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 § 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tsai et al (US 2022/0210798 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Tsai discloses a first device (Fig. 13) comprising:
at least one processor (Fig. 13, processor 1320); and
at least one memory including computer program codes (Fig. 13, memory 1334 including instructions 1332);
the at least one memory and the computer program codes are configured to, with the at least one processor (Fig. 13), cause the first device at least to:
receive, from a second device, information indicative of availability of one or more candidate beams (Fig. 10, block S1010 and 215th paragraph, UE may receive CG configuration for SDT. The CG configuration may include beam information, e.g., SSB list and mapping between the beam and CG resource) for a subsequent transmission (Fig. 10, block S1060, subsequent data transmission) after an initial transmission of a small data transmission procedure (Fig. 10, block S1040, SDT via CG based on selection beam), the one or more candidate beams being a subset of a set of beams associated with the small data transmission procedure (138th paragraph, SSB set may be a SSB subset, e.g., configured by a SDT-SSB subset configuration); and
determine a set of target resources for the subsequent transmission based on the information (Fig. 10, block S1060 and Fig. 12, block S1230, UE performs subsequent transmission via the CG resource mapped to selected beam).
Regarding claims 2 and 20, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to determine the set of target resources by: in accordance with a determination, based on the information, that the one or more candidate beams are available for the subsequent transmission, determining the set of target resources from candidate resources corresponding to the one or more candidate beams (Figs. 6A and 6B, CG resources mapped to beams for SDT transmissions).
Regarding claim 3, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to determine the set of target resources by: in accordance with a determination, based on the information, that resources corresponding to an initial beam associated with the initial transmission are available for the subsequent transmission, determining the set of target resources from the resources (296th paragraph, UE may use the CG resource which is associated with the selected beam for subsequent data transmission. Herein, same CG resource is used for initial data transmission and subsequent data transmission).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai discloses that wherein the resources corresponding to the initial beam associated with the initial transmission comprises at least one of: a first set of resources available for the initial transmission (Fig. 10, block S1010, UE receives CG configuration for SDT); and a second set of resources different from the first set of resources.
Regarding claim 5, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to determine the set of target resources by: in accordance with a determination, based on the information, that a set of candidate resources corresponding to the one or more candidate beams are designated for the subsequent transmission, determining the set of target resources from the set of candidate resources (Fig. 10, blocks S1030 - S1060, subsequent data transmission based on CG resources mapped to beam selection).
Regarding claim 6, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to determine the set of target resources for subsequent transmission after a reception of a response to the initial transmission from the second device (292nd paragraph, UE receives a DL indication/response on the PDCCH, the UE may keep performing subsequent data transmission. As illustrated in Fig. 10, CG resources determined and used for subsequent data transmission).
Regarding claim 7, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to determine the set of target resources for the subsequent transmission after a number of reattempts on an initial beam for the initial transmission reaches a threshold number (365th paragraph, a counter may be used to count how many times the UE fails to transmit the UL data via specific CG resource and when the value of the counter reaches a maximum value, the UE may release the CG resource. According to Fig. 10, other CG resource may be used for subsequent data transmission).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is further caused to: in accordance with a determination that the initial transmission fails, reattempt the initial transmission (95th paragraph, UE may monitor PDCCH to receive scheduling for corresponding retransmission. UE may perform subsequent data transmission via CG. Herein, subsequent data transmission is retransmission) by using at least one candidate beam associated with the small data transmission procedure (Fig. 10, block S1030, beam selected for subsequent data transmission), the at least one candidate beam having a received power level exceeding a threshold level (258th paragraph, UE may perform beam selection, e.g., select a SSB, based on a RSRP threshold, UE may determine at least one SSBs with SS-RSRP above the RSRP threshold. Herein, SSB or beam is equivalent).
Regarding claim 9, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is further caused to: release resources allocated for the small data transmission procedure other than the set of target resources for the subsequent transmission (299th paragraph, UE may release other CG resources which are not associated with the selected beam. According to Fig. 10, CG associated with a selected beam for subsequent data transmissions is kept intact).
Regarding claim 10, Tsai discloses that the first device is further caused to: suspend resources allocated for the small data transmission procedure other than the set of target resources for the subsequent transmission (299th paragraph, UE may suspend other CG resources which are not associated with the selected beam. According to Fig. 10, CG associated with a selected beam for subsequent data transmissions is kept intact).
Regarding claim 11, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is further caused to reactivate, after a termination of the small data transmission procedure, the resources allocated for small data transmission procedure that have been suspend (296th paragraph, UE may use/activate/re-initiate the CG associated with selected beam for subsequent data transmission).
Regarding claim 12, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to receive the information before or during the small data transmission procedure (142nd paragraph, UE may be configured with a beam set/list and UE may perform beam measurement before/during SDT via CG. Herein, the beam set/list must be received before/during SDT).
Regarding claim 13, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device is caused to receive the information via one of: a physical layer signaling, a media access control layer signaling, and a radio resource control signaling (106th paragraph, beam information may be indicated via RRC signaling, MAC signaling, and/or PHY signaling).
Regarding claim 14, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device (Fig. 10, UE 110 and NW 120).
Regarding claim 15, Tsai discloses a second device (Fig. 13) comprising:
at least one processor (Fig. 13, processor 1320); and
at least one memory including computer program codes (Fig. 13, memory 1334 including instructions 1332);
the at least one memory and the computer program codes are configured to, with the at least one processor (Fig. 13), cause the second device at least to:
transmit information to a first device, wherein the information is indicative of availability of one or more candidate beams to be used by the first device (Fig. 10, block S1010 and 215th paragraph, UE may receive CG configuration for SDT. The CG configuration may include beam information, e.g., SSB list and mapping between the beam and CG resource) to perform a subsequent transmission (Fig. 10, block S1060, subsequent data transmission) after an initial transmission of a small data transmission procedure between the first device and the second device (Fig. 10, block S1040, SDT via CG based on selection beam), the one or more candidate beams being a subset of a set of beams associated with the small data transmission procedure (138th paragraph, SSB set may be a SSB subset, e.g., configured by a SDT-SSB subset configuration).
Regarding claim 16, Tsai discloses that wherein the second device is caused to transmit the information to the first device before or during the small data transmission procedure (142nd paragraph, UE may be configured with a beam set/list and UE may perform beam measurement before/during SDT via CG. Herein, the beam set/list must be received before/during SDT).
Regarding claim 17, Tsai discloses that wherein the second device is caused to transmit the information to the first device via one of: a physical layer signaling, a media access control layer signaling, and a radio resource control signaling (106th paragraph, beam information may be indicated via RRC signaling, MAC signaling, and/or PHY signaling).
Regarding claim 18, Tsai discloses that wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device (Fig. 10, UE 110 and NW 120).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 28, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues in pages 6-7 that Tsai fails to disclose the network to provide specific information that indicates a subset of beams from among the beams associated with the SDT procedure. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Tsai discloses that SSB set may be a SSB subset, e.g., configured by a SDT-SSB subset configuration (138th paragraph).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH VU H LY whose telephone number is (571)272-3175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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ANH VU H. LY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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