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
This is in response to an amendment/response/communication filed 3/18/2026.
Claims 13-14, 16 have been cancelled.
No claims have been added.
Claims(s) 1-12, 15 is/are currently pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/17/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 3/18/2024. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-2, 7-8, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al. (US 20230188268 A1) in view of Wu et al. (US 20220353853 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yan et al. teaches a method of performing a hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ) operation of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system (Paragraph 19, 109, These passages expressly disclose a UE method performing HARQ-related communication by receiving control information and receiving/transmitting data associated with HARQ process numbers in a wireless communication system) and receiving or transmitting at least one data channel of the plurality of data channels based on the DCI (Paragraph 19, 23, 62, 109, The disclosure expressly teaches receiving or transmitting scheduled data channels based on the received DCI/control signal), wherein the DCI comprises information informing the at least one data channel based on a HARQ process number (Paragraph 5, 71, 72, 94, These passages expressly disclose that the DCI includes HARQ process number information used to determine the HARQ process number for the scheduled data channel), wherein the information comprises: i) a starting HARQ process number among HARQ process numbers related with the at least one data channel (Paragraph 22, 72, 94, 105, 106, The disclosure teaches DCI identifying a base HARQ process number (Hid) and further identifying the lowest or highest HARQ process number of an applicable HARQ process range, which teaches informing a starting HARQ process number), and ii) a Discontinuous HARQ Process Indicator (DHPI) informing whether each HARQ process number following the starting HARQ process number among the HARQ process numbers is used (Paragraph 22, 105-107, the DCI indicates a lowest or highest HARQ process number together with which subsequent HARQ process numbers are enabled or disabled, thereby informing whether HARQ process numbers following the identified starting HARQ process number are used, performing the same function as the claimed DHPI).
Yan et al. does not explicitly teach teach the method comprising: receiving one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels; wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order.
However, Wu et al. teaches the method comprising: receiving one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels (Paragraph 53, 82-83, 186-187, The passage teaches receiving DCI that schedules multiple physical data channels, including multiple PDSCHs (and generally PDSCH/PUSCH), satisfying DCI related to scheduling a plurality of data channels); wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order (Paragraph 52-54, 186-188, The passage teaches multiple data channels each associated with respective HARQ process numbers and expressly orders the associated feedback in ascending HARQ process number order).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the method comprising: receiving one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels; wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order as taught by Wu et al. in the system of Yan et al., so that it would enable Yan et al.'s HARQ process number identification and discontinuous HARQ process indication mechanisms to be efficiently applied across multiple scheduled data channels using a single DCI, thereby reducing control signaling overhead while providing an ordered and unambiguous association between each scheduled data channel and its corresponding HARQ process number.
Regarding claim 2, Yan et al. teaches UE receives or transmits a data channel related with the starting HARQ process number and a data channel related with a HARQ process number informed to be used by the DHPI (Paragraph 19, 22, 105-107, 109, The control signal explicitly identifies a HARQ process number together with additional signaling that enables a selected range of HARQ process numbers beginning at a specified lowest (starting) HARQ process number, and the UE correspondingly receives or transmits data channels associated with those enabled HARQ process numbers).
Regarding claim 7, Yan et al. teaches a user equipment (UE) performing hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ) operation in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: at least one transceiver; at least one memory; and at least one processor operably coupled to the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to: receive or transmitting at least one data channel of the plurality of data channels based on the DCI (Paragraph 19, 23, 62, 109, The disclosure expressly teaches receiving or transmitting scheduled data channels based on the received DCI/control signal), wherein the DCI comprises information informing the at least one data channel based on a HARQ process number (Paragraph 5, 71, 72, 94, These passages expressly disclose that the DCI includes HARQ process number information used to determine the HARQ process number for the scheduled data channel), wherein the information comprises: i) a starting HARQ process number among HARQ process numbers related with the at least one data channel (Paragraph 22, 72, 94, 105, 106, The disclosure teaches DCI identifying a base HARQ process number (Hid) and further identifying the lowest or highest HARQ process number of an applicable HARQ process range, which teaches informing a starting HARQ process number), and ii) a Discontinuous HARQ Process Indicator (DHPI) informing whether each HARQ process number following the starting HARQ process number among the HARQ process numbers is used (Paragraph 22, 105-107, the DCI indicates a lowest or highest HARQ process number together with which subsequent HARQ process numbers are enabled or disabled, thereby informing whether HARQ process numbers following the identified starting HARQ process number are used, performing the same function as the claimed DHPI).
Yan et al. does not explicitly teach teach receive one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels; wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order.
However, Wu et al. teaches receive one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels (Paragraph 53, 82-83, 186-187, The passage teaches receiving DCI that schedules multiple physical data channels, including multiple PDSCHs (and generally PDSCH/PUSCH), satisfying DCI related to scheduling a plurality of data channels); wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order (Paragraph 52-54, 186-188, The passage teaches multiple data channels each associated with respective HARQ process numbers and expressly orders the associated feedback in ascending HARQ process number order).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide receive one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels; wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order as taught by Wu et al. in the system of Yan et al., so that it would enable Yan et al.'s HARQ process number identification and discontinuous HARQ process indication mechanisms to be efficiently applied across multiple scheduled data channels using a single DCI, thereby reducing control signaling overhead while providing an ordered and unambiguous association between each scheduled data channel and its corresponding HARQ process number.
Regarding claim 8, Yan et al. teaches UE receives or transmits a data channel related with the starting HARQ process number and a data channel related with a HARQ process number informed to be used by the DHPI (Paragraph 19, 22, 105-107, 109, The control signal explicitly identifies a HARQ process number together with additional signaling that enables a selected range of HARQ process numbers beginning at a specified lowest (starting) HARQ process number, and the UE correspondingly receives or transmits data channels associated with those enabled HARQ process numbers).
Regarding claim 15, Yan et al. teaches a method of operating a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting or receiving at least one data channel of the plurality of data channels based on the DCI (Paragraph 19, 23, 62, 109, The disclosure expressly teaches receiving or transmitting scheduled data channels based on the received DCI/control signal), wherein the DCI comprises information informing the at least one data channel based on a HARQ process number (Paragraph 5, 71, 72, 94, These passages expressly disclose that the DCI includes HARQ process number information used to determine the HARQ process number for the scheduled data channel), wherein the information comprises: i) a starting HARQ process number among HARQ process numbers related with the at least one data channel (Paragraph 22, 72, 94, 105, 106, The disclosure teaches DCI identifying a base HARQ process number (Hid) and further identifying the lowest or highest HARQ process number of an applicable HARQ process range, which teaches informing a starting HARQ process number), and ii) a Discontinuous HARQ Process Indicator (DHPI) informing whether each HARQ process number following the starting HARQ process number among the HARQ process numbers is used (Paragraph 22, 105-107, the DCI indicates a lowest or highest HARQ process number together with which subsequent HARQ process numbers are enabled or disabled, thereby informing whether HARQ process numbers following the identified starting HARQ process number are used, performing the same function as the claimed DHPI).
Yan et al. does not explicitly teach teach transmitting one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels; wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order.
However, Wu et al. teaches transmitting one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels (Paragraph 53, 73, 79-83, 143-145, 186-188, 221, 228, The passage teaches a network device transmitting multiple forms of DCI (including activation, release, and scheduling DCI) that schedule physical data channels such as multiple PDSCHs and PUSCHs across carriers); wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order (Paragraph 52-54, 186-188, The passage teaches multiple data channels each associated with respective HARQ process numbers and expressly orders the associated feedback in ascending HARQ process number order).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide transmitting one downlink control information (DCI) related with scheduling of a plurality of data channels; wherein each of the plurality of data channels is related with a different HARQ process number in ascending order as taught by Wu et al. in the system of Yan et al., so that it would enable Yan et al.'s HARQ process number identification and discontinuous HARQ process indication mechanisms to be efficiently applied across multiple scheduled data channels using a single DCI, thereby reducing control signaling overhead while providing an ordered and unambiguous association between each scheduled data channel and its corresponding HARQ process number.
Claims 3-6, 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al. (US 20230188268 A1) in view of Wu et al. (US 20220353853 A1) and in further view of Singh (US 20240297742 A1).
Regarding claim 3, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach the DCI comprises a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field, new data indicator (NDI) fields, and redundancy version (RV) fields.
However, Singh teaches the DCI comprises a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field, new data indicator (NDI) fields, and redundancy version (RV) fields (Paragraphs: 134, 156, 158-159, 163, The passage expressly discusses DCI treatment of NDI and RV fields and associates DCI with resource allocation that includes time-domain grant information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the DCI comprises a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field, new data indicator (NDI) fields, and redundancy version (RV) fields as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would support standardized DCI signaling capable of conveying time-domain resource allocation together with HARQ-related NDI and RV information for efficiently scheduling and controlling multiple data channel transmissions while maintaining compatibility with established wireless communication protocols.
Regarding claim 4, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach a maximum number of the NDI fields is NMAX,PXSCH, the NMAX,PXSCH being a natural number, and wherein the maximum number of the RV fields is NMAX,PXSCH, wherein NMAX,PXSCH is a maximum number of data channels that can be scheduled based on a value of the TDRA field.
However, Singh teaches a maximum number of the NDI fields is NMAX,PXSCH, the NMAX,PXSCH being a natural number, and wherein the maximum number of the RV fields is NMAX,PXSCH, wherein NMAX,PXSCH is a maximum number of data channels that can be scheduled based on a value of the TDRA field (Paragraphs: 145, 149, 158-159, These passages disclose DCI scheduling single or multiple data channels while omitting or fixing NDI and RV-related signaling fields, indicating that the presence and effective number of NDI and RV fields depend on how many data channels are scheduled by the grant).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a maximum number of the NDI fields is NMAX,PXSCH, the NMAX,PXSCH being a natural number, and wherein the maximum number of the RV fields is NMAX,PXSCH, wherein NMAX,PXSCH is a maximum number of data channels that can be scheduled based on a value of the TDRA field as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would support scalable scheduling of single or multiple data channels while reducing unnecessary control signaling overhead by including only the NDI and RV fields needed for the number of data channels indicated by the TDRA-based scheduling configuration.
Regarding claim 5, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is 1 bit, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is 2(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH).
However, Singh teaches when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is 1 bit, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is 2(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) (Paragraphs: 131-137, 158-159, teaches adapting DCI field presence by omitting or reusing NDI, RV, and HARQ-related fields to reduce DCI size depending on HARQ configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is 1 bit, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is 2(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would reduce DCI signaling overhead by adapting the presence and size of HARQ-related fields to the number of scheduled data channels while maintaining efficient and flexible HARQ operation.
Regarding claim 6, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is NRV, NRV being a natural number greater than or equal to 2, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is (1 + NRV)(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH).
However, Singh teaches when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is NRV, NRV being a natural number greater than or equal to 2, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is (1 + NRV)(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) (Paragraphs: 131-141, 158-159, The passage teaches a DCI whose included NDI and RV fields vary depending on HARQ operation, with NDI and RV fields removed or omitted when unnecessary and the DCI size correspondingly reduced while the remaining DCI bit fields (including HARQ-related fields) occupy the remaining bit budget).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is NRV, NRV being a natural number greater than or equal to 2, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is (1 + NRV)(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would reduce unnecessary DCI signaling overhead by omitting unused HARQ-related fields while preserving sufficient control information for scheduling multiple data channels and improving signaling efficiency and resource utilization.
Regarding claim 9, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach the DCI comprises a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field, new data indicator (NDI) fields, and redundancy version (RV) fields.
However, Singh teaches the DCI comprises a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field, new data indicator (NDI) fields, and redundancy version (RV) fields (Paragraphs: 134, 156, 158-159, 163, The passage expressly discusses DCI treatment of NDI and RV fields and associates DCI with resource allocation that includes time-domain grant information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the DCI comprises a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field, new data indicator (NDI) fields, and redundancy version (RV) fields as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would support standardized DCI signaling capable of conveying time-domain resource allocation together with HARQ-related NDI and RV information for efficiently scheduling and controlling multiple data channel transmissions while maintaining compatibility with established wireless communication protocols.
Regarding claim 10, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach a maximum number of the NDI fields is NMAX,PXSCH, the NMAX,PXSCH being a natural number, and wherein the maximum number of the RV fields is NMAX,PXSCH, wherein NMAX,PXSCH is a maximum number of data channels that can be scheduled based on a value of the TDRA field.
However, Singh teaches a maximum number of the NDI fields is NMAX,PXSCH, the NMAX,PXSCH being a natural number, and wherein the maximum number of the RV fields is NMAX,PXSCH, wherein NMAX,PXSCH is a maximum number of data channels that can be scheduled based on a value of the TDRA field (Paragraphs: 145, 149, 158-159, These passages disclose DCI scheduling single or multiple data channels while omitting or fixing NDI and RV-related signaling fields, indicating that the presence and effective number of NDI and RV fields depend on how many data channels are scheduled by the grant).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a maximum number of the NDI fields is NMAX,PXSCH, the NMAX,PXSCH being a natural number, and wherein the maximum number of the RV fields is NMAX,PXSCH, wherein NMAX,PXSCH is a maximum number of data channels that can be scheduled based on a value of the TDRA field as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would support scalable scheduling of single or multiple data channels while reducing unnecessary control signaling overhead by including only the NDI and RV fields needed for the number of data channels indicated by the TDRA-based scheduling configuration.
Regarding claim 11, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is 1 bit, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is 2(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH).
However, Singh teaches when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is 1 bit, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is 2(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) (Paragraphs: 131-137, 158-159, teaches adapting DCI field presence by omitting or reusing NDI, RV, and HARQ-related fields to reduce DCI size depending on HARQ configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is 1 bit, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is 2(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would reduce DCI signaling overhead by adapting the presence and size of HARQ-related fields to the number of scheduled data channels while maintaining efficient and flexible HARQ operation.
Regarding claim 12, neither Yan et al. nor Wu et al. explicitly teach when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is NRV, NRV being a natural number greater than or equal to 2, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is (1 + NRV)(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH).
However, Singh teaches when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is NRV, NRV being a natural number greater than or equal to 2, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is (1 + NRV)(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) (Paragraphs: 131-141, 158-159, The passage teaches a DCI whose included NDI and RV fields vary depending on HARQ operation, with NDI and RV fields removed or omitted when unnecessary and the DCI size correspondingly reduced while the remaining DCI bit fields (including HARQ-related fields) occupy the remaining bit budget).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide when an actual number of the NDI fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, NPXSCH being a natural number, when an actual number of the RV fields included in the DCI is NPXSCH, and when a number of bits in each RV field is NRV, NRV being a natural number greater than or equal to 2, a bit size of a field comprising the DHPI is (1 + NRV)(NMAX,PXSCH - NPXSCH) as taught by Singh in the combined system of Yan et al. and Wu et al., so that it would reduce unnecessary DCI signaling overhead by omitting unused HARQ-related fields while preserving sufficient control information for scheduling multiple data channels and improving signaling efficiency and resource utilization.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Xu et al. (US 20240267161 A1) discloses a wireless communication system in which a UE receives DCI scheduling PDSCH transmissions and performs HARQ operations by determining and reporting HARQ ACK/NACK feedback using HARQ codebooks and DAI information for scheduled data channels, rather than using a starting HARQ process number and a discontinuous HARQ process indicator to identify multiple HARQ processes.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW SHAJI KURIAN whose telephone number is (703)756-1878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-4pm.
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/A.S.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/MICHAEL K PHILLIPS/Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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