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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12, and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kung et al. (US 2023/0284287 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kung et al. discloses a method for operation in wireless communication, comprising: establishing wireless links with a first transmission reception point (TRP) and a second TRP(Para 347 teaches “UE performing a mTRP operation on a first TRP on a Cell and a second TRP on the (same) Cell”); receiving a first timing advance (TA) command; and determining whether the first TA command is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP (Para 347 teaches “the UE could initiate a first random access procedure for the first TRP on the Cell to obtain first TA information of the first TRP, and initiate a second random access procedure for the second TRP on the Cell to obtain second TA information of the second TRP.”). Regarding claims 2, 11, 19, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the first TA command is received via a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), wherein the MAC CE indicates whether the first TA command is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP via a first field indicating a first TRP index associated with the first TA command (Para 348-350 teach or using the MAC CE element to indicate the TA for the first TRP), wherein the MAC CE further includes a second TA command, wherein the MAC CE further indicates whether the second TA command is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP via a second field indicating a second TRP index associated with the second TA command (Para 348-350 teach or using the MAC CE element to indicate the second TA for the second TRP). Regarding claims 3, 18, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the method further comprises: determining to initiate a first physical random access channel (PRACH) procedure, wherein the first PRACH procedure is for TA measurement for the first TRP (Para 348 teaches, “The UE initiates a first random access procedure on the first TRP of the Serving Cell to obtain first TA information of the first TRP (e.g., initiates by a PDCCH order by a network or initiates in response to connection establishment).”); determining a first PRACH resource to use for the first PRACH procedure based at least in part on the first PRACH procedure being for TA measurement for the first TRP; and transmitting a first PRACH preamble on the first PRACH resource to initiate the first PRACH procedure, wherein the first TA command is received based at least in part in response to the first PRACH preamble (Para 348 ”The UE initiates a second random access procedure on the second TRP, in response to the TCI states activation MAC CE (or a spatial relation info activation MAC CE), to obtain second TA information of the second TRP. In response to completion of the second random access procedure, the UE could perform UL and/or DL communication with the second TRP by applying the second TA information of the second TRP (and perform UL and/or DL communication with the first TRP by applying the first TA information).”). Regarding claim 4, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the first TRP is associated with a first cell and the second TRP is associated with a second cell (Para 361 teaches “The first TRP could be associated with a first Cell (e.g., a Serving Cell of the UE), and the second TRP could be associated with a second Cell (e.g., a non-serving Cell of the UE). The first TRP could be a TRP of the first Cell. The second TRP could be a TRP of the second Cel”), wherein the method further comprises: receiving configuration information indicating PRACH resources for the first cell and PRACH resources for the second cell, wherein the first PRACH resource is selected from the PRACH resources for the first cell (Para 326 teaches of using PRACH for using random access procedure). Regarding claim 5, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the first TRP and the second TRP are associated with a first cell (Para 347 teaches “a UE performing a mTRP operation on a first TRP on a Cell and a second TRP on the (same) Cell “), wherein the method further comprises: receiving configuration information splitting PRACH resources for the first cell into PRACH resources for the first TRP and PRACH resources for the second TRP, wherein the first PRACH resource is selected from the PRACH resources for the first TRP (Para 326 teaches of using PRACH for using random access procedure). Regarding claim 6, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the method further comprises: receiving downlink control information (DCI) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein the DCI is configured to trigger the first PRACH procedure, wherein the DCI is further configured to trigger a second PRACH procedure (Para 326 teaches “If the CRC of the DCI format 1_0 is scrambled by C-RNTI and the “Frequency domain resource assignment” field are of all ones, the DCI format 1_0 is for random access procedure initiated by a PDCCH order, with all remaining fields set as follows: [0327] Random Access Preamble index - 6 bits according to ra-PreambleIndex in Clause 5.1.2 of [8, TS38.321] [0328] UL/SUL indicator - 1 bit. If the value of the “Random Access Preamble index” is not all zeros and if the UE is configured with supplementary Uplink in ServingCellConfig in the cell, this field indicates which UL carrier in the cell to transmit the PRACH according to Table 7.3.1.1.1-1; otherwise, this field is reserved ”), wherein the second PRACH procedure is for TA measurement for the second TRP; determining a second PRACH resource to use for the second PRACH procedure based at least in part on the second PRACH procedure being for TA measurement for the second TRP(Para 347 teaches “the UE could initiate a first random access procedure for the first TRP on the Cell to obtain first TA information of the first TRP, and initiate a second random access procedure for the second TRP on the Cell to obtain second TA information of the second TRP.”).; and transmitting a second PRACH preamble on the second PRACH resource to initiate the second PRACH procedure(Para 348 ”The UE initiates a second random access procedure on the second TRP, in response to the TCI states activation MAC CE (or a spatial relation info activation MAC CE), to obtain second TA information of the second TRP. In response to completion of the second random access procedure, the UE could perform UL and/or DL communication with the second TRP by applying the second TA information of the second TRP (and perform UL and/or DL communication with the first TRP by applying the first TA information).”). Regarding claim 7, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a random access response (RAR) in response to transmitting the first PRACH preamble and the second PRACH preamble, wherein the RAR indicates a first TA command for the first TRP and a second TA command for the second TRP (Para 106-145 teaches of Random access response reception procedure), wherein the RAR triggers transmission of either: one message 3 for both the first PRACH procedure and the second PRACH procedure; or a first message 3 for the first PRACH procedure and a second message 3 for the second PRACH procedure(Para 176-188 teaches of using Msg3 for PRACH procedure). Regarding claim 8, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the method further comprises: determining a random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) for the RAR based at least in part on one or more of: TRP indexes associated with the first PRACH preamble transmission and the second PRACH preamble transmission; timing associated with the first PRACH preamble transmission and the second PRACH preamble transmission; frequencies associated with the first PRACH preamble transmission and the second PRACH preamble transmission; or RA-RNTI values associated with the first PRACH preamble transmission and the second PRACH preamble transmission (Para 112-117 teaches of using RA-RNTI for random access procedure). Regarding claim 9, Kung et al. discloses a method, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a first random access response (RAR) in response to transmitting the first PRACH preamble, wherein the first RAR indicates a first TA command for the first TRP; and receiving a second RAR in response to transmitting the second PRACH preamble, wherein the second RAR indicates a second TA command for the second TRP. (Para 348 ”The UE initiates a second random access procedure on the second TRP, in response to the TCI states activation MAC CE (or a spatial relation info activation MAC CE), to obtain second TA information of the second TRP. In response to completion of the second random access procedure, the UE could perform UL and/or DL communication with the second TRP by applying the second TA information of the second TRP (and perform UL and/or DL communication with the first TRP by applying the first TA information).”).
Regarding claims 10, 17, Kung et al. discloses An apparatus, comprising processing circuitry and memory configured to cause the processing circuitry (Para 562-564) to: establish wireless links with a first transmission reception point (TRP) and a second TRP ((Para 347 teaches “UE performing a mTRP operation on a first TRP on a Cell and a second TRP on the (same) Cell”) and (Para 361 teaches “The first TRP could be associated with a first Cell (e.g., a Serving Cell of the UE), and the second TRP could be associated with a second Cell (e.g., a non-serving Cell of the UE).) ; determine to initiate a first physical random access channel (PRACH) procedure, wherein the first PRACH procedure is for timing advance (TA) measurement for the first TRP(Para 348 teaches, “The UE initiates a first random access procedure on the first TRP of the Serving Cell to obtain first TA information of the first TRP (e.g., initiates by a PDCCH order by a network or initiates in response to connection establishment).”); determine a first PRACH resource to use for the first PRACH procedure based at least in part on the first PRACH procedure being for TA measurement for the first TRP; transmit a first PRACH preamble on the first PRACH resource to initiate the first PRACH procedure (Para 348 ”The UE initiates a second random access procedure on the second TRP, in response to the TCI states activation MAC CE (or a spatial relation info activation MAC CE), to obtain second TA information of the second TRP. In response to completion of the second random access procedure, the UE could perform UL and/or DL communication with the second TRP by applying the second TA information of the second TRP (and perform UL and/or DL communication with the first TRP by applying the first TA information).”).; receive a first TA command at least in part in response to the first PRACH preamble; and determine whether the first TA command is associated with the first TRP or the second TRP (Para 348-349 teaches of receiving TA for the first TRP and receiving TA for second TRP and using the TA accordingly). Regarding claims 12, 20, Kung et al. discloses an apparatus, wherein the memory is further configured to cause the processing circuitry to: receive downlink control information (DCI) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein the DCI indicates that the first PRACH procedure is for TA measurement for the first TRP by way of one or more of: a TRP index field included in the DCI; a CORESETPoolIndex associated with the DCI; a CORESETPoolIndex determined based at least in part on the CORESETPoolIndex associated with the DCI; or a starting control channel element (CCE) index for the DCI (Para 336 teaches “The signaling could indicate the first TRP (e.g., indicates TCI state(s) and/or coresetpool index and/or Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resource set(s) or spatial relation info or Beam Failure Detection Reference Signal (BFD-RS) set associated with the first TRP). Additionally and/or alternatively, the coresetpool index could be implicitly indicated by on which resource (e.g., Control Resource Set (CORESET)) the UE receives the PDCCH order (or the PDCCH signaling).” Regarding claim 14, Kung et al. discloses an apparatus, wherein a TA for the first TRP belongs to a first TA group (TAG), wherein a TA for the second TRP belongs to a second TAG (Para 388 teaches “UE performing inter-cell mTRP operation on a serving cell and a non-serving cell. The UE could be configured with a first TAG associated with the serving cell (serving cell is in the group of cells associated with the first TAG) and a second TAG associated with the non-serving cell (non-serving cell in a second group of cells associated with the second TAG).”). Regarding claim 15, Kung et al. discloses an apparatus, wherein a TA for the first TRP and a TA for the second TRP belong to a first TA group, wherein a first TA sub-group is maintained for the first TRP, wherein a first timing alignment timer is used for the first TA sub-group, wherein a second TA sub-group is maintained the second TRP, wherein a second timing alignment timer is used for the second TA sub-group (Para 388 “ a UE performing inter-cell mTRP operation on a serving cell and a non-serving cell. The UE could be configured with a first TAG associated with the serving cell (serving cell is in the group of cells associated with the first TAG) and a second TAG associated with the non-serving cell (non-serving cell in a second group of cells associated with the second TAG). The UE could maintain different time alignment timers (e.g., a first TAT) for the first TAG (associated with the serving cell) and the second TAG (associated with the non-serving cell). The UE could maintain different timing advances (e.g., first N.sub.TA and second N.sub.TA) for the first TAG (associated with the serving cell) and the second TAG (associated with the non-serving cell).”. Regarding claim 16, Kung et al. discloses an apparatus, wherein a TA for the first TRP and a TA for the second TRP belong to a first TA group, wherein a first TA sub-group is maintained for the first TRP, wherein a second TA sub-group is maintained the second TRP, wherein the first TA sub-group and the second TA sub-group share a timing alignment timer. (Para 388 “ a UE performing inter-cell mTRP operation on a serving cell and a non-serving cell. The UE could be configured with a first TAG associated with the serving cell (serving cell is in the group of cells associated with the first TAG) and a second TAG associated with the non-serving cell (non-serving cell in a second group of cells associated with the second TAG). The UE could maintain different time alignment timers (e.g., a first TAT) for the first TAG (associated with the serving cell) and the second TAG (associated with the non-serving cell). The UE could maintain different timing advances (e.g., first N.sub.TA and second N.sub.TA) for the first TAG (associated with the serving cell) and the second TAG (associated with the non-serving cell).”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AJAY P CATTUNGAL whose telephone number is (571)270-7525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:00 PM.
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/AJAY CATTUNGAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467
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