DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 03/24/2024.
Claims 1- 15 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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 03/24/2024 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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al. (US 20200229244 A1), hereinafter “Yan”; and in further view of Si et al. (US 20210344470 A1), hereinafter “Si”.
Regarding claim 1, Yan teaches A terminal comprising:
a reception unit that: [Yan: Figs. 20-22]
receives, from a base station, a radio resource control message including information used for configuring transmission of a first synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (SS/PBCH) block, [Yan: Fig. 3; Par. 114- 120 teaches of sending first indication information which include SS/PBCH block to determine random access resource corresponding to the downlink signal] and
receives, from the base station, the first SS/PBCH block based on the transmission of the first SS/PBCH block; and [Yan: Fig. 3; Par. 114- 120; claim 1 teaches of mapping between first SS/ PBCH block and the first random access resource]
a control unit, wherein
the reception unit receives based on information transmission of a second SS/PBCH block, from the base station, the second SS/PBCH block in a case where the information [Yan: Fig. 2; Par. 96- 107 teaches of sending third indication information/ another indication information which include SS/PBCH block to determine random access resource] used for configuring the transmission of the second SS/PBCH block is included in the radio resource control message [Yan: Par. 275 teaches signaling is RRC signaling], and
the control unit selects, based on the second SS/PBCH block, a random access occasion for a contention free random access procedure in the case where the information used for configuring the transmission of the second SS/PBCH block is included in the radio resource control message [Yan: Par. 101- 107 teaches of transmit random access preamble based on the random access resource corresponding to the downlink signal] .
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However, Yan does not teaches receives, receiving first SS/PBCH block and second SS/PBCH block are based on the information used for configuring.
Nevertheless, Si, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches receives, receiving first SS/PBCH block and second SS/PBCH block are based on the information used for configuring [Tang: Fig. 11; Par. 206- 217 teaches of determining configuration for SS/PBCH blocks].
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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 Si for determining multiple SS/ PBCH blocks for configuration. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Si in the Yan system in order to determine and select the SS/ PBCH [Si: Par. 3].
Regarding claim 2, the combined Yan in view of Si teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Yan in view of Si further teaches the random access occasion related to the second SS/PBCH block is selected based on a reference signal received power of the second SS/PBCH block in the case where the information used for configuring the transmission of the second SS/PBCH block is included in the radio resource control message [Par. 313 in a random access process, main parameters for transmitting a random access preamble include parameters such as target power received power].
Regarding claim 3, the combined Yan in view of Si teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Yan in view of Si further teaches wherein the information used for configuring the transmission of the second SS/PBCH block includes information used for indicating a frequency of the second SS/PBCH block [Si: claim 1 teaches wherein the frequency position of the second SS/PBCH block is identified based on a global synchronization channel number (GSCN) of the first SS/PBCH block ].
Regarding claim 4, the combined Yan in view of Si teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Yan in view of Si further teaches wherein the first SS/PBCH block is a cell defining SS/PBCH block, and the second SS/PBCH block is a non-cell defining SS/PBCH block [Si: Par. 114 disclosed cell define and non-cell defining of SS/PBCH block].
Regarding claim 5, the combined Yan in view of Si teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Yan in view of Si further teaches wherein the reception unit receives the second SS/PBCH block in an initial downlink bandwidth part for a RedCap terminal [Si: Par. 4 teaches determined configuration, content of a PBCH included in the SS/PBCH block. The BS further comprises a transceiver operably connected to the processor, the transceiver configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), the SS/PBCH block including the PBCH using the GSCN-Current over downlink channels.]
Regarding claim 6, Yan A base station comprising:
a transmission unit that: [Yan: Figs. 20-22]
transmits, to a terminal, a radio resource control message including information used for configuring transmission of a first synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (SS/PBCH) block, and [Yan: Fig. 3; Par. 114- 120 teaches of sending first indication information which include SS/PBCH block to determine random access resource corresponding to the downlink signal] and
transmits, to the terminal, the first SS/PBCH block based on the information used for configuring the transmission of the first SS/PBCH block; and [Yan: Fig. 3; Par. 114- 120; claim 1 teaches of mapping between first SS/ PBCH block and the first random access resource]
a control unit, wherein
the reception unit receives based on information transmission of a second SS/PBCH block, from the base station, the second SS/PBCH block in a case where the information [Yan: Fig. 2; Par. 96- 107 teaches of sending third indication information/ another indication information which include SS/PBCH block to determine random access resource] used for configuring the transmission of the second SS/PBCH block is included in the radio resource control message [Yan: Par. 275 teaches signaling is RRC signaling], and
the control unit selects, based on the second SS/PBCH block, a random access occasion for a contention free random access procedure in the case where the information used for configuring the transmission of the second SS/PBCH block is included in the radio resource control message [Yan: Par. 101- 107 teaches of transmit random access preamble based on the random access resource corresponding to the downlink signal] .
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However, Yan does not teaches receives, receiving first SS/PBCH block and second SS/PBCH block are based on the information used for configuring.
Nevertheless, Si, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches receives, receiving first SS/PBCH block and second SS/PBCH block are based on the information used for configuring [Tang: Fig. 11; Par. 206- 217 teaches of determining configuration for SS/PBCH blocks].
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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 Si for determining multiple SS/ PBCH blocks for configuration. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Si in the Yan system in order to determine and select the SS/ PBCH [Si: Par. 3].
Regarding claim 7, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding claim 8, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding claim 9, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 10, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding claim 13, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
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