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 OFFICE ACTION
This action is responsive to the communication received August 20th, 2024. Claims 1-30 have been entered and are presented for examination.
Application 18/840,026 is a 371 of PCT/CN2022/091449 05/07/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on July 17th, 2026, May 19th, 2026, and August 20th, 2024 are 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 § 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(s) 1, 8-9, 16-17, 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellariou et al. (US 2014/0064242) in view of Papasakellariou (US 2016/0295561).
Regarding claims 1, 9, Papasakellariou et al. discloses a method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (paragraph 0042 [UE]), comprising: receiving, from a network node, signaling indicating a plurality of sets of beta offset values associated with one transport block (TB) and two TBs (paragraph 0042 [the base station assigns to a UE a first parameter value .beta..sub.offset,SU-MIMO.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying multiple TBs and a second parameter value .beta..sub.offset.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying a single TB]); receiving, from the network node, downlink control information (DCI) or a radio resource control (RRC) message scheduling a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) associated with one TB or two TBs (paragraph 0008 [UE-specific control signals can be used, among other purposes, to provide UEs with Scheduling Assignments (SAs) for PDSCH reception (DL SAs) or PUSCH transmission (UL SAs). The SAs are transmitted from Node B to respective UEs using Downlink Control Information (DCI) formats through respective Physical Downlink Control CHannels (PDCCHs)]); the set of beta offset values selected from the plurality of sets of beta offset values based on whether the UCI is transmitted on the PUSCH associated with the one TB or the two TBs (paragraph 0042 [the base station assigns to a UE a first parameter value .beta..sub.offset,SU-MIMO.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying multiple TBs and a second parameter value .beta..sub.offset.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying a single TB]).
Papasakellariou et al. does not explicitly disclose transmitting uplink control information (UCI), via a quantity of resource elements (REs), on the PUSCH associated with the one TB or the two TBs based on receiving the DCI or the RRC message, the quantity of REs determined based on a beta offset value from a set of beta offset values of the plurality of sets of beta offset values.
Papasakellariou discloses transmitting uplink control information (UCI), via a quantity of resource elements (REs), on the PUSCH associated with the one TB or the two TBs (paragraph 0095, 0109, 0209 [UE 114 transmits O.sub.HARQ-ACK HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH that conveys one data TB; a number of REs, M.sub.RE.sup.req, required for multiplexing HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH depends on a MCS for an initial data TB transmission on a HARQ-ACK information payload O.sub.HARQ-ACK and on an offset β.sub.offset.sup.PUSCH; see Equation 2; UE 114 transmits HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH that conveys two data TBs; A DL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PDSCH transmission or a SPS PDSCH release and an UL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PUSCH transmission.]) based on receiving the DCI or the RRC message, the quantity of REs determined based on a beta offset value from a set of beta offset values of the plurality of sets of beta offset values (paragraph 0095, 0109, 0209 [UE 114 transmits O.sub.HARQ-ACK HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH that conveys one data TB; a number of REs, M.sub.RE.sup.req, required for multiplexing HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH depends on a MCS for an initial data TB transmission on a HARQ-ACK information payload O.sub.HARQ-ACK and on an offset β.sub.offset.sup.PUSCH; see Equation 2; A DL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PDSCH transmission or a SPS PDSCH release and an UL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PUSCH transmission.]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize the Res used can be determined based on the beta offset. The motivation for this is to account for one or two TBs.
Regarding claims 8, 16, the references as combined disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9.
However, Papasakellariou et al. further discloses in which the UCI includes hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (paragraph 0010 [ The UCI includes ACKnowledgment (ACK) information]), channel state information (CSI), or configured grant uplink control information (CG-UCI).
Regarding claims 17, 24, Papasakellariou et al. discloses a method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (paragraph 0042 [UE]), comprising: receiving, from a network node, signaling indicating a plurality of sets of beta offset values associated with two transport blocks (TBs) (paragraph 0042 [the base station assigns to a UE a first parameter value .beta..sub.offset,SU-MIMO.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying multiple TBs and a second parameter value .beta..sub.offset.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying a single TB]); receiving, from the network node, downlink control information (DCI) or a radio resource control (RRC) message scheduling a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) associated with two TBs (paragraph 0008 [UE-specific control signals can be used, among other purposes, to provide UEs with Scheduling Assignments (SAs) for PDSCH reception (DL SAs) or PUSCH transmission (UL SAs). The SAs are transmitted from Node B to respective UEs using Downlink Control Information (DCI) formats through respective Physical Downlink Control CHannels (PDCCHs)]); the set of beta offset values selected based on whether second UCI is multiplexed on second REs within a second TB of the two TBs (paragraph 0042 [the base station assigns to a UE a first parameter value .beta..sub.offset,SU-MIMO.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying multiple TBs and a second parameter value .beta..sub.offset.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying a single TB]).
Papasakellariou et al. does not explicitly disclose transmitting first uplink control information (UCI), via a quantity of first resource elements (REs), on the PUSCH associated within a first TB of the two TBs based on receiving the DCI or the RRC message, the quantity of first REs determined based on a beta offset value from a set of beta offset values of the plurality of sets of beta offset values, the first REs corresponding to the second REs.
Papasakellariou discloses transmitting uplink control information (UCI), via a quantity of resource elements (REs), on the PUSCH associated with the one TB or the two TBs (paragraph 0095, 0109, 0209 [UE 114 transmits O.sub.HARQ-ACK HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH that conveys one data TB; a number of REs, M.sub.RE.sup.req, required for multiplexing HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH depends on a MCS for an initial data TB transmission on a HARQ-ACK information payload O.sub.HARQ-ACK and on an offset β.sub.offset.sup.PUSCH; see Equation 2; UE 114 transmits HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH that conveys two data TBs; A DL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PDSCH transmission or a SPS PDSCH release and an UL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PUSCH transmission.]) based on receiving the DCI or the RRC message, the quantity of REs determined based on a beta offset value from a set of beta offset values of the plurality of sets of beta offset values, the first REs corresponding to the second REs (paragraph 0095, 0109, 0209 [UE 114 transmits O.sub.HARQ-ACK HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH that conveys one data TB; a number of REs, M.sub.RE.sup.req, required for multiplexing HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH depends on a MCS for an initial data TB transmission on a HARQ-ACK information payload O.sub.HARQ-ACK and on an offset β.sub.offset.sup.PUSCH; see Equation 2; A DL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PDSCH transmission or a SPS PDSCH release and an UL DCI format refers to a DCI format scheduling a PUSCH transmission.]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize the Res used can be determined based on the beta offset. The motivation for this is to account for one or two TBs.
Claim(s) 2-3, 10-11, 18-19, 25-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellariou et al. (US 2014/0064242) in view of Papasakellariou (US 2016/0295561) as applied to claims 1, 9, 17, 24, above and further in view of Takeda et al. (US 2021/0378006).
Regarding claims 2, 10, 18, 25, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9, 17, 24, but do not explicitly disclose in which the signaling indicating the plurality of sets of beta offset values is a semi-static indication.
However, Takeda et al. discloses the signaling indicating the plurality of sets of beta offset values is a semi-static indication (paragraph 0131 [uci-OnPUSCH (CG-UCI-OnPUSCH) indicating selection of dynamic and semi-static beta offsets]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize the beta offsets could be semi-static so that the UE could easily switch between the values based on the settings.
Regarding claims 3, 11, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 2, 10.
However, Papasakellariou et al. further suggests in which: the plurality of sets of beta offset values includes a first set of beta offset values and a second set of beta offset values; the set of beta offset values corresponds to the first set of beta offset values based on the UCI being transmitted on the PUSCH associated with the one TB; and the set of beta offset values corresponds to the second set of beta offset values based on the UCI being transmitted on the PUSCH associated with the two TBs (paragraph 0042 [the base station assigns to a UE a first parameter value .beta..sub.offset,SU-MIMO.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying multiple TBs and a second parameter value .beta..sub.offset.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying a single TB; Examiner interprets one beta offset as a set of 1]).
Regarding claim 19, 26, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 18, 25.
However, Papasakellariou et al. further suggests in which:the plurality of sets of beta offset values includes a first set of beta offset values and a second set of beta offset values; the set of beta offset values corresponds to the first set of beta offset values based on no UCI being multiplexed on the second REs; and the set of beta offset values corresponds to the second set of beta offset values based on the second UCI being multiplexed on the second REs (paragraph 0042 [the base station assigns to a UE a first parameter value .beta..sub.offset,SU-MIMO.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying multiple TBs and a second parameter value .beta..sub.offset.sup.PUSCH to use for computing the number of coded control information symbols in each spatial layer of a PUSCH transmission conveying a single TB; Examiner interprets one beta offset as a set of 1])..
Claim(s) 6-7, 14-15, 22-23, 29-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellariou et al. (US 2014/0064242) in view of Papasakellariou (US 2016/0295561) as applied to claims 1, 9, 17, 24, above and further in view of Wang et al. (US 2018/0227908).
Regarding claims 6, 14, 22, 29, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9, 17, 24, but do not explicitly disclose in which: each set of beta offset values of the plurality of sets of beta offset values includes multiple beta offset values; and each beta offset value of the multiple beta offset values corresponds to one or both of a UCI type or a payload.
However, Wang et al. each set of beta offset values of the plurality of sets of beta offset values includes multiple beta offset values (paragraph 0061 [ the base station may configure multiple sets of beta offset values in the RRC signaling. Then, the base station may indicate a particular set of beta offset values within the previously signaled sets in PDCCH, e.g., via DCI.]); and each beta offset value of the multiple beta offset values corresponds to one or both of a UCI type or a payload (paragraph 0063-0064, 0088 [use one set of beta offset values for ACK; the beta offset component may identify the beta offset value(s) for the UCI from among the received beta offset value sets based on the received indication]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize there could be multiple sets of beta offsets values for each type of UCI.
Regarding claims 7, 15, 23, 30, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9, 17, 24, but do not explicitly disclose in which the signaling is RRC signaling.
However, Wang et al. discloses the signaling is RRC signaling (paragraph 0007 [ the base station may indicate a set of beta values to the UE, e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize there could be multiple sets of beta offsets values for each type of UCI.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 12-13, 20-21, 27-28 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.
The prior art of record does not explicitly disclose or make obvious in which: the plurality of sets of beta offset values includes a first group of sets of beta offset values and a second group of sets of beta offset values; the set of beta offset values corresponds to one set of beta offset values from the first group of sets of beta offset values based on the UCI being transmitted on the PUSCH associated with the one TB; and the set of beta offset values corresponds to one set of beta offset values from the second group of sets of beta offset values based on the UCI being transmitted on the PUSCH with the two TBs (Claims 4, 12, 20, 27).
Claims 5, 13, 21, 28 depends from Claims 4, 12, 20, 27.
Wang et al. (US 2018/0227908) discloses the beta offset component may identify the beta offset value(s) for the UCI from among the received beta offset value sets based on the received indication (paragraph 0088), but does not disclose the sets are associated with one or two TBs.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE whose telephone number is (571)270-3937. The examiner can normally be reached 4pm-11:30pm.
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, Ayman Abaza can be reached at (571)270-0422. 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.
/CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2465
Prosecution Insights