DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
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 5 and 15 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.
Regarding claims 5 and 15: the second wherein clause (“…or wherein in a case in which the scheduling PDCCH of the target signal or channel does not include the TCI field and the scheduling gap is greater than the predefined value, the UE applies the first effective RS at a time domain location of a PDSCH when the time domain location of the PDSCH is in a time domain location to apply the first effective RS and applies the second effective RS at a time domain location of a PDCCH when the time domain location of the PDCCH is in a time domain location to apply the second effective RS”) is unclear.
First, the phrase “wherein in a case in which the scheduling PDCCH of the target signal or channel does not include the TCI field and the scheduling gap is greater than the predefined value” at the start of this wherein clause is the same as the start of the first wherein clause. However, the identification of a reference signal (RS) is different in each of the two wherein clauses. It appears that either (or both) of the following should be changed in the second wherein clause: “the scheduling PDCCH of the target signal or channel does less than the predefined value”.
Second, the phrase “applies the second effective RS at a time domain location of a PDCCH when the time domain location of the PDCCH is in a time domain location to apply the second effective RS” refers to applying the effective RS to a PDCCH. However, based on the specification, it appears that the effective RS should be applied to a PDSCH.
Further, line 5 references “a PDCCH”. It is unclear whether this is a different PDCCH from the “scheduling PDCCH” of lines 1-2. Similarly, if the PDCCH instances in line 10 are changed to PDSCH as suggested above, there may be confusion between this PDSCH and the PDSCH in lines 9-10. In all of these cases, the distinction may be clarified by using “first” and “second” (or some similar identifier) to clarify when the particular acronyms refer to different (or the same) channels.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko et al (US 2026/0106705) in view of Gao et al (US 2024/0259171).
Regarding claim 1: Ko discloses a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for determining
receiving antenna indicator information indicating one or more first antenna configurations and one or more second antenna configurations from a base station (disclosed throughout; see at least step S2110 of Figure 21 and [0367] and [0370], for example; as indicated in [0367], “a UE receives, from a base station (BS), control information of a downlink (DL) signal or an uplink (UL) signal within a specific time duration in which half duplex (HD) or full duplex (FD) is possible. The control information includes information on a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state…”; further, as indicated in [0370], the UE may further include “an antenna configuration for each time resource”);
identifying a first set of symbols at which the one or more first antenna configurations are applied and a second set of symbols at which the one or more second antenna configurations are applied (disclosed throughout; see at least step S2120 and [0368], for example, which discloses that the UE determines time durations (each a number of symbols as indicated in [0060], for example) and the corresponding TCI state/antenna configuration to be applied in each time duration/set of symbols); and
receiving the target signal or channel using a version of(disclosed throughout; see at least step S2120 and [0370], for example, which discloses that “the UE performs a transmission and a reception based on the control information in an indicated time duration among the time duration for the FD using a TCI state or an SRI corresponding to the indicated time duration”).
To the extent that Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitation that the target signal or channel is received using a quasi co-located (QCL) source reference signal (RS), this is known in the art. For example, consider Gao, which discloses analogous art, including receiving a downlink signal (such as a PDSCH) based on “a beam state associated with a given time unit” (see [0085], [0091], [0102], [0112], [0120], and [0134] for example). Further, as indicated in [0027]-[0032], this “beam state” is interchangeable with a TCI state and also comprises “one or more reference RS(s) and their corresponding QCL Type parameters”. Gao further clarifies in [0047] that “The term "time unit" can be sub-symbol, symbol, slot, sub-frame, frame, or transmission occasion”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko to explicitly indicate the use of a QCL source reference signal as part of the TCI state for receiving the target signal/channel (the downlink signal) based on the teaching of Gao. The rationale for doing so would have been to explicitly identify the TCI state as comprising QCL reference signal(s) as the mechanism for receiving the target/downlink signal/channel in order to implement the terminal device.
Regarding claim 11: Ko discloses a user equipment (UE), comprising:
a memory device (see memory 1690 of Figure 23, for example), and
a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory device, wherein the instructions cause the processor to (see processor 1660 of Figure 23, for example, as well as the description in [0399], for example):
receive antenna indicator information indicating one or more first antenna configurations and one or more second antenna configurations from a base station (disclosed throughout; see at least step S2110 of Figure 21 and [0367] and [0370], for example; as indicated in [0367], “a UE receives, from a base station (BS), control information of a downlink (DL) signal or an uplink (UL) signal within a specific time duration in which half duplex (HD) or full duplex (FD) is possible. The control information includes information on a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state…”; further, as indicated in [0370], the UE may further include “an antenna configuration for each time resource”);
identify a first set of symbols at which the one or more first antenna configurations are applied and a second set of symbols at which the one or more second antenna configurations are applied (disclosed throughout; see at least step S2120 and [0368], for example, which discloses that the UE determines time durations (each a number of symbols as indicated in [0060], for example) and the corresponding TCI state/antenna configuration to be applied in each time duration/set of symbols); and
receive a target signal or channel using a version of the quasi co-located (QCL) source reference signal (RS) at a time instance based on whether the time instance occurs in the first set of symbols or the second set of symbols (disclosed throughout; see at least step S2120 and [0370], for example, which discloses that “the UE performs a transmission and a reception based on the control information in an indicated time duration among the time duration for the FD using a TCI state or an SRI corresponding to the indicated time duration”).
To the extent that Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitation that the target signal or channel is received using a quasi co-located (QCL) source reference signal (RS), this is known in the art. For example, consider Gao, which discloses analogous art, including receiving a downlink signal (such as a PDSCH) based on “a beam state associated with a given time unit” (see [0085], [0091], [0102], [0112], [0120], and [0134] for example). Further, as indicated in [0027]-[0032], this “beam state” is interchangeable with a TCI state and also comprises “one or more reference RS(s) and their corresponding QCL Type parameters”. Gao further clarifies in [0047] that “The term "time unit" can be sub-symbol, symbol, slot, sub-frame, frame, or transmission occasion”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko to explicitly indicate the use of a QCL source reference signal as part of the TCI state for receiving the target signal/channel (the downlink signal) based on the teaching of Gao. The rationale for doing so would have been to explicitly identify the TCI state as comprising QCL reference signal(s) as the mechanism for receiving the target/downlink signal/channel in order to implement the terminal device.
Regarding claims 2 and 12: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 1 and 11, as indicated above. Ko further discloses the limitations wherein the antenna indicator information indicates implicitly a time domain location of the one or more first antenna configurations and one or more second antenna configurations based on a time domain location of one or more sub-band full duplex (SBFD) symbols and one or more non-SBFD symbols, or wherein the antenna indicator information explicitly provides the time domain location of the one or more first antenna configurations and the one or more second antenna configurations (disclosed throughout; as indicated in [0367], for example, the time domain location is at least indicated explicitly (“a specific time duration”); further, as indicated in Figure 12 and [0129]-[0132], the half-duplex (HD) and full-duplex (FD) disclosed in [0367] refer to operating (or not) in sub-band full duplex (SBFD)).
Regarding claims 3 and 13: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 2 and 12, as indicated above. Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitations wherein the version of the QCL source RS includes a first effective RS for instances of an RS in the one or more first antenna configurations and a second effective RS for instances of the RS in the one or more second antenna configurations generated based on the antenna indicator information, and wherein the QCL source RS is a periodic or semi-persistent QCL source RS. However, Gao discloses these limitations. For example, Gao discloses “[t]he term “selected beam state(s)” can be interchangeable with effective beam state(s), a pool of beam state(s), or indicated beam state(s)” (see [0050]). In addition, Gao discloses in [0084]-[0085], for example, that a pool of effective beam states/QCL RSs (including beam states/QCL RSs corresponding to different time units) are known at the UE and specific effective beam states/QCL RSs are determined based on the particular time unit in which the target downlink signal is being received. Further, Gao discloses “[t]he CSI-RS has three time-domain behaviors: aperiodic, semi-persistent, and periodic” (see [0097]). The semi persistent CSI-RS is referred to as SP-CSI-RS, and the periodic CSI-RS is referred to as P-CSI-RS (see [0105]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko to explicitly indicate determining effective beams states/QCL RSs for first and second time durations (such as the HD and FD time durations) and to utilize this selection of effective beam state/QCL RSs for periodic and/or semi-persistent source RSs (such as periodic CSI-RSs or semi-persistent CSI-RSs) as suggested by Gao. The rationale for doing so would have been to enable efficient indication of the beam/TCI states in multi-TRP operations as suggested by Gao in [0026], for example.
Regarding claims 4 and 14: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 3 and 13 as indicated above. Ko, modified, further discloses the limitations wherein receiving the target signal or channel further comprises applying similar channel properties as the first effective RS or the second effective RS to the target signal or channel based on whether a time domain location of the target signal or channel is in one or more SBFD symbols or one or more non-SBFD symbols (disclosed throughout; see [0164] and [0371] of Ko, for example, which indicates that the control information is distinguished according to whether it is available for time durations for FD or/and HD; as indicated in [0372], the FD time duration(s) are those supporting SBFD and the HD time duration(s) are those not supporting SBFD; as indicated above, the control information is used to receive data based on a TCI state, which in turn includes the reference signal used to receive the downlink signals).
Regarding claims 5 and 15: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 4 and 14, as indicated above. Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitations of claims 5 and 15 of wherein in a case in which a scheduling physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of the target signal or channel does not include a transmission configuration indication (TCI) field and a scheduling gap is greater than or equal to a predefined value, the UE identifies a QCL channel state information (CSI)-RS applied to a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to be the same as a QCL CSI-RS applied to a PDCCH, or wherein in a case in which the scheduling PDCCH of the target signal or channel does not include the TCI field and the scheduling gap is greater than the predefined value, the UE applies the first effective RS at a time domain location of a PDSCH when the time domain location of the PDSCH is in a time domain location to apply the first effective RS and applies the second effective RS at a time domain location of a PDCCH when the time domain location of the PDCCH is in a time domain location to apply the second effective RS.
However, Gao discloses the limitation wherein in a case in which a scheduling physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of the target signal or channel does not include a transmission configuration indication (TCI) field and a scheduling gap is greater than or equal to a predefined value, the UE identifies a QCL channel state information (CSI)-RS applied to a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to be the same as a QCL CSI-RS applied to a PDCCH. For example, see [0087]-[0088], which indicates that “In some embodiments, the PDSCH is scheduled by DCI format 1_0, which does not include any TCI/beam state indication field. In those cases, at least one of the following is considered: … The beam state applied to the CORESET or search space set for scheduling the PDSCH is applied to the PDSCH”. Further, see [0109], for example, which indicated “For a PDSCH with a scheduling offset that is greater than or equal a threshold, there is sufficient time for the UE to determine that the PDSCH should follow the beam state associated with the same identifier (e.g., CORESETPoolId) as the scheduling PDCCH/DCI”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko to explicitly indicate how to handle the situation where a TCI field is not included, but the scheduling gap is larger than a threshold and to use the beam state associated with the scheduling PDCCH as suggested by Gao. The rationale for doing so would have been to utilize the scheduling PDCCH when there is “sufficient time” and absent other information from the network as suggested by Gao.
Regarding claims 6 and 16: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 2 and 12, as indicated above. Ko further discloses the limitations of determining the version of the QCL source RS based on at least one set of transmission configuration information (TCI) states including a first set of TCI states and a second set of TCI states (disclosed throughout; see [0165], for example, which indicates that “[t]he base station designates a source of a TCI-state among candidate reference signals available in the half duplex time duration in the half duplex, and designates a source of a TCI-state among candidate reference signals available in the full duplex time duration in the full duplex”; see also [0367], for example), wherein the first set of TCI states corresponds to the one or more first antenna configurations and the second set of TCI states corresponds to the one or more second antenna configurations (disclosed throughout; see [0180], for example, which discloses that the antenna configurations may be specified to correlate to the specific time resource and thus correspond to the corresponding TCI states for that time resource; see also [0370], for example).
Regarding claims 7 and 17: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 6 and 16, as indicated above. Ko further discloses the limitations that receiving the target signal or channel further comprises using the first set of TCI states or the second set of TCI states based on whether the time instance of the target signal or channel is in a time domain location of the one or more first antenna configurations or the one or more second antenna configurations (disclosed throughout; see [0165], [0180], [0367], and [0370], for example, which disclose that the UE receives a target channel or signal based on a TCI state designated for each of different time durations and that these time durations further correspond to antenna configurations related to the half-duplex/full-duplex configurations and the associated antenna configurations).
Regarding claims 8 and 18: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 6 and 16, as indicated above. Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitations of claims 8 and 18 that a first medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) activates the first set of TCI states and a second MAC-CE activates the second set of TCI states. However, Gao discloses in [0057], for example, that “[a]t the MAC-CE level, when activating a plurality of TCI/beam codepoints, one or more beam state(s) can be activated for a beam codepoint and provided with a respective association entry”. See also [0060], for example, which discloses that “the association entry can be included in the MAC-CE command to be associated with an activated beam state.”. Further, [0063] indicates that each association entry and corresponding applied beam state(s) correspond to different time units of PDSCH transmission. Thus, multiple MAC CEs (for different association entries) activate the different sets of TCI states.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko to utilize MAC CE messages to activate the different TCI states prior to utilizing them. The rationale for doing so would have been to simplify the implementation of the time duration based configuration (which is exchanged between the network and UEs prior to the communication via PDCCH/PDSCH) by using existing mechanisms such as MAC CEs. Utilizing these existing mechanisms reduces the implementation cost by relying on existing messaging schemes and thus reduces the ultimate cost of the service.
Regarding claims 9 and 19: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 6 and 16, as indicated above. Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitations of determining the version of the QCL source RS further comprises determining the version of the QCL source RS based on a scheduling physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) including a single TCI field or a PDCCH including two TCI fields. However, Gao discloses that “a new field is needed to indicate a TCI/beam state for scheduling PDSCH using multi-TRPs” (see [0023]). Further, as indicated in [0063], “given a PDSCH transmission, a fourth command (e.g., a DCI message) that includes a beam state indication field (e.g., TCI state indication field) indicates one or more beam state(s) from the applicable/effective beam states”. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko to include a new field to indicate the TCI state to use for PDSCH transmissions as disclosed by Gao. The rationale for doing so would have been to indicate the beam state in the case of multi-TRPs as suggested by Gao.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko et al (US 2026/0106705) in view of Gao et al (US 2024/0259171) in view of Matsumura et al (US 2025/0254748).
Regarding claims 10 and 20: Ko, modified, discloses the limitations of parent claims 9 and 19, as indicated above. Ko does not explicitly disclose the limitations wherein in a case the PDCCH includes the single TCI field, a size of the single TCI field is fixed for the first set of TCI states and the second set of TCI states, or in a case the PDCCH includes two TCI fields, a size of a first TCI field included in the two TCI fields is determined based on the first set of TCI states and a size of a second TCI field included in the two TCI fields is determined based on the second set of TCI states. However, Matsumura discloses analogous art related to indicating TRI state for multi-TRP environments. Further, Matsumura discloses in [0297] that the “DCI may include one TCI field. The number of bits of the TCI field may be a specific number (for example, three)”. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ko, modified, such that the single TCI field has a specific size (as in previous versions) as suggested by Matsumura. The rationale for doing so would have been to simplify the implementation of the TCI field by using the existing field in the DCI as suggested by Matsumura. Utilizing these existing mechanisms reduces the implementation cost by relying on existing messaging schemes and thus reduces the ultimate cost of the service.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yi et al (US 2022/0361202) discloses a method for antenna panel activation and reference signal association based on a channel state information report.
Gao et al (US 2024/0260120) discloses a method for configuring transmission configuration indications for uplink transmissions using multiple TRPs.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert C Scheibel whose telephone number is (571)272-3169. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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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.
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Robert C. Scheibel
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2467
/Robert C Scheibel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467 June 25, 2026
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