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 .
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, 5-7, 11, 12, 17, 20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 2022/0022238, hereinafter Chen) and in view of Niu et al (US 2024/0196434, hereinafter Niu).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a method performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a first downlink control information (DCI) scheduling at least one physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception including a first PDSCH reception from a base station (BS), wherein the first DCI indicates at least two groups of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports and at least two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states for the first PDSCH reception (network devices schedules PDSCH through DCI, Para [0004], UE may receive multiple PDSCHs, Para [0003], DCI indicates four DMRS ports, two in one port group and two in another port group and two TCI states indicated by DCI, Para [0168]); and determining at least one TCI state of the at least two TCI states (terminal determines the TCI state, Para [0137]), but does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one TCI state is associated with at least one sensing beam. Niu discloses TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state and UE can derive the transmission TCI state, Para [0025], DCI can indicate the TCI state and the LBT beam/sensing beam direction and UE can derive the transmission beam associated with the sensing beam, Para [0032]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Niu in the system of Chen in order to channel access mechanism when omni-directional and directional LBT is performed.
Regarding claims 5, 11 and 20, Chen discloses the method/UE/processor of claim 1/7/17, wherein determining the at least one TCI state further comprises: receiving a second DCI; and determining the at least one TCI state based on the second DCI (TCI states indicated by DCI, Para [0168], obvious variation for it to be a second DCI).
Regarding claims 6, 12 and 21, Chen discloses the method/UE/processor of claim 5/11/20, but not wherein the second DCI indicates the at least one sensing beam. Niu discloses DCI can indicate the TCI state and the LBT beam/sensing beam direction and UE can derive the transmission beam associated with the sensing beam, Para [0032].
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses a user equipment (UE, Fig. 13) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory and at least one processor (memory and processor, Fig. 13) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: receive a first downlink control information (DCI) scheduling at least one physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception including a first PDSCH reception from a base station (BS), wherein the first DCI indicates at least two groups of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports and at least two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states for the first PDSCH reception (network devices schedules PDSCH through DCI, Para [0004], UE may receive multiple PDSCHs, Para [0003], DCI indicates four DMRS ports, two in one port group and two in another port group and two TCI states indicated by DCI, Para [0168]); and determine at least one TCI state of the at least two TCI states (terminal determines the TCI state, Para [0137]), but does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one TCI state is associated with at least one sensing beam. Niu discloses TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state and UE can derive the transmission TCI state, Para [0025], DCI can indicate the TCI state and the LBT beam/sensing beam direction and UE can derive the transmission beam associated with the sensing beam, Para [0032]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Niu in the system of Chen in order to channel access mechanism when omni-directional and directional LBT is performed.
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses a processor (processor, Fig. 13) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to: receive a first downlink control information (DCI) scheduling at least one physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception including a first PDSCH reception from a base station (BS), wherein the first DCI indicates at least two groups of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports and at least two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states for the first PDSCH reception (network devices schedules PDSCH through DCI, Para [0004], UE may receive multiple PDSCHs, Para [0003], DCI indicates four DMRS ports, two in one port group and two in another port group and two TCI states indicated by DCI, Para [0168]); and determine at least one TCI state of the at least two TCI states (terminal determines the TCI state, Para [0137]), but not wherein the at least one TCI state is associated with at least one sensing beam. Niu discloses TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state and UE can derive the transmission TCI state, Para [0025], DCI can indicate the TCI state and the LBT beam/sensing beam direction and UE can derive the transmission beam associated with the sensing beam, Para [0032]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Niu in the system of Chen in order to channel access mechanism when omni-directional and directional LBT is performed.
Claims 13, 15, 16 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, in view of Niu and in view of Hu et al (US 2022/0124807, hereinafter Hu).
Regarding claim 13, Chen discloses a base station (BS, Fig. 12) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory and at least one processor (processor and memory, Fig. 12) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the BS to: transmit a first downlink control information (DCI) scheduling at least one physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission including a first PDSCH transmission to a UE, wherein the first DCI indicates at least two groups of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports and at least two transmission configuration indication (TCI) states for the first PDSCH transmission (network devices schedules PDSCH through DCI, Para [0004], UE may receive multiple PDSCHs, Para [0003], DCI indicates four DMRS ports, two in one port group and two in another port group and two TCI states indicated by DCI, Para [0168]); but does not disclose performing LBT procedures with at least two sensing beams after the transmission of the first DCI, wherein the at least two sensing beams are associated with the at least two TCI states; and determine at least one TCI state of the at least two TCI states that is associated with at least one sensing beam where listen-before-transmit (LBT) procedures generate a success result. Niu discloses TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state and UE can derive the transmission TCI state, Para [0025], DCI can indicate the TCI state and the LBT beam/sensing beam direction and UE can derive the transmission beam associated with the sensing beam, Para [0032]. Hu discloses the UE receives DCI with set of COT durations corresponding to set of cleared LBT sensing beams after successful LBT is received, Para [0136], UE receives CSI-RS indices for the TCI state of the LBT sensing beam, Para [0135], gNB performs LBT and it is a success, UE receives the DCI, Para [0134]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Niu and Hu in the system of Chen in order to channel access mechanism when omni-directional and directional LBT is performed and improving the efficiency of the CSI-RS resources measurement.
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses the BS of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the BS to transmit a second DCI, wherein the second DCI indicates the at least one sensing beam where the LBT procedures generate a success result. Hu discloses the UE receives DCI with set of COT durations corresponding to set of cleared LBT sensing beams, Para [0136]. Niu discloses DCI indicating TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state, Para [0025].
Regarding claims 16 and 22, Chen discloses the UE/processor of claim 7/17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine a success result of a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure based at least in part on the first PDSCH reception (obvious to one of ordinary skill the LBT had to be successful in order for the BS to transmit the PDSCH and the UE to receive it), wherein the TCI state is associated with the at least one sensing beam based at least in part on the at least one sensing beam corresponding to the success result of the LBT procedure. Hu discloses the UE receives DCI with set of COT durations corresponding to set of cleared LBT sensing beams, Para [0136], UE will receive DCI with TCI state if LBT is a success.
Claims 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, in view of Niu, in view of Hu and in view of Khoshnevisan et al (US 2021/0306125, hereinafter Khoshnevisan).
Regarding claims 2, 8 and 18, Chen discloses the method/UE/processor of claim 1/7/17, further comprising performing a second PDSCH reception instead of the first PDSCH reception based on the determined at least one TCI state. Khoshnevisan discloses UE receives a second DCI and adjusts the TCI states and the adjusted QCL assumption applies to the next downlink transmission, Para [0106]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Khoshnevisan in the system of Chen in view of Niu and Hu in order to better handle interference and congestion as the network grows.
Regarding claims 4, 10 and 19, Chen discloses the method/UE/method of claim 1/7/17, wherein determining the at least one TCI state further comprises: detecting PDSCH transmission based on the at least two TCI states; and determining the at least one TCI state of the at least two TCI states based on the detection of the PDSCH transmission. Khoshnevisan discloses there is a TCI state for the scheduled PDSCH or two TCI states for a multi-TCI state PDSCH, Para [0088]. Chen discloses TCI states can correspond to different downlink transmission, Para [0004].
Regarding claim 14, Chen discloses the BS of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the BS to perform a second PDSCH transmission instead of the first PDSCH transmission based on the determined at least one TCI state. Khoshnevisan discloses UE receives a second DCI and adjusts the TCI states and the adjusted QCL assumption applies to the next downlink transmission, Para [0106].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/8/2026 have been fully considered but they are not fully persuasive. The Applicant argues one of the secondary references Bhamri is not prior art and the rejection should be withdrawn. In response, arguments are moot as a new office action is being issued without relying on the Bhamri reference.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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