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 .
Response to Amendment
This action is in response to the amendment filed on 3/4/2025. Claims 3-6, 8-28, 52 and 57-62 have been canceled and claims 1-2, 7, 29-51, 53-56 are pending in the application.
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)(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) 1-2, 729-30, 32, 35, 37, 49-50, 53-54, 56 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026].
As claims 1 and 29, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) [Fig 3A], comprising: receiving a configuration that specifies that overlapping uplink control informations (UCIs) on one or more physical uplink channels are to be jointly multiplexed into a single UCI for multiple transmit receive points (TRPs) [Par. 0089, 00114, 0116, 0119, 0156, 0180 discloses the TRPs configured the overlapped UCI PUCCH resource for TRP1 and TRP2 in order to jointly multiplexing the UCIs of the TRP1 and TRP2 into a single UCI for transmitting via third PUCCH]; generating the single UCI based at least in part on the configuration by jointly multiplexing the overlapping UCIs into the single UCI without differentiating TRPs [Par. 0119 discloses single UCI is transmitted in third PUCCH without differentiating TRPs]; and transmitting the single UCI in an uplink communication [Par. 0119 discloses send single UCI via third PUCCH].
As claims 2 and 30, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses generating the single UCI includes selecting resources for a physical uplink channel communication on the one or more physical uplink channels to be resources for the single UCI [Par. 0119, 0195-0196 disclose selecting third PUCCH for sending single UCI].
As claim 7, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses generating the single UCI includes selecting resources for a physical uplink channel of the one or more physical uplink channels to be resources associated with a specified control resource set pool index [Par. 0096-0097, 0112 discloses CORESET group index associated with resources].
As claim 32, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses the overlapping UCIs include one or more of feedback, a scheduling request, or a channel state information (CSI) report associated with the multiple TRPs [Par. 0089, 0196 discloses UCI includes ack, SR, CSI].
As claim 35, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses to generate the single UCI, are configured to select resources for a physical uplink channel of the one or more physical uplink channels to be resources associated with a specified control resource set pool index [Par. 0119, 0096, 0097, 0112].
As claim 37, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses jointly multiplex the overlapping UCIs, are configured to jointly multiplex one or more UCIs in one or more first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communications and one or more UCIs in one or more second PUCCH communications into the single UCI [Par. 0119].
As claim 49, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses a network entity for wireless communication, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to: transmit a configuration that specifies that overlapping uplink control informations (UCIs) on one or more physical uplink channels are to be jointly multiplexed into a single UCI for multiple transmit receive points (TRPs) [Par. 0089, 00114, 0116, 0119, 0156, 0180 discloses the TRPs configured the overlapped UCI PUCCH resource for TRP1 and TRP2 in order to jointly multiplexing the UCIs of the TRP1 and TRP2 into a single UCI for transmitting via third PUCCH]; receive one or more single UCIs, each single UCI being multiplexed to include overlapping UCIs [Par. 0119 discloses a single UCI which includes the overlapping UCIS of TRP1 and TRP2]; and transmit or receive a communication based at least in part on the one or more single UCIs [Par. 0119 discloses TRP receives single UCI via third PUCCH].
As claim 50, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses the configuration specifies jointly multiplexing the overlapping UCIs without differentiating TRPs, and wherein the single UCI is jointly multiplexed without TRP differentiation [Par. 0119 discloses third PUCCH which used for conveying multiplexed overlapping UCIs from different TRPs is not differentiated TRPs].
As claim 53, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses the overlapping UCIs include one or more of feedback, a scheduling request, or a channel state information (CSI) report [Par. 0089, 0196 discloses UCI includes ack, SR, CSI].
As claim 54, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] the one or more single UCIs are in resources associated with a specified control resource set pool index [Par. 0096-0097, 0112 discloses CORESET group index associated with resources].
As claim 56, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses a single UCI of the one or more single UCIs includes one or more UCIs that are jointly multiplexed from one or more UCIs in one or more first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communications and one or more UCIs in one or more second PUCCH communications [Par. 0119].
Claim(s) 38-39, 42-43, 47-48 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ling [US 2022/0287030].
As claim 38, Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to: receive a configuration that specifies that overlapping uplink control informations (UCIs) on one or more physical uplink channels for multiple transmit receive points (TRPs) are to be multiplexed into a single UCI per TRP [Par. 0073-0077, 0079-0093 discloses UE receives configuration that specifying the overlapping UCIs are multiplexed into single UCI per TRP]; generate, for each TRP based at least in part on the configuration, the single UCI by multiplexing the overlapping UCIs for the TRP into the single UCI [Par. 0079-0093, 0107-0110 discloses overlapped UCIs are multiplexed single UCI per TRP]; and transmit the single UCI in an uplink transmission for each TRP [Par. 0107-0110 discloses UE send single UCI per TRP to per TRP via non-overlapping PUCCH].
As claim 39, Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses the single UCI for a TRP, are configured to select resources for a physical uplink channel communication on the one or more physical uplink channels associated with the TRP to be resources for the single UCI for the TRP [Par. 0077-0083].
As claim 42, Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses the multiplexing includes multiplexing channel state information (CSI) reports in one or more physical uplink channel communications per TRP [Par. 0080-0090 discloses CSI reports are multiplexed in PUCCH per TRP].
As claim 43, Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses the multiplexing includes multiplexing feedback or scheduling requests in one or more physical uplink channel communications per TRP [Par. 0076-0077, 0087-0093 disclose CSI, Ack, SR].
As claim 47, Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses the multiplexing includes multiplexing one or more UCIs in one or more first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communications and one or more UCIs in one or more second PUCCH communications into the single UCI per TRP [Par. 0077-0083 discloses multiplexing UCIs of PUCCHs into single UCI per TRP].
As claim 48, Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses determine that the one or more UCIs in the one or more first PUCCH communications and the one or more UCIs in the one or more second PUCCH communications share a same TRP based at least in part on a rule [Par. 0073-0079 discloses two PUCCH for TRP].
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.
Claim(s) 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] in view of Park [US 20190246416].
As claim 31, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] fails to disclose what Park [US 20190246416] discloses puncture resources for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication for the single UCI [Par. 0222, 0397, 0399, 0410, 0776 disclose pusch is punctured for UCI].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for puncturing the pusch resource to send the single UCI as disclosed by Park [US 20190246416] into the teaching of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] in view of Zhang [US 2025/0287380].
As claim 33, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] fails to disclose what Zhang [US 2025/0287380] discloses select resources for physical uplink channel communications of one TRP of the multiple TRPs to be resources for the single UCI [Par. 0028 discloses selecting pucch resource of TRP of the multiple TRPs for transmitting multiplexed UCI].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for puncturing the pusch resource to send the single UCI as disclosed by Zhang [US 2025/0287380] into the teaching of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] and Zhang [US 2025/0287380] in view of Suzuki [US 2019/0158327] or Xiong [US 2021/0410165].
As claim 34, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] and Zhang [US 2025/0287380] fail to disclose what Suzuki [US 2019/0158327] or Xiong [US 2021/0410165]discloses the physical uplink channel communications are in a same serving cell and have a same starting symbol [Xiong discloses Par. 0039 Uplink signals have same staring symbol and Suzuki discloses Fig 8, Ref 600 and 601].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for the physical uplink channel communications are in a same serving cell and have a same starting symbol as disclosed by Suzuki [US 2019/0158327] or Xiong [US 2021/0410165] into the teaching of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] and Zhang [US 2025/0287380]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 36 and 55 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] in view of Xiong [US 2019/0364561].
As claim 36, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] fails to disclose what Xiong [US 2019/0364561] discloses jointly multiplex the overlapping UCIs, are configured to jointly multiplex one or more UCIs on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and one or more UCIs on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) into the single UCI [Par. 0030 discloses multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH to the single UCI as disclosed by Xiong [US 2019/0364561] into the teaching of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
As claim 55, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] fails to disclose what Xiong [US 2019/0364561] discloses a single UCI of the one or more single UCIs includes one or more UCIs that are jointly multiplexed from one or more UCIs on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and one or more UCIs on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) [Par. 0030 discloses multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH to the single UCI as disclosed by Xiong [US 2019/0364561] into the teaching of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling [US 2022/0287030] in view of Park [US 20190246416].
As claim 40, Ling [US 2022/0287030] fails to disclose what Park [US 20190246416] discloses puncture resources for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) communication for the single UCI for each TRP [Par. 0222, 0397, 0399, 0410, 0776 discloses pusch is punctured for UCI].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for puncturing the pusch resource to send the single UCI as disclosed by Park [US 20190246416] into the teaching of Ling [US 2022/0287030]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling [US 2022/0287030] in view of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026].
As claim 41, Ling [US 2022/0287030] fails to disclose what Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] discloses the multiplexing includes jointly multiplexing periodic CSI reports or semi-persistent CSI reports in physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communications associated with different TRPs into a physical uplink channel communication associated with a specified control resource set pool index [Par. 0096, 0097, 0112, 0119 discloses multiplexing the CSIS of PUCCHs associated with different TRPs into single UCI].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for puncturing the pusch resource to send the single UCI as disclosed by Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] into the teaching of Ling [US 2022/0287030]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 44 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ling [US 2022/0287030] in view of Xiong [US 2019/0364561].
As claim 44, Ling [US 2022/0287030] fails to disclose what Xiong [US 2019/0364561] discloses the multiplexing includes multiplexing one or more UCIs on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and one or more UCIs on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) into the single UCI per TRP [Par. 0030 discloses multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH to the single UCI as disclosed by Xiong [US 2019/0364561] into the teaching of Ling [US 2022/0287030]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Claim(s) 51 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] in view of Ling [US 2022/0287030].
As claim 51, Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026] fails to disclose what Ling [US 2022/0287030] discloses the configuration specifies multiplexing the overlapping UCIs per TRP, and wherein each single UCI of the one or more single UCIs is multiplexed for one TRP of the multiple TRPs [Par. 0073-0077, 0079-0093 discloses UE receives configuration that specifying the overlapping UCIs are multiplexed into single UCI per TRP].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for multiplexing PUCCH and PUSCH to the single UCI as disclosed by Ling [US 2022/0287030] into the teaching of Papasakellarion [US 2021/0014026]. The motivation would have been to reduce overhead signaling.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 45-46 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.
As claims 45, the prior arts fails to disclose determine that the one or more UCIs on the PUCCH and the one or more UCIs on the PUSCH share a same TRP based at least in part on a rule.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Xiong [WO 2020/092264] discloses UE can identify first UCI for a first transmit and receive point (TRP). The UE can identify second UCI for a second TRP. The UE can determine that a first physical uplink channel resource associated with the first UCI overlaps in time in a slot with a second physical uplink channel resource associated with the second UCI within a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) group. The UE can apply a priority based UCI selection rule to 10 produce a priority based UCI communication of one or more UCI. The UE can encode the one or more UCI for transmission to the gNB using one or more of the first physical uplink channel resource or the second physical uplink channel resource.
Jassal [US 2020/0100239] discloses Systems and methods of transmitting and receiving combined uplink control information (UCI) in respect of downlink assignments are provided. The UE is configured to combine certain UCI based on a property of downlink assignment, such as PDCCH ID, beam information, CORESET. The UE may also be configured to determine which UCI having the same value of the property of downlink assignment to combine. This can be based on a value-specific monitoring window or a monitoring window that is common to multiple values of the assignment property.
Matsumura [US 20250185011] discloses A terminal according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a receiving section that receives first configuration information related to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), second configuration information related to a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and third configuration information related to uplink simultaneous transmission using multiple panels; and a control section that controls, based on the first configuration information, the second configuration information, and the third configuration information, selection related to a resource for the PUSCH and transmission of at least one of the PUSCH and the PUCCH. An aspect of the present disclosure enables UL transmission to be appropriately controlled even when the UL transmission is performed using multiple panels.
Xiong [US 2022/0158775] discloses Systems, devices, and techniques for wireless communications are described. A described technique includes receiving, by a user equipment (UE) from one or more Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission; determining, by the UE for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) carrying hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK), a TRP index in accordance with a control resource set (CORESET) scheduling the PDSCH transmission; and transmitting, by the UE via the PUCCH, HARQ-ACK information based on the receiving of the PDSCH transmission in accordance with the TRP index.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3159. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
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