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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on 08/22/2024 comply with all application rules and regulations. Therefore, the information referred to therein have been considered.
Specification Objection
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The following title is suggested: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING TCI STATES USING CONTROL RESOURCE SET AND WIRELESS DEVICE CAPABILITY.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1, 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takeda et al. (WO-2020144775-A1), as field on Jan. 09, 2019 and published on Jul. 16, 2020, please, refer to citation of “U” in the PTO-892 of the clarified PE2E translation of (WO-2020144775-A1).
Regarding claim 1 (Currently Amended), Takeda teaches a terminal comprising: a receiver that receives an indication of a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state to be applied to a plurality of types of channels and information related to a control resource set (CORESET) with a certain index (Fig. 1, abstract and Para. 2 Page 1 illustrate the method relates to a user terminal, that includes a receiver unit for receiving messages from the network/BS, and a wireless communication method in a next-generation mobile communication system. Para. 2 Page 2 states “In NR, based on a transmission configuration indication state (Transmission Configuration Indication state (TCI state)), at least one of a signal and a channel (expressed as a signal/channel) reception processing (for example, reception, demapping, demodulation, It is considered to control at least one of decoding) and a transmission process (for example, at least one of transmission, mapping, precoding, modulation and coding)” see also Paras. 4, 9-10, 12 Page 3 and Para. 2 Page 4, as stated “The UE may determine the TCI state for the UE-specific PDCCH (CORESET) based on higher layer signaling. For example, one or a plurality (K) of TCI states may be set for the UE for each CORESET by RRC signaling”, and last Para. in Page 5 states “The UE may receive the PDCCH using CORESET associated with the one SSB (or one CSI-RS) or may receive the PDCCH using one active TCI state. The UE may receive the PDSCH on the basis of PDSCH and CORESET which is QCL, or may receive the PDSCH using one active TCI state.” That provide the UE may receive and applied multiple TCI states, from the higher layer signaling (from BS), for plurality types of channels and information related to the certain CORESET); and a processor that determines a TCI state to be applied to the CORESET with the certain index, based on a terminal capability related to whether to support an operation of configuring whether to apply the indicated TCI state to the CORESET with the certain index (Para. 5 Page 23 states “the base station, the user terminal, and the like according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the process of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware configurations of a base station and a user terminal according to an embodiment. The base station 10 and the user terminal 20 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like. .. )” that confirms the UE or the BS may include a processor/ computer device/memory as a part of the apparatus structure. Paras 7-13 Page 15 provide that the sixth embodiment relates to UE capabilities declaration, where the UE may send predetermined capability information (UE capability information that related per CORESET setting) to the BS and the various embodiments described above may be assumed to be utilized when the UE reports the predetermined capability information. The predetermined capability information may be capability information indicating that the combined beam can be received/transmitted, the maximum number of RSs having at least one of different QCLs, or any other information. It is also states that the UE may not transmit the above-mentioned predetermined capability information may not be expected to operate according to the above-described various embodiments (which means the UE does not able or support the per-CORESET configuration). Paras. 9-10 Page 3 states “The UE may determine the TCI state for the UE-specific PDCCH (CORESET) based on higher layer signaling. For example, one or a plurality (K) of TCI states may be set for the UE for each CORESET by RRC signaling” and illustrates that the UE may monitor CORESET based on the active TCI state corresponding to the CORESET. Para. 3-4 Page 10 also describes one TCI state may be active, or more than one TCI state may be active, which implies that The UE may activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET according to the given MAC CE received which based on the predetermined capability information that provided by UE, see also Para. 5 Page 9. In other word, if the UE cannot transmit the above-mentioned predetermined capability information may not be expected to operate according to the above-described various embodiments, as stated in the last Para. of page 15, the network will not configure this operation to the UE, which is “The second embodiment is broadly divided into: one active TCI state for a certain CORESET(embodiment 2-1), more than one active TCI state for a certain CORESET is allowed. (Embodiment 2-2),” as sated in Para. 5 Page 9).
As to claim 5 see similar rejections to claim 1, the apparatus teaches the method.
Regarding claim 6, Takeda teaches a base station comprising: a transmitter that transmits an indication of a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state to be applied to a plurality of types of channels and information related to a control resource set (CORESET) with a certain index (Para. 7 page 18 states “FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the base station according to the embodiment. The base station 10 includes a control unit 110, a transmission/reception unit 120, a transmission/reception antenna 130, and a transmission line interface 140. It should be noted that the control unit 110, the transmission/ reception unit 120, the transmission/reception antenna 130, and the transmission path interface 140 may each be provided with one or more.” That implies the BS/UE may include a transmission/reception unit for sending/receiving signals, see also Page 18. Para. 2 Page 4 recites “Whether the TCI field is included in the DCI may be controlled by the information notified from the base station to the UE.” And Para. 3 Page 4 states “The value of the TCI field in DCI may indicate one of the TCI states activated by MAC CE.” That confirms the BS may transmit TCI state indications, which can be don via RRC or MAC CE, as described in Para. 1 Page 3, where the TCI state may contains information about the different types of channels that related to CORESET as stated in Para. 4 Page 4, “a downlink shared channel(Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)), a downlink control channel (Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)), and an uplink shared channel (Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) )), and at least one of the Uplink Control Channel (Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)” see also Paras. 3-4 Page 2. Para. 4 Page 10 states “A given MAC CE may instruct to activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET. The UE may activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET according to the given MAC CE receive,” that means the system specified the CORESET ID/index with more than one indicated TCI states, so that the UE can select/active the TCI states to the certain CORESET); and a processor that controls an indication of a TCI state to be applied to the CORESET with the certain index, based on a terminal capability related to whether to support an operation of configuring whether to apply the indicated TCI state to the CORESET with the certain index ((Para. 5 Page 23 states “the base station, the user terminal, and the like according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the process of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware configurations of a base station and a user terminal according to an embodiment. The base station 10 and the user terminal 20 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like. .. )” that confirms the UE or the BS may include a processor/ computer device/memory as a part of the apparatus structure. Paras 7-13 Page 15 provide that the sixth embodiment relates to UE capabilities declaration, where the UE may send predetermined capability information (UE capability information that related per CORESET setting) to the BS and the various embodiments described above may be assumed to be utilized when the UE reports the predetermined capability information. The predetermined capability information may be capability information indicating that the combined beam can be received/transmitted, the maximum number of RSs having at least one of different QCLs, or any other information. It is also states that the UE may not transmit the above-mentioned predetermined capability information may not be expected to operate according to the above-described various embodiments (which means the UE does not able or support the per-CORESET configuration). Paras. 9-10 Page 3 states “The UE may determine the TCI state for the UE-specific PDCCH (CORESET) based on higher layer signaling. For example, one or a plurality (K) of TCI states may be set for the UE for each CORESET by RRC signaling” and illustrates that the UE may monitor CORESET based on the active TCI state corresponding to the CORESET. Para. 3-4 Page 10 also describes one TCI state may be active, or more than one TCI state may be active, which implies that The UE may activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET according to the given MAC CE received which based on the predetermined capability information that provided by UE, see also Para. 5 Page 9. In other word, if the UE cannot transmit the above-mentioned predetermined capability information may not be expected to operate according to the above-described various embodiments, as stated in the last Para. of page 15, the network will not configure this operation to the UE, which is “The second embodiment is broadly divided into: one active TCI state for a certain CORESET(embodiment 2-1), more than one active TCI state for a certain CORESET is allowed. (Embodiment 2-2),” as sated in Para. 5 Page 9).
Regarding claim 7, Takeda teaches a system comprising a terminal and a base station (The system includes the terminal/UE and BS as mentioned in Paras. 7 and 9 Page 27 and Para. 1 Page 28), wherein: the terminal comprises: a receiver that receives an indication of a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state to be applied to a plurality of types of channels and information related to a control resource set (CORESET) with a certain index (Fig. 1, abstract and Para. 2 Page 1 illustrate the method relates to a user terminal, that includes a receiver unit for receiving messages from the network/BS, and a wireless communication method in a next-generation mobile communication system. Para. 2 Page 2 states “In NR, based on a transmission configuration indication state (Transmission Configuration Indication state (TCI state)), at least one of a signal and a channel (expressed as a signal/channel) reception processing (for example, reception, demapping, demodulation, It is considered to control at least one of decoding) and a transmission process (for example, at least one of transmission, mapping, precoding, modulation and coding)” see also Paras. 4, 9-10, 12 Page 3 and Para. 2 Page 4, as stated “The UE may determine the TCI state for the UE-specific PDCCH (CORESET) based on higher layer signaling. For example, one or a plurality (K) of TCI states may be set for the UE for each CORESET by RRC signaling”, and last Para. in Page 5 states “The UE may receive the PDCCH using CORESET associated with the one SSB (or one CSI-RS) or may receive the PDCCH using one active TCI state. The UE may receive the PDSCH on the basis of PDSCH and CORESET which is QCL, or may receive the PDSCH using one active TCI state.” That provide the UE may receive and applied multiple TCI states, from the higher layer signaling (from BS), for plurality types of channels and information related to the certain CORESET); and a processor that determines a TCI state to be applied to the CORESET with the certain index, based on a terminal capability related to whether to support an operation of configuring whether to apply the indicated TCI state to the CORESET with the certain index (Para. 5 Page 23 states “the base station, the user terminal, and the like according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the process of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware configurations of a base station and a user terminal according to an embodiment. The base station 10 and the user terminal 20 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like. .. )” that confirms the UE or the BS may include a processor/ computer device/memory as a part of the apparatus structure. Paras 7-13 Page 15 provide that the sixth embodiment relates to UE capabilities declaration, where the UE may send predetermined capability information (UE capability information that related per CORESET setting) to the BS and the various embodiments described above may be assumed to be utilized when the UE reports the predetermined capability information. The predetermined capability information may be capability information indicating that the combined beam can be received/transmitted, the maximum number of RSs having at least one of different QCLs, or any other information. It is also states that the UE may not transmit the above-mentioned predetermined capability information may not be expected to operate according to the above-described various embodiments (which means the UE does not able or support the per-CORESET configuration). Paras. 9-10 Page 3 states “The UE may determine the TCI state for the UE-specific PDCCH (CORESET) based on higher layer signaling. For example, one or a plurality (K) of TCI states may be set for the UE for each CORESET by RRC signaling” and illustrates that the UE may monitor CORESET based on the active TCI state corresponding to the CORESET. Para. 3-4 Page 10 also describes one TCI state may be active, or more than one TCI state may be active, which implies that The UE may activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET according to the given MAC CE received which based on the predetermined capability information that provided by UE, see also Para. 5 Page 9. In other word, if the UE cannot transmit the above-mentioned predetermined capability information may not be expected to operate according to the above-described various embodiments, as stated in the last Para. of page 15, the network will not configure this operation to the UE, which is “The second embodiment is broadly divided into: one active TCI state for a certain CORESET(embodiment 2-1), more than one active TCI state for a certain CORESET is allowed. (Embodiment 2-2),” as sated in Para. 5 Page 9), and the base station comprises: a transmitter that transmits the indication of the TCI state and the information related to the CORESET with the certain index (Para. 7 page 18 states “FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the base station according to the embodiment. The base station 10 includes a control unit 110, a transmission/reception unit 120, a transmission/reception antenna 130, and a transmission line interface 140. It should be noted that the control unit 110, the transmission/ reception unit 120, the transmission/ reception antenna 130, and the transmission path interface 140 may each be provided with one or more.” That implies the BS/UE may include a transmission/reception unit for sending/receiving signals, see also Page 18. Para. 2 Page 4 recites “Whether the TCI field is included in the DCI may be controlled by the information notified from the base station to the UE.” And Para. 3 Page 4 states “The value of the TCI field in DCI may indicate one of the TCI states activated by MAC CE.” That confirms the BS may transmit TCI state indications, which can be don via RRC or MAC CE, as described in Para. 1 Page 3, where the TCI state may contains information about the different types of channels that related to CORESET as stated in Para. 4 Page 4, “a downlink shared channel(Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)), a downlink control channel (Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)), and an uplink shared channel (Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) )), and at least one of the Uplink Control Channel (Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)” see also Paras. 3-4 Page 2. Para. 4 Page 10 states “A given MAC CE may instruct to activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET. The UE may activate more than one TCI state for a certain CORESET according to the given MAC CE receive,” that means the system specified the CORESET ID/index with more than one indicated TCI states, so that the UE can select/active the TCI states to the certain CORESET).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda et al. (WO-2020144775-A1), as field on Jan. 09, 2019 and published on Jul. 16, 2020, please, refer to citation of “U” in the PTO-892 of the clarified PE2E translation of (WO-2020144775-A1), in view of Peng et al. (CN-111106914-A), refer to citation of “V” in the PTO-892 of the clarified PE2E translation of (CN-111106914-A).
Regarding claim 2 (Currently Amended), Takeda teaches the terminal according to claim 1,
However, Takeda fails to teach, but Peng teaches wherein when the terminal does not have the terminal capability, the processor applies the indicated TCI state to the CORESET with the certain index (Para. 8 Page 4 states “if the UE only supports 1 TCI state; UE-specific of BWP, on the other hand, it further can according to one of the following two items to determine the target CORESET of the preset CORESET TCI state is determined as the target CORESET state the TCI of QCL pre-determined as the target CORESET of the QCL,” and Para. 1 Page 6 states “if the UE supports 1 Concerning BWP, one initial network configuration BWP, and deploy an additional different from initial network BWP of BWP (The BWP Concerning), TCI state; further can according to one of the following two items to determine the target CORESET of the preset CORESET TCI state determined to be target CORESET TCI state, the QCL pre-determined to be target CORESET QCL” see also Para. 11 Page 8. That implies when the UE doesn’t have the required capability, it applied the indicated TCI to the preset CORESET, which has a specific ID/index, by fallback according to the available configuration and determined CORESET/BWP).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Takeda to incorporate the teachings of Peng (in analogous art) by adding when the terminal does not have the terminal capability, the processor applies the indicated TCI state to the CORESET with the certain index for increasing system performance by using the embodiment of the invention can in the case supported by user equipment UE capability, so the stability of the system working as much as possible. (Peng, Para. 5 Page 3).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
disclosure.
Takahashi et al. (US-20210321462-A1), Yang et al. (US-20210266947-A1), Shi et al. (US-20210022144-A1), and Matsumura et al. (WO-2020090059-A1) teach methods involved identifying TCI state that may applied based on whether the terminal supports per-CORESET configuration in wireless network systems.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANAA S AL SAMAHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4171. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/SANAA AL SAMAHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2463
/OMAR J GHOWRWAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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