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 § 103
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 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 nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, 15, 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bai et al. (Pub No.: 2023/0354055) in view of He et al. (Pub No.: 2026/0025829).
Regarding claim 8, Bai et al. discloses a User Equipment (UE) (see UE 604 in fig. 6b) for applying a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state, the UE comprising:
at least one processor (see processor 1224 in fig. 12); and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium (see memory 1224’ in fig. 12) storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to:
receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 605; para. 0080, 0084; The UE 604 may use the relationships or association indicated in the RRC signaling, at 605, to update the TCI candidate set). The UE receives RRC configuration;
receive a first Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) for activating at least one TCI state configured by the RRC configuration (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 606; para. 0082; base station 602 may transmit a MAC-CE 606 indicating, or updating, a TCI candidate set.). The UE receives MAC-CE indicates/activates a TCI candidate set;
receive Downlink Control Information (DCI) for indicating a first TCI state among the at least one TCI state activated by the first MAC CE (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 612; para. 0082; the DCI 612 may select a TCI state from the MAC-CE activated TCI candidate set.). The UE receives the DCI which selects a TCI state among the TCI candidate set activated by the MAC-CE;
receive a second MAC CE for indicating a second TCI state after receiving the DCI (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 625; para. 0082; a MAC-CE 625 may update the TCI candidate set after the new TCI candidate set 622 is applied.). The UE receives a second MAC-CE indicating updated TCI candidate set after receiving the DCI in step 612.
Bai et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state for a target cell.
He et al. from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state for a target cell (He et al. see para. 0165, 0166, 0185; receiving, from the network, a second MAC-CE for a third candidate cell, the second MAC-CE indicating second one or more TCI state IDs, wherein the third candidate cell is in the second sub-CCG; identifying second one or more activated TCI states at the third candidate cell and a fourth candidate cell by applying the second one or more TCI state IDs to a second TCI state list for the second sub-CCG). The UE applies the second one or more TCI state IDs for the second sub-CCG.
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by He et al. to apply first or second TCI state for a target cell.
The motivation would be to improve transmission reliability.
Claim 1 is rejected similarly to claim 8.
Regarding claim 15, Bai et al. discloses a Base Station (BS) (see BS 602 in fig. 6b) for indicating a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state, the BS comprising:
at least one processor (see processors 1412, 1432 and/or 1442 in fig. 14); and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium (see memory 1412’, 1432’ and/or 1444 in fig. 14) storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to:
transmit, to a UE, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 605; para. 0080, 0084; The UE 604 may use the relationships or association indicated in the RRC signaling, at 605, to update the TCI candidate set). The BS transmits the RRC configuration in step 605;
transmit, to the UE, a first Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) for activating at least one TCI state configured by the RRC configuration (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 606; para. 0082; base station 602 may transmit a MAC-CE 606 indicating, or updating, a TCI candidate set.). The BS transmits MAC-CE 606 indicates/activates a TCI candidate set;
transmit, to the UE, Downlink Control Information (DCI) for indicating a first TCI state among the at least one TCI state activated by the first MAC CE (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 612; para. 0082; the DCI 612 may select a TCI state from the MAC-CE activated TCI candidate set.). The BS transmits the DCI which selects a TCI state among the TCI candidate set activated by the MAC-CE; and
transmit, to the UE, a second MAC CE for indicating a second TCI state after transmitting the DCI (Bai et al. see fig. 6b, step 625; para. 0082; a MAC-CE 625 may update the TCI candidate set after the new TCI candidate set 622 is applied.). The BS transmits a second MAC-CE indicating updated TCI candidate set after transmitting the DCI in step 612.
However, Bai et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature wherein the second MAC CE enables the UE to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state for a target cell.
He et al. from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature wherein the second MAC CE enables the UE to apply the first TCI state or the second TCI state for a target cell (He et al. see para. 0165, 0166, 0185; receiving, from the network, a second MAC-CE for a third candidate cell, the second MAC-CE indicating second one or more TCI state IDs, wherein the third candidate cell is in the second sub-CCG; identifying second one or more activated TCI states at the third candidate cell and a fourth candidate cell by applying the second one or more TCI state IDs to a second TCI state list for the second sub-CCG). The UE is enabled to apply the second one or more TCI state IDs for the second sub-CCG.
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by He et al. to apply first or second TCI state for a target cell.
The motivation would be to improve transmission reliability.
Regarding claims 3, 10, 17, He et al. discloses the feature for switching from a source cell to the target cell based on the second MAC CE, wherein: the second MAC CE comprises a Layer1/Layer2 Triggered Mobility (LTM) cell switch command MAC CE, and the first TCI state or the second TCI state is applied after switching to the target cell (He et al. see para. 0009, 0037, 0184, 0185; a corresponding medium access control element (MAC-CE) may be considered (in combination) as an LTM cell switching command. In para. 0184; communicating 1608, corresponding to a handover of the UE to the SpCell of the CCG, with the network on the first candidate cell and on the second candidate cell based on one or more of the first one or more activated TCI states.).
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by He et al. wherein the MAC-CE includes LTM cell switching command and apply one or more activated TCI states after switching from a service cell to candidate cell.
The motivation would be to reduce signaling overhead.
Regarding claims 4, 11, He et al. discloses the feature wherein the second MAC CE comprises a TCI state identifier (ID) for indicating the second TCI state (He et al. see para. 0168, the second MAC-CE indicating second one or more TCI state IDs,).
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by He et al. wherein the MAC-CE includes TCI ID for indicating the second TCI state.
The motivation would be to improve transmission efficiency.
Regarding claims 5, 12, 18, He et al. discloses the feature wherein the second MAC CE comprises an identifier associated with the target cell and timing advance information for indicating whether a time advance is valid for the target cell (He et al. see abstract; para. 0088; In some embodiments, MAC-CEs are used to inform the UE of timing advance (TA) information using timing advance group (TAG)-specific physical cell identity (PCI) indexes for candidate cells of the TAG that correspond to full PCIs for those candidate cells.).
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by He et al. wherein the MAC-CE indicates a TA value to use with PCI from the TA list.
The motivation would be to improve transmission efficiency.
Claim(s) 2, 9, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bai et al. (Pub No.: 2023/0354055) in view of He et al. (Pub No.: 2026/0025829) as applied to claim 1, 8 or 15 above, and further in view of Li et al. (Pub No.: 2023/0232390).
Regarding claims 2, 9, 16, Bai et al. in view of He et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature wherein the first TCI state and the second TCI state are the same.
Li et al. from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature wherein the first TCI state and the second TCI state are the same (Li et al. see para. 0014; the first TCI state is the same as or different from the second TCI state).
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. in view of He et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by Li et al. wherein the first and second TCIs being the same.
The motivation would be to reduce transmission latency.
Claim(s) 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bai et al. (Pub No.: 2023/0354055) in view of He et al. (Pub No.: 2026/0025829) as applied to claim 1, 8 or 15 above, and further in view of Cheng et al. (Pub No.: 2022/0376836).
Regarding claims 6, 13, 19, Bai et al. in view of He et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature for transmitting a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) corresponding to the DCI after receiving the second MAC CE.
Cheng et al. from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature for transmitting a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) corresponding to the DCI after receiving the second MAC CE (Cheng et al. see fig. 2, steps 202-206 para. 0008, 0100-0104, 0111; In action 208, if the HARQ ACK feedback is needed to be transmitted (e.g., HARQ ACK feedback transmission is enabled)).
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. in view of He et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by Cheng et al. for transmitting HARQ-ACK corresponding DCI for the received PDSCH transmission after receiving the MAC-CE command on the PDSCH.
The motivation would be to improve transmission reliability.
Regarding claims 7, 14, 20, Cheng et al. discloses the feature wherein the first TCI state or the second TCI state is applied starting from a slot that is at least a specific duration after the transmission of the HARQ-ACK (Cheng et al. see para. 00085; When the HARQ ACK corresponding to the PDSCH carrying the activation command is transmitted or generated, the indicated mapping between TCI states and codepoints of the DCI field ‘Transmission Configuration Indication’ may be applied at the time starting from the first slot that is after slot X′.).
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 the disclosure of Bai et al. in view of He et al. and to implement with the feature as taught by Cheng et al. wherein the mapping between the TCI states and codepoints may be applied at the starting from a slot having a specific duration after the transmission of the HARQ-ACK.
The motivation would be to improve transmission reliability.
Examiner's Note
The Applicant is welcome to request a telephonic interview if the Applicant has any questions or requires any additional information that would further or expedite the prosecution of the application.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sun et al. (Pub No.: 2024/0147565) discloses a TCI state indication method and apparatus, a terminal, and a network side device, and pertains to the field of communications technologies. The TCI state indication method in embodiments of this application includes: receiving, by a terminal, RRC signaling, where the RRC signaling is used to indicate at least one of a resource pool of a TCI state and a mode of the TCI state; and receiving, by the terminal, a first MAC CE, where the first MAC CE is configured to activate at least one TCI state corresponding to the resource pool of the TCI state or the mode of the TCI state.
Zhou et al. (Pub No.: 2026/0019906) discloses a method may include receiving, by a wireless device, one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages. The messages may include first parameters of a first list of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states of a first cell for LTM, and second parameters of a second list of TCI states of the cell. The method may also include receiving an LTM cell switch command MAC CE indicating an LTM cell switch. The command comprises a first field indicating the first cell as a target cell, and a second field comprising a TCI state ID indicating activation of a first TCI state of the first list for the first cell. The method may further include communicating with a base station and via the first cell, signals or channels using the first TCI state indicated in the MAC CE. The first TCI state is used in a time duration after receiving the one or more RRC messages and before applying a second TCI state, indicated by an activation command, from the second list for the first cell.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAN YUEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1413. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:30am-7pm.
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/KAN YUEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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