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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-30 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 8/6/2024 and 2/6/2026 are considered.
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 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.
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.
(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, 3-5, 18, 25, 27 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin et al (Lin), US 2023/0171766.
As per claim 1, Lin teaches the invention including a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:
A memory (pp. 0169); and
One or more processors, coupled to the memory (pp. 0169), configured to:
Receive, from a network node associated with a first transmit-receive point (TRP) identifier (ID) and a second TRP ID, an uplink repetition configuration comprising a first mapping between the first TRP ID and a second uplink repetition component and a mapping between the second TRP ID and a second uplink repetition component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017, 0058, 0063-0064, 0070-0072, 0121);
Transmit a first uplink transmission corresponding to the first TRP ID based at least in part on the first mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017); and
Transmit a second uplink transmission corresponding to the second TRP ID based at least in part on the second mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017).
As per claim 3, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin further teaches wherein the first mapping is based at least in part on a mapping between a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set and the first uplink repetition component, and wherein the second mapping is based at least in part on a mapping between a second SRS resource set and the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0009, 0017).
As per claim 4, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 3. Lin further teaches wherein the first mapping corresponds to an association between a first transmit precoding matrix index (TPMI) indicated by a first SRS resource indicator (SRI) corresponding to the first SRS resource set and the first uplink repetition component, and wherein the second mapping corresponds to an association between a second TPMI indicated by a second SRI corresponding to the second SRS resource set and the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0017-0020, 0064-0068).
As per claim 5, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 3. Lin further teaches wherein the first mapping is further based at least in part on a mapping between the first TRP ID and the first SRS resource set, and wherein the second mapping is based at least in part on a mapping between the second TRP ID and the second SRS resource set (pp. 0064-0068).
As per claim 18, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin further teaches wherein the first mapping comprises a direct mapping between the first TRP ID and the first uplink repetition component, and wherein the second mapping comprises a direct mapping between the second TRP ID and the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0011, 0017).
As per claim 25, Lin teaches the invention including a network node for wireless communication, comprising:
A memory (pp. 0169); and
One or more processors, coupled to the memory (pp. 0169), configured to:
Transmit an uplink repetition configuration comprising a first mapping between a first transmit-receive point (TRP) identifier (ID) and a first uplink repetition component and a second mapping between a second TRP ID and a second uplink repetition component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017, 0058, 0063-0064, 0070-0072, 0121);
Receive a first uplink transmission corresponding to the first TRP ID based at least in part on the first mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017); and
Receive a second uplink transmission corresponding to the second TRP ID based at least in part on the second mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017).
As per claim 27, Lin teaches the invention including a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
Receiving, from a network node associated with a first transmit-receive point (TRP) identifier (ID) and a second TRP ID, an uplink repetition configuration comprising a first mapping between the first TRP ID and a second uplink repetition component and a mapping between the second TRP ID and a second uplink repetition component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017, 0058, 0063-0064, 0070-0072, 0121);
Transmitting a first uplink transmission corresponding to the first TRP ID based at least in part on the first mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017); and
Transmitting a second uplink transmission corresponding to the second TRP ID based at least in part on the second mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017).
As per claim 29, Lin teaches the invention including a method of wireless communication performed by a network node, comprising:
Transmitting an uplink repetition configuration comprising a first mapping between a first transmit-receive point (TRP) identifier (ID) and a first uplink repetition component and a second mapping between a second TRP ID and a second uplink repetition component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017, 0058, 0063-0064, 0070-0072, 0121);
Receiving a first uplink transmission corresponding to the first TRP ID based at least in part on the first mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017); and
Receiving a second uplink transmission corresponding to the second TRP ID based at least in part on the second mapping (pp. 0008-0011, 0017).
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.
Claim(s) 2, 6, 15-17, 20-23, 26, 28 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (Lin), US 2023/0171766, in view of Deghel et al (Deghel), US 2025/0056540.
As per claim 2, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions (pp. 0107-0108, 0129-0132, 0141). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and perform parallel or simultaneous uplink transmissions from multiple panels.
As per claim 6, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin does not teach wherein the first mapping corresponds to an association between a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state associated with the first TRP ID and the first uplink repetition component, and wherein the second mapping corresponds to an association between a second TCI state associated with the second TRP ID and the second uplink repetition component. Deghel teaches wherein the first mapping corresponds to an association between a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state associated with the first TRP ID and the first uplink repetition component, and wherein the second mapping corresponds to an association between a second TCI state associated with the second TRP ID and the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0014, 0026, 0111, 0120, 0126, 0137). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and perform UL repetition transmissions toward respective TRP based on their associated states.
As per claim 15, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin further teaches wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a radio resource control (RRC) message indicating at least one sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0020, 0068). Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are multiplexed based at least one of frequency division multiplexing or spatial division multiplex. However, spatial and frequency division multiplexing are well-known and commonly used methods for multiplexing transmissions. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are multiplexed based at least one of frequency division multiplexing or spatial division multiplex (pp. 0122). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teachings of Lin and Deghel and multiplex uplink transmission using known multiplexing schemes commonly used in the field of endeavor.
As per claim 16, Lin and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 15. Lin further teaches wherein a first SRS resource set of a plurality of SRS resource sets is associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component based at least in part on the at least one SRI comprising only one SRI (pp. 0020, 0064).
As per claim 17, Lin and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 15. Lin further teaches wherein a first SRS resource set of a plurality of SRS resource sets is associated with the first uplink repetition component and a second SRS resource set of the plurality of SRS resource sets based at lest in part on the at least one SRI comprising a first SRI associated with the first SRS resource set and a second SRI associated with the second SRS resource set (pp. 0020, 0064-0068).
As per claim 20, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 18. Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are time division multiplexed. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are time division multiplexed (pp. 0108-0110). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and multiplex the uplink transmission using different multiplexing scheme, such as TDM, FDM and SDM.
As per claim 21, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin further teaches wherein the first uplink repetition component comprises a first uplink control channel component and the second uplink repetition component comprises a second uplink control channel component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017, 0058, 0063-0064, 0070-0072, 0121), and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
Transmit a first uplink shared channel transmission corresponding to a first uplink shared channel component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017); and
Transmit a second uplink shared channel transmission corresponding to a second uplink shared channel component (pp. 0008-0011, 0017).
Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are multiplexed using at least one of spatial division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are multiplexed using at least one of spatial division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing (pp. 0108-0110). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and multiplex the uplink transmission using different multiplexing scheme, such as TDM, FDM and SDM.
As per claim 22, Lin and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 21. Deghel further teaches wherein the first uplink shared channel component corresponds to a first frequency allocation, and wherein the second uplink shared channel component corresponds to a second frequency allocation that is different from the first frequency allocation (pp. 0109, 0122).
As per claim 23, Lin and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 22. Deghel further teaches wherein the first frequency allocation corresponds to a first half of a plurality of resource blocks, and wherein the second frequency allocation corresponds to a second half of the plurality of resource blocks (pp. 0122).
As per claim 26, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 25. Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions (pp. 0107-0108, 0129-0132, 0141). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and perform parallel or simultaneous uplink transmissions from multiple panels.
As per claim 28, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 27. Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions (pp. 0107-0108, 0129-0132, 0141). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and perform parallel or simultaneous uplink transmissions from multiple panels.
As per claim 30, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 29. Lin does not teach in detail wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are simultaneous uplink transmissions (pp. 0107-0108, 0129-0132, 0141). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Deghel and perform parallel or simultaneous uplink transmissions from multiple panels.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (Lin), US 2023/0171766, in view of obviousness
As per claim 19, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 18. Lin further teaches to use beam indications to indicate beam related information associated with the uplink repetitions (pp. 0066, 0088). Lin does not teach wherein a beam indicator indicates a number of uplink beams associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component. However, it would have been obvious for the beam indicators to include a number of uplink beams as part of the beam related information for the associated uplink repetitions. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and further include various beam related information in the beam indicators, such as a number of uplink beams supported for transmission, for the associated uplink repetition.
Claim(s) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin and Deghel as applied to claim 23 above, and further in view of obviousness.
As per claim 24, Lin and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 23. Lin and Deghel do not teach wherein first half of the plurality of resource blocks comprise a set of resource blocks with even resource block IDs, and wherein the second half of the plurality of resource blocks comprises a set of resource blocks with odd resource block IDs. However, it is obvious to arrange the resource block subsets in various orders. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teachings of Lin, Deghel and further arrange the resource block subsets in various grouping arrangement based on design or need.
Claim(s) 7, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (Lin), US 2023/0171766, in view of Cirik et al (Cirik), US 2022/0200736.
As per claim 7, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin further teaches wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive DCI (pp. 0007-0008, 0013, 0016, 0058). Lin does not teach in detail wherein the DCI indicating a first code division multiplexing (CDM) group associated with the first uplink repetition component and a second CDM group associated with the second uplink repetition component, wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are spatially division multiplexed. Cirik teaches wherein the DCI indicating a first code division multiplexing (CDM) group associated with the first uplink repetition component and a second CDM group associated with the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0231, 0403-0404, 0406), and wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are spatially division multiplexed (pp. 0231, 0254). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Cirik in order to send CDM group information via the antenna port filed of the DCI to the wireless device.
As per claim 9, Lin teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lin further teaches wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive DCI (pp. 0007-0008, 0013, 0016, 0058). Lin does not teach in detail wherein the DCI indicating a first code division multiplexing (CDM) group associated with the first uplink repetition component and a second CDM group associated with the second uplink repetition component, wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are frequency division multiplexed. Cirik teaches wherein the DCI indicating a first code division multiplexing (CDM) group associated with the first uplink repetition component and a second CDM group associated with the second uplink repetition component (pp. 0231, 0403-0404, 0406), and wherein the first uplink transmission and the second uplink transmission are frequency division multiplexed (pp. 0144, 0169, 0231, 0251, 0253). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin and Cirik in order to send CDM group information via the antenna port filed of the DCI to the wireless device.
Claim(s) 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin and Cirik as applied to claims 7 and 9 above, and further in view of Deghel et al (Deghel), US 2025/0056540.
As per claim 10, Lin and Cirik teach the invention as claimed in claim 9. Lin and Cirik do not teach wherein the first uplink repetition component corresponds to a first frequency allocation, and wherein the second uplink repetition component corresponds to a second frequency allocation that is different from the first frequency allocation. Deghel teaches wherein the first uplink shared channel component corresponds to a first frequency allocation, and wherein the second uplink shared channel component corresponds to a second frequency allocation that is different from the first frequency allocation (pp. 0109, 0122). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Lin, Cirik and Deghel in order to support non-overlapping frequencies for different uplink repetition transmissions.
As per claim 11, Lin, Cirik and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 10. Deghel further teaches wherein the first frequency allocation corresponds to a first half of a plurality of resource blocks, and wherein the second frequency allocation corresponds to a second half of the plurality of resource blocks (pp. 0122).
As per claim 12, Lin, Cirik and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 11. Deghel further teaches wherein the first half of the plurality of resource blocks is associated with a first codeword corresponding to a transport block, and wherein the second half of the plurality of resource blocks is associated with a second codeword corresponding to the transport block (pp. 0122: uplink transmission with corresponding codeword).
As per claim 13, Lin, Cirik and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 12. Deghel further teaches wherein the first codeword is the second codeword (pp. 0122).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, Cirik and Deghel as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of obviousness.
As per claim 14, Lin, Cirik and Deghel teach the invention as claimed in claim 11. Lin, Cirik and Deghel do not teach wherein first half of the plurality of resource blocks comprise a set of resource blocks with even resource block IDs, and wherein the second half of the plurality of resource blocks comprises a set of resource blocks with odd resource block IDs. However, it is obvious to arrange the resource block subsets in various orders. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teachings of Lin, Cirik, Deghel and further arrange the resource block subsets in various grouping arrangement based on design or need.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin and Cirik as applied to claims 7 and 9 above, and further in view of Li
As per claim 8, Lin and Cirik teach the invention as claimed in claim 7. Lin and Cirik do not teach wherein the DCI comprises a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) having an SRI value, of a plurality of values, that indicates a mapping between at least one SRS resource set and at least one of the first uplink repetition component or the second uplink repetition component, and
Wherein a first SRS resource set is associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component based at least in part on the SRI value being a first value of the plurality of values,
Wherein a second SRS resource set is associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component based at least in part on the SRI value being a second value of the plurality of values,
Wherein a first SRS resource set is associated with the first uplink repetition component and a second SRS resource set is associated with the second uplink repetition component based at least in part on the SRI value being a third value of the plurality of values, or
Wherein a first SRS resource set is associated with the second uplink repetition component and a second SRS resource set is associated with the first uplink repetition component based at least in part on the SRI value being a fourth value of the plurality of values.
Li teaches wherein the DCI comprises a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) having an SRI value, of a plurality of values, that indicates a mapping between at least one SRS resource set and at least one of the first uplink repetition component or the second uplink repetition component, and
Wherein a first SRS resource set is associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component based at least in part on the SRI value being a first value of the plurality of values (pp. 0105-0106, 0108-0110, 0113), or
Wherein a second SRS resource set is associated with the first uplink repetition component and the second uplink repetition component based at least in part on the SRI value being a second value of the plurality of values (pp. 0105-0106, 0108-0110, 0113).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teachings of Lin, Cirik and Li and utilize SRI values of a value set index for mapping the uplink repetitions components.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Matsumura et al, US 2025/0159693
Yuan et al, US 20258/0106869
Yuan et al, US 2024/0040584
Lim et al, US 2023/0344576
Jang et al, US 2022/0330299
Lin et al, US 2022/0224578
Zhou et al, US 2022/0103234
Hosseini et al, US 2021/0044385
A shortened statutory period for reply to this Office action is set to expire Three MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNY S LIN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3968.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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KENNY S. LIN
Examiner
Art Unit 2416
/Kenny S Lin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
July 21, 2026
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