CTNF 18/713,513 CTNF 86200 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Duty to Disclose Information Material to Patentability Pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.56, applicant is reminded that each individual associated with the filing and prosecution of this application has a duty to disclose to the United States Patent and Trademark Office all information known to be material to the patentability. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/103 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-27-aia AIA Claim s 1-6, 8-14, 16-21, 23-28, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( b ) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over US 2018/0124822 to Wang et al. (hereinafter ‘Wang’) . Regarding claims 1, 9, 17, and 24, Wang teaches a method and apparatus for wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) and a network node, comprising: • transmitting, to a network node, a plurality of physical random access channel (PRACH) preamble, each PRACH preamble being transmitted during a respective PRACH occasion of a plurality of PRACH occasions (Fig. 3, par. [42] and [48], the UE randomly selects a PRACH preamble sequence from a set of available preamble sequences and sends a first message on the PRACH at increasing power until the base station detects the preamble); • receiving, from the network node via a downlink control channel, a downlink grant indicating downlink resources for receiving a random access response (RAR) based on transmitting the plurality of PRACH preambles, the downlink control channel being scrambled based on a random access-radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) associated with a single PRACH occasion of the plurality of PRACH occasions (Fig. 3, par. [43], based on the PRACH preamble, base station sends a second message that includes a transmission on the PDCCH (physical downlink control channel) that can be identified using a RA-RNTI and a random access response (RAR) transmitted on the PDSCH. If the UE is able to decode the PDCCH with the RA-RNTI, then the UE attempts to decode the RAR on the PDSCH. Among other things, the RAR includes a random access preamble ID. If the RAR includes a random access preamble ID corresponding to the transmitted random access preamble, the UE considers that random access was successful); • receiving, from the network node via the downlink resources, the RAR based on receiving the downlink grant; and transmitting, to the network node, a random access message based on receiving the RAR (Fig. 3, par. [42], in response to decoding the RAR on the PDSCH, the UE sends a third message including an RRC connection request message using PUSCH and PUCCH). Wang teaches selecting a PRECH preamble from a set of available preamble sequences and sending the first selected PRECH preamble on the PRACH at increasing power until the base station detects the preamble. See, paragraph [0042]. If Wang is interpreted as not inherently teaching transmitting, to a network node, a plurality of PRACH preambles, this feature would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Wang teaches that the PRACH preamble is selected from a set of available preambles. It is well known that random access involves repeated attempts when an initial attempt fails due to collision or no response from the network node. In Wang, during each subsequent random access attempt, the preamble selection process would again choose a new PRACH preamble from the set. Clearly, selecting from a set of available preambles, over time, during multiple access attempts, would result in the use of a plurality of different PRACH preambles. Thus, even if Wand does not explicitly recite transmitting, to a network node, a plurality of PRACH preambles, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement this function by selecting a different PRACH preamble from the available set of preambles during different random access attempts. Regarding claims 2, 10, 18, and 25, Wang teaches the single PRACH occasion is associated with an initial PRACH preamble transmission of the plurality of PRACH preamble transmissions (Fig. 3, par. [42, 43] and [48], the network node may respond to either the first or any later PRACH preambles depending on the network conditions.). Regarding claims 3, 11, 19, and 26, Wang teaches the single PRACH occasion is associated with a final PRACH preamble transmission of the plurality of PRACH preamble transmissions (Fig. 3, par. [42, 43] and [48], the network node may respond to either the first or any later PRACH preambles depending on the network conditions.). Regarding claims 4, 12, 20, and 27, Wang teaches each PRACH occasion is associated with a respective index of a plurality of indices, and the method further comprises receiving a message indicating an index associated with the single PRACH occasion (par. [42], preamble transmission 306 includes a RA-RNTI (random access radio network temporary identity) that can be determined from the subframe index in which the UE sends the preamble). Regarding claims 5 and 13, Wang teaches configuring an RAR window based on the single PRACH occasion (par. [46, 51], following transmission of the first message the UE opens a RAR measurement window to monitor for the second message). Regarding claims 6, 14, 21, and 28, Wang teaches the plurality of PRACH preambles are transmitted over two or more PRACH association periods (par. [42, 43], if the UE failed to connect on the first transmission and needs to retry, then it may need multiple association periods to transmit the PRACH preamble). Regarding claims 8, 16, 23, and 30, Wang teaches the random access message indicates a connection request, a scheduling request, or a buffer status request (par. [43], connection request message) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 7, 15, 22, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang and US 2019/0246425 to Zhang et al. (hereinafter ‘Zhang’) . Regarding claims 7, 15, 22, and 29, Wang teaches the plurality of PRACH occasions (par. [42 and 43], the UE randomly selects a PRACH preamble sequence from a set of available preamble sequences). Wang is silent as to associated with a same synchronization signal block (SSB) or a same channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS). Zhang teaches PRACH occasions associated with a same synchronization signal block (SSB) (par. [60], RMSI configures the SSB-to-RACH-resource mapping so that each SSB can map to a corresponding PRACH occasion) or a same channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed, to implement the well-known SSB in the downlink, as taught by Zhang, in order to help the UE find and synchronize with the network . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Chen (US PAB 2016/0262109) discloses multiple PRACH preamble transmission (par. [53 and 54]). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OLEG ASANBAYEV whose telephone number is 571-270-7236 . The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /OLEG ASANBAYEV/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 6221 Application/Control Number: 18/713,513 Page 2 Art Unit: 6221 Application/Control Number: 18/713,513 Page 3 Art Unit: 6221 Application/Control Number: 18/713,513 Page 4 Art Unit: 6221 Application/Control Number: 18/713,513 Page 5 Art Unit: 6221 Application/Control Number: 18/713,513 Page 6 Art Unit: 6221 Application/Control Number: 18/713,513 Page 7 Art Unit: 6221
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