Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
2. Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 6 contains a singular/plural mismatch. It recites “in the at least one monitoring occasions” (twice). It should be amended to “at least one monitoring occasion” to match the phrasing in claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 4, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.Claim 3 is rejected under 112(b). Claim 3 recites: “determine parameters of the additional RA search space based on the configuration of parameters of the RA search space…” However, claim 1 only recites “a configuration of a random access, RA, search space.” It never introduces “parameters” of that configuration. Therefore, “the configuration of parameters” lacks proper antecedent basis. The applicant should amend this to read: “…based on the configuration of the RA search space…” or explicitly discloses “parameters” into claim 1.
Claim 4 is rejected under 112(b). Claim 1 discloses “a second apparatus” (from which the first apparatus receives a configuration). Claim 4 then recites: “wherein the scaling factor is configured by a second apparatus…” By using the indefinite article “a” in claim 4, it is entirely ambiguous whether this is the same second apparatus disclosed in claim 1, or a completely new, third apparatus. For the purpose of examination, it is interpreted as “the second apparatus.”
Claim 12 is rejected under 112(b). Claim 12 recites: “…different from the time-frequency resources associated with the RA search space.” However, Time-frequency resources have not been previously introduced in the claims. Using the definite article “the” makes the claim indefinite for lack of antecedent basis. The applicant should amend this to read: “…different from time-frequency resources associated with the RA search space.”
Claim 13 is rejected under 112(b). Claim 13 is dependent upon claim 12 which has an indefinite scope. Thus, the scope of claim 13 is rendered indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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)(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.
Claims 1-10 and 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20200015258 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zhou teaches a first apparatus ([0160]: the UE) comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (Examiner note: a UE necessarily includes a processor capable of executing instructions stored in memory.), cause the first apparatus at least to: receive, from a second apparatus, a configuration of a random access, RA, search space ([0160]: the UE 504 may receive the configuration information 516 from the network. The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516.); determine an additional RA search space including repetitions of physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, candidates of at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space ([0160]: The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516. Rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter.); and monitor downlink control information at least based on the configuration of the RA search space and the repetitions in the additional RA search space ([0160]: The UE 504 may detect one or more repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 during one of the common monitoring occasions 1122 associated with the random access search space.).
Regarding claim 2, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the first apparatus is caused to: receive, from the second apparatus, a configuration of the additional RA search space ([0150]: The UE 504 receives the configuration information 516. Examiner note: see 516 in Fig. 5. [0151]: the configuration information 516 may include at least one UE-specific IE having a plurality (e.g., two) UE-specific parameters. [0153]: The second UE-specific parameter may specify the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH that the UE 504 may expect.); and determine the additional RA search space based on the configuration of the additional RA search space ([0160]: The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516. The identity of the random access search space may be a random access search space that is repeated according to the second UE-specific parameter (e.g., the UE-specific parameter that specifies the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 that the UE 504 may expect). [0151]: the configuration information 516 may include at least one UE-specific IE having a plurality (e.g., two) UE-specific parameters.).
Regarding claim 3, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the first apparatus is caused to: determine parameters of the additional RA search space based on the configuration of parameters of the RA search space and a scaling factor ([0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion according to the second UE-specific parameter. [0153]: The second UE-specific parameter may specify the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH that the UE 504 may expect.).
Regarding claim 4, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1 and 3, and further teaches wherein the scaling factor is configured by a second apparatus ([0150]: The UE 504 receives the configuration information 516. Examiner note: see 516 in Fig. 5. [0151]: the configuration information 516 may include at least one UE-specific IE having a plurality (e.g., two) UE-specific parameters. [0153]: The second UE-specific parameter may specify the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH that the UE 504 may expect.) or determined by the first apparatus based on parameters associated with a satellite architecture (Examiner note: this second limitation is not given patentable weight due to the “or” conjunction).
Regarding claim 5, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the number and location of at least one monitoring occasion of the additional RA search space is same as the number and location of the at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space ([0158]: a first UE-specific parameter may indicate an index corresponding to a respective first symbol (e.g., symbol 0) of the slots 1012 a-b configured for a random access search space associated with the common monitoring occasion 1004. Common monitoring occasions 1004 during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH. [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion.).
Regarding claim 6, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1 and 5, and further teaches wherein each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasions of the RA search space is linked to a monitoring occasion in the additional RA search space ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.). [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots.), and wherein each PDCCH candidate within each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasions of the RA search space has a repetition PDCCH candidate in the linked monitoring occasion in the additional RA search space ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.) [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots.).
Regarding claim 7, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the number and location of at least one monitoring occasion of the additional RA search space is different from the number and location of the at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space ([0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter (e.g., the UE-specific parameter that specifies the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 that the UE 504 may expect). Examiner note: the rep-ra-SearchSpace monitoring PDCCH at the slot associated with ra-SearchSpace and across the adjacent slot necessitates a different time location than as associated with the ra-SearchSpace.).
Regarding claim 8, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1 and 7, and further teaches wherein a subset of monitoring occasions in the at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space are to be repeated ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.). [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion).
Regarding claim 9, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1 and 7, and further teaches wherein part or all of the PDCCH candidates in part or all of the monitoring occasions of the RA search space belongs to a PDCCH candidate group ([0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter(e.g., the UE-specific parameter that specifies the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 that the UE 504 may expect).
Regarding claim 10, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1, 7, and 9, and further teaches wherein the PDCCH candidate group is to be repeated in at least one monitoring occasion of the additional RA search space ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.). [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion).
Regarding claim 12, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1 and 7, and further teaches wherein the at least one monitoring occasion of the additional RA search space is located in one or more slots that at least partially overlapped with one or more slots of the RA search space and wherein time-frequency resources associated with the additional RA search space in an overlapped slot are different from the time-frequency resources associated with the RA search space ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.). [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter(e.g., the UE-specific parameter that specifies the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 that the UE 504 may expect).).
Regarding claim 13, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1, 7, and 12, and further teaches wherein the first apparatus is caused to: determine at least one overlapped slot based on at least one of the following: an offset and a periodicity of the additional RA search space ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.). [0153]: second UE-specific parameter may specify the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH that the UE 504 may expect. [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter.), or a configuration of the RA search space ([0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots).
Regarding claim 14, Zhou teaches the subject matter of claims 1 and further teaches wherein the first apparatus comprises a terminal device ([0009]: The first apparatus may be a UE.) and second apparatus comprises a network device ([0014]: The second apparatus may be a base station.).
Regarding claim 15, Zhou teaches a second apparatus ([0014]: The second apparatus may be a base station.) comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (Examiner note: a base station necessarily comprises a processor capable of executing instructions stored in memory), cause the second apparatus at least to: transmit, to a first apparatus, a configuration of a random access, RA, search space ([0160]: the UE 504 may receive the configuration information 516 from the network. The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516.); and transmit, to the first apparatus, downlink control information, at least based on the configuration of the RA search space and repetitions of physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, candidates of at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space included in an additional RA search space ([0160]: The UE 504 may detect one or more repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 during one of the common monitoring occasions 1122 associated with the random access search space. The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516. Rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter.).
Regarding claim 16, Zhou teaches the subject matter disclosed in claim 15 and further teaches wherein the second apparatus is caused to: determine a configuration of the additional RA search space; and transmit the configuration of the additional RA search space to the first apparatus ([0150]: The UE 504 receives the configuration information 516. Examiner note: see 516 in Fig. 5. [0151]: the configuration information 516 may include at least one UE-specific IE having a plurality (e.g., two) UE-specific parameters. [0153]: The second UE-specific parameter may specify the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH that the UE 504 may expect.).
Regarding claim 17, Zhou teaches the subject matter disclosed in claim 15 and further teaches wherein the second apparatus is caused to: transmit, to the first apparatus, a scaling factor for the first apparatus to determine the additional RA search space based on the RA search space ([0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion according to the second UE-specific parameter. [0153]: The second UE-specific parameter may specify the number of repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH that the UE 504 may expect.).
Regarding claim 18, Zhou teaches the subject matter disclosed in claim 15 and further teaches wherein the number and location of at least one monitoring occasion of the additional RA search space is same as the number and location of the at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space ([0158]: a first UE-specific parameter may indicate an index corresponding to a respective first symbol (e.g., symbol 0) of the slots 1012 a-b configured for a random access search space associated with the common monitoring occasion 1004. Common monitoring occasions 1004 during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH. [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion.).
Regarding claim 19, Zhou teaches the subject matter disclosed in claims 15 and 18, and further teaches wherein each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasions of the RA search space is linked to a monitoring occasion in the additional RA search space ( [0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.). [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots.), and wherein each PDCCH candidate within each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasions of the RA search space has a repetition PDCCH candidate in the linked monitoring occasion in the additional RA search space ([0152]: first UE-specific parameter may specify the indices of common monitoring occasions during which the UE 504 may expect repetitions of the MStG2 PDCCH (e.g., monitoring occasion indices may be 0, 4, 8, 12, etc.) [0160]: a rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots.).
Regarding claim 20, Zhou teaches a method comprising: receiving, at a first apparatus and from a second apparatus, a configuration of an RA search space ([0160]: the UE 504 may receive the configuration information 516 from the network. The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516.); determining an additional RA search space including repetitions of PDCCH candidates of at least one monitoring occasion of the RA search space ([0160]: The UE 504 may derive the identity of the random access search space, e.g., from the configuration information 516. Rep-ra-SearchSpace entry may correspond with a ra-SearchSpace entry associated with at least one monitoring occasion, although repeated across adjacent slots according to the second UE-specific parameter.); and monitoring downlink control information at least based on the configuration of the RA search space and the repetitions in the additional RA search space ([0160]: The UE 504 may detect one or more repetitions of the MSG2 PDCCH 1108 during one of the common monitoring occasions 1122 associated with the random access search space.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20200015258 A1) in view of Nam et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20230142115 A1 ).
Regarding claim 11, Zhou teaches the subject matter disclosed in claims 1 and 7, but Zhou fails to teach the subject matter disclosed in claim 11.
However, Nam does teach wherein the at least one monitoring occasion of the additional RA search space is located in one or more slots that are non-overlapped with one or more slots of the RA search space ([0054]: at least two PDCCH MOs (possibly associated with different SS sets and CORESETs) may be paired for the PDCCH repetitions. [0055]: PDCCH repetition may occur across slots (inter-slot) as shown in FIG. 5A.). Zhou teaches a method for monitoring repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates in multiple random access search spaces in overlapping monitoring occasions. Nam teaches a system for configuring a UE to monitor PDCCH repetitions in different monitoring occasions in different search spaces. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhou’s PDCCH monitoring method with Nam’s teachings in order to enhance PDCCH reliability (Nam [0054]).
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIJAY K MANNAVA whose telephone number is (571)272-9505. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-5 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jae. Y. Lee can be reached at (571) 270-3936. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VIJAY K MANNAVA/ Examiner, Art Unit 2479 /JAE Y LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2479
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