devices……. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the two network devices include a Device A and a Device B. For example, Device A may be a BS and Device B may be a UE. In this example, after Device A transmits a data block that includes a transport block TB1 to Device B), comprising:
performing an initial transmission, including transmitting a transport block comprising two or more information code blocks (CBs) to a receiving node (
Fig. 11, [0138] One technique to solve the bursty puncturing/error recovery scheme adopts an outer erasure code (herein called an outer code) to do retransmission, which is shown in FIG. 11. In the example, code blocks (CBs) 3, 10, and 13 are not correctly decoded. After receiving a HARQ request, instead of retransmitting redundant versions for CB 1-14, the transmitter transmits the outer code parity check CBs (PCBs) P1-P10. If more than three PCBs can be correctly received, then from the CB {1-2, 4-8, 9, 11-12, 14}, and the correctly received PCBs, the receiver will be able to recover all the desired CBs 1-14.
Fig. 19 1st Tx,
[0212] In the example shown in FIG. 19, the two network devices include a Device A and a Device B. For example, Device A may be a BS and Device B may be a UE. In this example, after Device A transmits a data block that includes a transport block TB1 to Device B, Device A continues to send parity CBs to Device B that are based on an outer code using all CBs of TB1. In particular, as indicated at 1100, Device A initially transmits a data block that includes a transport block TB1 to Device B. As in the previous examples, TB1 contains 9 CBs, identified as CB1 to CB9 grouped into three CBGs, identified as CBG1, CBG2 and CBG3. In this example Device B successfully decoded all CBs in TB1 except CB1 and CB2 of CBG1 and CB6 of CBG2.);
performing a first retransmission to the receiving node, including transmitting at least one check block from a first set of one or more check blocks (
[0213] In response to the lack of an ACK from Device B within a time window following the initial transmission, Device A generates a parity CB, PCB1, for TB1 using an outer code based on all the original information CBs of TB1, and sends PCB1 to Device B in a second transmission, as indicated at 1102. For example, Device A may generate the parity CB PCB1 for TB1 by XORing the CBs of TB1 or cyclic shifts thereof, e.g., PCB1 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2⊕CB3⊕CB4⊕CB5⊕CB6⊕CB7⊕CB8⊕CB9.), the first set of one or more check blocks generated using a first subblock interleaver set associated with a first redundancy version (RV) index of the first retransmission (
Fig. 12B, [0155] illustrated in FIG. 12B.
[0156] More generally, the encoder of a first network device computes N parity CBs from m information CBs in a way that is known to the decoder of the second network device. Each parity CB P.sub.j, 1≤j≤N, is computed by performing an XOR of the m information CBs or cyclic shifts thereof.
Fig. 19, 1st Tx PCB1, 3rd Tx 1104 PCB2 or 4th Tx 1106 PCB3 transmissions,
[0213] …. For example, Device A may generate the parity CB PCB1 for TB1 by XORing the CBs of TB1 or cyclic shifts thereof, e.g., PCB1 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2⊕CB3⊕CB4⊕CB5⊕CB6⊕CB7⊕CB8⊕CB9.
[0214] In this example, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the second transmission, Device A sends a third transmission that includes a different parity CB, PCB2, for TB1 to Device B, as indicated at 1104. For example, Device A may use a cyclic shift based outer code similar to the one described above with reference to FIG. 12B. For example, PCB2 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(1)⊕CB3.sup.(2)⊕CB4.sup.(3)⊕CB5.sup.(4)⊕CB6.sup.(5)⊕CB7.sup.(6)⊕CB8.sup.(7)⊕CB9.sup.(8).
[0215] At 1106, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the third transmission, Device A sends a third parity CB, PCB3, for TB1 to Device B. PCB3 is different from both PCB1 and PCB2. For example, PCB3 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(2)⊕CB3.sup.(4)⊕CB4.sup.(6)⊕CB5.sup.(8)⊕CB6.sup.(10)⊕CB7.sup.(12)⊕CB8.sup.(14)⊕CB9.sup.(16).
(Construed that parity CB PCB1 or parity CB, PCB2, as illustrated by Fig. 12B, generation from m information CBs generated by XORing and cyclic shifting thereof based on original transmitted CGs in TB1 is equivalent to check blocks generated using a first subblock interleaver set associated with a first redundancy version (RV) index or RV1 of the first retransmission)), wherein each check block in the first set of one or more check blocks is generated using a part of each of the two or more information CBs after interleaving subblocks of each of the two or more information CBs using the first subblock interleaver set (
See Fig. 12B, PCB P2 and P3 are generated using two or more information CBs being cyclic shifted or after interleaving subblocks of each of the two or more information CBs using the first subblock interleaver set.
Fig. 19, third transmission at 1104 of PCB2, PCB2 generation referencing Fig. 12B,
See [0214, 0215] cited above); and
performing a second retransmission to the receiving node, including transmitting at least one check block from a second set of one or more check blocks generated using a second subblock interleaver set associated with a second RV index of the second retransmission (
Fig. 19, 3rd Tx 1104 PCB2 or 4th Tx 1106 PCB3 transmissions,
[0214] In this example, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the second transmission, Device A sends a third transmission that includes a different parity CB, PCB2, for TB1 to Device B, as indicated at 1104. For example, Device A may use a cyclic shift based outer code similar to the one described above with reference to FIG. 12B. For example, PCB2 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(1)⊕CB3.sup.(2)⊕CB4.sup.(3)⊕CB5.sup.(4)⊕CB6.sup.(5)⊕CB7.sup.(6)⊕CB8.sup.(7)⊕CB9.sup.(8).
[0215] At 1106, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the third transmission, Device A sends a third parity CB, PCB3, for TB1 to Device B. PCB3 is different from both PCB1 and PCB2. For example, PCB3 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(2)⊕CB3.sup.(4)⊕CB4.sup.(6)⊕CB5.sup.(8)⊕CB6.sup.(10)⊕CB7.sup.(12)⊕CB8.sup.(14)⊕CB9.sup.(16).
[0216] …. In this example, Device B provides simple HARQ feedback by only sending an ACK of the TB as indicated at 1008. In other embodiments, Device B may send a NACK after each transmission if it has not yet successfully decoded the TB….).
Regarding claim 6, CAO teaches an apparatus (
Fig. 3, base station 170,
Fig. 19, Device A,
[0212] FIG. 19, for example, is a diagram … of a HARQ retransmission scheme between two network devices……. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the two network devices include a Device A and a Device B. For example, Device A may be a BS and Device B may be a UE. In this example, after Device A transmits a data block that includes a transport block TB1 to Device B ) comprising a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to execute machine-readable instructions to cause the apparatus to carry out a method comprising (
Fig. 3, Base Station 170 with Processing Unit 250 and Memory 258,
[0082] As shown in FIG. 3, the base station 170 includes at least one processing unit 250, ….. at least one memory 258 ….
[0083] ….. The memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the base station 170. For example, the memory 258 could store software instructions or modules configured to implement some or all of the functionality and/or embodiments described above and that are executed by the processing unit(s) 250.).
Further, claim 6 is interpreted is interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 1 and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted is interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 1 and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, CAO teaches an apparatus (
Fig. 2, ED 110,
[0077] The ED 110 will hereafter be referred to as a user equipment (UE) 110.
Fig. 19, Device B,
[0212] FIG. 19, for example, is a diagram … of a HARQ retransmission scheme between two network devices……. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the two network devices include a Device A and a Device B. For example, Device A may be a BS and Device B may be a UE. In this example, after Device A transmits a data block that includes a transport block TB1 to Device B ) comprising a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to execute machine-readable instructions to cause the apparatus to carry out a method comprising (
Fig. 2, Electronic Device ED 110 with Processing Unit 200 and Memory 208,
[0078] As shown in FIG. 2, the UE 110 includes at least one processing unit 200.
[0081] In addition, the UE 110 includes at least one memory 208. …. could store software instructions or modules configured to implement some or all of the functionality and/or embodiments described herein and that are executed by the processing unit(s) 200.).
Further, claim 16 is interpreted is interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 1 and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, CAO teaches the method of claim 1, wherein feedback from the receiving node indicates whether the receiving node successfully decoded the two or more information CBs (
Fig. 19, [0212] … as indicated at 1100, Device A initially transmits a data block that includes a transport block TB1 to Device B. As in the previous examples, TB1 contains 9 CBs, identified as CB1 to CB9 grouped into three CBGs, identified as CBG1, CBG2 and CBG3. In this example Device B successfully decoded all CBs in TB1 except CB1 and CB2 of CBG1 and CB6 of CBG2.
[0213] In response to the lack of an ACK from Device B within a time window following the initial transmission, Device A generates a parity CB, PCB1, for TB1 using an outer code based on all the original information CB s of TB1, and sends PCB1 to Device B in a second transmission, as indicated at 1102. For example, Device A may generate the parity CB PCB1 for TB1 by XORing the CBs of TB1 or cyclic shifts thereof, e.g., PCB1 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2⊕CB3⊕CB4⊕CB5⊕CB6⊕CB7⊕CB8⊕CB9.
[0216] In this example, Device B provides simple HARQ feedback by only sending an ACK of the TB as indicated at 1008. In other embodiments, Device B may send a NACK after each transmission if it has not yet successfully decoded the TB, or Device B might not send any feedback at all.);
the method further comprising:
performing the first retransmission after determining, from received negative acknowledgement (NACK) feedback or absence of acknowledgement (ACK) feedback, that the receiving node failed to successfully decode the two or more information CBs after the initial transmission (
See [0213, 0216] cited above); and
performing the second retransmission after determining, from received NACK feedback or absence of ACK feedback, that the receiving node failed to successfully decode the two or more information CBs after the first retransmission (
[0214] In this example, because Device A does not receive an ACK from Device B within a time window after the second transmission, Device A sends a third transmission that includes a different parity CB, PCB2, for TB1 to Device B, as indicated at 1104. For example, Device A may use a cyclic shift based outer code similar to the one described above with reference to FIG. 12B. For example, PCB2 may be equal to CB1⊕CB2.sup.(1)⊕CB3.sup.(2)⊕CB4.sup.(3)⊕CB5.sup.(4)⊕CB6.sup.(5)⊕CB7.sup.(6)⊕CB8.sup.(7)⊕CB9.sup.(8).
See also [0215, 0216] cited above and for claim 1).
Regarding claim 9, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 19, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 5, CAO teaches the method of claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of retransmissions, including the first and second retransmissions, is performed without requiring any feedback from the receiving node (
[0091] the CUE may also stop SL transmission to the TUE responsive to some other criteria being met, e.g., if a retransmission timer has expired or a predefined number of retransmissions have been transmitted to the TUE.
[0102] There may be different types of HARQ feedback that a TUE may send to CUEs, the LUE and/or a BS.
[0103] In one scenario, a TUE does not send SL HARQ feedback. In such a scenario where there is no SL HARQ feedback, a CUE may choose to cooperate in the cooperation phase by sending a predefined number of retransmissions.
Fig. 19, [0213] In response to the lack of an ACK from Device B within a time window following the initial transmission, Device A generates a parity CB, PCB1, for TB1 using an outer code based on all the original information CB s of TB1, and sends PCB1 to Device B in a second transmission, as indicated at 1102.
[0216] In this example, Device B provides simple HARQ feedback by only sending an ACK of the TB as indicated at 1008. In other embodiments ….. Device B might not send any feedback at all.
(It is obvious that the CAO disclosing the concept of retransmission without receiver feedback by either employing retransmission until receiving a successful reception ACK as in [0216] or transmission of predetermined number of retransmission which may include a retransmission timer as in [0091, 0103])).
Regarding claim 10, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
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 of this title, 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.
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.
Claims 2-3, 7-3, 12-13 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao et al. (US 20200259600 A1, of IDS, hereinafter ‘CAO’) in view of Ye et al. (US 20200235759 A1, of IDS, hereinafter ‘YE’).
Regarding claim 2, CAO teaches the method of claim 1.
CAO does not explicitly disclose prior to performing the initial transmission, providing to the receiving node an RV index of the initial transmission; and
providing the first RV index of the first retransmission and the second RV index of the second retransmission to the receiving node prior to performing the first retransmission and prior to performing the second retransmission, respectively.
In an analogous art, YE teaches prior to performing the initial transmission, providing to the receiving node an RV index of the initial transmission (
[0183] In an embodiment, the sub-block interleaver may depend on the RV value. For different RV values, or different re-transmissions, the interleaver may be different. A set of interleavers may be defined for a set of RV values. The interleaver used may be predetermined or predefined.); and
providing the first RV index of the first retransmission and the second RV index of the second retransmission to the receiving node prior to performing the first retransmission and prior to performing the second retransmission, respectively (
[0183] A set of interleavers may be defined for a set of RV values. The interleaver used may be predetermined or predefined.
(It is obvious that respective RV values or indexes and corresponding sub-block interleavers are provided to receiving node, e.g. WTRU 102 of Fig. 1, prior to transmission)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of using different sub-block interleaver corresponding to respective different RV values retransmission for transmission error correction of YE to system of transmission error recovery of CAO in order to take the advantage of providing a method for obtaining more reliable HARQ re-transmission (YE: [0095, 0181]).
Regarding claim 7, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 2.
Regarding claim 17, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding claim 3, CAO, in view of YE, teaches the method of claim 2.
CAO does not explicitly disclose wherein the RV index of the initial transmission, the first RV index of the first retransmission and the second RV index of the second retransmission are provided together in a control signal or configuration signal to the receiving node prior to performing the initial transmission.
YE teaches wherein the RV index of the initial transmission, the first RV index of the first retransmission and the second RV index of the second retransmission are provided together in a control signal or configuration signal to the receiving node prior to performing the initial transmission (
[0183] A set of interleavers may be defined for a set of RV values. The interleaver used may be predetermined or predefined.
[0185] For RV>0 (re-transmissions), a subset of information bits from the information circular buffer 1230 may be selected. The size of the subset may be predetermined or predefined. For example, a fixed ratio Rip may be predefined, predetermined or signaled.
See also [0306] the RRC connection establishment or RRC connection reconfiguration message may be used for the configuration. For example, the following items may be added to the RRCConectionReconfiguration message:
TABLE-US-00017 RRCConnectionReconfiguration ::= SEQUENCE { RV0 modulation mapping order INTEGER{0,1,2,3} RV1 modulation mapping order INTEGER{0,1,2,3} RV2 modulation mapping order INTEGER{0,1,2,3} RV3 modulation mapping order INTEGER{0,1,2,3} ...... }
where the value “0” indicates a circular shifted order with shift value 0, the value “1” indicates a circular shifted order with shift value 2, the value “2” indicates a circular shifted order with shift value 4, the value “3” indicates a circular shifted order with shift value 6.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of using different sub-block interleaver corresponding to respective different RV values retransmission for transmission error correction of YE to system of transmission error recovery of CAO in order to take the advantage of providing a method for obtaining more reliable HARQ re-transmission (YE: [0095, 0181]).
Regarding claim 8, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding claim 13, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding claim 18, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
You et al. (US 20190165882 A1), describing DATA RECEPTION METHOD AND DEVICE, AND DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD AND DEVICE
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAH M RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8951. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30AM-5:30PM PST.
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/SHAH M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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