DETAILED ACTION
In response to communication filed on 2/20/2025.
Claims 7-13 are pending.
Claims 7-13 are rejected.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/1/2024 and 4/27/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 8-10 are objected to because of the following informalities: the claims recite “a plurality of downlink data items by the single downlink control information” which already has established antecedent basis for “downlink data items” in claim 7 and can raise confusion to whether it is another downlink data items that is distinct from the initial downlink data items. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 8 and 10 are objected to because of the following informalities: the claims recite “a single downlink control information” which already has established antecedent basis in claim 7 and can raise confusion to whether it is another type of single downlink control information that is distinct from the initial single downlink control information. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim recites “a supported subcarrier spacing” which already has established antecedent basis in claim 8 and can raise confusion to whether it is another type of single downlink control information that is distinct from the initial single downlink control information. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 7,8, and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai et al. (US Pub. 2021/0037502)(T1 hereafter) in view of Khoshnevisan et al. (US Pub. 2026/0143511)(K1 hereafter).
Regarding claims 7 and 12, T1 teaches a terminal (i.e. UE)[refer Fig. 11; 1002’][paragraph 0101] comprising:
a reception unit [refer Fig. 11; 1004] configured to receive downlink control information using a downlink (the UE supports multiple-PDCCH based multiple-TRP/panel transmissions and receives on a carrier DCI in a PDCCH)[paragraph 0056];
a control unit [refer Fig. 11; 1104] configured to perform monitoring of the downlink control information [paragraph 0070], based on a maximum number of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) candidates defined for a plurality of slots (the maximum number of monitored PDCCH candidates per slot for a downlink bandwidth part supporting two-DCI based PDSCH transmission can be set to be about twice the maximum number for a downlink bandwidth part supporting only single-DCI based PDSCH transmission)[paragraph 0063]; and
a transmission unit [refer Fig. 11; 1010] configured to transmit, using uplink, terminal capability information [paragraph 0059] that indicates whether or not to support scheduling of a plurality of downlink data items by a single downlink control information [paragraph 0065].
However, T1 fails to explicitly disclose perform monitoring of the downlink control information for each of a plurality of slots, the terminal capability information being specified in accordance with a number of the plurality of slots.
K1 discloses that part of the transmission of UE capabilities, an indication of a quantity of slots between a first and second downlink control channel transmission can be provided [paragraph 0012], a UE may indicate a capability to receive/decode multiple related downlink control channel transmissions using a UE capability report which indicates that the UE is able to receive multiple PDCCH repetitions and may monitor a PDCCH accordance to the configuration [paragraph 0061].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of T1 for identifying capabilities of a UE for PDCCH repetitions [refer T1; paragraph 0063] to incorporate the identification of UE capabilities for a quantity of slots for downlink control channel transmissions as taught by K1. One would be motivated to do so to provide an improved means of a UE to receive configurations [refer K1; paragraph 0005].
Regarding claim 8, T1 teaches the control unit transmits, using uplink (i.e. reporting to base station), terminal capability information (i.e. capability indication), that indicates whether or not to support scheduling of a plurality of downlink data items by the single downlink control information (i.e. single-DCI reception)[paragraph 0065], the terminal capability information being specified in accordance with a supported subcarrier spacing (a UE can be configured to monitor a PDCCH with a particular subcarrier spacing (SCS))[refer T1; paragraph 0066].
Regarding claim 11, T1 teaches base station [refer Fig. 2; 210][paragraph 0032] comprising:
a transmission unit [refer Fig. 2; 216] configured to transmit [paragraph 0033] downlink control information using a downlink to a terminal (i.e. UE)[refer Fig. 2; 250](the UE supports multiple-PDCCH based multiple-TRP/panel transmissions and receives on a carrier DCI in a PDCCH)[paragraph 0056];
a reception unit [refer Fig. 2; 270] configured to receive [paragraph 0033], using uplink, terminal capability information [paragraph 0059] that indicates whether or not to support scheduling of a plurality of downlink data items by a single downlink control information [paragraph 0065]; and
a control unit [refer Fig. 2; 275] configured to assume whether or not the terminal performs monitoring of the downlink control information [paragraph 0070], based on the terminal capability information [paragraph 0059], based on a maximum number of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) candidates defined for a plurality of slots (the maximum number of monitored PDCCH candidates per slot for a downlink bandwidth part supporting two-DCI based PDSCH transmission can be set to be about twice the maximum number for a downlink bandwidth part supporting only single-DCI based PDSCH transmission)[paragraph 0063].
However, T1 fails to disclose the terminal capability information specified in accordance with a number of a plurality of slots, and whether the terminal performs monitoring of the downlink control information for each of a plurality of slots.
K1 discloses that part of the transmission of UE capabilities, an indication of a quantity of slots between a first and second downlink control channel transmission can be provided [paragraph 0012], a UE may indicate a capability to receive/decode multiple related downlink control channel transmissions using a UE capability report which indicates that the UE is able to receive multiple PDCCH repetitions and may monitor a PDCCH accordance to the configuration [paragraph 0061].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of T1 for identifying capabilities of a UE for PDCCH repetitions [refer T1; paragraph 0063] to incorporate the identification of UE capabilities for a quantity of slots for downlink control channel transmissions as taught by K1. One would be motivated to do so to provide an improved means of a UE to receive configurations [refer K1; paragraph 0005].
Regarding claim 13, T1 teaches a system comprising: a terminal (i.e. UE)[refer Fig. 2; 250][refer Fig. 11]; and a base station [refer Fig. 2; 210][paragraph 0032], the terminal includes:
a reception unit [refer Fig. 11; 1004] configured to receive downlink control information using a downlink (the UE supports multiple-PDCCH based multiple-TRP/panel transmissions and receives on a carrier DCI in a PDCCH)[paragraph 0056];
a control unit [refer Fig. 11; 1104] configured to perform monitoring of the downlink control information [paragraph 0070], based on a maximum number of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) candidates defined for a plurality of slots (the maximum number of monitored PDCCH candidates per slot for a downlink bandwidth part supporting two-DCI based PDSCH transmission can be set to be about twice the maximum number for a downlink bandwidth part supporting only single-DCI based PDSCH transmission)[paragraph 0063]; and
a transmission unit [refer Fig. 11; 1010]configured to transmit, using uplink, terminal capability information [paragraph 0059] that indicates whether or not to support scheduling of a plurality of downlink data items by a single downlink control information [paragraph 0065], and
the base station [refer Fig. 2; 210] includes:
a transmission unit [refer Fig. 2; 216] configured to transmit the downlink control information using the downlink (the UE supports multiple-PDCCH based multiple-TRP/panel transmissions and receives on a carrier DCI in a PDCCH)[paragraph 0056];
a reception unit [refer Fig. 2; 270] configured to receive the terminal capability information [paragraph 0059]; and
a control unit [refer Fig. 2; 275] configured to assume whether or not the terminal performs monitoring of the downlink control information [paragraph 0070], based on the terminal capability information [paragraph 0065].
However, T1 fails to explicitly disclose perform monitoring of the downlink control information for each of a plurality of slots, the terminal capability information being specified in accordance with a number of the plurality of slots.
K1 discloses that part of the transmission of UE capabilities, an indication of a quantity of slots between a first and second downlink control channel transmission can be provided [paragraph 0012], a UE may indicate a capability to receive/decode multiple related downlink control channel transmissions using a UE capability report which indicates that the UE is able to receive multiple PDCCH repetitions and may monitor a PDCCH accordance to the configuration [paragraph 0061].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of T1 for identifying capabilities of a UE for PDCCH repetitions [refer T1; paragraph 0063] to incorporate the identification of UE capabilities for a quantity of slots for downlink control channel transmissions as taught by K1. One would be motivated to do so to provide an improved means of a UE to receive configurations [refer K1; paragraph 0005].
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over T1 in view of K1, as applied to claim 7, in further view of Fu et al. (US Pub. 2023/0353330)(F1 hereafter).
Regarding claim 9, T1 teaches the transmission unit transmits, using uplink (i.e. reporting to base station), terminal capability information (i.e. capability indication) that indicates whether or not to support scheduling of a plurality of downlink data items by a single downlink control information (i.e. single-DCI reception)[paragraph 0065].
However T1 fails to disclose the terminal capability information being specified in accordance with a relationship between a supported subcarrier spacing and a number of the plurality of slots.
F1 discloses that capability information can indicate processing capability of a terminal at different SCS, in which a base station is able to schedule resources accordingly [paragraph 0039], the SCS of a terminal at different frequencies allow for different time slot durations that a terminal can process PDSCHs and PUSCHs in N time slots [paragraph 0056].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of T1 for identifying capabilities of a UE for PDCCH repetitions [refer T1; paragraph 0063] to incorporate the identification of the processing capabilities of a UE at different SCS as taught by F1. One would be motivated to do so to provide improved reliability for data transmission [refer F1; paragraph 0039].
Regarding claim 10, T1 teaches the transmission unit transmits, using uplink (i.e. reporting to base station), terminal capability information (i.e. capability indication) that indicates whether or not to support scheduling of a plurality of downlink data items by a single downlink control information (i.e. single-DCI reception)[paragraph 0065].
However, T1 fails to disclose the terminal capability information being specified in accordance with a relationship between a supported subcarrier spacing and a number of the plurality of slots.
F1 discloses that capability information can indicate processing capability of a terminal at different SCS, in which a base station is able to schedule resources accordingly [paragraph 0039], the SCS of a terminal at different frequencies allow for different time slot durations that a terminal can process PDSCHs and PUSCHs in N time slots [paragraph 0056].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of T1 for identifying capabilities of a UE for PDCCH repetitions [refer T1; paragraph 0063] to incorporate the identification of the processing capabilities of a UE at different SCS as taught by F1. One would be motivated to do so to provide improved reliability for data transmission [refer F1; paragraph 0039].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN C KAVLESKI whose telephone number is (571)270-3619. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30am-3pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles C Jiang can be reached on 571-270-7191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Ryan Kavleski
/R. K./
Examiner, Art Unit 2412
/CHARLES C JIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2412
Prosecution Insights