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 .
Status
The present application claims priority to Chinese PCT Patent Application PCT/CN2022/076956 filed February 18, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on August 16, 2024 were in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 23 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 23 recites the limitation "the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)" in the last two lines of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 10, 12-14, 16-18, 20-24, 63 and 67 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over US Pat. Pub. 20240064770 to Claes Tidestav et al. (hereinafter Tidestav) in view of 3GPP TS 38.214 (V17.0.0) (Dec 2021) (hereinafter 38.214)
Regarding claim 1, Tidestav teaches A method for indicating a quasi co-location (QCL), comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of one or more first transmission configuration indication (TCI) states or at least one or more groups of second TCI states, (Tidestav para. [0132] teaches “receiving, from a network node, DCI that comprises information indicates one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD. The one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD comprise one or more DL TCI states to be activated at the WCD, one or more UL TCI states”)
each first TCI state indicates a QCL parameter shared by downlink transmission and uplink transmission, (Tidestav teaches in para. [0023] that each TCI state contains QCL information related to one or two RSs. Tidestav para. [0133] teaches a TCI state is a DL, UL or “both a DL TCI state and an UL TCI state”) and each group of second TCI states indicates at least one of a QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission and a QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission. (Tidestav teaches in paras. [0130] – [0131] a “list of activated TCI states” and “unified activation” of DL/UL TCI states. Further, Tidestav recites RAN1 #103-e Meeting for Unified TCI framework in paras. [0125]-[0127]: “The source reference signal(s) in M TCIs provide QCL information at least for UE-dedicated reception on PDSCH and for UE-dedicated reception on all or subset of CORESETs in a CC. For the separate UL TCI: The source reference signal(s) in N TCIs provide a reference for determining common UL TX spatial filter(s) at least for dynamic-grant/configured-grant based PUSCH, all or subset of dedicated PUCCH resources in a CC.”)
Tidestav does NOT specifically teach “each group of second TCI states indicates …the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission”.
In the same field of endeavor, 38.214 teaches “each group of second TCI states indicates … the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission”. (38.214 teaches in Section 5.1.5, page 41 that a UE receives an activation command for mapping up to 8 TCI states and/or pairs of TCI states, with one for DL channels/signals and one TCI state for UL channels/signals to the codepoints of the DCI field ‘Transmission Configuration Indication’ for one or for a set of CCs/DL BWPs. Section 5.1.5,, page 41, second paragraph teaches “The UE can be configured with a list of up to [128] [TCI-State] configurations, within the higher layer parameter PDSCH-Config, with [tci-StateId_r17] that include [SourceRs-Info_r17] for providing a reference signal for the quasi-colocation for DM-RS of PDSCH and DM-RS of PDCCH in a CC, CSI-RS, and to provide a reference, if applicable, for determining UL TX spatial filter for dynamic-grant and configured-grant based PUSCH and PUCCH resource in a CC, and SRS.” Thus, a DL QCL parameter applies for determining an UL TX spatial filter. Further, 38.214 page 130, Section 6.1 UE “procedure for transmitting the physical uplink shared channel” specifically teaches in the second paragraph that “the UE shall perform PUSCH transmission corresponding to a Type 1 configured grant or a Type 2 configured grant or a dynamic grant according to the spatial relation, if applicable, with a reference to the RS for determining UL Tx spatial filter or the RS configured with qcl-Type set to 'typeD' of the indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17].” Thus, if a UE is configured with a unified TCI state, the same QCL assumption applied to downlink reception can be used to derive uplink transmission parameters.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Tidestav with 38.214. Each of Tidestav and 38.214 are in the field of wireless communications. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Tidestav with 38.214 in order to implement the physical layer procedures for data channels for 5G-NR as taught in 38.214 page 7, Section 1.
Regarding claim 2, Tidestav teaches The method of claim 1, wherein each group of second TCI states comprises one or two second TCI states, and each second TCI state indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission or the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission. (Tidestav para. [0138] teaches one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD 712 comprises two or more DL TCI states for a single codepoint of a TCI field of DCI, two or more UL TCI states for a single codepoint of the TCI field, or both two or more DL TCI states and two or more UL TCI states for a single codepoint of the TCI field.)
Tidestav does not SPECIFICALLY teach that the second TCI state indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission or the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission.
In the same field of endeavor, 38.214 teaches at least second TCI state indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission. (38.214 Section 5.1.5,, page 41, second paragraph teaches “The UE can be configured with a list of up to [128] [TCI-State] configurations, within the higher layer parameter PDSCH-Config, with [tci-StateId_r17] that include [SourceRs-Info_r17] for providing a reference signal for the quasi-colocation for DM-RS of PDSCH and DM-RS of PDCCH in a CC, CSI-RS, and to provide a reference, if applicable, for determining UL TX spatial filter for dynamic-grant and configured-grant based PUSCH and PUCCH resource in a CC, and SRS.” Thus, a DL QCL parameter applies for determining an UL TX spatial filter. Further, 38.214 page 130, Section 6.1 UE “procedure for transmitting the physical uplink shared channel” specifically teaches in the second paragraph that “the UE shall perform PUSCH transmission corresponding to a Type 1 configured grant or a Type 2 configured grant or a dynamic grant according to the spatial relation, if applicable, with a reference to the RS for determining UL Tx spatial filter or the RS configured with qcl-Type set to 'typeD' of the indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17].” Thus, if a UE is configured with a unified TCI state, the same QCL assumption applied to downlink reception can be used to derive uplink transmission parameters.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Tidestav with 38.214. Each of Tidestav and 38.214 are in the field of wireless communications. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Tidestav with 38.214 in order to implement the physical layer procedures for data channels for 5G-NR as taught in 38.214 page 7, Section 1.
Regarding claim 3, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 1 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the first information comprises a first media access layer control element (MAC CE) and the first MAC CE activates at least one of one or more first TCI states or one or more groups of second TCI states corresponding to one codepoint; (Tidestav teaches in para. [0028] that a MAC CE activates TCI states as shown in Fig. 5. Tidestav para. [0041] teaches that 2 TCI states for a codepoint in a TCI field of a DCI is done with a MAC CE in accordance with 3GPP TS 38.321. Examiner notes that the “or” in the claim negates requiring a teaching of the alternative element of the claim)
or
the first information comprises a second MAC CE and downlink control information (DCI), wherein the second MAC CE activates at least one of one or more first TCI states or one or more groups of second TCI states corresponding to each of a plurality of codepoints, and the DCI indicates one of the plurality of codepoints. (Examiner notes that the “or” negates requiring a teaching of the alternative element of the claim).
Regarding claim 5, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 1 as stated. Tidestav further teaches receiving, by the terminal device, second information, wherein the second information indicates one or more types of one or more TCI states comprised in the first information. (Tidestav para. [0133] teaches that for each TCI state of the one or more TCI states to be activated… the DCI further includes information that indicates whether the TCI state is a DL TCI state, an UL STC state, or both a DL TCI state and an UL TCI state”. Thus, the second information is a DCI, the first information being a MAC CE as taught in para. [0028] that activates the TCI states.)
Regarding claim 6, Tidestav teaches The method of claim 5 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the second information indicates that the type of TCI state comprised in the first information comprises the first TCI state; (Tidestav teaches a shared DL and UL state in para. [0133] mapped to a first TCI state)
or
the second information indicates that the type of TCI state comprised in the first information comprises the second TCI state; (Tidestav teaches a dedicated TCI state as a “DL TCI state or an UL TCI state” in para. [0133] mapped to a second TCI state)
or
the second information indicates that the types of TCI states comprised in the first information comprise the first TCI state and the second TCI state. (Tidestav teaches indicating both types of the first and the second TCI states in paras. [0137] in which the “one or more TCI states are “one or more DL TCI states, one or more UL TCI states or both DL and UL TCI states.”)
Regarding claim 7, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 5 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the types of TCI states comprised in the first information are independently indicated, (Tidestav teaches in para. [0137] that “a DCI format of the received DCI indicates whether the one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD 712 are one or more DL TCI states, one or more UL TCI states, …..”)
or
the types of TCI states comprised in the first information are simultaneously indicated, (Tidestav teaches in para. [0137] that “a DCI format of the received DCI indicates whether the one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD 712 are … both DL and UL TCI states.”)
or
the second information is a radio resource control (RRC) signaling. (Tidestav teaches in para. [0117] that an RRC is used to configure a pool of TCI states, which are activated via MAC-CE signaling).
Regarding claim 10, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 5 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the second information is an MAC CE, the second information and the first information share a same MAC CE, (Tidestav para. [0041] teaches a MAC CE that provides an activation and mapping of 2 TCI states for a codepoint in the TCI field of a DCI. Specifically, Tidestav para. [0042] recites 3GPP TS 38.321 Section 6.1.3.24 (V16.0.0)(04-2020) “UE-specific PDSCH MAC CE The enhanced TCI States Activation/Deactivation for UE-specific PDSCH MAC CE identified by a MAC PDU subheader with eLCID.
or
the second information and the first information employ different MAC CEs; (Examiner notes that the “or” negates requiring a teaching for the alternative element)
wherein, in a case that the second information and the first information share the same MAC CE, each codepoint comprises a first information TCI field and a second information type field, wherein the first information field carries the first information TCI, and the second information field carries the second information type. (Tidestav para. [0041] teaches that the mapping and activation by the MAC CE is for two TCI states, a first information type and a second information type. Tidestav para. [0046] teaches the different fields and mapping.)
Regarding claim 12, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 3 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the DCI is further configured to indicate a type of TCI state comprised in the first information. (Tidestav teaches in para. [0137] that a DCI format of the received DCI indicates whether on or more TCI states to be activated at WCD 712 are one or more of DL TCI states or one or more UL TCI states.)
Regarding claim 13, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 12 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein a format of the DCI is a DCI format for scheduling a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). (Tidestav teaches in para. [0025] that “When scheduling a PDSCH to a UE, the DCI contains a pointer to one activated TCI state.” Further, Tidestav para. [0010] teaches that when a UE decodes a PDCCH, it then decodes the corresponding PDSCH based on the decoded DCI in the PDCCH, which means the DCI format was used for scheduling the PDSCH.)
Regarding claim 14, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 13 as stated. Tidestav does NOT teach wherein the DCI comprises a downlink assignment indication field, or does not comprise the downlink assignment indication field, the downlink assignment indication field indicates a downlink transmission resource; or wherein the DCI format for scheduling the PDSCH indicates that the type of TCI state comprised in the first information comprises at least one the first TCI state or the second TCI state.
In the same field of endeavor, 38.214 teaches “wherein the DCI comprises a downlink assignment indication field, or does not comprise the downlink assignment indication field, the downlink assignment indication field indicates a downlink transmission resource”. (38.214 teaches in Section 5.1.5 “Antenna ports quasi co-location” page 42, first paragraph “When the UE would transmit the last symbol of a PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information corresponding to the DCI carrying the TCI-State indication and without DL assignment, or corresponding to the PDSCH scheduling by the DCI carrying the TCI -State indication, and if the indicated TCI-State is different from the previously indicated one, the indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17] should be applied starting from the first slot that is at least BeamAppTime_r17 symbols after the last symbol of the PUCCH. The first slot and the BeamAppTime_r17 symbols are both determined on the carrier with the smallest SCS among the carrier(s) applying the beam indication. The UE can assume one indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17] for DL and UL, for DL only, or for UL only at a time.” Thus, a downlink assignment to the appropriate slot is assigned.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Tidestav with 38.214. Each of Tidestav and 38.214 are in the field of wireless communications. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Tidestav with 38.214 in order to implement the physical layer procedures for data channels for 5G-NR as taught in 38.214 page 7, Section 1.
Regarding claim 16, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 14 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the DCI comprises a TCI state type indication field, (Tidestav para. [0133] teaches a DCI includes whether a TCI state is DL, UL or both) and the TCI state type indication field indicates that a TCI state indicated by the DCI comprises at least one of the first TCI state, the second TCI state, and a second TCI state dedicated to the downlink transmission. (Tidestav teaches a shared DL and UL state in para. [0133] mapped to a first TCI state, a dedicated TCI state as a “DL TCI state or an UL TCI state” in para. [0133] mapped to a second TCI state, and both types of the first and the second TCI states in paras. [0137] in which the one or more TCI states are “one or more DL TCI states, one or more UL TCI states or both DL and UL TCI states.”)
Regarding claim 17, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 12 as stated. Tidestav does NOT specifically teach wherein a format of the DCI is a DCI format for scheduling a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). (Tidestav teaches in para. [0039] that in NR Release 16 “multiple DCI scheduling is for multi-TRP in which a UE may receive two DCIs each scheduling a PDSCH/PUSCH. Each PDCCH and PDSCH are transmitted from the same TRP.”)
Regarding claim 18, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 17 as stated. Tidestav does NOT teach wherein the DCI comprises an uplink assignment indication field, or does not comprise the uplink assignment indication field, and the uplink assignment indication field indicates an uplink transmission resource,
or
wherein the DCI format for scheduling the PUSCH indicates that the type of TCI state comprised in the first information comprises at least one of the first TCI state or the second TCI state.
In the same field of endeavor, 38.214 teaches “wherein the DCI format for scheduling the PUSCH indicates that the type of TCI state comprised in the first information comprises at least one of the first TCI state or the second TCI state”. (38.214 Section 5.1.5 page 42 teaches that DCI formats for scheduling PUCCH such as 0_1 and 0_2 include an uplink assignment indication field/resource allocation which can provide the type of activated TCI state.
Although 38.214 recites “PUCCH”, in the same field of endeavor, Tidestav teaches PUSCH. (Tidestav in para. [0039] teaches that in NR Release 16 “multiple DCI scheduling is for multi-TRP in which a UE may receive two DCIs each scheduling a PDSCH/PUSCH.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Tidestav with 38.214. Each of Tidestav and 38.214 are in the field of wireless communications. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Tidestav with 38.214 in order to implement the physical layer procedures for data channels for 5G-NR as taught in 38.214 page 7, Section 1.
Regarding claim 20, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 18 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the DCI comprises a TCI state type indication field, wherein the TCI state type indication field indicates that a TCI state indicated by the DCI comprises at least one of the first TCI state, the second TCI state, and a second TCI state dedicated to the uplink transmission. (Tidestav teaches a shared DL and UL state in para. [0133] mapped to a first TCI state, a dedicated TCI state as a “DL TCI state or an UL TCI state” in para. [0133] mapped to a second TCI state, and both types of the first and the second TCI states in paras. [0137] in which the one or more TCI states are “one or more DL TCI states, one or more UL TCI states or both DL and UL TCI states.”)
Regarding claim 21, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 1 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the first information comprises at least one group of information fields, and each group of information fields comprises a third information field and a fourth information field; (Tidestav teaches in para. [0138] a single code point of TCI field may carry two or more UL TCI states… or both. Specifically, “the one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD 712 comprises two or more DL TCI states for a single codepoint of a TCI field of DCI, two or more UL TCI states for a single codepoint of the TCI field, or both two or more DL TCI states and two or more UL TCI states for a single codepoint of the TCI field.”
the third information field and the fourth information field belonging to a same group of information fields carry two same TCI states respectively; (Tidestav para. [0138] further teaches that the same codepoint can carry two “same TCI states” in that it may carry “two or more DL TCI states” and “two or more UL TCI states”.)
or
the third information field and the fourth information field belonging to a same group of information fields carry two different TCI states respectively.(Tidestav Fig. 12 illustrates a same group of information fields under codepoint 0, wherein two different TCI states, one UL and one DL share a same activation index “24”:
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704
967
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).
Regarding claim 22, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method of claim 21 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein, in a case that the third information field and the fourth information field belonging to the same group of information fields carry two different TCI states, a second TCI state carried in the third information field indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission, and a second TCI state carried in the fourth information field is configured to indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission; (Tidestav as shown in Fig. 12 illustrates an uplink and a downlink in activation index 24:
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media_image1.png
704
967
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Greyscale
or
a second TCI state carried in the third information field is configured to indicate indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission, and a second TCI state carried in the fourth information field is configured to indicates the QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission.
(Examiner notes that the “or” negates requiring a teaching for the alternative element)
Regarding claim 23, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches The method according to claim 1 as stated. Tidestav further teaches wherein the downlink transmission comprises transmission of at least one of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and a downlink reference signal; (Tidestav teaches para. [0025] that “When scheduling a PDSCH to a UE, the DCI contains a pointer to one activated TCI state. The UE then knows which large-scale parameter estimate to use when performing PDSCH DMRS channel estimation and thus PDSCH demodulation.”
and
the uplink transmission comprises transmission of at least one of the a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and an uplink reference signal. (Tidestav teaches in para. [0127] citing the unified TCI framework agreement that “N TCIs provide a reference for determining common UL TX spatial filter(s) at least for dynamic-grant/configured-grant based PUSCH, all or subset of dedicated PUCCH resources in a CC .)
Regarding claim 24, Tidestav teaches A method for indicating a quasi co-location (QCL), comprising:
sending, by a network device, (Tidestav Fig. 21 network node 1800) first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of one or more first transmission configuration indication (TCI) states or one or more groups of second TCI states, (Tidestav teaches in para. [0075] that the network node sends to a WCD a DCI indicating one or more TCI states to be activated) each first TCI state indicates a QCL parameter shared by downlink transmission and uplink transmission, and each group of second TCI states indicates at least one of a QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission and a QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission. (Tidestav teaches in paras. [0122] – [0129] that the Rel-17 unified TCI framework enables M TCIs to provide QCL information for dedicated reception ton PDSCH, and for UL “spatial filters” for all or a subset of “of dedicated PUCCH resources”)
Tidestav does NOT specifically teach “each group of second TCI states indicates …the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission”.
In the same field of endeavor, 38.214 teaches “each group of second TCI states indicates … the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission”. (38.214 teaches in Section 5.1.5, page 41 that a UE receives an activation command for mapping up to 8 TCI states and/or pairs of TCI states, with one for DL channels/signals and one TCI state for UL channels/signals to the codepoints of the DCI field ‘Transmission Configuration Indication’ for one or for a set of CCs/DL BWPs. Section 5.1.5,, page 41, second paragraph teaches “The UE can be configured with a list of up to [128] [TCI-State] configurations, within the higher layer parameter PDSCH-Config, with [tci-StateId_r17] that include [SourceRs-Info_r17] for providing a reference signal for the quasi-colocation for DM-RS of PDSCH and DM-RS of PDCCH in a CC, CSI-RS, and to provide a reference, if applicable, for determining UL TX spatial filter for dynamic-grant and configured-grant based PUSCH and PUCCH resource in a CC, and SRS.” Thus, a DL QCL parameter applies for determining an UL TX spatial filter. Further, 38.214 page 130, Section 6.1 UE “procedure for transmitting the physical uplink shared channel” specifically teaches in the second paragraph that “the UE shall perform PUSCH transmission corresponding to a Type 1 configured grant or a Type 2 configured grant or a dynamic grant according to the spatial relation, if applicable, with a reference to the RS for determining UL Tx spatial filter or the RS configured with qcl-Type set to 'typeD' of the indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17].” Thus, if a UE is configured with a unified TCI state, the same QCL assumption applied to downlink reception can be used to derive uplink transmission parameters.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Tidestav with 38.214. Each of Tidestav and 38.214 are in the field of wireless communications. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Tidestav with 38.214 in order to implement the physical layer procedures for data channels for 5G-NR as taught in 38.214 page 7, Section 1.
Regarding claim 63, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches A terminal device, (Tidestav Fig. 23, WCD 712) comprising:
a processor; (Tidestav Fig. 22, processor 2202)
and
a memory, (Tidestav Fig. 22, memory 2204) configured to store executable instructions by the processor, (Tidestav Fig. 22, processors 2202) wherein the processor is configured to:
receive first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of one or more first transmission configuration indication (TCI) states or one or more groups of second TCI states, (Tidestav para. [0132] teaches “receiving, from a network node, DCI that comprises information indicates one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD. The one or more TCI states to be activated at the WCD comprise one or more DL TCI states to be activated at the WCD, one or more UL TCI states”)
each first TCI state indicates a QCL parameter shared by downlink transmission and uplink transmission, (Tidestav teaches in para. [0023] that each TCI state contains QCL information related to one or two RSs. Tidestav para. [0133] teaches a TCI state is a DL, UL or “both a DL TCI state and an UL TCI state”) and each group of second TCI states indicates at least one of a QCL parameter dedicated to the downlink transmission and a QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission. (Tidestav teaches in paras. [0130] – [0131] a “list of activated TCI states” and “unified activation” of DL/UL TCI states. Further, Tidestav recites RAN1 #103-e Meeting for Unified TCI framework in paras. [0125]-[0127]: “The source reference signal(s) in M TCIs provide QCL information at least for UE-dedicated reception on PDSCH and for UE-dedicated reception on all or subset of CORESETs in a CC. For the separate UL TCI: The source reference signal(s) in N TCIs provide a reference for determining common UL TX spatial filter(s) at least for dynamic-grant/configured-grant based PUSCH, all or subset of dedicated PUCCH resources in a CC.”)
Tidestav does NOT specifically teach “each group of second TCI states indicates …the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission”.
In the same field of endeavor, 38.214 teaches “each group of second TCI states indicates … the QCL parameter dedicated to the uplink transmission”. (38.214 teaches in Section 5.1.5, page 41 that a UE receives an activation command for mapping up to 8 TCI states and/or pairs of TCI states, with one for DL channels/signals and one TCI state for UL channels/signals to the codepoints of the DCI field ‘Transmission Configuration Indication’ for one or for a set of CCs/DL BWPs. Section 5.1.5,, page 41, second paragraph teaches “The UE can be configured with a list of up to [128] [TCI-State] configurations, within the higher layer parameter PDSCH-Config, with [tci-StateId_r17] that include [SourceRs-Info_r17] for providing a reference signal for the quasi-colocation for DM-RS of PDSCH and DM-RS of PDCCH in a CC, CSI-RS, and to provide a reference, if applicable, for determining UL TX spatial filter for dynamic-grant and configured-grant based PUSCH and PUCCH resource in a CC, and SRS.” Thus, a DL QCL parameter applies for determining an UL TX spatial filter. Further, 38.214 page 130, Section 6.1 UE “procedure for transmitting the physical uplink shared channel” specifically teaches in the second paragraph that “the UE shall perform PUSCH transmission corresponding to a Type 1 configured grant or a Type 2 configured grant or a dynamic grant according to the spatial relation, if applicable, with a reference to the RS for determining UL Tx spatial filter or the RS configured with qcl-Type set to 'typeD' of the indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17].” Thus, if a UE is configured with a unified TCI state, the same QCL assumption applied to downlink reception can be used to derive uplink transmission parameters. Further, 38.214 page 130, Section 6.1 UE “procedure for transmitting the physical uplink shared channel” specifically teaches in the second paragraph that “the UE shall perform PUSCH transmission corresponding to a Type 1 configured grant or a Type 2 configured grant or a dynamic grant according to the spatial relation, if applicable, with a reference to the RS for determining UL Tx spatial filter or the RS configured with qcl-Type set to 'typeD' of the indicated [TCI-State] with [tci-StateId_r17].” Thus, if a UE is configured with a unified TCI state, the same QCL assumption applied to downlink reception can be used to derive uplink transmission parameters.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Tidestav with 38.214. Each of Tidestav and 38.214 are in the field of wireless communications. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Tidestav with 38.214 in order to implement the physical layer procedures for data channels for 5G-NR as taught in 38.214 page 7, Section 1.
Regarding claim 67, Tidestav in view of 38.214 teaches A network device, (Tidestav Fig. 19, network node 1800) comprising:
a processor; (Tidestav Fig. 19, processor 1904)
and
a memory, (Tidestav Fig. 19, memory 1906) configured to store executable instructions by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the method for indicating the quasi co-location according to claim 24. (Tidestav para. [0181] teaches a computer program including instructions executed by a processor for carrying out the functionality of the network node 1800. Tidestav in view of 38.214 teach the method of claim 24. Thus, the same rejection applies to claim 67.)
Conclusion
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/MARGARET MARIE ANDERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2412 /CHARLES C JIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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