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 .
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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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)(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.
Claims 1-8, 10-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yuan et al. (US 2025/0007677).
Regarding claim 1, Yuan discloses a communication method, comprising: receiving multiple transmission configuration indicators (TCIs) from a network device (fig. 7, steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: codepoints and TCIs); receiving at least one message from the network device (step 710 and 720), wherein the at least one message is usable to determine at least one TCI of the multiple TCIs and at least two TCIs of the multiple TCs (paras. 91, 94 and 100; note: TCI or TCIs for PDSCH, PUSCH, PDCCH and PUCCH transmissions for TRPs and/or repetitions; steps 715 and 725; paras. 97, 100 and 104; note: RRC configuration message used with DCI to determine TCIs for channel transmissions), the at least one TCI is usable for transmission of a first channel (steps 715 and 725), and the at least two TCIs of the multiple TCIs are usable for transmission of a second channel (steps 715 and 725; note: TCI or TCIs for PDSCH, PUSCH, PDCCH and PUCCH transmissions for TRPs and/or repetitions); and one of: receiving or sending the first channel based on the at least one TCI of the multiple TCs (steps 715-725; fig. 5; paras. 76 (especially starting at line 16), 100, 106 and 108; note: TCIs for a repetition of a PDSCH/PUSCH); or receiving or sending the second channel based on the at least two TCIs of the multiple TCs (steps 715-725; fig. 5; paras. 76 (especially starting at line 16), 100, 106 and 108; note: TCIs for a repetition of another PDSCH/PUSCH).
Regarding claim 2, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message comprises a first message, and the first message is usable to indicate the at least one TCI of the multiple TCIs and the at least two TCs of the multiple TCs (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: respective TCI data as a message of an RRC configuration message).
Regarding claim 3, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message comprises a second message and a third message, the second message is usable to indicate the at least one TCI of the multiple TCs, and the third message is usable to indicate the at least one TCI of the multiple TCIs or the at least two TCIs of the multiple TCs (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: respective TCI data as a message of an RRC configuration message).
Regarding claim 4, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message comprises a fourth message and a fifth message, the fourth message indicates is usable to indicate the at least one TCI of the multiple TCs, and the fifth message indicates is usable to indicate at least another TCI of the multiple TCs; and the method further comprises: determining the at least one TCI of the multiple TCIs based on the fourth message; and determining the at least two TCIs of the multiple TCIs based on the fourth message and the fifth message (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: data as a message of an RRC configuration message; para. 98; note: mapping of TCIs to codepoints where a message is a TCI state and a codepoint for a PDSCH/PUSCH is mapped to two TCI states).
Regarding claim 5, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message comprises a sixth message, and the sixth message is usable to indicate at least a part of TCIs of the multiple TCs; and the method further comprises: determining the at least one TCI of the multiple TCIs or the at least two TCIs of the multiple TCIs from the at least the part of TCIs of the multiple TCIs based on a preset criterion (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: data as a message of an RRC configuration message; para. 98; note: mapping of TCIs to codepoints as a preset criterion where a message is a TCI state and a codepoint for a PDSCH/PUSCH is mapped to one or two TCI states).
Regarding claim 6, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein the preset criterion comprises at least one of the following: respective identifiers of the at least the part of TCIs of the multiple TCs (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: data as a message of an RRC configuration message; para. 98; note: mapping of TCIs to codepoints as a preset criterion where a message is a TCI state and a codepoint for a PDSCH/PUSCH is mapped to one or two TCI states); or an order of the at least the part of TCIs of the multiple TCs (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: data as a message of an RRC configuration message; para. 98; note: mapping of TCIs to codepoints where a message is a TCI state and a codepoint for a PDSCH/PUSCH is mapped to two TCI states)
Regarding claim 7, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 5, further comprising: receiving a seventh message from the network device, wherein the seventh message is usable to indicate the preset criterion (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: data as a message of an RRC configuration message; para. 98; note: mapping of TCIs to codepoints as a preset criterion where a message is a TCI state and a codepoint for a PDSCH/PUSCH is mapped to one or two TCI states).
Regarding claim 8, Yuan discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein the sixth message is further usable to indicate the preset criterion (steps 710 and 720; paras. 90 and 96; note: data as a message of an RRC configuration message; para. 98; note: mapping of TCIs to codepoints as a preset criterion where a message is a TCI state and a codepoint for a PDSCH/PUSCH is mapped to one or two TCI states).
Regarding claims 10-17, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 1-8, respectively, from the perspective of the network device.
Regarding claims 19-20, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claim 1-2, respectively. In addition, Yuan discloses an apparatus (figs. 2 and 7, item 120; paras. 47, 52 and 212), comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to execute non-transitory instructions thereby causing the apparatus to perform the method of claims 1-2.
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 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan in view of Matsumura et al. (US 2025/0279869).
Regarding claim 9, Yuan fails to disclose the method according to claim 5, further comprising: sending capability information to the network device, wherein the capability information indicates a is usable to indicate the preset criterion that is supported by a terminal device. However, Matsumura discloses this feature (paras. 76, 125, 787-788 and 809-810; note: RRC messaged capability for codepoints, single DCI, TRPs and joint TCI states; paras. 789-819). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have sending capability information to the network device, wherein the capability information indicates a is usable to indicate the preset criterion that is supported by a terminal device in the invention of Yuan. The motivation to have the modification and/or well-known benefits of the modification include, but are not limited to, providing proper communication for a device as is known in the art (Matsumura, paras. 76, 125 and 787-819; MPEP 2143(I)(A)(B)(C)(D) - note: e.g., applying known techniques having predictable results).
Regarding claims 18, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claim 9.
Conclusion
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/Kevin C. Harper/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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