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 .
Applicant canceled claims 21-29 in the preliminary amendment filed on 08/16/2024.
The claims 1-20 are pending.
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 and 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park et al (US Patent Publication No. 2021/0266215 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Park teaches a method performed by a cellular communications network (Abstract), the method comprising: determining a plurality transmission reception points (TRPs) configured for high speed train (HST) communication using millimeter wave (mmWave) signals (paragraph 0056-0057; 0064 disclose a group of base stations or TRPs transmitting data to the UE; the data transmission can be referred to as a single frequency network (SFN) transmission. In some aspects, these situations can include a high speed train single frequency network (HST-SFN), e.g., if a UE is on a high speed train; the wireless communications for HST-SFNs can be utilized with millimeter wave (MMW) systems, e.g., NR frequency range 2 (FR2)) ; and generating a synchronization signal block (SSB) index configuration for the plurality TRPs, wherein the SSB index configuration uses non-adjacent SSB indexes between the plurality of TRPs (paragraph 0064-0066 disclose SSB grouping, wherein as UE 602 moves from TRP 614 to TRP 615 to TRP 616, the UE 602 can utilize the beams corresponding to SSB 2, SSB 7, and SSB 12).
With respect to claim 3, Park teaches wherein the SSB index configuration further uses the non-adjacent SSB indexes for a TRP of the plurality of TRPs (paragraph 0064-0066 disclose SSB grouping, wherein as UE 602 moves from TRP 614 to TRP 615 to TRP 616, the UE 602 can utilize the beams corresponding to SSB 2, SSB 7, and SSB 12).
With respect to claim 4, Park teaches wherein the SSB index configuration consists of even numbered SSB indexes (paragraph 0064-0066 disclose SSB grouping, wherein SSB group 1 can include SSB 1-SSB 5, SSB group 2 can include SSB 6-SSB 10, and SSB group 3 can include SSB 11-SSB 15).
With respect to claim 5, Park teaches wherein the SSB index configuration consists of odd numbered SSB indexes (paragraph 0064-0066 disclose SSB grouping, wherein SSB group 1 can include SSB 1-SSB 5, SSB group 2 can include SSB 6-SSB 10, and SSB group 3 can include SSB 11-SSB 15).
With respect to claim 6, Park teaches wherein the SSB index configuration further uses the non-adjacent SSB indexes across different component carriers (CCs) within a frequency band or frequency band combination (paragraph 0064-0066 disclose SSB grouping, wherein SSB group 1 can include SSB 1-SSB 5, SSB group 2 can include SSB 6-SSB 10, and SSB group 3 can include SSB 11-SSB 15; Fig. 5-6).
3. Claims 8-16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al (US Patent Publication No. 2022/0330039 A1).
With respect to claim 8, Wang teaches a method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: entering a high speed train (HST) mode (paragraph 0087-0088; 0094; 0175 disclose the UE reporting HST operating mode); and in response to entering the HST mode, performing Layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) measurement sharing for synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) received from different transmission reception points (TRPs) (paragraph 0101; 0174; 0185 disclose SSB-based L1-RSRP measurements that the UE completes autonomous uplink beam correspondence).
With respect to claim 9, Wang teaches wherein performing the L1-RSRP measurement sharing comprises performing time division multiplexing (TDM) L1-RSRP measurement of overlapping SSBs received at the UE (paragraph 0101; 0174; 0187 disclose SSB-based L1-RSRP measurements that the UE completes autonomous uplink beam correspondence).
With respect to claim 10, Wang teaches wherein the SSBs received from different TRPs are configured in different channel state information (CSI) report configuration (CSI- reportConfig) messages (paragraph 0101; 0174; 0187 disclose SSB-based L1-RSRP measurements that the UE completes autonomous uplink beam correspondence).
With respect to claim 11, Wang teaches wherein at least one of the CSI-reportConfig messages comprises a measurement window configuration for the SSBs received from the different TRPs (paragraph 0101; 0157; 0174; 0187 disclose SSB-based L1-RSRP measurements that the UE completes autonomous uplink beam correspondence).
With respect to claim 12, Wang teaches wherein the measurement window configuration includes at least one of a periodicity, a duration, and a slot or symbol offset of a measurement window (paragraph 0101; 0157; 0161; 0174; 0187 disclose for SSB-based L1-RSRP reporting, the network side also needs to decide an appropriate SSB periodicity setting).
With respect to claim 13, Wang teaches further comprising sending a UE capability report, from the UE to a cellular communications network, to indicate a maximum number of the different TRPs (paragraph 0129; 0199 disclose the network side may obtain the following UE capability and operating state).
With respect to claim 14, Wang teaches further comprising using a scaling factor K for at least one of beam failure detection (BFD) interval and radio link monitoring (RLM) interval (Table 23; paragraph 0101; 0157; 0161; 0174; 0187 disclose Evaluate_BFD_SSB for FR2 Configuration)
With respect to claim 15, Wang teaches wherein the BFD interval comprises max{2ms, minimal scaled periodicity of BFD reference signals (RSs)}, wherein the scaled periodicity for the SSBs is calculated as K*T, and wherein T comprises a periodicity of the SSBs. (Table 18 and 23).
With respect to claim 16, Wang teaches wherein the RLM interval comprises max{lOms, minimal scaled periodicity of BFD reference signals (RSs)}, wherein the scaled periodicity for the SSBs is calculated as K*T, and wherein T comprises a periodicity of the SSBs (paragraph 0158; Table 17 disclose taking the SSB-based RLM as an example, the evaluation time in an evaluation period is restricted by many factors. As configuration of a long DRX cycle is limited as mentioned before, evaluation times of other situations are related to the SSB periodicity TSSB, and the network side needs to decide an appropriate SSB periodicity setting by combining relevant information such as cell coverage, UE moving speed and its beam support capability).
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al (US Publication NO. 2021/0266215 A1) in view of Huang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0231322 A1).
With respect to claim 7, Park discloses the claimed subject matter as discussed above except wherein at least one of the plurality of TRPs comprises a remote radio head (RRH).
However, Huang teaches wherein at least one of the plurality of TRPs comprises a remote radio head (RRH) (paragraph 0062 disclose a TRP 335 may be referred to as a cell, a panel, an antenna array, an array, or an RRH). Therefore, based on Park in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teaching of Huang to the system of Wang.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (US Patent Publication No. 2022/0330039 A1) in view of Huang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0231322 A1).
With respect to claim 17, Park discloses the claimed subject matter as discussed above except wherein at least one of the TRPs comprises a remote radio head (RRH).
However, Huang teaches wherein at least one of the TRPs comprises a remote radio head (RRH) (paragraph 0062 disclose a TRP 335 may be referred to as a cell, a panel, an antenna array, an array, or an RRH). Therefore, based on Park in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teaching of Huang to the system of Wang.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (US Patent Publication No. 2022/0330039 A1) in view of Huang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0231322 A1).
With respect to claim 18, Wang discloses the claimed subject matter as discussed above except wherein a network configuration of an inter-TRP transmission configuration indication (TCI) state is not in an active TCI state list, the method further comprising performing additional SSB acquisition when TCI state switching is between the different TRPs.
However, Huang teaches wherein a network configuration of an inter-TRP transmission configuration indication (TCI) state is not in an active TCI state list (paragraph 0065; 0071 disclose the first and the second TCI states may be indicated using a TCI field in the DCI. In general, the TCI field can indicate a single TCI state (for single-TRP transmission) or multiple TCI states (for multi-TRP transmission as discussed here) in this multi-TRP transmission mode (e.g., Mode 1)) , the method further comprising performing additional SSB acquisition when TCI state switching is between the different TRPs (paragraph 0078; 0080 disclose the UE in the HST may switch TCI states across different RRHs by switching from a first TCI state for a serving RRH (RRH1) to a second TCI state for a next RRH (RRH2) in order to provide switching across remote radio heads (Abstract). Therefore, based on Wang in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teaching of Huang to the system of Wang in order to provide switching across remote radio heads.
With respect to claim 19, Wang teaches wherein a delay for an L1-RSRP measurement is determined using a scaled SSB periodicity K*T, where K is a scaling factor and T indicates an SSB periodicity (paragraph 0166 disclose for the link recovery delay-CSI-RS-based beam failure detection, the network side also needs to decide an appropriate CSI-RS periodicity setting).
With respect to claim 20, Wang discloses the claimed subject matter as discussed above except wherein a network configuration of an inter-TRP transmission configuration indication (TCI) state is in an active TCI state list.
However, Park teaches wherein a network configuration of an inter-TRP transmission configuration indication (TCI) state is in an active TCI state list (paragraph 0078; 0080 disclose the UE in the HST may switch TCI states across different RRHs by switching from a first TCI state for a serving RRH (RRH1) to a second TCI state for a next RRH (RRH2) in order to provide switching across remote radio heads (Abstract). Therefore, based on Wang in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teaching of Huang to the system of Wang in order to provide switching across remote radio heads.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHEIKH T NDIAYE whose telephone number is (571)270-3914. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JOON H HWANG can be reached at 571-272-4036. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHEIKH T NDIAYE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2447
8/20/2026
Prosecution Insights