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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 07/17/2026 10/07/2025 10/07/2024, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure:
The language should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because: Lines 1-2, “Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to HARQ-ACK feedback determination. According to some embodiments of the disclosure,” and line 2, after UE, “may”, should be deleted. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The description of several Figures, {2, 3A-3C, 4A and 4B} and also {5-6}, is identical, which is improper. Each Figure needs to be described individually and uniquely, and, the descriptions of Figures may not be identical, they need to be different, from one another. Specification, pages 3-4.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the unlabeled rectangular box(es) shown in the drawings, Figures 2 - 4B, should be provided with descriptive text labels. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The factual inquiries 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 non-obviousness.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (US 20220256586 A1) in view of Lee (US 20220329364 A1).
Claim 1. Zeng teaches a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication (Fig. 1:11 [0037] [0038]), comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE (Fig. 7) to: receive a first plurality of group-common downlink control information (DCI) formats for scheduling a first plurality of physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) for a multicast service, wherein each of the first plurality of group-common DCI formats includes a downlink assignment index (DAI) ([0064]-[0066]) ; determine whether hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is disabled or enabled ([0209]- [0211]); generate a HARQ-ACK codebook for the multicast service based on DAIs in the first plurality of group-common DCI formats ([0237]-[0248]); and transmit the HARQ-ACK codebook ([0237]-[0248]).
Zeng teaches group which is equivalent or at least obvious over multicast.
Zeng does not explicitly teach the combination of the underlined feature, above.
Zeng does not explicitly teach the combination of these features: multicast.
The missing elements are disclosed by Lee ([0372] [0387]).
(AIA ) 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, because: e.g., see Lee [0004]- [0020].
Therefore, the combination of references, discloses the combination of the claimed limitations.
Claim 2. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein to determine whether HARQ-ACK feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is disabled or enabled, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine whether HARQ-ACK feedback for a first PDSCH of the first plurality of PDSCHs scheduled by a first group-common DCI format of the first plurality of group-common DCI formats is disabled or enabled based on at least one of: a bit in the first group-common DCI format; whether a HARQ-ACK feedback related indicator in the first group-common DCI format is equal to a predefined value; whether a HARQ timing indicator in the first group-common DCI format indicates an inapplicable value; whether a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicator (PRI) in the first group-common DCI format indicates an invalid PUCCH resource; or whether the DAI in the first group-common DCI format is equal to a predefined value ([0193]- [0221]. In Zeng).
Claim 3. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 2, wherein the HARQ-ACK feedback related indicator comprises the HARQ timing indicator, the PRI, or any combination thereof ([0004] [0065] [0066] [0193]- [0221] [0242] [0278] . In Zeng).
Claim 4. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to receive a second plurality of group-common DCI formats for scheduling a second plurality of PDSCHs for the multicast service, wherein each of the second plurality of group-common DCI formats includes a DAI and a HARQ-ACK feedback enabling/disabling indicator (HEI); and wherein to generate the HARQ-ACK codebook for the multicast service, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to generate the HARQ-ACK codebook based on the DAIs in the first plurality of group-common DCI formats and the DAIs and HEIs in the second plurality of group-common DCI formats ([0080]- [0084] [0087]- [0090] [0130]- [0145] [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 5. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 4, wherein a DAI in a first group-common DCI format of the first plurality of group-common DCI formats indicates whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for a first PDSCH scheduled by the first group-common DCI format is enabled or disabled ( [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 6. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 5, wherein to determine whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is disabled or enabled, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to at least one of: determine that the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled in response to the DAI in the first group-common DCI format being same as that in a second group-common DCI format of the second plurality of group-common DCI formats, which is transmitted earlier than the first group-common DCI format; or determine that the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is enabled in response to the DAI in the first group-common DCI format being updated based on that in the second group-common DCI format ([0080]- [0084] [0087]- [0090] [0130]- [0145] [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 7. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 6, wherein the HEI in the second group-common DCI format indicates enabled HARQ-ACK feedback ([0080]- [0084] [0087]- [0090] [0130]- [0145] [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 8. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 5, wherein to determine whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is disabled or enabled, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to, in response to the first group-common DCI format being transmitted earlier than all of the second plurality of group-common DCI formats, at least one of: determine that the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled; determine that the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is enabled; determine that the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled when the DAI in the first group-common DCI format is equal to a predefined value and the DAI in a second group-common DCI format of the second plurality of group-common DCI formats which is transmitted earlier than any other group-common DCI formats of the second plurality of group-common DCI formats is equal to the predefined value or restarted; or determine that the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is enabled when the DAI in the second group-common DCI format is updated based on the DAI in the first group-common DCI format ([0080]- [0084] [0087]- [0090] [0130]- [0145] [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 9. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 4, wherein the DAIs are counted separately among a first group of group-common DCI formats and a second group of group-common DCI formats; wherein the first group of group-common DCI formats comprises group-common DCI formats each with enabled HARQ-ACK feedback from the first plurality of group-common DCI formats and group-common DCI formats each with an enabled HEI from the second plurality of group-common DCI formats; and wherein the second group of group-common DCI formats comprises group-common DCI formats each with disabled HARQ-ACK feedback from the first plurality of group-common DCI formats and group-common DCI formats each with a disabled HEI from the second plurality of group-common DCI formats ([0080]- [0084] [0087]- [0090] [0130]- [0145] [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 10. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to receive radio resource control (RRC) signaling indicating whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is enabled or disabled ([0075] . In Zeng).
Claim 11. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is predefined as enabled or disabled ( [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 12 is rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claim 1, with the addition of:
Zeng teaches a base station for wireless communication (Fig. 1:12 [0037] [0038]), comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to (Fig. 8).
Claim 13. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the base station of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of group-common DCI formats comprises a first group-common DCI format scheduling a first PDSCH of the first plurality of PDSCHs, and wherein at least one of: a bit in the first group-common DCI format indicates whether HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled or enabled; a HARQ-ACK feedback related indicator in the first group-common DCI format equal to a predefined value or not indicates whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled or enabled; a HARQ timing indicator in the first group-common DCI format indicating an inapplicable value or not indicates whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled or enabled; a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicator (PRI) in the first group-common DCI format indicating an invalid PUCCH resource or not indicates whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled or enabled; or the DAI in the first group-common DCI format equal to a predefined value or not indicates whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for the first PDSCH is disabled or enabled ([0193]- [0221]. In Zeng).
Claim 14. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the base station of claim 13, wherein the HARQ-ACK feedback related indicator comprises the HARQ timing indicator, the PRI, or any combination thereof ([0004] [0065] [0066] [0193]- [0221] [0242] [0278] . In Zeng).
Claim 15 is rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claim 1.
Claim 16 is rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claim 1, with the addition of:
Zeng teaches a processor for wireless communication (Fig. 7:710), comprising: at least one controller coupled with at least one memory (Fig. 7:709) and configured to cause the processor to (Fig. 7).
Claim 17. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the processor of claim 16, wherein to determine whether HARQ-ACK feedback for the first plurality of PDSCHs is disabled or enabled, the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to determine whether HARQ-ACK feedback for a first PDSCH of the first plurality of PDSCHs scheduled by a first group-common DCI format of the first plurality of group-common DCI formats is disabled or enabled based on at least one of: a bit in the first group-common DCI format; whether a HARQ-ACK feedback related indicator in the first group-common DCI format is equal to a predefined value; whether a HARQ timing indicator in the first group-common DCI format indicates an inapplicable value; whether a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicator (PRI) in the first group-common DCI format indicates an invalid PUCCH resource; or whether the DAI in the first group-common DCI format is equal to a predefined value ([0193]- [0221]. In Zeng).
Claim 18. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the processor of claim 17, wherein the HARQ-ACK feedback related indicator comprises the HARQ timing indicator, the PRI, or any combination thereof ([0004] [0065] [0066] [0193]- [0221] [0242] [0278] . In Zeng).
Claim 19. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the processor of claim 16, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause the processor to receive a second plurality of group-common DCI formats for scheduling a second plurality of PDSCHs for the multicast service, wherein each of the second plurality of group-common DCI formats includes a DAI and a HARQ-ACK feedback enabling/disabling indicator (HEI); and wherein to generate the HARQ-ACK codebook for the multicast service, the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to generate the HARQ-ACK codebook based on the DAIs in the first plurality of group-common DCI formats and the DAIs and HEIs in the second plurality of group-common DCI formats ([0080]- [0084] [0087]- [0090] [0130]- [0145] [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Claim 20. Zeng in view of Lee teaches the processor of claim 19, wherein a DAI in a first group-common DCI format of the first plurality of group-common DCI formats indicates whether the HARQ-ACK feedback for a first PDSCH scheduled by the first group-common DCI format is enabled or disabled ( [0193]- [0221] . In Zeng).
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and claims:
Khoshnevisan (US 20210336721 A1), Abstract
ZHOU (US 20210050950 A1), Abstract
LEE (US 20220329364 A1), [0372] [0387]
LI (US 20230047407 A1), [0095] [0099]
FU (US 20230284234 A1), [0388]
ZHANG (US 20220322313 A1), [0018]
Papasakellariou (US 20220279454 A1), [0197] [0221]
RICO ALVARINO (US 20220141861 A1), [0083]
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/H.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2465
/AYMAN A ABAZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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