CTNF 18/762,741 CTNF 80144 DETAILED ACTION 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. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 5/20/25 and 7/3/24 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 4-9, 12, and 15-17 are objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 4 , on line 2, the term “AC field” should be recited “availability indication (AC) field” in this first instance. Also, on line 2, the term “SP field” should be recited “special (SP) field” in this first instance. Regarding claim 6 , on line 5, the term “SSB” should be recited “synchronization signal block (SSB)” in this first instance. Also, on line 5, the term “CSI-RS” should be recited “channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)” in this first instance. Claims 5-9 are also objected to as being dependent on claim 4 and containing the same deficiency. Regarding claim 12 , on line 6, the term “UL-SCH resources” should be recited “uplink resources (UL-SCH)” in this first instance. Regarding claim 15 , on line 2, the term “AC field” should be recited “availability indication (AC) field” in this first instance. Also, on line 2, the term “SP field” should be recited “special (SP) field” in this first instance. Regarding claim 17 , on line 5, the term “SSB” should be recited “synchronization signal block (SSB)” in this first instance. Also, on line 5, the term “CSI-RS” should be recited “channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)” in this first instance. Claims 16 and 17 are also objected to as being dependent on claim 15 and containing the same deficiency . Appropriate correction is required. 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 (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. 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) 1-10 and 12-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Koskela et al. (U.S. 2023/0199529) (hereinafter “Koskela”). Koskela teaches all of the limitations of the specified claims with the reasoning that follows . Regarding claim 1 , “a beam failure recovery information transmitting apparatus, applicable to a terminal equipment, the apparatus comprising: processor circuitry configured to detect beam failures at two BFD-RS (beam failure detection reference signal) sets of a first cell” is anticipated by the UE 100 (apparatus) of Figure 1B that receives communications from both TRP 0 and TRP1; where the UE detects a beam failure on at least one TRP (two BFD-RS sets); and based on the detecting, the UE encodes a beam failure indication data to a BFR MAC CE, where the beam failure indication data indicates the beam failure on the at least one TRP as shown in steps 202 and 204 of Figure 2 and spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0050]; and where the UE 700 (terminal equipment) of Figure 7 includes detecting circuitry 712, encoding circuitry 714 (processor circuitry), and transmitting circuitry 716 coupled to a radio interface 720 (transmitter). Lastly, “a transmitter configured to transmit a first message in a random access procedure to a network device, the first message including a truncated beam failure recovery medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE including beam failure recovery information of a failed BFD-RS set” is anticipated by the UE 100 that transmits the BFR MAC CE (first message) to a network element (network device) of the wireless communication network as shown in step 206 of Figure 2 and spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0050]; where the UE transmits the BFR MAC CE in a random access procedure as spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0052]; where the BFR MAC CE may refer to a non-truncated BFR MAC CE or to a truncated BFR MAC CE as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0063]; and where the BFR MAC CE bit fields may correspond to a failure detection resource set (failed BFD-RS set) associated with a TRP as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]. Regarding claim 2 , “wherein the first message comprises MSG3 or MSGA” is anticipated by the BFR MAC CE that may be transmitted in Msg3 of the CBRA, or in MsgA in 2-step RACH as spoken of on page 6, paragraph [0053]. Regarding claim 3 , “wherein the apparatus further comprising: a receiver configured to receive candidate beam configuration information from the network device, the configuration information including indexes of the two BFD-RS sets” is anticipated by the network node 104 that configures UE 100 for M-TRP beam failure indication, where the network node provides a network configuration to the UE including an indication of what or which TRP(s) (candidate beam configuration information) the UE should monitor for partial failure, and where the network configuration includes CORESETPoolIndex configuration information (indexes) as spoken of on page 6, paragraph [0059]; and where the UE 700 of Figure 7 includes detection circuitry 712 coupled to a radio interface 720 (receiver). Regarding claim 4 , “wherein the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE comprises at least an AC field, a SP field, and a candidate reference signal ID field or reserved bits” is anticipated by the truncated BFR MAC CE that includes an SP field, and AC field, and a candidate RS ID field as spoken of on page 4, paragraphs [0035], [0038], [0039], [0042], and [0043]. Regarding claim 5 , “wherein the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE further comprises a BFD-RS set information field” is anticipated by the BFR MAC CE bit fields that may correspond to a failure detection resource set (failed BFD-RS set) associated with a TRP as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]. Regarding claim 6 , “wherein the BFD-RS set information field is used to indicate an index of the failed BFD-RS set, and the AC field is used to indicate whether the candidate reference signal ID field presents or whether a candidate beam of the failed BFD-RS set of the first cell is available, the candidate reference signal ID field is used to indicate an index of a SSB or a CSI-RS of the failed BFD-RS set” is anticipated by the BFD-RS sets that may be associated respectively with TRP/CORESETPoolIndex values as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]; where the AC field indicates the presence of the Candidate RS ID field in the octet as spoken of on page 4, paragraph [0042]; and where the Candidate RS ID field is set to the index of an SSB with SS-RSRP above a threshold, or set to the index of a CSI-RS with CSI-RSRP above a threshold as spoken of on page 4, paragraph [0043]. Regarding claim 7 , “if the AC field set to 1, the candidate reference signal ID field is present, if the AC field set to 0, reserved bits are present instead of the candidate reference signal ID field” is anticipated by the conditions if the AC field is set to 1, the Candidate RS ID field is present, and if the AC field is set to 0, R bits are present instead as spoken of on page 4, paragraph [0042]. Regarding claim 8 , “if the SP field set to 1, it indicates that beam failure is detected for at least one BFD-RS set of the first cell” is anticipated by the SP field indicating beam failure detection for the SpCell of the MAC entity as spoken of on page 4, paragraph [0039]. Regarding claim 9 , “a size of the BFD-RS set information field is 1 bit” is anticipated by the BFR MAC CE bit fields that may correspond to a failure detection resource set (failed BFD-RS set) associated with a TRP/CORESETPoolIndex via a single bit, e.g. 0 and 1, as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064] as well as page 8, paragraph [0076]. Regarding claim 10 , “wherein a MAC subheader to which the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE corresponds at least comprises an LCID (logical channel identifier), the LCID being used to indicate a single bitmap truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE” is anticipated by the BFR MAC CEs that may be identified by a MAC subheader with LCID/eLCID, where a bitmap is included as well as beam failure recovery information as spoken of on pages 3-4, paragraph [0034]. Regarding claim 12 , “wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: detect that a highest serving cell index ServCellIndex of a secondary cell to which the BFD-RS set with beam failure is associated is less than 8; and detect that the first cell to which the BFD-RS set with beam failure is associated is to be indicated as being in the truncated BFR (beam failure recovery) MAC CE and UL-SCH resources cannot accommodate the truncated BFR MAC CE of a 4 octets bitmap plus its subheader as a result of logical channel priority (LCP)” is anticipated by the using of a single octet bitmap for a truncated BFR MAC CE when the highest ServCellIndex of the MAC entity’s SCell configured with beam failure detection is less than 8; or beam failure is detected for SpCell and the SpCell is to be indicated in a truncated BFR MAC CE and the Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) resources available for transmission cannot accommodate the truncated BFR MAC CE with the four octets bitmap plus its subheader as a result of Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) as spoken of on page 4, paragraphs [0035]-[0037]. Regarding claim 13 , “a beam failure recovery information receiving apparatus, applicable to a network device, the apparatus comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit candidate beam configuration information to a terminal equipment” is anticipated by the network node 104 that configures UE 100 (terminal equipment) for M-TRP beam failure indication, where the network node provides a network configuration to the UE including an indication of what or which TRP(s) (candidate beam configuration information) the UE should monitor for partial failure, and where the network configuration includes CORESETPoolIndex configuration information as spoken of on page 6, paragraph [0059]; and where the network device 800 of Figure 8 includes configuring circuitry 812 coupled to a radio interface 820 (transmitter). Lastly, “a receiver configured to receive a first message in a random access procedure transmitted by the terminal equipment, the first message including a truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE, the truncated beam failure recovery medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) including beam failure recovery information of a failed BFD-RS (beam failure detection reference signal) set” is anticipated by the UE 100 that transmits the BFR MAC CE (first message) to a network element (network device) of the wireless communication network as shown in step 206 of Figure 2 and spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0050]; where the UE transmits the BFR MAC CE in a random access procedure as spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0052]; where the BFR MAC CE may refer to a non-truncated BFR MAC CE or to a truncated BFR MAC CE as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0063]; where the BFR MAC CE bit fields may correspond to a failure detection resource set (failed BFD-RS set) associated with a TRP as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]; and where the network device 800 of Figure 8 includes receiving circuitry 814 coupled to a user interface 840 (receiver). Regarding claim 14 , “wherein the candidate beam configuration information comprising indexes of two BFD-RS sets” is anticipated by the network node 104 that configures UE 100 (terminal equipment) for M-TRP beam failure indication, where the network node provides a network configuration to the UE including an indication of what or which TRP(s) (candidate beam configuration information) the UE should monitor for partial failure, and where the network configuration includes CORESETPoolIndex configuration information corresponding to TRP(s) as spoken of on page 6, paragraph [0059]; and where the network device 800 of Figure 8 includes configuring circuitry 812 coupled to a radio interface 820 (transmitter). Regarding claim 15 , “wherein the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE comprises at least an AC field, a SP field, and a candidate reference signal ID field or reserved bits” is anticipated by the truncated BFR MAC CE that includes an SP field, and AC field, and a candidate RS ID field as spoken of on page 4, paragraphs [0035], [0038], [0039], [0042], and [0043]. Regarding claim 16 , “wherein the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE further comprises a BFD-RS set information field” is anticipated by the BFR MAC CE bit fields that may correspond to a failure detection resource set (failed BFD-RS set) associated with a TRP as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]. Regarding claim 17 , “wherein the BFD-RS set information field is used to indicate an index of the failed BFD-RS set, and the AC field is used to indicate whether the candidate reference signal ID field presents or whether a candidate beam of the failed BFD-RS set of the first cell is available, the candidate reference signal ID field is used to indicate an index of a SSB or a CSI-RS of the failed BFD-RS set” is anticipated by the BFD-RS sets that may be associated respectively with TRP/CORESETPoolIndex values as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]; where the AC field indicates the presence of the Candidate RS ID field in the octet as spoken of on page 4, paragraph [0042]; and where the Candidate RS ID field is set to the index of an SSB with SS-RSRP above a threshold, or set to the index of a CSI-RS with CSI-RSRP above a threshold as spoken of on page 4, paragraph [0043]. Regarding claim 18 , “a communication system, comprising a terminal equipment configured to: detect beam failures at two BFD-RS (beam failure detection reference signal) sets of a first cell, and transmit a first message in a random access procedure, the first message including a truncated beam failure recovery medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), the truncated beam failure recovery MAC CE including beam failure recovery information of a failed BFD-RS set” is anticipated by the UE 100 (terminal equipment) of Figure 1B that receives communications from both TRP 0 and TRP1; where the UE detects a beam failure on at least one TRP (two BFD-RS sets); and based on the detecting, the UE encodes a beam failure indication data to a BFR MAC CE, where the beam failure indication data indicates the beam failure on the at least one TRP as shown in steps 202 and 204 of Figure 2 and spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0050]; and where the UE 700 (terminal equipment) of Figure 7 includes detecting circuitry 712, encoding circuitry 714 (processor circuitry), and transmitting circuitry 716 coupled to a radio interface 720 (transmitter); as well as the UE 100 that transmits the BFR MAC CE (first message) to a network element (network device) of the wireless communication network as shown in step 206 of Figure 2 and spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0050]; where the UE transmits the BFR MAC CE in a random access procedure as spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0052]; where the BFR MAC CE may refer to a non-truncated BFR MAC CE or to a truncated BFR MAC CE as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0063]; and where the BFR MAC CE bit fields may correspond to a failure detection resource set (failed BFD-RS set) associated with a TRP as spoken of on page 7, paragraph [0064]. Lastly, “a network device configured to receive the first message” is anticipated by the UE 100 that transmits the BFR MAC CE (first message) to a network element (network device) of the wireless communication network as shown in step 206 of Figure 2 and spoken of on page 5, paragraph [0050] . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 (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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koskela in view of Karimidehkordi et al. (U.S. 2023/0084028) (hereinafter “Karimidehkordi”) . Regarding claim 11 , Koskela teaches claim 10 as described above. Koskela does not explicitly teach “a value of the LCID is any of values 35-44”. However, Karimidehkordi teaches a method and system for beam failure recovery where codepoint/index values of 35-44 are reserved values for LCID as shown in TABLE 5 on page 11. Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to apply the LCID values taught in Karimidehkordi to the BFR system of Koskela in order to ensure successful forming of a bitmap for beam failure recovery by utilizing reserved values of LCID for UL-SCH, thereby improving the reliability of the failure recovery process as spoken of on page 11, paragraphs [0110]-[0111] of Karimidehkordi . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References considered relevant to this application are listed in the attached “Notice of References Cited” (PTO-892) . Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J. MOORE, JR ., whose telephone number is (571)272-3168. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (9am-4pm). 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, Hassan A. Phillips can be reached at (571)272-3940. 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. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /MICHAEL J MOORE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 2 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 3 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 4 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 5 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 6 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 7 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 8 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 9 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 10 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 11 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 13 Art Unit: 2467 Application/Control Number: 18/762,741 Page 14 Art Unit: 2467
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