CTNF 18/726,845 CTNF 85746 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. DETAILED ACTION This Office Action is in response to the Applicants' communication filed on 7/5/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-4 are currently presented in the instant application. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 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 – 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-03-aia AIA Claim s 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication 20230209590 (hereinafter referred to as Chen) . Consider claim 1, Chen teaches a user equipment (UE) (see at least ¶ [0356], “…a hardware platform that may be a part of … a user equipment…”), comprising: circuitry (see at least ¶ [0359], “…hardware circuit…”) configured to: in a case that a high priority (HP) physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for up to 2 bits of HP hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) with PUCCH format 0 (see at least ¶ [0251], “…high priority HARQ-ACK uses PUCCH format 0…” and see at least ¶ [0267], “…the high priority HARQ-ACK is 2 bits …”) or PUCCH format 1 overlaps with one or more HP scheduling request (SR) PUCCH resources with PUCCH format 0 (see at least ¶ [0252], “…PUCCH format 1 for transmission and the low priority HARQ-ACK uses the PUCCH format 0…”) or PUCCH format 1 (see at least ¶ [0289], “…the positive SR uses PUCCH format 1 to transmit, the bit value in this PUCCH format 1 may be 1…”) and a low priority (LP) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see at least ¶ [0315], “…the time domain overlapping occurs between the PUCCH resource of the high priority HARQ-ACK and the low priority PUSCH, the multiplexing indicator in DCI or the configuration parameter in RRC signaling can be used to determine whether the high priority HARQ-ACK can be multiplexed with the low priority PUSCH…”), and if HP HARQ-ACK multiplexing on the LP PUSCH is configured and/or dynamically indicated by downlink control information (DCI) (see at least ¶ [0326], “…the low priority channel by a new multiplexing indicator field in DCI that schedule the PDSCH corresponding to the high priority HARQ-ACK or by RRC configuration in PUCCH resource. At the same time, the gNB indicate whether the high priority PUSCH can be multiplexed with the low priority channel by DCI multiplexing indicator or RRC …”), append 1 bit for HP SR to the HP HARQ-ACK (see at least ¶ [0355], “…a high priority scheduling request (SR) message to be transmitted on the control channel. …the resource is selected based on a resource indicator indicated by a control information that schedules the high priority feedback message on the control channel…”), wherein a bit of 1 indicates a positive HP SR or a bit of 0 indicates a negative HP SR (see at least ¶ [0303], “…the high priority SR uses PUCCH format 1 for transmission, the low priority HARQ-ACK uses PUCCH format 0 for transmission. When SR is positive, the different bits of PUCCH format 1 of high priority SR will be used to carry high priority SR, and different sequences of PUCCH format 1 of high priority SR will be used to carry low priority HARQ-ACK …”); and multiplex the combined up to 2 bits of HARQ-ACK and the 1 bit of SR on the LP PUSCH as HP HARQ-ACK bits (see at least ¶ [0339], “…the PUCCH carrying high priority HARQ-ACK overlaps with the PUCCH carrying low priority HARQ-ACK in time domain, if these two HARQ-ACKs all are less than or equal to 2 bits, different sequences, different bits, and different PUCCH resources are used to indicate the different states of these two HARQ-ACK…”). Consider claim 3, Chen teaches a base station (gNB) (see at least ¶ [0356], “…a hardware platform that may be a part of a network node…”), comprising: circuitry (see at least ¶ [0359], “…hardware circuit…”) configured to: in a case that a high priority (HP) physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for up to 2 bits of HP hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) with PUCCH format 0 (see at least ¶ [0251], “…high priority HARQ-ACK uses PUCCH format 0…” and see at least ¶ [0267], “…the high priority HARQ-ACK is 2 bits …”) or PUCCH format 1 overlaps with one or more HP scheduling request (SR) PUCCH resources with PUCCH format 0 (see at least ¶ [0252], “…PUCCH format 1 for transmission and the low priority HARQ-ACK uses the PUCCH format 0…”) or PUCCH format 1 (see at least ¶ [0289], “…the positive SR uses PUCCH format 1 to transmit, the bit value in this PUCCH format 1 may be 1…”) and a low priority (LP) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (PUSCH) (see at least ¶ [0315], “…the time domain overlapping occurs between the PUCCH resource of the high priority HARQ-ACK and the low priority PUSCH, the multiplexing indicator in DCI or the configuration parameter in RRC signaling can be used to determine whether the high priority HARQ-ACK can be multiplexed with the low priority PUSCH…”), and if HP HARQ-ACK multiplexing on the LP PUSCH is configured and/or dynamically indicated by downlink control information (DCI) (see at least ¶ [0326], “…the low priority channel by a new multiplexing indicator field in DCI that schedule the PDSCH corresponding to the high priority HARQ-ACK or by RRC configuration in PUCCH resource. At the same time, the gNB indicate whether the high priority PUSCH can be multiplexed with the low priority channel by DCI multiplexing indicator or RRC …”), receive a combined up to 2 bits of HARQ-ACK and 1 bit of SR multiplexed on the LP PUSCH as HP HARQ-ACK bits (see at least ¶ [0339], “…the PUCCH carrying high priority HARQ-ACK overlaps with the PUCCH carrying low priority HARQ-ACK in time domain, if these two HARQ-ACKs all are less than or equal to 2 bits, different sequences, different bits, and different PUCCH resources are used to indicate the different states of these two HARQ-ACK…”), wherein the 1 bit for HP SR is appended to the HP HARQ-ACK, with a bit of 1 indicating a positive HP SR or a bit of 0 indicating a negative HP SR (see at least ¶ [0303], “…the high priority SR uses PUCCH format 1 for transmission, the low priority HARQ-ACK uses PUCCH format 0 for transmission. When SR is positive, the different bits of PUCCH format 1 of high priority SR will be used to carry high priority SR, and different sequences of PUCCH format 1 of high priority SR will be used to carry low priority HARQ-ACK …”). Consider claim 2 (depends on claim 1), Chen discloses the limitations of claim 1 as applied to claim rejection 1 above and further discloses: Chen teaches in a case that a HP PUCCH for up to 2 bits of HP HARQ-ACK with PUCCH format 1 overlaps with only HP SR PUCCH resources with PUCCH format 0 and a LP PUSCH, and if HP HARQ-ACK multiplexing on LP PUSCH is configured and/or dynamically indicated by DCI (see at least ¶ [0251], “…high priority HARQ-ACK uses PUCCH format 0…” and see at least ¶ [0267], “…the high priority HARQ-ACK is 2 bits …” and see at least ¶ [0289], “…the positive SR uses PUCCH format 1 to transmit, the bit value in this PUCCH format 1 may be 1…” and see at least ¶ [0339], “…the PUCCH carrying high priority HARQ-ACK overlaps with the PUCCH carrying low priority HARQ-ACK in time domain, if these two HARQ-ACKs all are less than or equal to 2 bits, different sequences, different bits, and different PUCCH resources are used to indicate the different states of these two HARQ-ACK…”), ignore the HP SR (even if it is positive), and multiplex only the up to 2 bits of HP HARQ-ACK on the LP PUSCH (see at least ¶ [0339], “…the PUCCH carrying high priority HARQ-ACK overlaps with the PUCCH carrying low priority HARQ-ACK in time domain, if these two HARQ-ACKs all are less than or equal to 2 bits, different sequences, different bits, and different PUCCH resources are used to indicate the different states of these two HARQ-ACK…”). Consider claim 4 (depends on claim 4), Chen discloses the limitations of claim 4 as applied to claim rejection 4 above and further discloses: Chen teaches in a case that a HP PUCCH for up to 2 bits of HP HARQ-ACK with PUCCH format 1 overlaps only with HP SR PUCCH resources with PUCCH format 0 and a LP PUSCH, and if HP HARQ-ACK multiplexing on LP PUSCH is configured and/or dynamically indicated by DCI (see at least ¶ [0251], “…high priority HARQ-ACK uses PUCCH format 0…” and see at least ¶ [0267], “…the high priority HARQ-ACK is 2 bits …” and see at least ¶ [0289], “…the positive SR uses PUCCH format 1 to transmit, the bit value in this PUCCH format 1 may be 1…” and see at least ¶ [0339], “…the PUCCH carrying high priority HARQ-ACK overlaps with the PUCCH carrying low priority HARQ-ACK in time domain, if these two HARQ-ACKs all are less than or equal to 2 bits, different sequences, different bits, and different PUCCH resources are used to indicate the different states of these two HARQ-ACK…”), receive only the up to 2 bits of HP HARQ-ACK multiplexed on the LP PUSCH assuming the HP SR is ignored (even if it is positive). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUONG A NGO whose telephone number is (571)270-7264. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 5:30AM-3:30PM. 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. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony S Addy can be reached at (571) 272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /CHUONG A NGO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 2 Art Unit: 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 3 Art Unit: 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 4 Art Unit: 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 5 Art Unit: 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 6 Art Unit: 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 7 Art Unit: 2645 Application/Control Number: 18/726,845 Page 8 Art Unit: 2645
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