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 .
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)(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, 2, 5, 12-14, 16, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al.
Referring to claim 1, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 a UE, comprising:
At least one memory (memory 210).
At least one processor (processor 200) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to:
Receive information (timing advance commands) relating to multiple TAs for uplink transmission to a network, wherein each TA is associated with a link associated with a cell (link L1 of cell C1, links L2-L4 of cell C2, and link L5 of cell C3) of the network.
Determine each TA from the information received, for performing uplink transmission to one or more cells of the network. Figure 1: the network has Cn cells; UE performs uplink transmission to cell C1 of the network via link L1, to cell C2 of the network via links L2-L4, and to cell C3 of the network via link L5. Each of links L1-L5 is associated with a respective component carrier. BS of the network transmits timing advance commands to UE, wherein each timing advance command indicates to UE to perform a TA functionality of updating a timing advance value corresponding to a link of a cell. For example in Section 0030: if UE has link L1 of a first component carrier and link L2 of a second component carrier for uplink transmission, UE applies the TA functionality for the first component carrier when a first timing advance command is received in the first component carrier and applies the TA functionality for the second component carrier when a second timing advance command is received in the second component carrier. When the TA functionality is applied in a component carrier for updating a timing advance value corresponding to a cell, UE starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command. When the time alignment timer is running, uplink timing is synchronized and UE can perform uplink transmission with the cell. When the time alignment timer expires, UE no longer has uplink synchronization with the cell and UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 2, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 wherein the at least one processor is
configured to cause the UE to: receive one or multiple timers (a time alignment timer for each component carrier of each link), wherein, each timer is associated with one or multiple links and maintains a validity of the TAs (when the time alignment timer is running and not expired, uplink timing is synchronized and the TA is updated; so the TA is valid (claimed “validity”) as long as the time alignment timer is running and not expired) associated with the one or multiple links. When the TA functionality is applied in a component carrier for updating a timing advance value corresponding to a cell, UE starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command. When the time alignment timer is running, uplink timing is synchronized and UE can perform uplink transmission with the cell. When the time alignment timer expires, UE no longer has uplink synchronization with the cell and UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 5, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 wherein each TA is indicated by a TAC. BS of the network transmits timing advance commands to UE, wherein each timing advance command indicates to UE to perform a TA functionality of updating a timing advance value corresponding to a link of a cell. For example in Section 0030: if UE has link L1 of a first component carrier and link L2 of a second component carrier for uplink transmission, UE applies the TA functionality for the first component carrier when a first timing advance command is received in the first component carrier and applies the TA functionality for the second component carrier when a second timing advance command is received in the second component carrier. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 12, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 wherein, if the timer associated with a link that is associated with configured uplink grants (not in reference; claim is in “or” form) or UL resources (uplink resources for resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH) is expired, the transmission on the UL resources is suspended (since UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH, UE does not perform CQI REPOR, SRS, SR, and PUCCH transmission) or the resources associated with the link are cleared (UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH). When the TA functionality is applied in a component carrier for updating a timing advance value corresponding to a cell, UE starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command. When the time alignment timer is running, uplink timing is synchronized and UE can perform uplink transmission with the cell. When the time alignment timer expires, UE no longer has uplink synchronization with the cell and UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 13, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 a method perform by a UE, the method comprising:
Receiving information (timing advance commands) relating to multiple TAs for uplink transmission to a network, wherein each TA is associated with a link associated with a cell (link L1 of cell C1, links L2-L4 of cell C2, and link L5 of cell C3) of the network.
Determining each TA from the information received, for performing uplink transmission to one or more cells of the network. Figure 1: the network has Cn cells; UE performs uplink transmission to cell C1 of the network via link L1, to cell C2 of the network via links L2-L4, and to cell C3 of the network via link L5. Each of links L1-L5 is associated with a respective component carrier. BS of the network transmits timing advance commands to UE, wherein each timing advance command indicates to UE to perform a TA functionality of updating a timing advance value corresponding to a link of a cell. For example in Section 0030: if UE has link L1 of a first component carrier and link L2 of a second component carrier for uplink transmission, UE applies the TA functionality for the first component carrier when a first timing advance command is received in the first component carrier and applies the TA functionality for the second component carrier when a second timing advance command is received in the second component carrier. When the TA functionality is applied in a component carrier for updating a timing advance value corresponding to a cell, UE starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command. When the time alignment timer is running, uplink timing is synchronized and UE can perform uplink transmission with the cell. When the time alignment timer expires, UE no longer has uplink synchronization with the cell and UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 14, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 an apparatus (BS) for performing a network function, the apparatus comprising:
At least one memory (not shown, but BS must have a memory like memory 210 of UE).
At least one processor (not shown, but BS must have a processor like processor 200 or UE) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the apparatus to:
Generate information (timing advance commands) relating to multiple TAs for uplink transmission from a UE to the apparatus, wherein each TA is associated with a link between the apparatus and the UE (link L1 of cell C1, links L2-L4 of cell C2, and link L5 of cell C3).
Transmit the information relating to multiple TAs to the UE. Figure 1: the network has Cn cells; UE performs uplink transmission to cell C1 of the network via link L1, to cell C2 of the network via links L2-L4, and to cell C3 of the network via link L5. Each of links L1-L5 is associated with a respective component carrier. BS of the network transmits timing advance commands to UE, wherein each timing advance command indicates to UE to perform a TA functionality of updating a timing advance value corresponding to a link of a cell. For example in Section 0030: if UE has link L1 of a first component carrier and link L2 of a second component carrier for uplink transmission, UE applies the TA functionality for the first component carrier when a first timing advance command is received in the first component carrier and applies the TA functionality for the second component carrier when a second timing advance command is received in the second component carrier. When the TA functionality is applied in a component carrier for updating a timing advance value corresponding to a cell, UE starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command. When the time alignment timer is running, uplink timing is synchronized and UE can perform uplink transmission with the cell. When the time alignment timer expires, UE no longer has uplink synchronization with the cell and UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 16, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 a processor (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:
At least one controller (processor 200) coupled with at least one memory (memory 210) and configured to cause the processor to:
Receive information (timing advance commands) relating to multiple TAs for uplink transmission to a network, wherein each TA is associated with a link associated with a cell (link L1 of cell C1, links L2-L4 of cell C2, and link L5 of cell C3) of the network.
Determine each TA from the information received, for performing uplink transmission to one or more cells of the network. Figure 1: the network has Cn cells; UE performs uplink transmission to cell C1 of the network via link L1, to cell C2 of the network via links L2-L4, and to cell C3 of the network via link L5. Each of links L1-L5 is associated with a respective component carrier. BS of the network transmits timing advance commands to UE, wherein each timing advance command indicates to UE to perform a TA functionality of updating a timing advance value corresponding to a link of a cell. For example in Section 0030: if UE has link L1 of a first component carrier and link L2 of a second component carrier for uplink transmission, UE applies the TA functionality for the first component carrier when a first timing advance command is received in the first component carrier and applies the TA functionality for the second component carrier when a second timing advance command is received in the second component carrier. When the TA functionality is applied in a component carrier for updating a timing advance value corresponding to a cell, UE starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command. When the time alignment timer is running, uplink timing is synchronized and UE can perform uplink transmission with the cell. When the time alignment timer expires, UE no longer has uplink synchronization with the cell and UE releases resources of CQI REPORT, SRS, SR, and PUCCH. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Referring to claim 17, refer to the rejection of claim 2.
Referring to claim 20, refer to the rejection of claim 5.
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 3 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20140162642 to Kwon et al.
Referring to claim 3, Wu et al do not disclose wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: transmit a UE capability of supporting multiple TA maintenance.
Kwon et al disclose in Figures 1-12 and Sections 0078, 0082, 0083, 0091, 0092, and 0102 wherein UE signals information indicating whether UE supports multiple TAs, and if supporting multiple TAs, in what extent or form the multiple TAs may be supported to BS. BS performs multiple TAs with UE based on the signaling. Multiple TAs are used by BS and UE to obtain and maintain multiple TAs, thereby maintaining uplink synchronization. Refer to Sections 0029-0227. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: transmit a UE capability of supporting multiple TA maintenance. One would have been motivated to do so so that UE can indicate to BS of its capability to support multiple TAs, thereby allowing BS to perform multiple TAs accordingly.
Referring to claim 18, refer to the rejection of claim 3.
Claims 4, 7, 10, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20190394738 to Abedini et al.
Referring to claim 4, Wu et al do not disclose wherein the timer relates to a TAG for each link, or to a link for each TAG.
Abedini et al disclose in Figures 1-29 and Sections 0096, 0101, 0102, 0156, 0163, 0164, 0168-0170, 0172, 0180, 0181, 0191, 0200, 0215, and 0218 wherein a configured timer is associated with a TA on one or more network links is used for maintaining TA during a service connection. UE implements the TA value according to the configured timer, where communication on one or more network links is uplink time aligned. Timer expiration indicates a loss of uplink synchronization. The timer is associated with a link, wherein the link is associated with a TAG (claimed “the timer relates to a TAG for each link”). Refer to Sections 0092-0354. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the timer relates to a TAG for each link, or to a link for each TAG (not in reference; claim is in “or” form). One would have been motivated to do so since a timer is associated with a TAG for each link, so that the links in the cells in the TAG share the same TA value, thereby facilitating uplink synchronization.
Referring to claim 7, Wu et al do not disclose wherein each TAC is contained in a TAC MAC CE
that identifies a link associated with the TAC.
Abedini et al disclose in Figures 1-29 and Sections 0146, 0156, 0163, 0172, 0178, 0180, 0183, 0195, 0216, 0218, 0302, and 0306 wherein BS transmits a MAC CE, including an updated TA command, to UE on resources of the communication link, wherein the MAC CE identifies the link associated with the TA command. Refer to Sections 0092-0354. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein each TAC is contained in a TAC MAC CE that identifies a link associated with the TAC. One would have been motivated to do so since TAC is conventionally transmitted in a TAC MAC CE that identifies a link associated with the TAC, thereby facilitating the use of TA on a link in uplink synchronization.
Referring to claim 10, Wu et al do not disclose wherein each TAC is contained in a MAC RAR that identifies a link associated with the TAC.
Abedini et al disclose in Figures 1-29 and Sections 0146, 0156, 0163, 0178, 0183, 0192, 0195, 0207, 0209, 0210, 0216, 0218, 0302, and 0306 wherein BS transmits a MAC RAR, including an updated TA command, to UE on resources of the communication link, wherein the MAC RAR identifies the link associated with the TA command. Refer to Sections 0092-0354. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein each TAC is contained in a MAC RAR that identifies a link associated with the TAC. One would have been motivated to do so since TAC is conventionally transmitted in a TAC MAC RAR that identifies a link associated with the TAC, thereby facilitating the use of TA on a link in uplink synchronization.
Referring to claim 19, refer to the rejection of claim 4.
Claims 6 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20210068142 to Park et al.
Referring to claim 6, Wu et al disclose in Figures 1-6 wherein: the TAC received from a DL TRP (BS) … BS of the network transmits timing advance commands to UE, wherein each timing advance command indicates to UE to perform a TA functionality of updating a timing advance value corresponding to a link of a cell. Refer to Sections 0023-0047.
Wu et al do not disclose wherein: the TAC received from a DL TRP or DL beam set is applied for an UL panel associated with the DL TRP or a UL beam associated with the DL beam.
Park et al disclose in Figures 1-14 and Section 0234 wherein a TA command and TA value is differently and/or independently applied for each panel. Each panel may perform uplink transmission to at least one reception end, such as a DL TRP or DL BS, and may apply a different TA value depending on the UE and the context of the reception end and adjust the timing. So: a DL TRP or DL BS transmits a TA command to UE (claimed “the TAC received from a DL TRP”), and then UE transmits uplink transmissions using a UL panel corresponding to the DL TSP or DL BS (claimed “UL panel associated with the DL TRP”). Refer to Sections 0040-0306. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein: the TAC received from a DL TRP or DL beam set (not in reference; claim is in “or” form) is applied for an UL panel associated with the DL TRP or a UL beam associated with the DL beam (not in reference; claim is in “or” form). One would have been motivated to do so so that a DL TRP can transmit TAC to UE, and then UE can transmit uplink transmissions from an UL panel associated with the DL TRP.
Referring to claim 21, refer to the rejection of claim 6.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20190394738 to Abedini et al, and in further view of U.S. Publication No. 20230044028 to Tsai et al (support found in Provisional Application No. 63225382).
Wu et al and Abedini et al do not disclose wherein the TAC MAC CE is of fixed size or variable size identified by MAC subheader with LCID.
Tsai et al disclose in Figures 1-15 and Sections 0332, 0334 wherein TA Command MAC CE is identified by a MAC subheader with an LCID and has a fixed size, wherein the TA command MAC CE includes the TA command. Refer to Sections 0061-0424. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the TAC MAC CE is of fixed size or variable size (not in reference; claim is in “or” form) identified by MAC subheader with LCID. One would have been motivated to do so since a TAC MAC CE is of a fixed size and identified by a MAC subheader with a LCID, thereby differentiating between different TAC MAC CE for uplink synchronization.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20190394738 to Abedini et al, and in further view of U.S. Publication No. 20260019206 to Dong et al.
Wu et al do not disclose wherein the TAC contained in a TAC MAC CE that does … identify the link is determined as the TAC of the primary link.
Abedini et al disclose in Figures 1-29 and Sections 0146, 0156, 0163, 0172, 0178, 0180, 0183, 0195, 0216, 0218, 0302, and 0306 wherein BS transmits a MAC CE, including an updated TA command, to UE on resources of the communication link, wherein the MAC CE identifies the link associated with the TA command. Refer to Sections 0092-0354. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the TAC contained in a TAC MAC CE that does … identify the link is determined as the TAC of the primary link. One would have been motivated to do so since TAC is conventionally transmitted in a TAC MAC CE that identifies a link associated with the TAC, thereby facilitating the use of TA on a link in uplink synchronization.
Wu et al and Abedini et al do not disclose wherein the TAC contained in a TAC MAC CE that does not identify the link is determined as the TAC of the primary link.
Dong et al disclose in Figures 1-4 and Sections 0057, 0060 wherein link information such as link ID may be omitted from a message frame in order to simplify the information carried in the message frame. Refer to Sections 0019-0087. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the TAC contained in a TAC MAC CE that does not identify the link is determined as the TAC of the primary link. One would have been motivated to do so since TAC is conventionally transmitted in a TAC MAC CE but does not identify the link of the TAC, thereby saving bandwidth resources.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 20100238908 to Wu et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20190394738 to Abedini et al in view of U.S. Publication No. 20230044028 to Tsai et al (support found in Provisional Application No. 63225382), and in further view of U.S. Publication No. 20220295542 to Zhao et al.
Wu et al and Abedini et al do not disclose wherein the MAC RAR is of fixed size or variable size …
Tsai et al disclose in Figures 1-15 and Sections 0214, 0327 wherein TA Command MAC RAR has a fixed size, wherein the TA command MAC RAR includes the TA command. Refer to Sections 0061-0424. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the TAC MAC CE is of fixed size or variable size (not in reference; claim is in “or” form) … One would have been motivated to do so since a TAC MAC RAR is of a fixed size to facilitate uplink synchronization using TA.
Wu et al, Abedini et al, and Tsai et al do not disclose wherein the MAC RAR is of fixed size or variable size identified by MAC subheader with LCID.
Zhao et al disclose in Figures 1-20 and Sections 0014, 0024, 0114, 0128, 0191, 0203, 0215, and 0227 wherein a MAC RAR includes a plurality of MAC subheaders, including a MAC subheader with LCID. Refer to Sections 0060-0241. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the MAC RAR is of fixed size or variable size identified by MAC subheader with LCID. One would have been motivated to do so since a TAC MAC RAR is identified by a MAC subheader with a LCID, thereby differentiating between different TAC MAC RAR for uplink synchronization.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Publication No. 20210289461 to Zhang et al disclose in Figures 1-14 and Sections 0212, 0213, 0234, 0246, and 0247 wherein BS transmits timing advance information to the terminal, and the terminal transmits an uplink transmission according to received timing advance information corresponding to the uplink transmission link. Refer to Sections 0031-0496.
U.S. Publication No. 20210136714 to Hosseini et al disclose in Figures 1-9 and Sections 0106, 0118, 0132, 0146, and 0159 wherein UE receives timing advance information associated with a first communication link from BS, wherein the timing advance information includes a timing advance value, and then UE transmits an uplink information based on the timing advancing value. Refer to Sections 0026-0181.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTINE Y NG whose telephone number is (571)272-3124. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12pm-9pm.
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/Christine Ng/
Examiner, AU 2464
April 1, 2026
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