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
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)(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.
Claim(s) 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hosseini et al.(US Publication 2019/0200352 A1)
In regards to claims 21 and 27 Hosseini teaches, teaches a user equipment (UE) configured for wireless communication (see figures 6, 7 and 8 which illustrate a UE), the UE comprising: a receiver (see receivers 710 and 810 in figures 7 and 8 respectively); a processor (see paragraph 153; the UE can include a processor); and a transmitter (see transmitters 720 and 820 in figures 7 and 8 respectively), wherein: the receiver and the processor are configured to receive a downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI indicates a set of symbols for nominal repetitions of a transport block (TB) (see paragraph 91; Based on the DCI and RRC-configured parameters, the HARQ process ID and RV index for each repetition of the transport block in the repetition window may be known), wherein the set of symbols comprises a plurality of symbol groups (see paragraph 128; A TTI in eCC may consist of one or multiple symbol periods. In some cases, the TTI duration (that is, the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable), wherein one TB is transported in one symbol group (see paragraph 132; a TBS for transmissions within the repetition window, a number of TTIs in the repetition window (i.e., a repetition window size)); and the transmitter and the processor are configured to transmit a TB a first actual number of times respectively in a first number of symbol groups (see paragraph 140; Within repetition window 405, the same transport block may be sent multiple times (e.g., with different RVs). In accordance with the present disclosure, a subset of the TTIs 410 in repetition window 405 may contain a new transport block (e.g., having RV 0). By way of example, the new transport block may be contained in TTI 410-a or TTI 410-b (e.g., but not TTI 410-c). Thus, a UE 115 may attempt to blindly decode a PDSCH transmission in TTI 410-a using a first RV index in a RV sequence received via RRC configuration and a HARQ process ID given by an index of TTI 410-a. If the decoding attempt is successful, the UE 115 may subsequently attempt to decode a second repetition of the transport block (e.g., having a second RV index in the RV sequence received via RRC signaling) in a second TTI 410 of timing alignment 415-a), wherein the TB is repeatedly transmitted the first actual number of times respectively in the first number of symbol groups, wherein each transmission of the TB is transmitted using a redundancy version (RV) value (see paragraph 149; UE 115-c may identify a series of RV indices for the repetition window based at least in part on the resource configuration, determine one or more potential RV indices for each TTI of the repetition window, where each potential RV index for each TTI is based at least in part on the series of RV indices beginning at a respective TTI of the subset of TTIs, and attempt to decode the grant-free downlink transmission during a given TTI of the repetition window based at least in part on the one or more potential RV indices for the given TTI), wherein the RV value is based on a symbol subset to which the symbol group that the TB is transmitted in belongs (see paragraph 164; Decoding manager 835 may determine one or more potential RV indices for each TTI of the repetition window, where each potential RV index for each TTI is based on the series of RV indices beginning at a respective TTI of the subset of TTIs), and wherein a symbol group belongs to a first symbol subset or a second symbol subset (see paragraph 192; the repetition window includes the subset of TTIs and at least one other TTI).
In regards to claims 33 and 38, Hosseini teaches a base station (see figures 6, 11 and 12) configured for wireless communication, the base station comprising: a receiver (see figures 11 and 12, receivers 1110 and 1210 respectively); a processor (see paragraphs 184, 188, the base station has a processor) and a transmitter (see figures 11 and 12 and transmitters 1120 and 1220 respectively) wherein: the transmitter and the processor are configured to transmit a downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI indicates a set of symbols for nominal repetitions of a transport block (TB) (see paragraph 91; Based on the DCI and RRC-configured parameters, the HARQ process ID and RV index for each repetition of the transport block in the repetition window may be known), wherein the set of symbols comprises a plurality of symbol groups (see paragraph 128; A TTI in eCC may consist of one or multiple symbol periods. In some cases, the TTI duration (that is, the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable), wherein one TB is transported in one symbol group (see paragraph 132; a TBS for transmissions within the repetition window, a number of TTIs in the repetition window (i.e., a repetition window size)),; and the receiver and the processor are configured to receive a TB a first actual number of times respectively in a first number of symbol groups (see paragraph 140; Within repetition window 405, the same transport block may be sent multiple times (e.g., with different RVs). In accordance with the present disclosure, a subset of the TTIs 410 in repetition window 405 may contain a new transport block (e.g., having RV 0). By way of example, the new transport block may be contained in TTI 410-a or TTI 410-b (e.g., but not TTI 410-c). Thus, a UE 115 may attempt to blindly decode a PDSCH transmission in TTI 410-a using a first RV index in a RV sequence received via RRC configuration and a HARQ process ID given by an index of TTI 410-a. If the decoding attempt is successful, the UE 115 may subsequently attempt to decode a second repetition of the transport block (e.g., having a second RV index in the RV sequence received via RRC signaling) in a second TTI 410 of timing alignment 415-a), wherein the TB is repeatedly transmitted the first actual number of times respectively in the first number of symbol groups, wherein each transmission of the TB is transmitted using a redundancy version (RV) value (see paragraph 149; UE 115-c may identify a series of RV indices for the repetition window based at least in part on the resource configuration, determine one or more potential RV indices for each TTI of the repetition window, where each potential RV index for each TTI is based at least in part on the series of RV indices beginning at a respective TTI of the subset of TTIs, and attempt to decode the grant-free downlink transmission during a given TTI of the repetition window based at least in part on the one or more potential RV indices for the given TTI), wherein the RV value is based on a symbol subset to which the symbol group that the TB is transmitted in belongs (see paragraph 164; Decoding manager 835 may determine one or more potential RV indices for each TTI of the repetition window, where each potential RV index for each TTI is based on the series of RV indices beginning at a respective TTI of the subset of TTIs), and wherein a symbol group belongs to a first symbol subset or a second symbol subset (see paragraph 192; the repetition window includes the subset of TTIs and at least one other TTI).
In regards to claims 22, 28, 34 and 39, Hosseini teaches, wherein each of the plurality of symbol groups comprises a plurality of consecutive symbols (see figures 4 and 5, the repetitions are in consecutive TTIs).
In regards to claims 23, 29 and 35, Hosseini teaches wherein the DCI indicates an earliest one of the symbol groups (see figure 4; see timing alignments 415-a, 415-b; the 1st Tx is shown).
In regards to claims 24 and 30, Hosseini teaches wherein: the receiver and the processor are configured to receive time division duplex configuration information; and the processor is configured to determine the first symbol subset and the second symbol subset based on the time division duplex configuration information (see paragraph 126; A UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs according to a carrier aggregation configuration. Carrier aggregation may be used with both FDD and TDD component carriers).
In regards to claims 25, 31, 36 and 40 Hosseini teaches wherein the time division duplex configuration information indicates a type of symbol, wherein the type of symbol comprises one of: uplink symbol, downlink symbol, or flexible symbol (see paragraph 120; Carriers may be downlink or uplink (e.g., in an FDD mode), or be configured to carry downlink and uplink communications (e.g., in a TDD mode)).
In regards to claims 26, 32 and 37 Hosseini teaches, wherein the plurality of symbol groups indicate times of nominal transmissions of the TB, and wherein symbols of an actual transmission are a subset of symbols of a nominal transmission (see figures 4 and 5; see the TTIs and the timing alignments the includes the repetitions).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 11/26/2025 with respect to the Lee reference have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY P PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-3086. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466