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 08/10/2026, to the Non-Final Office Action mailed on 05/08/2026.
Claims 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 20 are amended. Claims 2 and 13 are canceled. Claims 21 and 22 are added. Claims 1, 3-12, and 14-22 are pending and addressed below.
Applicant’s amendment has overcome objections, previously set forth in the non-final office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 3-4, 5-6, 8, 11-12, 14-17 and 19-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IDS reference, NPL R1-2109685, NTT DOCOMO, INC., Discussion on reduced maximum UE bandwidth for RedCap, 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #106bis-e e-Meeting, October 11th - 19th, 2021, hereinafter NPL-N, in view of Matsumura; Yuki et al US 20240397510 A1, hereinafter Matsumura.
Regarding claims 1, 12 and 20, NPL-N teaches, an information determining method, comprising:
determining, by a terminal, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configured for the terminal on a first initial uplink bandwidth part (BWP); and determining, by the terminal, a physical resource block (PRB) index of the PUCCH resource based on a first PRB offset in a case that frequency hopping of the PUCCH resource is disabled (NPL-N Section 2.2 and proposal 2 “When intra-slot PUCCH frequency hopping within the separate initial UL BWP in the PUCCH resource for HARQ feedback for Msg4/MsgB for RedCap UEs is disabled, UE determines the PRB index of the PUCCH transmission as
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”, teaches determination of PUCCH resource along with its PRB index, when hopping is disabled within a separate initial UL BWP, and PRB index is based on (P)RB offset).
NPL-N does not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Matsumura teaches, wherein the first PRB offset comprises: an additional PRB offset configured by a network-side device through higher- layer signaling (“additional PRB offset” is interpreted, in line with the Spec. e.g., para [48], as a separate or different PRB offset. Matsumura [102] “in a case where the frequency hopping is indicated to be disabled by an upper layer …, as illustrated in FIG. 21, the UE … may apply the UE-specific PRB offset in the upward direction from a lower end of the separate UL-initial BWP supported by the RedCap UE by using a value indicating the UE-specific PRB offset, in a case where the hopping direction is 0, and may apply the UE-specific PRB offset in the downward direction from an upper end of the separate UL-initial BWP supported by the RedCap UE in a case where the hopping direction is 1.”, teaching a “UE-specific PRB offset”, which is a different PRB offset, in case of RedCap BW and disbabled frequency hopping; [69] “… a predetermined PRB offset may be added for a UE … . The predetermined value … may be configured by an upper layer (RRC. SIB, or the like).”, teaches PRB offset is configured by a higher layer).
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 NPL-N to include the features as taught by Matsumura above to enable efficient coexistence between function-reduced terminals and normal terminals in the wireless communication system (Matsumura [0006]).
With respect to claim 12, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding terminal. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection. UE of NPL-N inherently comprises a processor, a memory.
With respect to claim 20, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding non-transitory readable storage medium. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection.
Regarding claims 3 and 14, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method/terminal, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1 and 12.
Matsumura further teaches, wherein the first PRB offset is: an offset relative to a starting position of the first initial uplink BWP; or an offset relative to an ending position of the first initial uplink BWP (see Matsumura Figs. 20-22; [51] “A resource in which a PRB offset and a UE-specific PRB offset is added at the lower end of an initial active UL-BWP (Bandwidth Part) and a resource in which the PRB offset and the UE-specific offset are reduced at the upper end are used as the PUCCH resource.”).
Regarding claims 4, 15 and 21, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method/terminal, as outlined in the rejection of claims 3, 14 and 20.
Matsumura further teaches, wherein the first PRB offset being an offset relative to a starting position of the first initial uplink BWP; or being an offset relative to an ending position of the first initial uplink BWP is configured by the network-side device (Implied in Matsumura [69]).
Regarding claims 5, 16 and 22, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method/terminal, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1, 12 and 20.
NPL-N further teaches, wherein the PRB index of the PUCCH
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(See NPL-N Section 2.2, page 8,
“
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”).
Regarding claim 6, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method, as outlined in the rejection of claim 1.
NPL-N further teaches,
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(See various equations in NPL-N Section 2.2, page 8. Satisfies “or” criteria of the claim).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method/terminal, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1 and 12.
NPL-N further teaches, wherein the method further comprises: in a case that frequency hopping is enabled for the PUCCH resource, determining, by the terminal based on a second PRB offset, a first PRB index of the PUCCH resource in a first hop and a second PRB index of the PUCCH resource in a second hop; wherein
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(NPL-N Section 2.2, page 7 “According to Clause 9.2.1 in TS38.213 as below, hopping direction is indicated via rpucch (0<=rpucch<=15)”, page 8, lines 1-12, teaches equations for PRB index, in case of frequency hopping).
Regarding claims 11 and 19, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method/terminal, as outlined in the rejection of claims 1 and 12.
NPL-N further teaches, wherein the terminal is a reduced capability RedCap terminal, and the first initial uplink BWP is a separate initial uplink BWP configured for the RedCap terminal (see NPL-N Section 2.1 “Separate initial DU/UL BWPs for RedCap UEs”, teaching the UE is RedCap (=Reduced Capability) UE, and is configure with a separate initial UL BWP).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 7, 9-10, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NPL-N, as applied to claims 1 and 12 rejections above, in view of Okano; Mayuko et al US 20240334435 A1, hereinafter Okano.
Regarding claim 7, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method, as outlined in the rejection of claim 6.
NPL-N and Matsumura do not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Okano teaches,
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(“X” is interpreted, in line with Spec para [54] as number of PRB offsets. Okano [122] teaches PRB offset is configured by the base station i.e., by the network-side device. Satisfies “or” criteria of the claim).
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 NPL-N to include the features as taught by Okano above in order to provide a technique that enables a terminal to perform transmission on an uplink control channel using RBs the number of which is larger than one (Okano [9]).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method/terminal, as outlined in the rejection of claims 8 and 17.
Matsumura further teaches, a PRB offset configured by the network-side device through higher-layer signaling (see Matsumura [69]).
NPL-N and Matsumura do not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Okano teaches, wherein the second PRB offset comprises: a PRB offset corresponding to a PUCCH resource set index indicated by a network-side device, wherein the PUCCH resource set index is used to indicate a common PUCCH resource set configured for the terminal (Okano [76] teaches PUCCH resource set including PRB offset is configured by base station with pucch_ResourceCommon); or a PRB offset configured by the network-side device through higher-layer signaling.
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 NPL-N to include the features as taught by Okano above in order to provide a technique that enables a terminal to perform transmission on an uplink control channel using RBs the number of which is larger than one (Okano [9]).
Regarding claim 10, NPL-N, in view of Matsumura, teaches the method, as outlined in the rejection of claim 8.
NPL-N and Matsumura do not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Okano teaches, wherein the second PRB offset is: an offset relative to a starting position of the first initial uplink BWP; or an offset relative to an ending position of the first initial uplink BWP (Okano [152] teaches PRB offset is from left or right end of the UL BWP i.e., starting and ending position of UL BWP).
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 NPL-N to include the features as taught by Okano above in order to provide a technique that enables a terminal to perform transmission on an uplink control channel using RBs the number of which is larger than one (Okano [9]).
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.
FEI; Yongqiang, US 20240049205 A1 - CHANNEL TRANSMISSION METHOD AND APPARATUS, TERMINAL DEVICE, NETWORK DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUM; reads on the amended claim 1.
IDS Reference, KUNDU; Lopamudra US 20220086824 A1 - RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR PHYSICAL UPLINK CONTROL CHANNEL DURING INITIAL ACCESS IN NR-UNLICENSED.
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.
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/MAHBUBUL BAR CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2475
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