DETAILED ACTION
Applicant's response filed on 02/09/2026 has been entered and made of record.
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 .
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 Status
Claims 11 and 16 have been amended.
No claims have been cancelled nor added.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant has argued that, “Zhang does not disclose determining an RNTI based on both a selected PCI and a particular usage of the RNTI,… the UE does not determine the C-RNTI based on two inputs, namely a PCI and a particular usage of the C-RNTI. Instead, the C-RNTIs in Zhang merely appear to be statically configured, and the UE simply uses the PCI-to-RNTI mapping to associated a particular C-RNTI with a corresponding CORESET, without performing any determination of the RNTI based on both PCI selection and RNTI usage” (see Remarks on page 6-7).
In response to the Applicant's arguments, the Examiner respectfully disagrees because Zhang teaches the UE needs to determine a mapping relationship between the plurality of physical cell identifiers and M fourth parameters, where the fourth parameters includes at least one of the following information: RNTI (Radio Network Temporary Identifier), and the RNTI includes at least one of C-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI, SP-CSI-RNTI, SI-RNTI, RA-RNTI, or CS-RNTI, SP-CSI-RNTI, SFI-RNTI, CS-RNTI, CI-RNTI (see ¶ [0114]); and also teaches that a different PCI corresponds to a different CORESET pool in a BWP and the fourth parameter includes C-RNTI i.e., particular usage (see ¶ [0116-17]). Zhang teaches the CORESET pool 1 is C-RNTI i.e., a particular usage of C-RNTI is the CORESET pool 1. Moreover, the claim does not define what a particular usage of RNTI is and the claim simply recites “determining at least one radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) based, at least in part, on at least one configured PCI of the multiple configured PCIs and a particular usage of the RNTI” not as argued “determination of the RNTI based on both PCI selection and RNTI usage”. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of applicant’s invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “determination of the RNTI based on both PCI selection and RNTI usage”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Therefore, the argument(s) is/are not persuasive.
This Office action is made Final.
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)(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZHANG et al. (US 2023/0067619 A1) hereinafter “Zhang”.
Regarding claim 1 and 11, Zhang discloses Claim 1 of a method for wireless communications performed by a user equipment (UE) (see FIG. 21; see ¶ [0143], UE), and Claim 11 of an apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: one processor collectively configured to execute instructions stored on one memory (see FIG. 21; see ¶ [0143], UE can include processor and memory), comprising:
receiving signaling configuring the UE with multiple configured physical cell identifiers (PCIs) associated with multiple candidate cells (see FIG. 2; see ¶ [0056] [0067], UE receives the signals corresponding to multiple PCIs from multiple cells);
determining at least one radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) based, at least in part, on at least one configured PCI of the multiple configured PCIs and a particular usage of the RNTI (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0114] [0116], the plurality of physical cell identifiers and M fourth parameters which includes one of the following: RNTI where the RNTI includes one of C-RNTI); and
using the RNTI for the particular usage (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0116], the CORESET pool 1 is using C-RNTI1).
Regarding claims 2, 7, 12, and 17, Zhang discloses wherein the RNTI for the particular usage has a same value for a candidate cell of the multiple candidate cells, regardless of the at least one PCI (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0053] [0114] [0116], the TCI state corresponding to the same PCI value constitutes a TCI state pool and RNTI includes at least one of C-RNTI).
Regarding claims 3, 8, 13, and 18, Zhang discloses wherein different RNTIs are determined depending on the multiple configured PCIs and on the particular usage (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0116], the CORESET pool 1 is using C-RNTI1 and the CORESET pool 2 is using C-RNTI2).
Regarding claims 4, 9, 14, and 19, Zhang discloses wherein the RNTI for the particular usage is configured to be different for different PCIs (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0116], different PCI corresponds to a different CORESET pool and including C-RNTI).
Regarding claims 5, 10, 15, and 20, Zhang discloses wherein the RNTI for the particular usage is dynamically signaled when one of the multiple PCIs are updated (see ¶ [0118], the PCI corresponding to the serving cell is updated by MAC-CE, after the PCI is updated, the first common information is obtained according to the one or more PCIs of the new activated PCIs).
Regarding claim 6 and 16, Zhang discloses Claim 6 of a method for wireless communications performed by a network entity (see FIG. 21; see ¶ [0143], a base station), and Claim 16 of an apparatus for wireless communications by a network entity, comprising: one processor collectively configured to execute instructions stored on one memory (see FIG. 21; see ¶ [0143], a base station can include processor and memory), comprising:
transmitting signaling configuring a UE with multiple configured physical cell identifiers (PCIs) associated with multiple candidate cells (see FIG. 2; see ¶ [0056] [0067], UE receives the signals corresponding to multiple PCIs from multiple cells);
determining at least one radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) based, at least in part, on at least one configured PCI of the multiple configured PCIs and a particular usage of the RNTI (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0114] [0116], the plurality of physical cell identifiers and M fourth parameters which includes one of the following: RNTI where the RNTI includes one of C-RNTI); and
using the RNTI for the particular usage when communicating with the UE (see FIG. 10; see ¶ [0116], the CORESET pool 1 is using C-RNTI1).
Conclusion
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 PETER CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7241. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached at (571) 272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462