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 Objections
Claims 1, 2, 15 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recited “corresponding to the first index is non-synchronised”. It is suggested that applicant replace “non-synchronised” with “non-synchronized” in line 9.
The similar “synchronised” is also recited in claim 2 (line 7), claim 15 (line 7), claim 16 (line 9).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 12 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recited “… response to the second signaling being received”. There’s no antecedent basis. It’s unclear what the “the second signaling” refers to – is it the second DCI message or any format random access response message or something else.
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)(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 1-5,7-11, 14-16, 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cirik et al. (US 20190254042 A1, hereinafter Cirik).
Claim 1: Cirik teaches A first node for wireless communications (Fig. 12, element 110), comprising:
a first receiver (Fig. 3, element 310, [0207-0208]), receiving a first information block, the first information block being used to determine a first resource block (Fig.12, element 1210, [0274], disclose The RACH configuration may comprise an available set of PRACH resources for a transmission of a random access preamble, an RSRP threshold for a selection of a SS block and corresponding PRACH resource, a random access
preamble index, preamble group A and group B, a threshold to determine the groups of random access preambles, a time window to monitor RA response(s), a time window to monitor response(s) on a beam failure recovery request, a contention resolution timer and etc. [0276], disclose a base station may configure a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources for beam failure recovery request associated with at least one of SS blocks and/or CSI-RSs, wherein PRACH resources, SS blocks, CSI-RSs are reading as first resource block );
and a first transmitter (Fig. 3, element 310, [0207-0208]), transmitting a first signaling in the first resource block, the first signaling being used to indicate a first index (Fig. 12, element 1220, [0277], disclose the UE may select the at least one CSI-RS and select a random
access preamble corresponding to the at least one CSI-RS, [0278], disclose the UE may determine a PRACH occasion from one or more PRACH occasions corresponding to a selected CSI-RS and transmit to a base station, a selected random access preamble via a
selected PRACH occasions. UE determine an RA-RNTI associated with a selected PRACH occasions in which a selected random access preamble is transmitted. Wherein CSI-RS index, random access preamble index, RRACH occasion index are reading as first index.);
wherein the first index is one of multiple candidate indexes, and any of the multiple candidate indexes is a non-negative integer ([0274], disclose The RACH configuration
comprise random access preamble index, a maximum number of preamble transmission, a set of one or more random access preambles for beam failure recovery request and corresponding PRACH resource(s), a set of one or more random access preambles for system information request and corresponding PRACH resource(s), [0316], disclose the wireless device may monitor quality of DL based on one or more reference signals RSs, e.g. CRS, CSI-RS, SS blocks, to determine radio link failure RLF); any of the multiple candidate indexes corresponds to at least one reference signal resource ([0276], disclose a UE may select a random access preamble index corresponding to a selected SS block or CSI-RS from a set of one or more random access preambles for beam failure recovery request, [0277], disclose the UE may select the at least one CSI-RS and select a random access preamble corresponding to the at least one CSI-RS), and an uplink transmission being associated with a reference signal resource corresponding to the first index is non-synchronised ([0272], [0282], disclose triggering a random access procedure when UL synchronization status is non-synchronized, a beam failure indication may initiate a random access procedure,[0276], BS configure a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources for beam failure recovery request associated with at least one of SS blocks and/or CSI-RSs, UE may select a random access preamble index corresponding to a selected SS block or CSI-RS from a set of one or more random access preambles
for beam failure recovery request [0351], disclose beam in beam failure recovery may be identified by a CSI-RS resource index, or a SS blocks index, [0360-0364], disclose the method to determine beam failure (or radio link failure) according to out-of-synchronization indications ).
Claim 15 is the method of claim 1, is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1.
Claim 16 is directed to the same method as claim 1, performed by a second node, is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1 and Cirik further teaches a second node (Fig. 12, element 120, Fig. 3, element 120A, 120B), a second transmitter (Fig. 3, element 320A,320B, [0208]), a second receiver (Fig. 3, element 320A, 320B, [0208]).
Claim 2: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 1, characterized in comprising: the first receiver, determining that a first condition is satisfied, that the first condition is satisfied being used to trigger the first signaling ([0276], disclose UE may select a random access
Preamble index corresponding to a selected SS block or CSI-RS from a set of one or more random access preambles for beam failure recovery request when at least one of SS blocks with a RSRP above a first RSRP threshold amongst associated SS blocks or at least one of CSI-RSs with a RSRP above a second RSRP threshold amongst associated CSI-RSs is available. [0323-0326], disclose a wireless device may trigger a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) procedure when quality of beam pair link(s) of at least one RSs falls below a threshold);
wherein the first condition is any condition in a first condition set, the first condition set including at least one condition, one condition in the first condition set including expiration of a first timer; a state of the first timer is used to determine whether the uplink transmission being associated with the reference signal resource corresponding to the first index is synchronised (Fig. 17, [0314-0317], disclose wireless device determine out-of-sync (OOS) or in-sync (IS) indications based on monitoring quality of one or more reference signals, and stop first timer when receiving in-sync indication, wireless device detect an radio link failure RLF in response to the expiry of the first timer, first timer may be configured in a RRC message.).
Claim 3: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 2, characterized in that one condition in the first condition set includes that a change in a measurement result of the reference signal resource corresponding to the first index over a given time interval exceeds a threshold (Fig. 17, [0316-0317], disclose based on one or more reference signals measurement, determining out-of-sync (OOS) according to first threshold, and determining in-sync (IS) according to second threshold, starting first timer when a first number of consecutive periodic OOS indications is equal to a first counter, determining RLF when not receiving the second number of consecutive IS indications until an expiry
of the first timer. Wherein OOS and IS are reading as measurement change, and first timer is reading as a given time interval).
Claim 4: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 2, characterized in that one condition in the first condition set includes that a change in a measurement result of the reference signal resource corresponding to the first index over a given time interval exceeds a threshold and that a second timer does not expire (Fig. 21, [0384-0387], disclose the wireless device may indicate a radio link failure in response to determining at least one failure of the BFR procedure during a time when the first timer expires and the second timer is running based on reception of OOS and IS, determining out-of-sync (OOS) according to first threshold, and determining in-sync (IS) according to second threshold, the wireless device may monitor quality of DL based on one or more reference signals).
Claim 5: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 2, characterized in comprising: the first receiver, triggering a first out-of-sync report as a response to that the first condition is satisfied (Fig. 25, element 2555, [0410], disclose wireless device transmit a radio link failure indication to a base station after the period of time expires based on number of out-of-synchronization indications, [0387], disclose The wireless device indicate a radio link failure in response to determining at least one failure of the BFR procedure during a time when the first timer expires and the second timer is running); that the first out-of-sync report is satisfied being used to trigger the first signaling (Fig. 12, element 1220, [0272], [0282], disclose triggering a random access procedure when UL synchronization status is non-synchronized, a beam failure indication may initiate a random access procedure, [0384], performing beam failure recovery or RLF via monitoring quality of DL based on one or more reference signals RSs, [0360-0364], disclose the method to determine beam failure, or radio link failure according to out-of-synchronization indications).
Claim 7: Cirik does not explicitly teach The first node according to claim 5, characterized in comprising: the first transmitter, canceling the first out-of-sync report as a response to the first signaling being transmitted (Fig. 20B, [0382], wireless device may stop the beam failure timer and consider the BFR procedure is successfully completed in response to receiving BFRQ response in FIG. 20B, completing BFR procedure is reading as canceling the first out-of-sync report).
Claim 8: Cirik teach The first node according to claim 5, characterized in comprising: the first receiver, receiving a first DCI, the first DCI being used to indicate a first reference signal resource (Fig. 20B, 20A, [0379], disclose In response to transmitting the at least one preamble in the first slot via one PRACH resource, the wireless device may start, from a second slot, monitoring at least one PDCCH in one or more coresets for a DCI within a response window), the first reference signal resource being used for a first random access procedure ([0378], the wireless device may identify a first RS among the one of the one or more second RSs. The first RS may be associated with a BFRQ resource of the one or more BFRQ resources. The BFRQ resource may comprise at least one preamble and at least one PRACH resource); canceling the first out-of-sync report as a response to the first DCI being received (Fig. 20B, [0382], wireless device may stop the beam failure timer and consider the BFR procedure is successfully completed in response to receiving BFRQ response in FIG. 20B, completing BFR procedure is reading as canceling the first out-of-sync report); wherein the first reference signal resource is associated with the first index ([0277], disclose a base station configures a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources associated with CSI-RSs and at least one CSI-RS with a RSRP above a second RSPR threshold amongst the associated CSI-RSs is available, the UE may select the at least one CSI-RS and select a random access preamble corresponding to the at least one CSI-RS, [0276], disclose a UE may select a random access Preamble index
corresponding to a selected SS block or CSI-RS from a set of one or more random
access preambles for beam failure recovery request); the first DCI is a physical layer signaling ([0219], The one or more physical channels may be employed for Uplink Control Information UCI and/or Downlink Control Information DCI).
Claim 9: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 1, characterized in comprising: the first receiver, receiving a first DCI, the first DCI being used to indicate a first reference signal resource, the first reference signal resource being used for a first random access procedure; wherein the first reference signal resource is associated with the first index (Fig. 12, element RACH configuration 1210, [0239], a DCI may be used by base station to initiate a contention-free random access at the wireless device, [0274], disclose The RACH configuration may comprise an available set of PRACH resources for a transmission of a random access preamble, an RSRP threshold for a selection of a SS block and corresponding PRACH resource, random access preamble index, [0277], disclose a base station configures a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources associated with CSI-RSs); the first DCI is a physical layer signaling ([0219], The one or more physical channels may be employed for Uplink Control Information UCI and/or Downlink Control Information DCI).
Claim 18 is analyzed and rejected according to Claim 16 and claim 9.
Claim 10: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 9, characterized in comprising: the first transmitter, transmitting a first signal according to the first DCI (Fig. 12, element RACH configuration 1210, [0274], disclose The RACH configuration may comprise an available set of PRACH resources for a transmission of a random access
preamble, an RSRP threshold for a selection of a SS block and corresponding PRACH resource, random access preamble index, [0277], disclose a base station configures a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources associated with CSI-RSs), the first signal including a random access preamble (Fig. 20B, Fig.12, element 1220, [0404], transmitting at least one preamble via at least one random access channel resource in response to selecting a selected reference signal, a preamble counter may be incremented in response to the transmitting the at least one preamble);
the first receiver, monitoring a second DCI as a response to the first signal being transmitted (Fig. 20B, 20A, [0379], disclose In response to transmitting the at least one preamble in the first slot via one PRACH resource, the wireless device may start, from a second slot, monitoring at least one PDCCH in one or more coresets for a DCI within a response window); wherein the first signal and the second DCI belong to the first random access procedure (Fig. 20B, [0379-0383]); the second DCI is a physical layer signaling ([0219], The one or more physical channels may be employed for Uplink Control Information UCI and/or Downlink Control Information DCI).
Claim 19 is analyzed and rejected according to Claim 16 and claim 10.
Claim 11: Cirik teach The first node according to claim 9, characterized in comprising: the first transmitter, monitoring the first DCI as a response to the first signaling being transmitted (Fig. 20B, 20A, [0379], disclose In response to transmitting the at least one preamble in the first slot via one PRACH resource, the wireless device may start, from a second slot, monitoring at least one PDCCH in one or more coresets for a DCI within a response window).
Claim 14: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 1, characterized in that any of the multiple candidate indexes indicates a TAG ([0189], The base station may transmit one or more MAC CEs indicating one or more timing advance values for one or more Timing
Advance Groups TAGs, [0280-0281], disclose wireless device supporting multiple preamble transmissions, one random access response comprises a random access
preamble identifier, wireless device adjust uplink transmission timing based on a timing
advanced command indicated by a random access response).
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 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.
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.
Claims 6,12-13,17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cirik et al. (US 20190254042 A1, hereinafter Cirik) in view of Khosh et al. (US 20230388952 A1, hereinafter Khosh).
Claim 6: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 5, characterized in comprising: the first receiver, receiving a first timing advance command ([0189], the base station may transmit one or more MAC CEs indicating one or more timing advance values for one or more Timing Advance Groups TAGs); wherein the first timing advance command is used to indicate an amount of timing advance being associated with the reference signal resource corresponding to the first index (Fig. 12, element 1230, [0281], A UE may adjust an uplink transmission timing based on a timing advanced command indicated by a random access response and may transmit one or more transport blocks based on an uplink grant indicated by a random access response).
However, Cirik does not explicitly teach as a response to the first timing advance command being received, canceling the first out-of-sync report.
Khosh, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches as a response to the first timing advance command being received, canceling the first out-of-sync report (Fig. 13 A/B/C , [0334], disclose the wireless device may expect receiving a timing advance TA command, e.g., via the TAC field of random access response Msg2 1312 or MsgB 1332, [0312], The wireless device may stop monitoring the downlink control channel with RA-RNTI after or in response to receiving the timing advance TA command, in this case, the wireless device determine that the 2-step RA procedure being completed successfully. wherein completing 2-step RA procedure is reading as canceling the first out-of-sync report).
Cirik and Khosh are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wireless communication. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Cirik and the features of cancelling the first out-of-sync report after receiving timing advance command as taught by Khosh, for the benefit for allowing wireless device apply the Timing Advance Command for the TAG and start or restart the timeAlignmentTimer associated with the TAG (paragraph [0246]), thus the wireless device can adjust uplink timing for PUSCH/SRS/PUCCH transmission on all the serving cells by a corresponding amount (paragraph [0244]).
Claim 17 is analyzed and rejected according to Claim 16 and claim 6.
Claim 12: Cirik teaches The first node according to claim 2, characterized in comprising: the first receiver, receiving a first DCI, the first DCI being used to indicate a first reference signal resource, the first reference signal resource being used for a first random access procedure (Fig. 12, element RACH configuration 1210, [0239], a DCI may be used by base station to initiate a contention-free random access at the wireless device, [0274], disclose The RACH configuration may comprise an available set of PRACH resources for a transmission of a random access preamble, an RSRP threshold for a selection of a SS block and corresponding PRACH resource, random access preamble index, [0277], disclose a base station configures a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources associated with CSI-RSs, [0404], the detecting of the beam failure may comprise assessing that one or more first reference signals have a radio quality lower than a first threshold);
the first transmitter, transmitting a first signal according to the first DCI, the first signal including a random access preamble (Fig. 12, element Msg 1 1220, [0404], transmitting at least one preamble via at least one random access channel resource in response to selecting a selected reference signal,a preamble counter may be incremented in response to the transmitting the at least one preamble, [0277], disclose a base station configures a UE with one or more contention free PRACH resources associated with CSI-RSs and at least one CSI-RS with a RSRP above a second RSPR threshold amongst the associated CSI-RSs is available, the UE may select the at least one CSI-RS and select a random access preamble corresponding to the at least one CSI-RS, [0276], disclose a UE may select a random access preamble index corresponding to a selected SS block or CSI-RS from a set of one or more random access preambles for beam failure recovery request);
the first receiver, monitoring a second DCI as a response to the first signal being transmitted (Fig. 20B, [0379], disclose In response to transmitting the at least one preamble in the first slot via one PRACH resource, the wireless device may start, from a second slot, monitoring at least one PDCCH in one or more coresets for a DCI within a response window);
wherein the first reference signal resource is associated with the first index ([0276], disclose a UE may select a random access preamble index corresponding to a selected SS block or CSI-RS from a set of one or more random access preambles for beam failure recovery request); the first DCI is a physical layer signaling ([0219], The one or more physical channels may be employed for Uplink Control Information UCI and/or Downlink Control Information DCI); the first signal and the second DCI belong to the first random access procedure (Fig. 20B, Fig. 12, element 1210,1220, [0239], a DCI may be used by base station to initiate a contention-free random access at the wireless device, [0379], disclose In response to transmitting the at least one preamble in the first slot via one PRACH resource, the wireless device may start, from a second slot, monitoring at least one PDCCH in one or more coresets for a DCI within a response window); the second DCI is a physical layer signaling ([0219], The one or more physical channels may be employed for Uplink Control Information UCI and/or Downlink Control Information DCI); the second DCI is used to indicate a first amount of timing adjustment (alternative); or, the second signaling is used to indicate the first amount of timing adjustment ([0281], A UE may adjust an uplink transmission timing based on a timing advanced command indicated by a random access response and may transmit one or more transport blocks based on an uplink grant indicated by a random access response).
However, Cirik does not explicitly teach starting or restarting the first timer as a response to the second DCI being received, or starting or restarting the first timer as a response to the second signaling being received.
Khosh, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches starting or restarting the first timer as a response to the second DCI being received (alternative), or starting or restarting the first timer as a response to the second signaling being received ([0246], the wireless device may apply the Timing Advance Command for this TAG and start or restart the
timeAlignmentTimer associated with this TAG after receive Random Access Response message).
The motivation for combining Cirik and Khosh regarding to the claim 6 is also applied to claim 12.
Claim 13: Cirik does not explicitly teach The first node according to claim 1, characterized in that the first signaling comprises a UCI, a field of the UCI indicating the first index; or, the first signaling comprises a MAC CE, a field of the MAC CE indicating the first index.
Khosh, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches characterized in that the first signaling comprises a UCI, a field of the UCI indicating the first index (Fig. 13C, element 1331, 1341, 1342, [0188], disclose the first signal including Msg A 1331, Preamble 1342 and Transport block 1342, and the transport block 1342 comprise UCI, [0177], The UE may select at least one preamble associated with the one or more reference signals and/or a selected preamble group, [0167], the UE may transmit a beam measurement report,
indicating, e.g., a beam index, a reference signal index, [0299], wireless device may perform a RAP transmission based on a selected preamble index and PRACH occasion); or, the first signaling comprises a MAC CE, a field of the MAC CE indicating the first index (alternative).
Cirik and Khosh are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wireless communication. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Cirik and the features of the first signaling comprises a UCI as taught by Khosh, for the benefit for allowing wireless device performing CSI report, HARQ acknowledgements, scheduling request SR during random access procedure (paragraph [0202]).
Claim 20 is analyzed and rejected according to Claim 16 and claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form. The closest prior art reference is Cirik_540 et al. (US 20240147540 A1, hereinafter Cirik_540), which describes a system for base station to configure wireless device before a BFR or a random access procedure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YONGHONG ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)272-4089. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 9:00 am - 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NICHOLAS JENSEN can be reached on 5712723980. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Y.Z./Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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