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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to application no. 18/711,963 filed on 05/21/2024.
Claims 1 – 4, 6 – 8 and 10 are amended.
Claims 5, 9 and 11 – 20 are cancelled.
Claims 1 – 4, 6 – 8 and 10 are pending and ready for examination.
Priority
This application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 national phase filing of International Application No. PCT/IB2022/061494, filed November 28, 2022, which claims the benefit of provisional patent application serial number 63/283,391, filed 11/26/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/21/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3 and 10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1 and 10 recite in line 5, “separate DL/UL TCI states”. The descriptions of the acronyms DL/UL are required for the first time recitation in a claim. The later of the claims recite the description; but it is only required at the first time use.
Claims 1 and 10 recite in line 2, “a Downlink Control information, DCI” and again recite in line 6, “a DCI”. The later recitation raises an ambiguity issue and it needs to be corrected by reciting “the DCI”.
Claim 1 recites in last paragraph, “MAC CE comprises a second field” and claim 3 recited in line 2, “MAC CE further comprises a second field”. The later recitation raises an ambiguity issue and it needs to be corrected by reciting “the second field”.
Claims 1 and 10 recite in last paragraph, “whether the first TCI field codepoint indicates one or multiple TCI states, and wherein in response to the second field indicating multiple TCI states, the first TCI field codepoint indicates both a DL only TCI state and an UL only TCI state”. The above statement is little confusing as “first TCI field codepoint” is checked whether it indicates one or multiple TCI states and then response is provided for “the second field indicating multiple TCI states” and finally the first TCI field codepoint indicates two TCI states. This paragraph requires revision.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: transmitter/ receiver/ transceiver, processor/ controller and memory/ storage.
Claim 10 is an apparatus claim, claiming a user equipment (UE); but it does not recite any structural components or parts of the UE to do the processing/ method/ steps performed by the UE. Review of the specification provides UE 1200 and its structural components in Fig. 12 along specification ¶ [0133] – ¶ [0145]. Due to lack of structural components or parts of the UE, claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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.
Claims 1 – 4, 6 – 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (Liu hereinafter referred to Liu) (US 2024/0195573 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Liu teaches (Title, MAC CE FOR SEPARATE INDICATION OF DL TCI AND UL TCI), a method performed by a User Equipment, UE, for mapping Transmission Configuration Indication, TCI, states to TCI field codepoints (Abstract, mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s)) in a Downlink Control information, DCI ([0010], UE receives an activation command used to map up to 8 TCI states to the codepoints of the DCI field ‘Transmission Configuration Indication’), the method comprising:
receiving a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE, message for activation of separate DL/UL TCI states from a network node (Abstract, separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state; [0001], TCI-state Activation/ Deactivation MAC CE for separate indication of DL TCI and UL TCI; [0011], Some of the configured TCI states is activated by an MAC CE; [0016], method comprises receiving an MAC CE updating the mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s), wherein, each TCI codepoint is associated with one UL TCI state or one DL TCI state or both one DL TCI state and one UL TCI state. Here, a MAC CE is received for activation of separate DL/UL TCI states); and
receiving a DCI from the network node, the DCI comprising a TCI field ([0011], UE receives a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH transmission, the spatial RX parameter for receiving the scheduled PDSCH transmission is indicated by a TCI field in the DCI) set to one of a plurality of TCI field codepoints ([0051], TCI codepoints (e.g. codepoints 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, and 111) indicated by the TCI field contained in DCI format 1_1 or 1_2, where a codepoint (or TCI codepoint) is a value of the TCI field);
wherein:
the MAC CE maps TCI states to at least some of the plurality of TCI field codepoints ([0011], Each of the activated TCI state in the MAC CE is mapped to a codepoint (i.e. a value) of a TCI field contained in DCI format 1_1 or 1_2; [0016], MAC CE updating the mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s));
the MAC CE comprises a first field ([0017], MAC CE includes multiple TCI state ID fields each of which is associated with a one-bit indication field, the one-bit indication field indicates whether the associated TCI state ID field identifies an UL TCI state or a DL TCI state) that indicates whether a first TCI state indicated by the MAC CE that is mapped to a first TCI field codepoint in the DCI is a downlink, DL, only TCI state or an uplink, UL, only TCI state ([0052], several MAC CEs (i.e. several MAC CE formats) for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format 1_1 or 1_2 and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE; Fig.3 and [0079], when Cn field is set to “0”, the nu codepoint of TCI field in the DCI is mapped to only one DL TCI state indicated by the DL TCI state ID n field. Here, the mapping is DL only TCI state. As mentioned in [0017], that the MAC CE includes multiple TCI state ID fields and regarding [0052], several MAC CEs are for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI and TCI states; therefore, it is implicit that the MAC CE comprises a first field to indicate a first TCI state that is mapped to a first TCI field codepoint is DL only TCI state or an UL only TCI state); and
the MAC CE comprises a second field (same as [0017]; therefore, the MAC CE comprises a second field) that indicates whether the MAC CE further indicates whether the first TCI field codepoint indicates one or multiple TCI states ([0051], A TCI codepoint points to one or two TCI states (e.g. either a DL TCI state or an UL TCI state, or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state)), and wherein in response to the second field indicating multiple TCI states (Regarding [0051], two TCI states are considered; therefore, the second TCI field codepoint indicates multiple TCI states), the first TCI field codepoint indicates both a DL only TCI state and an UL only TCI state (Abstract, the mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s), wherein, each TCI codepoint is associated with one UL TCI state or one DL TCI state or both one DL TCI state and one UL TCI state; Fig.3 and [0079], when Cn field is set to “1”, the nth codepoint of TCI field the DCI is mapped to two TCI states (i.e. one DL TCI state and one UL TCI state). As mentioned in [0052]; several MAC CEs are for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI and TCI states; therefore, it is implicit that the MAC CE comprises the second field to indicate multiple TCI states; i.e. both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state).
Regarding claim 2, Liu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Liu further teaches
wherein the first field indicates that the first TCI state indicated by the MAC CE that is mapped to the first TCI field codepoint in the DCI is a DL only TCI state ([0052], several MAC CEs for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or .. are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE; Fig.3 and [0079], when Cn field is set to “0”, the nu codepoint of TCI field in the DCI is mapped to only one DL TCI state indicated by the DL TCI state ID n field. Here, the mapping is DL only TCI state).
Regarding claim 3, Liu teaches all the features with respect to claim 2 as outlined above.
Liu further teaches
wherein the MAC CE further comprises:
a second field that indicates whether the MAC CE further indicates an UL only TCI state mapped to the first TCI field codepoint in the DCI ([0052], several MAC CEs for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or .. are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE; [0054], each TCI codepoint is mapped to only one TCI state that is either a DL TCI state or an UL TCI state. That is, each of some TCI codepoint(s) is only mapped to one DL TCI state while each of some other TCI codepoint(s) is only mapped to one UL TCI state; Fig.6 and [0106] map TCI codepoint 011 only to UL TCI state 53 indicated by TCI state ID 3,1 field).
Regarding claim 4, Liu teaches all the features with respect to claim 3 as outlined above.
Liu further teaches
wherein the information that indicates whether a DL only TCI state, UL only TCI state, or both a DL only TCI state and an UL only TCI state are indicated for the first TCI field codepoint comprises the first field and the second field ([0017], MAC CE includes multiple TCI state ID fields each of which is associated with a one-bit indication field, the one-bit indication field indicates whether the associated TCI state ID field identifies an UL TCI state or a DL TCI state; [0052], a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE. As mentioned above, the MAC CE includes multiple TCI state ID fields and the TCI state are updated for the TCI codepoints with the MAC CE; therefore, it is implicit that the first TCI field codepoint comprises the first field and the second field).
Regarding claim 6, Liu teaches all the features with respect to claim 2 as outlined above.
Liu further teaches
wherein the one of the plurality of TCI field codepoints to which the TCI field in the DCI is set is the first TCI field codepoint, and the method further comprises applying the DL only TCI state mapped to the first codepoint of the TCI field of the DCI for DL signals and/or channels ([0052], several MAC CEs for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE. By using the MAC CE formats, DL TCI state for DL channel reception is indicated by the TCI field contained in DCI format. Here, the DL TCI state for DL channel reception is indicated by the TCI field (i.e. first TCI field) contained in DCI format. Due to alternative language “or” in the claim, examiner addresses one limitation “DL channel” only).
Regarding claim 7, Liu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Liu further teaches
wherein the first field indicates that the first TCI state indicated by the MAC CE that is mapped to the first TCI field codepoint in the DCI is an UL only TCI state ([0052], several MAC CEs for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or .. are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE; [0054], each TCI codepoint is mapped to only one TCI state that is either a DL TCI state or an UL TCI state. That is, each of some TCI codepoint(s) is only mapped to one DL TCI state while each of some other TCI codepoint(s) is only mapped to one UL TCI state; Fig.6 and [0106] map TCI codepoint 011 only to UL TCI state 53 indicated by TCI state ID 3,1 field).
Regarding claim 8, Liu teaches all the features with respect to claim 7 as outlined above.
Liu further teaches
wherein the one of the plurality of TCI field codepoints to which the TCI field in the DCI is set is the first TCI field codepoint, and the method further comprises applying the UL only TCI state mapped to the first codepoint of the TCI field of the DCI for UL signals and/or channels ([0052], several MAC CEs for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE. By using the MAC CE formats, UL TCI for UL channel transmission is indicated by the TCI field contained in DCI format. Here, the UL TCI state for UL channel transmission is indicated by the TCI field (i.e. first TCI field) contained in DCI format. Due to alternative language “or” in the claim, examiner addresses one limitation “UL channel” only).
Regarding claim 10, Liu teaches (Title, MAC CE FOR SEPARATE INDICATION OF DL TCI AND UL TCI), a User Equipment, UE, for mapping Transmission Configuration Indication, TCI, states to TCI field codepoints (Abstract, mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s)) in a Downlink Control information, DCI ([0010], UE receives an activation command used to map up to 8 TCI states to the codepoints of the DCI field ‘Transmission Configuration Indication’), the UE adapted to:
receive a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE, message for activation of separate DL/UL TCI states from a network node (Abstract, separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state; [0001], TCI-state Activation/ Deactivation MAC CE for separate indication of DL TCI and UL TCI; [0011], Some of the configured TCI states is activated by an MAC CE; [0016], method comprises receiving an MAC CE updating the mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s), wherein, each TCI codepoint is associated with one UL TCI state or one DL TCI state or both one DL TCI state and one UL TCI state. Here, a MAC CE is received for activation of separate DL/UL TCI states); and
receive a DCI from the network node, the DCI comprising a TCI field ([0011], UE receives a DCI format 1_1 scheduling a PDSCH transmission, the spatial RX parameter for receiving the scheduled PDSCH transmission is indicated by a TCI field in the DCI) set to one of a plurality of TCI field codepoints ([0051], TCI codepoints (e.g. codepoints 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, and 111) indicated by the TCI field contained in DCI format 1_1 or 1_2, where a codepoint (or TCI codepoint) is a value of the TCI field);
wherein:
the MAC CE maps TCI states to at least some of the plurality of TCI field codepoints ([0011], Each of the activated TCI state in the MAC CE is mapped to a codepoint (i.e. a value) of a TCI field contained in DCI format 1_1 or 1_2; [0016], MAC CE updating the mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s));
the MAC CE comprises a first field ([0017], MAC CE includes multiple TCI state ID fields each of which is associated with a one-bit indication field, the one-bit indication field indicates whether the associated TCI state ID field identifies an UL TCI state or a DL TCI state;) that indicates whether a first TCI state indicated by the MAC CE that is mapped to a first TCI field codepoint in the DCI is a downlink, DL, only TCI state or an uplink, UL, only TCI state ([0052], several MAC CEs (i.e. several MAC CE formats) for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI format 1_1 or 1_2 and DL TCI state and/or UL TCI state. The flexible mapping means that, for a UE with separate indication of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, only the DL TCI state or only the UL TCI state or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state are updated for the TCI codepoints with an MAC CE; Fig.3 and [0079], when Cn field is set to “0”, the nu codepoint of TCI field in the DCI is mapped to only one DL TCI state indicated by the DL TCI state ID n field. Here, the mapping is DL only TCI state. As mentioned in [0017], that the MAC CE includes multiple TCI state ID fields and regarding [0052], several MAC CEs are for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI and TCI states; therefore, it is implicit that the MAC CE comprises a first field to indicate a first TCI state that is mapped to a first TCI field codepoint is DL only TCI state or an UL only TCI state); and
the MAC CE comprises a second field (same as [0017]; therefore, the MAC CE comprises a second field) that indicates whether the MAC CE further indicates whether the first TCI field codepoint indicates one or multiple TCI states ([0051], A TCI codepoint points to one or two TCI states (e.g. either a DL TCI state or an UL TCI state, or both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state)), and wherein in response to the second field indicating multiple TCI states (Regarding [0051], two TCI states are considered; therefore, the second TCI field codepoint indicates multiple TCI states), the first TCI field codepoint indicates both a DL only TCI state and an UL only TCI state (Abstract, the mapping of multiple TCI codepoints and associated TCI state(s), wherein, each TCI codepoint is associated with one UL TCI state or one DL TCI state or both one DL TCI state and one UL TCI state; Fig.3 and [0079], when Cn field is set to “1”, the nth codepoint of TCI field the DCI is mapped to two TCI states (i.e. one DL TCI state and one UL TCI state). As mentioned in [0052]; several MAC CEs are for flexible mapping between TCI codepoints contained in DCI and TCI states; therefore, it is implicit that the MAC CE comprises the second field to indicate multiple TCI states; i.e. both the DL TCI state and the UL TCI state).
Conclusion
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rong et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0269041 A1) – “Methods And Apparatus For Multi-Beam Operation” discloses a method that includes transmitting, by a network controller to a communication device, a first control message comprising a first indicator indicating a mapping relationship between a plurality of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states and a plurality of TCI codepoints, wherein at least a first TCI state of the plurality of TCI states is for DL communication and at least a second TCI state of the plurality of TCI states is for UL communication and both the first TCI state and the second TCI state are mapped to a first TCI codepoint of the plurality of TCI codepoints; and transmitting, by the network controller to the communication device, a second control message comprising a second indicator indicating the first TCI codepoint, wherein the first TCI codepoint instructs the communication device to use the first TCI state for DL communication and to use the second TCI state for UL communication.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROWNAK ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8009. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 6 pm (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached on 571-272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROWNAK ISLAM/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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