DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority as a Continuation of PCT/CN2022/134466 filed 11/25/2022 and Chinese Application CN202111447353.2 filed 11/30/2021 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-20 as filed 5/30/2024 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/28/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 15, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sundararajan et al. (US20190349974A1), hereafter Sundararajan.
Regarding claims 1, 15, and 20,
Sundararajan discloses an apparatus (Fig. 3, UE 115-b; Fig. 4, 7) comprising a memory/non-transitory computer-readable storage media (Fig. 7, memory 730) storing computer instructions (Fig. 7, code 735) and a processing circuit (Fig. 7, processor 740) in communication with the memory (Fig. 7, via bus 745), the processing circuit configured, upon execution of the instructions, to cause the apparatus to perform a method (Fig. 3) comprising sending, by a terminal device to a network device on a channel, resource reservation information being used to reserve a grant-free resource (Fig. 3, step 325; paragraph 89-90; SR associated with grant-free configuration sent from UE 115-b to base station 105-b) and sending data by the terminal device to the network device on an actually reserved grant-free resource (Fig. 3, step 335; paragraph 91; UE sends Uplink Transmission that was requested via SR on grant-free resource).
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 1-6 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US20210368494A1), hereafter Chen, and in view of Sundararajan.
Regarding claims 1, 15, and 20,
Chen discloses an apparatus (Fig. 16-17, BS 1600 and UE 1700) comprising a memory/non-transitory computer-readable storage media (Fig. 16-17, memory 1603/1702) storing computer instructions (Fig. 17, program/instruction 17022; paragraph 122-128) and a processing circuit (Fig. 16-17, processor 1601-1701) in communication with the memory (Fig. 16-17, via bus interface/system 1705), the processing circuit configured, upon execution of the instructions, to cause the apparatus to perform a method (i.e. Fig. 1-4) comprising sending resource reservation information being used to reserve a grant-free resource (i.e. Fig. 2 and 4, steps 201-203/401-404; paragraph 4; reserve resources for UEs performing UL grant-free transmission by transmitting a plurality of grant-free transmission resource configurations to the UE and notifying through dynamic signaling to activate/deactivate one or more grant-free resource configurations of the plurality of configurations) and sending data on an actually reserved grant-free resource (i.e. Fig. 1 and 3, steps 102/302; Fig. 4, step 405; enable the UE to select one grant-free transmission resource configuration from the plurality of configurations to actually perform uplink data transmission according to the activated grant-free transmission resource configuration).
Chen does not expressly disclose UE sends the resource reservation information to the network device and sends data on an actually reserved grant-free resource.
Sundararajan discloses UE sends the resource reservation information to the network device and sends data on an actually reserved grant-free resource ((Fig. 3, step 325-335; paragraph 89-91; SR associated with grant-free configuration sent from UE 115-b to base station 105-b and UE sends Uplink Transmission that was requested via SR on grant-free resource).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to modify Chen by the UE sends the resource reservation information to the network device and sends data on an actually reserved grant-free resource, as shown by Sundararajan, thereby providing for efficient use of grant-free resources for uplink transmission.
Regarding claims 2 and 16,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses the resource reservation information is carried in one or more of: a control signaling, a control channel, or a data channel (paragraph 45, 64, 82-83; L1 or L2 control signaling).
Regarding claims 3 and 17,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses the resource reservation information is associated with one or more of: time domain, frequency domain, space domain resource, beam domain, code domain, sequence, or power domain resources (paragraph 37, 56; FDM, TDM, CDM).
Regarding claims 4 and 18,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses the actually reserved grant-free resource comprises a first resource when the first resource is successfully reserved (Fig. 5-13; paragraph 35-38, 68-77; different configuration parameters for different grant-free transmission configurations; i.e. delay-sensitive service 1 successfully uses grant-free configuration 2 having smaller interval).
Regarding claims 5 and 19,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses the actually reserved grant-free resource comprises a second resource when the second resource is indicated as an available (i.e. activated) grant-free resource (Fig. 13; paragraph 82-83; only activated configurations used).
Regarding claim 6,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses adaptable resource allocations (paragraph 38, 49, 58, 68, 83) including resource reservation information used to reserve a first resource in the grant-free resource and the actually reserved grant-free resource comprises a third resource different from the first resource (Fig. 5-13; paragraph 35-38, 68-77; different configuration parameters for different grant-free transmission configurations; i.e. delay-sensitive service 1 successfully uses grant-free configuration 2 having smaller interval; non-delay-sensitive service 2 uses different resource configuration 1 having longer interval).
Regarding claim 14,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses the actually reserved grant-free resource is related to a status (i.e. activated or deactivated) of a resource in the grant-free resource (Fig. 2, step 203; Fig. 4, step 404; Fig. 13; paragraph 44-48, 65-67, 82; dynamic signaling to activate or deactivate one or more grant-free resource configurations).
Claims 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen and Sundararajan and further in view of Yi et al. (US20200288482A1), hereafter Yi.
Regarding claims 7 and 8,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan discloses the reservation result information further comprises another available grant-free resource different from the grant-free resource in the resource reservation information (Fig. 5-13; paragraph 35-38, 68-77; different configuration parameters for different grant-free transmission configurations; i.e. delay-sensitive service 1 uses grant-free configuration 2 whereas non-delay-sensitive service 2 uses different resource configuration 1 having longer interval) but does not expressly disclose receiving a reservation result information comprises one of a reservation failure indication of the grant-free resource.
Yi discloses analogous art (Title: Broadcast Channel for NR in Wireless Communication System) including receiving a reservation result information comprises one of a first reservation failure indication of the grant-free resource or a second reservation failure indication of the grant-free resource (paragraph 119; grant-free transmission not successfully received/fails based on reserved grant-free resource cancelled by the group control channel; override scheduling DCI).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify Chen and Sundararajan by receiving a reservation result information comprises one of a first reservation failure indication of the grant-free resource or a second reservation failure indication of the grant-free resource, as shown by Yi, thereby enabling different configurations for URLLC grant-free applications.
Regarding claims 9 and 10 (depends from claim 7),
The combination of Chen and Yi discloses the reservation result information is carried in one or more of: a control signaling, a control channel, or a data channel (paragraph 45, 64, 82-83; L1 or L2 control signaling) and associated with one or more of: a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a space domain resource, a beam domain resource, a code domain resource, a sequence resource, or a power domain resource (paragraph 37, 56; FDM, TDM, CDM).
Regarding claim 11,
The combination of Chen and Sundararajan does not expressly disclose sending first reservation cancellation information indicating a resource whose reservation is canceled in the first resource.
Yi discloses analogous art (Title: Broadcast Channel for NR in Wireless Communication System) including sending first reservation cancellation information indicating a resource whose reservation is canceled in the first resource (paragraph 119; reserved grant-free resource cancelled by the group control channel; override scheduling DCI).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to modify Chen and Sundararajan by sending first reservation cancellation information indicating a resource whose reservation is canceled in the first resource, as shown by Yi, thereby enabling different configurations for handling certain applications such as URLLC over grant-free resources.
Regarding claims 12 and 13 (dependent from claim 11),
The combination of Chen, Sundararajan and Yi discloses the first reservation cancellation information is carried in one or more of: a control signaling, a control channel, or a data channel (paragraph 45, 64, 82-83; L1 or L2 control signaling) and is associated with one or more of: a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a space domain resource, a beam domain resource, a code domain resource, a sequence resource, or a power domain resource (paragraph 37; FDM, TDM, CDM).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not relies on the newly-cited Sundararajan reference 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.
Jeon et al. (US20180367255A1); Grant-Free Failure Reporting.
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 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.
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/GREGORY B SEFCHECK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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