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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/09/2024 and 08/11/2025 have been considered and placed on record in the file.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 11 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by over Huang et al. (US 2024/0064671 A1, hereinafter, “Huang”, provisional application No. 62/135,235).
Consider claim 11, Huang teaches a node (see at least figure 15 (1300)) comprising: a transceiver (see at least figure 15 (1310)); at least one memory (figure 15 (1506, 1306)); and at least one processor operatively coupled with the at least one memory and the transceiver (see figure 15 (1304, 1504)), the at least one processor is adapted to: control the transceiver to receive first guard symbol information (see at least figure 11 (1100) and paras. 220-221, Huang teaches node receiving first guard symbol information (i.e., receive desired number of guard symbols to be used); and applying the first guard symbol information (see at least para. 222 and figure 11 (1102)), wherein the first guard symbol information informs a number of guard symbols for a first partial combination of all combinations of a mobile terminal (MT) operation and a distributed unit (DU) operation (see at least paras. 203, 218, 221 and 265, Huang teaches the first guard symbol information informs the number of guard symbols (para. 221) for different combinations of all possible combinations (paras. 218 and 236-272) of MT and DU operations (i.e., paras. 236-272)), wherein the number of guard symbols for the first partial combination is a number of guard symbols related with a timing alignment case 6 (see at least paras. 105-106 and 111-112), and wherein the guard symbols are unused symbols based on switching between the MT operation and the DU operation (see at least paras. 195 and 198-199, Huang teaches overhead (unused) guard symbols based on switching operations (such as between MT and DU switching (para. 199)).
Consider claim 1: all of the limitations indicated in method claim 1 are included in the apparatus claim 11, therefore, claim 1 is subjected to the same rejection applied to claim 11.
Consider claim 14, Huang teaches a method for transmitting first guard symbol information performed by a node in a wireless communication system (see at least figure 11 and abstract), the method comprising: transmitting the first guard symbol information (see at least figure 11 (1100, 1102) and paras. 220-221, Huang teaches node sending first guard symbol information (i.e., desired number of guard symbols to be used), wherein the first guard symbol information informs a number of guard symbols for a first partial combination of all combinations of a mobile terminal (MT) operation and a distributed unit (DU) operation (see at least paras. 203, 218, 221 and 265, Huang teaches the first guard symbol information informs the number of guard symbols (para. 221) for different combinations of all possible combinations (paras. 218 and 236-272) of MT and DU operations (i.e., paras. 236-272)), wherein the number of guard symbols for the first partial combination is a number of guard symbols related with a timing alignment case 6 (see at least paras. 105-106 and 111-112), and wherein the guard symbols are unused symbols based on switching between the MT operation and the DU operation (see at least paras. 195 and 198-199, Huang teaches overhead (unused) guard symbols based on switching operations (such as between MT and DU switching (para. 199)).
Consider claim 2, Huang teaches wherein the node is an integrated access and
backhaul (IAB) node (see at least para. 71, figures 11 and 15).
Consider claim 3, Huang teaches wherein the MT operation is at least one of MT TX
(transmission) and MT RX (reception) (see at least paras. 82-135), and wherein the DU operation is at least one of DU TX and DU RX (see at least paras. 82-135).
Consider claim 4, Huang teaches the number of guard symbols for the first partial
combination comprises: a number of guard symbols for a transition from MT TX for the timing alignment case 6 to DU TX for a timing alignment case 1 (see para. 101), a number of guard symbols for a transition from MT TX for the timing alignment case 6 to DU RX for the timing alignment case 1 (see para. 106), a number of guard symbols for a transition from DU TX for the timing alignment case 1 to MT TX for the timing alignment case 6 (see para. 96), and a number of guard symbols for a transition from DU RX for the timing alignment case 1 to MT TX for the timing alignment case 6 (see para. 94).
Consider claim 5, Huang teaches wherein the first guard symbol information informs a number of guard symbols for a second partial combination of all combinations of the MT
operation and the DU operation (see at least paras. 193-194, Huang teaches sending/informing a new set of desired number of guard symbols for a second partial combination of MT and DU resources), and wherein the number of guard symbols for the second partial combination is a number of guard symbols related with a timing alignment case 7 (see at least paras. 193-194).
Consider claim 6, Huang teaches wherein the node receives a second guard symbol
Information (see at least paras. 193-195, Huang teaches when timing adjustment case changes, new desired number of guard symbols is sent), wherein the second guard symbol information informs a number of guard symbols for the MT operation and all combinations of the operation (see at least paras. 116, 193-195 Huang teaches when timing adjustment case changes, new desired number of guard symbols is sent (i.e., for case 1 which is across all IAB and IAB-nodes (all combinations)), and wherein a number of guard symbols for the all combinations is a number of guard symbols related with a timing alignment case 1 (see at least paras. 116, 193-195).
Consider claim 7, Huang teaches wherein the node supports at least one of a timing
alignment case 1, the timing alignment case 6, and a timing alignment case 7 (see at least para. 193).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FITWI Y HAILEGIORGIS whose telephone number is (571)270-1881. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-6PM.
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FITWI Y. HAILEGIORGIS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2632
/FITWI Y HAILEGIORGIS/Examiner, Art Unit 2632