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 .
Claims 1-22 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: There is a typographical error in the claim. For the purpose of this office action the Examiner is interpreting the claim to read:
“…use[[s]] the modified control channel element structure to detect at least a Type0 physical downlink control channel.”
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.
(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.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sakhnini (US 2023/0034639)(“Sakhnini”).
As per claim 1, Sakhnini teaches an apparatus comprising at least one processor (i.e., UE, see ¶0006), and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor Id., to cause the apparatus to:
receive information comprising at least one control channel element structure associated with at least one aggregation level within an initial control resource set (i.e., CORESET 0) that is configured for the apparatus (see ¶0094, i.e., configured via MIB, which is impliedly associated with at least one aggregation level, also see Fig. 7A, ref. 710);
receive an indication of modifying of the at least one control channel element structure (see Fig. 7A, ref. 715, also see ¶0097, i.e., “… an indication of an action to be performed by the UEs 120 to handle partial CORESETs”, also see ¶0099, “… the action to be performed by the UE 120 to handle partial CORESETs may include refraining from receiving CCEs or RBs of the CORESET that are outside of the initial downlink bandwidth, modifying the resource mapping of the CORESET…”.);
modify the at least one control channel element (CCE) structure while the at least one aggregation level is maintained (see ¶0099, “…modifying the resource mapping of the CORESET…”, also see ¶0109, i.e., “Determining or recalculating the CCE-to-REG mapping using the quantity of available RBs or the quantity of available CCEs may result in an aggregation level for at least one PDCCH candidate of the CORESET being maintained…”, also see ¶0108, “Moreover, refraining from monitoring, or refraining from receiving PDCCH messages in, the RBs or CCEs of the CORES ET that are outside of the initial downlink bandwidth may ensure that a quantity of PDCCH candidates is maintained”, which further suggests, for at least CORESET 0, the aggregation level is maintained);
monitor a physical downlink control channel from the initial control resource set according to the modified control channel element structure (i.e., PDCCH, see Fig. 7A, ref. 735, and ¶0115); and
receive a physical downlink shared channel according to the physical downlink control channel received via the modified control channel element structure (see Fig. 7A, ref. 735, and ¶0115, furthermore, although not expressly described, impliedly the receiving/decoding of the PDDCH is for purposes of receiving/decoding a corresponding physical downlink shared channel, i.e., PDSCH).
As per claim 2, Sakhnini further teaches wherein the apparatus is further caused to: modify the at least one control channel element structure by puncturing the at least one control channel element structure (see ¶0099, i.e., “refraining from receiving CCEs or RBs of the CORESET”).
As per claim 3, Sakhnini further teaches wherein the punctured physical downlink control channel is obtained by puncturing from a last and/or a first control channel element (see for example, Fig. 6).
As per claim 4, Sakhnini further teaches wherein the modified control channel element structure corresponds to a non-interleaved control channel element structure (i.e., non-interleaving mapping type, see ¶0029).
As per claim 5, Sakhnini further teaches wherein one or more control channel elements from highest or lowest physical resource block are punctured with a granularity of one physical resource block (i.e., “one or more RBs”, see ¶0093).
As per claim 6, Sakhnini further teaches wherein the modified control channel element depends on a channel bandwidth (i.e., downlink bandwidth, see abstract).
As per claim 7, Sakhnini further teaches wherein one or more bits comprised in a physical broadcast channel are used for configuration of the physical downlink control channel, wherein the configuration indicates the modified control channel element structure that is used (i.e., a “bit” and/or “another bit” in the MIB, see ¶0098, which is impliedly comprised in a physical broadcast channel (PBCH)).
As per claim 8, Sakhnini further teaches wherein configuration of puncturing of the physical downlink control channel is based on a table associated with the initial control resource set (see ¶0095).
As per claim 9, Sakhnini further teaches wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
monitor a specific frequency band (see ¶0067, where impliedly the SS bursts are detected by the UE monitoring specific NR frequency band(s)); and
receive a synchronization signal block from the specific frequency band for the physical downlink control channel monitoring (i.e., SSB, see Fig. 4 and ¶0067-¶0068).
As per claim 10, Sakhnini further teaches wherein the apparatus is a terminal device (i.e., UE, see abstract), and the terminal device is further caused to:
use the modified control channel element structure to detect at least a Type0 physical downlink control channel (see ¶0065).
Claims 11-22 are rejected under the same rationale as claims 1-9 since they recite substantially identical subject matter. Any differences between the claims do not result in patentably distinct claims and all of the limitations are taught by the above cited art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (see PTO 892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brendan Higa whose telephone number is (571)272-5823. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Hwang can be reached at (571) 272-4036. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRENDAN Y HIGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2441
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