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 .
DETAILED ACTION
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/21/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1 – 4, 6, 8 – 10, 12 – 14, and 20 are amended.
Claims 1 – 20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of amended claims 1 – 3, 5, 6, 8 – 10, 12 – 16, and 20, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Guan et al., U.S. Publication 2018/0176939 (herein Guan).
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, 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.
Claims 1 – 3, 5, 6, 8 – 10, 12 – 16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al., U.S. Publication 2021/0266133 (herein Zhang), in view of Guan et al., U.S. Publication 2018/0176939 (herein Guan).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches: An information indication method, comprising: receiving, by a terminal from a network device (figure 11), a first signaling comprising respective feedback information corresponding to a first resource set (figure 12, element 1201), wherein the feedback information indicates whether the network device correctly received uplink data from the terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 12, element 1201; paragraph 0157 – 0168), and the feedback information is acknowledgment information (ACK) or negative acknowledgement information (NACK) (paragraph 0103). Zhang does not explicitly teach: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set,
Guan teaches: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set (paragraph 0005, “ACK/NACK codebook”).
One of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, would find it obvious to combine the teaching of Zhang: a first signaling comprising respective feedback information corresponding to a first resource set; with the teaching of Guan: an ACK/NACK codebook for the purpose of managing acknowledgment information for multiple resources (paragraph 0005). Feedback information is well-known in the art (figure 12). ACK/NACK codebooks are a well-known design choice in the art (paragraph 0005). One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the use of well-known design choice would yield a predictable result.
Regrading claim 2, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: determining, by the terminal, feedback information in the first signaling corresponding to a first resource unit in the first resource set, based on correspondences between each resource unit in the first resource set and each feedback information in the first signaling (figure 12, element 1202, 1203); and when the terminal transmits data based on the first resource unit in the first resource set, determining, by the terminal, whether the network device correctly received the uplink data based on the feedback information corresponding to the first resource unit in the first signaling (figure 12, element 1202, 1203). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 3, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: wherein the respective feedback information corresponding to the each resource unit comprises a plurality pieces of feedback information that are in one-to-one correspondences with a plurality of codewords supported by the each resource unit (figure 2; paragraph 0073 – 0078, 0157 – 0168); and each of the plurality pieces of feedback information indicates whether the network device correctly received the uplink data using a codeword corresponding to the feedback information from the terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 2; paragraph 0073 – 0078, 0157 – 0168). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 5, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: the first resource set is one of a plurality of resource sets configured by the network device or pre-configured for the terminal to transmit data, and the first signaling comprises respective feedback information corresponding to each resource unit in each of the plurality of resource sets (paragraph 0157 – 0168, 0191). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 6, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: determining, by the terminal, correspondences between the plurality of resource units in the first resource set and a plurality of pieces of feedback information in the first signaling based on a first mapping order (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135); wherein the first mapping order comprises a resource order comprising an order of time domain indexes of resource units in the first resource set and/or an order of frequency domain indexes of the resource units in the first resource set (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 8, Zhang teaches: A network device (figure 14), comprising: a transceiver (figure 14, element 1402); a processor (figure 14, element 1401); and a memory for storing a computer program (figure 14, element 1403) that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: send, through the transceiver, to at least one terminal (figure 11), a first signaling comprising respective feedback information corresponding to a first resource set (figure 4, element 403); wherein the feedback information indicates whether the network device correctly received uplink data from a terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 4, element 403; paragraph 0084 – 0095), the at least one terminal comprises the terminal, and the feedback information is acknowledgement information (ACK) or negative acknowledgement information (NACK (paragraph 0103). Zhang does not explicitly teach: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set.
Guan teaches: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set (paragraph 0005, “ACK/NACK codebook”). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 9, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: the feedback information is the ACK when the feedback information comprises a first bit value (paragraph 0095 – 0098, 0103); the feedback information is the NACK when the feedback information comprises a second bit value (paragraph 0095 – 0098, 0103). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 10, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: the respective feedback information corresponding to the each resource unit comprises a plurality pieces of feedback information that are in one-to-one correspondences with a plurality of codewords supported by the each resource unit (figure 2; paragraph 0073 – 0078, 0157 – 0168); and each of the plurality pieces of feedback information indicates whether the network device correctly received data using a codeword corresponding to the feedback information from the terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 2; paragraph 0073 – 0078, 0157 – 0168). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 12, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: the processor is further configured to: determine correspondences between a polarity of resource unit in the first resource set and the plurality of pieces of feedback information in the first signaling based on a first mapping order (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135), wherein the first mapping order comprises a resource order comprising an order of time domain indexes of resource units in the first resource set and/or an order of frequency domain indexes of resource units in the first resource set (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regarding claim 13, Zhang teaches: A terminal, (figure 14), comprising: a transceiver (figure 14, element 1402); a processor (figure 14, element 1401); and a memory for storing a computer program (figure 14, element 1403) that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: receive, through the transceiver, from a network device (figure 11), a first signaling comprising respective feedback information corresponding to a first resource set (figure 12, element 1201); wherein the feedback information indicates whether a network device correctly received uplink data from the terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 12, element 1201; paragraph 0157 – 0168), and the feedback information is acknowledgement information (ACK) or negative acknowledgement information (NACK (paragraph 0103). Zhang does not explicitly teach: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set.
Guan teaches: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set (paragraph 0005, “ACK/NACK codebook”). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 14, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: the respective feedback information corresponding to the each resource unit comprises a plurality pieces of feedback information that are in one-to-one correspondences with a plurality of codewords supported by the each resource unit (figure 2; paragraph 0073 – 0078, 0157 – 0168); and each of the plurality pieces of feedback information indicates whether the network device correctly received the uplink data using a codeword corresponding to the feedback information from the terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 2; paragraph 0073 – 0078, 0157 – 0168). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 15, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: determine correspondences between each resource unit in the first resource set and each feedback information in the first signaling based on a first mapping order (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135), wherein the first mapping order comprises a resource order comprising an order of time domain indexes of resource units in the first resource set and/or an order of frequency domain indexes of the resource units in the first resource set (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regrading claim 16, Zhang and Guan teach the limitations of the parent claim. Zhang additionally teaches: the first mapping order further comprises: a codeword order, comprising an order of codeword indexes of a plurality of codewords supported by the each resource unit; and/or, a set order, comprising an order of set indexes of a plurality of resource sets (paragraph 0130 – 0133, 0135). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Regarding claim 20, Zhang teaches: A chip (figure 14), comprising: a processor, configured to invoke and run a computer program from a memory (figure 14, element 1401, 1403) to cause a terminal installed with the chip to receive, for a network device (paragraph 0103), a first signaling comprising respective feedback information corresponding to a first resource set (figure 12, element 1201); wherein the feedback information indicates whether a network device correctly received uplink data from the terminal based on the resource unit corresponding to the feedback information (figure 12, element 1201; paragraph 0157 – 0168), and the feedback information is acknowledgement information (ACK) or negative acknowledgement information (NACK (paragraph 0103). Zhang does not explicitly teach: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set.
Guan teaches: respective feedback information corresponding to each of a plurality of resource units in a first resource set (paragraph 0005, “ACK/NACK codebook”). And in view of the motivation previously stated above, for claim 1, the claim is rejected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7, 11, and 17 – 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KIM; Young Dae US 20230224931 A1
YANG; Tuo et al. US 20220264612 A1
ZHANG; Shichang et al. US 20210266133 A1
XIONG; Qi et al. US 20210014011 A1
XU; Xiaoying et al. US 20200177322 A1
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a first signaling comprising respective feedback information corresponding to a first resource set,
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/Daniel F. McMahon/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2111