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 .
Response to Amendment
The following is a final office action in response to applicant’s reply, filed on 07/14/2026, to the Non-Final Office Action mailed on 04/22/2026.
Claims 1, 2, 5-7, 11, 12, 15, 20, 21, 24-26, and 30 are amended. Claims 1-30 are pending and addressed below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 4-5, 10-11, 14-15, 19-20, 23-24 and 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WEI; CHIA-HUNG et al US 20230309093 A1, hereinafter WEI, in view of Wang; Xiaoyi et al US 20180199268 A1, hereinafter Wang.
Regarding claims 1, 11, 20 and 30, TANG teaches, a user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories (see WEI Fig. 5) and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to:
receive a first control message scheduling a plurality of transport blocks respectively corresponding to a plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types for processing in a single time resource, wherein the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types comprise two or more of unicast downlink control information carried over a downlink shared channel, unicast downlink shared channel data carried over the downlink shared channel, or unicast downlink control information modulated with downlink data transmissions carried over the downlink shared channel (The limitation is understood as a control message such as a Downlink Control Information (DCI) scheduling, in a UE, multiple downlink shared channel resources such as multiple physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) in a same time slot. PDSCHs can be one of 3 types as recited in the limitation. WEI [104] “For example, when a UE receives DCI indicating a PDSCH reception and the DCI schedules multiple PDSCH receptions at the same time, …”; [217] “More than one PDSCH of the multiple PDSCHs may be configured in the same (PDSCH) slot. The UE may be indicated by the DCI with more than one K.sub.0 value corresponding to the more than one PDSCH of the multiple PDSCHs, which are in the same (PDSCH) slot. The UE may receive more than one PDSCH in the (same) slot”, teaches a DCI (=control message) scheduling more than one (=two or more) PDSCHs in a same slot;
[119] “For each PDSCH/…, the UE may determine the TDRA information of the TB of PDSCH…”, teaches TBs (transport block) corresponding to PDSCHs; Because PDSCHs are transmitted to a single UE, therefore, PDSCHs are inherently of type “unicast downlink shared channel data carried over the downlink shared channel”).
process the plurality of transport blocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types within the single time resource; and communicate with a network entity based at least in part on the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types (Inherent in WEI).
WEI does not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Wang teaches, receive a second control message indicating additional control information for one or more of the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types; (Wang [26] “ The first stage DCI can be used to indicate the resource allocation for PDSCH and/or PUSCH while the second stage DCI/UCI can be used to indicate the MCS, MIMO layers information and/or HARQ for PDSCH and/or PUSCH. As used herein, the term “second stage DCI” can mean the second stage DCI transmitted on the allocated downlink data channel (e.g., PDSCH) for the mobile device…”, teaching a second control message for indicating additional control information for decoding PDSCH. This method can be applied to multiple PDSCHs of WEI, see also Wang [60] “The first stage DCI can indicate an SPS for PDSCH …, which can result in a fixed resource allocation for multiple PDSCH … transmissions as shown in FIG. 3 (the fixed resource allocation is shown for TTI 2 and 3 of FIG. 3). At 306, the second stage DCI … will indicate the MCS, HARQ and/or MIMO layer information for downlink data.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of WEI to expressly teach the features as taught by Wang above to provide a method facilitating an enhanced two-stage downlink control channel for a wireless communication system (Wang [0001]).
With respect to claim 11, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding inter-working network side. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection.
With respect to claim 20, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding method. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection.
With respect to claim 30, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding method of inter-working network side. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection.
Regarding claims 4, 14 and 23, WEI, in view of Wang, teaches the UE/network entity/method, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1, 11 and 20.
Wang further teaches, wherein the second control message comprises a first format of downlink control information carried over a downlink control channel or a downlink control information component carried over one of the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types (see Wang [26] “ As used herein, the term “second stage DCI” can mean the second stage DCI transmitted on the allocated downlink data channel (e.g., PDSCH) for the mobile device…”).
Regarding claims 5, 15 and 24, WEI, in view of Wang, teaches the UE/network entity/method, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1, 11 and 20.
Wang further teaches, wherein: the additional control information comprises a plurality of downlink control information parameters corresponding to respective downlink shared channel resource allocation types; and the UE uses the plurality of downlink control information parameters for the processing (See Wang [26] implying unicast PDSCH type).
Regarding claims 10, 19 and 29, WEI, in view of Wang, teaches the UE/network entity/method, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1, 11 and 20.
WEI further suggests, wherein the single time resource comprises a slot (see WEI [217] for a slot as time resource).
Claims 2-3, 12-13 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WEI, in view of Wang, as applied to claims 1, 11 and 20 above, and further in view of KHOSHNEVISAN; Mostafa et al US 20200015202 A1, hereinafter KHOSHNEVISAN.
Regarding claims 2, 12 and 21, WEI, in view of Wang, teaches the UE/network entity/method, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1, 11 and 20.
WEI and Wang do not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, KHOSHNEVISAN teaches, wherein, to receive the second control message, the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: communicate a message indicating a capability of the UE to support processing of the plurality of transport blocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types in the single time resource (KHOSHNEVISAN [10] “a method of wireless communication, performed by a user equipment (UE), may include transmitting, to a base station (BS), a capability indicator that indicates a capability of the UE to decode downlink control information (DCI) on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).”, teaching capability to receive DCI on the PDSCH, which informs additional capability in addition to receiving data only PDSCH that is inherent in 3GPP, therefore, teaching support of plurality of PDSCH allocation types); and
receive the second control message based at least in part on the capability KHOSHNEVISAN [10] “The method may include receiving, from the BS, the DCI on the PDSCH based at least in part on the capability indicator indicating that the UE can decode the DCI on the PDSCH.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of WEI and Wang to include the features as taught by KHOSHNEVISAN above for further improvements in LTE and NR technologies (KHOSHNEVISAN [0005]).
Regarding claims 3, 13 and 22, WEI, in view of Wang and KHOSHNEVISAN, teaches the UE/network entity/method, as outlined in the rejection of claims 2, 12 and 21.
KHOSHNEVISAN further teaches, wherein, to communicate the message indicating the capability, the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: communicate radio resource control signaling comprising the message indicating the capability (It is well-known in 3GPP art that UE capability message is communicated between UE and BS with RRC signaling. KHOSHNEVISAN also teaches using RRC (Radio Resource Control) for other various information between UE and BS e.g., see [92]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 16 and 25 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. CLM-7-9, 17-18, 26-28 are subjected to the same objection because of their dependency on the objected claims 6, 16 and 25.
The reason for allowability: prior art fails to teach “the plurality of downlink shared channel resource allocation types comprises at least one multicast downlink control information”.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Gao, US 20210112583 A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SIGNALING STARTING SYMBOLS IN MULTIPLE PDSCH TRANSMISSION OCCASIONS (e.g., para [54], [104] teaching a DCI scheduling plurality of downlink transmissions in a same slot.
Yi; Yunjung, US 20200396760 A1 - WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTROL INFORMATION TRANSMISSION/RECEPTION; e.g., [para [462].
YOU; Hyangsun, US 20170230994 A1 - METHOD AND USER EQUIPMENT FOR RECEIVING DOWLINK CONTROL INFORMATION, AND METHOD AND BASE STATION FOR TRANSMITTING DOWLINK CONTROL INFORMATION; e.g., para [312].
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHBUBUL BAR CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-0232. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 9AM-5PM EST; Friday variable.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khaled Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3770. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MAHBUBUL BAR CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2475
Prosecution Insights