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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 17th September 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: please place a “period” at the end of the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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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 – 7, 9, 12 – 15, 21, 24 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Agrawal et al (US 2024/0137755 A1).
Claim 12 (similarly Claim 1). Agrawal shows a user equipment (UE) (figs. 3 – 11: UE) comprising one or more processors (fig. 3: UE 350 controller/processor 359) configured to perform operations comprising: receiving a UE capability enquiry message associated with a mobile network (fig. 4 and [0085]: the UE may transmit the UE capability information to the base station based on receiving the UE capability enquiry; fig. 5 and [0089]: the base station 504 may transmit the UE capability enquiry message to the UE); determining a maximum aggregated bandwidth for carrier aggregation supported by the UE ([0085]: the band combinations with the different bandwidth combinations may indicate combinations of bandwidths on each CC that total up to a maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE; [0091]: the UE supported features may include FBG5 functionality, independent gap configuration functionality, maximum aggregated bandwidth functionality, an/or another feature or features), wherein the maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE corresponds to a frequency range and the UE is compatible with each combination of component carriers up to the maximum aggregated bandwidth ([0085]: if a maximum aggregated bandwidth is 140 MHz (i.e. “maxAggregatedBW=140”) and there are two CCs in the band combination, the 140 MHz may be split between the two CCs in different bandwidth combinations such as 100+40, 80+60, 60+80, and 40+100… the UE capability information may be included in a message that is relatively large due to the message including the band combinations with different bandwidth combinations); and reporting, in response to receiving the UE capability enquiry, a UE carrier aggregation capability comprising the maximum aggregated bandwidth to the mobile network ([0088]: the UE may report a band combination in FBG5 and not in another FBG, and thus may reduce a size of the UECapabilityInfo message (i.e. save bits)… if the UE is aware that querylndependentGapConfig is supported by the gNB, the UE may include band combinations where per frequency measurement is not supported. In a further example, if the UE knows that maxAggregatedBW is supported by the gNB, the UE may more intelligently report capability regarding band combinations, and thus may reduce a size of the UECapabilityInfo message (i.e. save bits)).
Claim 2. Agrawal shows the method of claim 1, wherein the mobile network comprises a fifth generation new radio (5G NR) network and the frequency range corresponds to frequency range 2 (FR2) utilized by 5G NR networks ([0053]: in 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been identified as frequency range designations FR1 (410 MHz-7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz-52.6 GHz)).
Claim 13 (similarly claim 3). Agrawal shows the UE of claim 12, wherein the UE carrier aggregation capability comprising the maximum aggregated bandwidth includes a maximum aggregated bandwidth per band combination ([0085]: if a maximum aggregated bandwidth is 140 MHz (i.e. “maxAggregatedBW=140”) and there are two CCs in the band combination).
Claim 14 (similarly claim 4). Agrawal shows the UE of claim 12, wherein the UE carrier aggregation capability comprising the maximum aggregated bandwidth includes a maximum aggregated bandwidth per band in a band combination ([0085]: if a maximum aggregated bandwidth is 140 MHz (i.e. “maxAggregatedBW=140”) and there are two CCs in the band combination).
Claim 15 (similarly claim 5). Agrawal shows the UE of claim 12, wherein the UE carrier aggregation capability comprising the maximum aggregated bandwidth includes a maximum aggregated bandwidth per carrier aggregation bandwidth class in a fallback group ([0080]: a base station (e.g. a gNB) may support fallback group five (FBG5) functionality (i.e. a feature) wherein a fallback group (FBG) may refer to a group of carrier aggregation bandwidth classes for which a UE may fallback to in order to lower an order of a CA bandwidth class configuration; [0085]: the band combinations with the different bandwidth combinations may indicate combinations of bandwidths on each CC that total up to a maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE).
Claim 6. Agrawal shows the method of claim 5, wherein the maximum aggregated bandwidth for at least one carrier aggregation bandwidth class is less than an upper bandwidth limit of the carrier aggregation bandwidth class ([0080]: a fallback group (FBG) may refer to a group of carrier aggregation bandwidth classes for which a UE may fallback to in order to lower an order of a CA bandwidth class configuration wherein a UE may not fallback to a lower order bandwidth class configuration that belongs to a different fallback group).
Claim 7. Agrawal shows the method of claim 5, wherein the mobile network comprises a fifth generation new radio (5G NR) network ([0061]: 5G NR), the frequency range corresponds to frequency range 2 (FR2) utilized by 5G NR networks ([0080]: FBG5 may refer to a FBG that includes bandwidth classes with up to 2400 MHz aggregated bandwidth with 12 carriers wherein the bandwidth classes of FBG5 may be associated with FR2), and the fallback group corresponds to fallback group 5 and includes carrier aggregation bandwidth classes R2 through R12 ([0080]: the bandwidth classes of FBG5 may be referred to as R2-R12).
Claim 9. Agrawal shows the method of claim 1, wherein the UE carrier aggregation capability reported to the mobile network includes UE capabilities for a plurality of bandwidth combinations ([0081]: the UE may report band combinations associated with FBG5) and the UE carrier aggregation capability reported to the mobile network indicates that the UE capabilities for the plurality of bandwidth combinations include an aggregated bandwidth for the frequency range ([0081]: the UE capability information 414 may be included in a message that is relatively large due to the message including the frequency band combination(s) associated with FBG5 and the frequency band combination(s) associated with the other FBGs).
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Claim 21. Agrawal shows a network (figs. 3 – 11: BS) comprising one or more processors (fig. 3: BS 310 controller/processor 375) configured to perform operations comprising: transmitting a user equipment (UE) capability enquiry message to a UE (fig. 4 and [0085]: the UE may transmit the UE capability information to the base station based on receiving the UE capability enquiry; fig. 5 and [0089]: the base station 504 may transmit the UE capability enquiry message to the UE), the UE capability enquiry message associated with carrier aggregation in a mobile network ([0085]: the band combinations with the different bandwidth combinations may indicate combinations of bandwidths on each CC that total up to a maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE); receiving, in response to transmission of the UE capability inquiry message, a UE carrier aggregation capability of the UE ([0088]: the UE may report a band combination in FBG5 and not in another FBG, and thus may reduce a size of the UECapabilityInfo message (i.e. save bits)… if the UE is aware that querylndependentGapConfig is supported by the gNB, the UE may include band combinations where per frequency measurement is not supported. In a further example, if the UE knows that maxAggregatedBW is supported by the gNB, the UE may more intelligently report capability regarding band combinations, and thus may reduce a size of the UECapabilityInfo message (i.e. save bits)), the UE carrier aggregation capability including a maximum aggregated bandwidth for carrier aggregation supported by the UE ([0085]: the band combinations with the different bandwidth combinations may indicate combinations of bandwidths on each CC that total up to a maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE; [0091]: the UE supported features may include FBG5 functionality, independent gap configuration functionality, maximum aggregated bandwidth functionality, an/or another feature or features), wherein the maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE corresponds to a frequency range and the UE is compatible with each combination of component carriers up to the maximum aggregated bandwidth ([0082]: a UE that is configured with independent gap configuration functionality may not be configured with a gap on a serving cell associated with FR1 in order to measure frequency associated with FR2 and a UE may be configured with independent gap configuration functionality on a per-band basis wherein independent gap configuration functionality may also be referred to as per-frequency range (per-FR) functionality; [0091]: the UE supported features may include FBG5 functionality, independent gap configuration functionality, maximum aggregated bandwidth functionality, an/or another feature or features); and performing carrier aggregation based on the carrier aggregation capability of the UE ([0089]: the BS supported features may include FBG5 functionality, query for independent gap configuration functionality, maximum aggregated bandwidth functionality; [0093]).
Claim 24. Agrawal shows the method of claim 21, wherein the UE carrier aggregation capability comprising the maximum aggregated bandwidth includes a maximum aggregated bandwidth per band in a band combination ([0085]: if a maximum aggregated bandwidth is 140 MHz (i.e. “maxAggregatedBW=140”) and there are two CCs in the band combination).
Claim 25. Agrawal shows the method of claim 21, wherein the UE carrier aggregation capability comprising the maximum aggregated bandwidth includes a maximum aggregated bandwidth per carrier aggregation bandwidth class in a fallback group ([0080]: a base station (e.g. a gNB) may support fallback group five (FBG5) functionality (i.e. a feature) wherein a fallback group (FBG) may refer to a group of carrier aggregation bandwidth classes for which a UE may fallback to in order to lower an order of a CA bandwidth class configuration; [0085]: the band combinations with the different bandwidth combinations may indicate combinations of bandwidths on each CC that total up to a maximum aggregated bandwidth supported by the UE).
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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.
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.
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agrawal et al in view of Gaal et al (US 2023/0232393 A1).
Claim 11. Agrawal shows the method of claim 1; Agrawal does not expressly describe wherein the maximum aggregated bandwidth reported in the UE carrier aggregation capability applies to each active carrier in uplink after uplink transmission (UL tx) switching.Gaal teaches feature of a maximum aggregated bandwidth being reported in a UE carrier aggregation capability applies to each active carrier in uplink after uplink transmission (UL tx) switching ([0036]: one configuration case may relate to one RF chain being allocated to each of the frequency bands… another configuration case may relate to both RF chains being allocated to one of the frequency bands, leaving the other frequency band unused for carrier aggregation signaling… the UE may proceed with scheduling and performing a UL TX switch, to switch one or both of the RF chains to the mapped configuration identified from the uplink scheduling information).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the feature as taught by Gaal in the method of Agrawal to facilitate supporting communications in unlicensed or contention-based shared spectrum, adaptive UL/DL that may be flexibly configured on a per-cell basis to dynamically switch between UL and DL to meet current traffic needs.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10, 16 and 17 are 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.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
1. Tenny et al, US 11,528,597 B2: a method, comprising: operating on a plurality of non-overlapping frequency ranges of a radio access technology (RAT) by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, wherein each frequency range covers a plurality of frequency bands for the operation in the same RAT by the UE, wherein each frequency band covers a plurality of component carriers (CCs), and wherein at least one CC covers a plurality of bandwidth parts (BWPs) in frequency domain, and wherein each of the plurality of CCs of one of the plurality of non-overlapping frequency ranges have a shorter range and higher available channel bandwidth than each of the plurality of CCs of another one of the plurality of non-overlapping frequency ranges; detecting an overheating condition related to at least one frequency range of the plurality of non-overlapping frequency ranges; and transmitting an information message to the network in response to the detected overheating condition, wherein the information message comprises a request for a capability reduction related to the at least one frequency range of the plurality of non-overlapping frequency ranges, wherein the request for capability reduction includes an indication that indicates capability reduction corresponding to each of the plurality of CCs of the frequency range for which the capability reduction is requested, and wherein the capability reduction involves reducing a maximum bandwidth for operation on the indicated frequency range for which the capability reduction is requested, wherein the maximum bandwidth for operation on the indicated frequency range refers to a maximum aggregated bandwidth across all carriers of the indicated frequency range.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Xavier Szewai Wong whose telephone number is 571.270.1780. The examiner can normally be reached on 11:30 am - 8:30 pm Mon to Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Rutkowski can be reached on 571.270.1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XAVIER S WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415 17th June 2026
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