DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 84-105 are pending in Instant Application.
Priority
Examiner acknowledges Applicant’s claim to priority benefits: This application is a 371 of PCT/CN2023/116154 filed 08/31/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 3/7/2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered if signed and initialed by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 84-87, 96, 98 and 101-105 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wei et al. (US Pub. No.: 2023/0122950).
As per claim 84, Wei disclose A first device (see Fig.3, UE 350, Fig.6A, UE 404) comprising:
at least one processor (see Fig.3, a controller/processor 359); and
at least one memory (see Fig.3, a memory 360) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (see para. 0094, the controller/processor 359 is associated with a memory 360 that stores program codes and executed by the processor), cause the first device at least to:
receive, from a second device (see Fig.6A, base station 402), first information associated with an enhanced transmission of a message with a first transmission direction which is transmitted from the second device to the first device during a random access (RA) procedure (see Fig. 6A, para. 0124-0133, the UE transmit a random access preamble requesting RAR coverage enhancement when an SSE-based reference signal received power (RSRP) level is less than a value (such as indicating that RAR repetition is needed for the UE to receive and correctly decode the RAR), the base station determines that the UE is capable of receiving the RAR on the PDSCH with repetition based on the UE's reported capabilities, the base station indicates whether the RAR is transmitted with or without repetition (corresponding to: first information associated with an enhanced transmission of a message with a first transmission direction), the UE can determine whether coverage enhancement is provided for the RAR. The base station may distinguish between RAR transmissions with coverage enhancement and RAR transmissions without coverage enhancement using a bit (such as the MSB) of the MCS field in the DCI message); and
receive, based on the first information, the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction from the second device during the RA procedure (see Fig. 6A, para. 0124-0133, the base station transmits a PDCCH that schedules a PDSCH within a number of consecutive slots, and then transmit the RAR containing a random access preamble identifier as Msg2 in one or more slots of the number of consecutive slots of the PDSCH (corresponding to: the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction), the PDSCH is associated with a transport block size (TBS) scaling factor of one-eighth, for example, to effectively reduce the MCS of the PDSCH transmission for coverage enhancement, the PDSCH carrying the RAR is associated with a TBS scaling factor of other values (such as larger than one-eighth), and the coverage enhancement is achieved by repetitive transmission of the RAR in a number of the consecutive slots of the PDSCH).
As per claim 85, Wei disclose the first device of claim 84.
Wei disclose further disclose wherein the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction is that the message with the first transmission direction is transmitted more than once, and wherein the first device is further caused to: receive, from the second device, each message with the first transmission direction separately until the message with the first transmission direction is successfully decoded, or receive, from the second device, the message with the first transmission direction more than once and combine at least part of the received messages with the first transmission direction (see para. 0124-133, the selection of the preamble sequence may indicate a request by the UE for coverage enhancement (CE) associated with transmission of the random access response (RAR) on the PDSCH, the UE transmits a random access preamble requesting RAR coverage enhancement when
an SSE-based reference signal received power (RSRP) level is less than a value (such as indicating
that RAR repetition is needed for the UE to receive and correctly decode the RAR), receiving the message with the first transmission direction separately until the message with the first transmission direction is successfully decoded / correctly decode the RAR).
As per claim 86, Wei disclose the first device of claim 84.
Wei further disclose wherein the first information indicates a first configuration comprising at least one of the following: an indication indicating that the message with the first transmission direction is to be transmitted more than once according to a pre-configured repetition factor, wherein the pre- configured repetition factor is associated with a number of times of transmitting the message with the first transmission direction, a repetition factor to be used for the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction , or a value of transport block (TB) scaling factor lower than a minimum TB scaling factor (see para. 0124-133, the PDSCH is associated with a transport block size (TBS) scaling factor of one-eighth, for example, to effectively reduce the MCS of the PDSCH transmission for coverage enhancement, the PDSCH carrying the RAR is associated with a TBS scaling factor of other values (such as larger than one-eighth), and the coverage enhancement is achieved by repetitive transmission of the RAR in a number of the consecutive slots of the PDSCH).
As per claim 87, Wei disclose the first device of claim 86.
Wei further disclose wherein the first information is downlink control information (DCI), and the first information indicates the first configuration via at least part of transport block (TB) scaling bits (see para. 01222-133, a first DCI message DCI-1 signals or trigger the DL transmission of SIB1 for SSB1 using first frequency resources 521 of slot 0, and indicates the first configuration via at least part of transport block (TB) scaling bits).
As per claim 96, Wei disclose the first device of claim 84.
Wei further disclose wherein the first device is further caused to: transmit a message with a second transmission direction from the first device to the second device during the RA procedure, the message with the second transmission direction indicating that the first device supports the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction (see para. 0124-0133, As shown in FIG. 6A, the UE
transmits a random access preamble as Msg1 (corresponding to: a message with a second transmission direction) to the base station. The selection of the preamble sequence indicates a request by the UE for coverage enhancement (CE) associated with transmission of the random access response (RAR) on the PDSCH).
As per claim 101, Wei disclose the first device of claim 96.
Wei further disclose wherein the first device is further caused to: prior to transmitting the message with the second transmission direction, receive second information from the second device, the second information indicating a repetition factor to be used for the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction (see para. 0124-0133, the base station determines that the UE is capable of receiving the RAR on the PDSCH with repetition based on the UE's reported capabilities, UE receiving the PDSCH carrying the RAR associated with a TBS scaling factor of other values (such as larger than one-eighth), and the coverage enhancement is achieved by repetitive transmission of the RAR in a number of the consecutive slots of the PDSCH).
As per claim 102, Wei disclose the first device of claim 101.
Wei further disclose wherein the second information is comprised in system information (SI) (see para. 0005-0006, the second information is comprised in system information (SI)).
As per claim 103, Wei disclose the first device of claim 84.
Wei disclose further disclose wherein, the RA procedure is a 4-setp RA procedure and the message with the first transmission direction is at least one of: a message 2 (Msg 2) or a message 4 (Msg 4), or the RA procedure is a 2-setp RA procedure and the message with the first transmission direction is a message B (Msg B) (para. 024-0133, the base station 402 transmits a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that schedules a PDSCH within a number of consecutive slots, and then transmit the RAR containing a random access preamble identifier as Msg2 in one or more slots of the number of consecutive slots of the PDSCH).
As per claim 104, Wei disclose the first device of claim 84.
Wei disclose further disclose wherein the first device is a terminal device (see Fig.3, UE 350, Fig.6A, UE404 / the first device is a terminal device) and the second device is a network device (see Fig.3, Base Station 310, Fig.6A, the second device is a network device, Base Station 402).
As per claim 105, claim 105 is rejected the same way as claim 84. Wei also disclose A second device (see Fig.3, Base Station 310, Fig. 6A, Base Station 402) comprising: at least one processor (see Fig.3, a controller/processor 375); and at least one memory (see Fig.3, a memory 376) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (see para. 0098, the controller/processor 375 is associated with a memory 376 that stores program codes and executed by the processor).
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 97 and 98 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei et al. (US Pub. No.: 2023/0122950), and further in view of He et al. (US Pub. No.: 2022/0312498).
As per claim 97, Wei disclose the first device of claim 96.
Wei however does not explicitly disclose wherein the message with the second transmission direction is a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission and is associated with at least one of the following: a specific preamble, or a specific random access channel occasion (RO), wherein the specific preamble and the specific RO imply that the first device supports the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction.
He however disclose wherein a message with a second transmission direction is a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission and is associated with at least one of the following: a specific preamble, or a specific random access channel occasion (RO), wherein the specific preamble and the specific RO imply that the first device supports the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction (see Fig.4, Fig.8, para. 0026-0037, the UE sends a PRACH preamble as the first message from the UE to a base station when establishing initial access, and the repetition techniques is used by the base station for Msg2 and Msg4 for coverage enhancement (CE) / the first device supports the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction, see also para. 0038-0039).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the functionality of wherein a message with a second transmission direction is a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission and is associated with at least one of the following: a specific preamble, or a specific random access channel occasion (RO), wherein the specific preamble and the specific RO imply that the first device supports the enhanced transmission of the message with the first transmission direction transmission direction is a message 3 (Msg 3) during the RA procedure, and the message with the first transmission direction is a message 4 (Msg 4) during the RA procedure, as taught by He, in the system of Wei, so as to receive, in an initial access transmission for a RACH procedure, measurements on a plurality of signal synchronization blocks (SSBs) for M physical random access channel (PRACH) groups selected by a user equipment (UE) based on one or more of the measured SSBs satisfying a predetermined threshold, indicating to the UE a repetition number for a random access response (RAR) message, wherein the UE monitors for the RAR message based on the repetition number and transmitting the RAR message with the repetition number, see He, paragraphs 2-3.
As per claim 98, Wei disclose the first device of claim 96.
Wei however does not explicitly disclose wherein the message with the second transmission direction is a message 3 (Msg 3) during the RA procedure, and the message with the first transmission direction is a message 4 (Msg 4) during the RA procedure.
He however disclose wherein the message with the second transmission direction is a message 3 (Msg 3) during the RA procedure, and the message with the first transmission direction is a message 4 (Msg 4) during the RA procedure (see Fig.4, Fig.8, para. 0026-0037, the network responds to the detected RACH preamble (i.e. Msg1) with a random access response (RAR) (e.g. Msg2) on physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) that is scheduled by a PDCCH and includes a resource allocation for a subsequent physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission by the UE (e.g. Msg3). In CBRA, the network performs contention resolution procedure and transmit Msg4 based on a UE identifier in the detected Msg3 PUSCH / the second transmission direction is a message 3 (Msg 3) during the RA procedure, and the UE selects a corresponding PRACH group based on measured RSRP value(s) of the synchronization signal block(s) (SSB(s)) that satisfy the threshold to assist the gNB in determining the repetition number of Msg2 and Msg4 transmission in RACH procedure. The following configurations may also be separately provided in a SIB for different PRACH groups to support different values: RA response (RAR) (e.g. Msg2) window size, and the maximum repetition number of Msg2/Msg4 transmissions / the first transmission direction is a message 4 (Msg 4) during the RA procedure, see also para. 0038-0039).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the functionality of wherein the message with the second transmission direction is a message 3 (Msg 3) during the RA procedure, and the message with the first transmission direction is a message 4 (Msg 4) during the RA procedure, as taught by He, in the system of Wei, so as to receive, in an initial access transmission for a RACH procedure, measurements on a plurality of signal synchronization blocks (SSBs) for M physical random access channel (PRACH) groups selected by a user equipment (UE) based on one or more of the measured SSBs satisfying a predetermined threshold, indicating to the UE a repetition number for a random access response (RAR) message, wherein the UE monitors for the RAR message based on the repetition number and transmitting the RAR message with the repetition number, see He, paragraphs 2-3.
Claims 99-100 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei et al. (US Pub. No.: 2023/0122950), and further in view of Peisa et al. (US Pub. No.: 2019/0261421).
As per claim 97, Wei disclose the first device of claim 96.
Wei however does not explicitly disclose wherein the first device is further caused to: transmit the message with the second transmission direction to the second device in accordance with a determination that a signal quality between the first device and the second device is below or equal to a threshold quality, or transmit the message with the second transmission direction to the second device in case of an absence of configuration of the enhanced transmission in system information.
Peisa however disclose wherein a first device is further caused to: transmit a message with a second transmission direction to a second device in accordance with a determination that a signal quality between the first device and the second device is below or equal to a threshold quality, or transmit the message with the second transmission direction to the second device in case of an absence of configuration of the enhanced transmission in system information (see para. 0011, 0031-0039, a method for a UE in a cellular communications network comprises measuring a signal quality level at the UE to thereby obtain a signal quality level measurement and, upon determining that the signal quality level measurement is less than a threshold that is indicative of the UE being in a bad coverage scenario, sending a message to a second device in accordance with a determination that a signal quality between the first device and the second device is below or equal to a threshold quality).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the functionality of wherein a first device is further caused to: transmit a message with a second transmission direction to a second device in accordance with a determination that a signal quality between the first device and the second device is below or equal to a threshold quality, or transmit the message with the second transmission direction to the second device in case of an absence of configuration of the enhanced transmission in system information, as taught by Peisa, in the system of Wei, so as to receive, in an initial access transmission for a RACH procedure, measurements on a plurality of signal synchronization blocks (SSBs) for M physical random access channel (PRACH) groups selected by a user equipment (UE) based on one or more of the measured SSBs satisfying a predetermined threshold, indicating to the UE a repetition number for a random access response (RAR) message, wherein the UE monitors for the RAR message based on the repetition number and transmitting the RAR message with the repetition number, see Peisa, paragraphs 2-3.
As per claim 100, the combination of Wei and Peisa disclose the first device of claim 99.
Peisa further disclose wherein the threshold quality is defined to be a default value or configured by the second device (see para. 0020, wherein the threshold quality is configured by the second device).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 88-95 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shin et al (US Pub. No.:2022/0116881) – see para. 0647-0657, “The following information for a related serving cell is assumed to be available before the procedure can be initiated for BL UEs or UEs in CE. [0648] the available set of PRACH resources associated with each enhanced coverage level supported in the serving cell for the transmission of the random access preamble, prach-ConfigIndex. [0649] the groups of random access preambles and the set of available random access preambles in each group (SpCell only): [0650] if sizeOfRA-PreamblesGroupA is not equal to numberOfRA-Preambles: [0651] random access preamble groups A and B exist and are calculated as above; [0652] if sizeOfRA-PreamblesGroupA is equal to numberOfRA-Preambles: [0653] the preambles that are contained in rndom acess peamble groups for each enhanced coverage level, if it exists, are the preambles firstPreamble to lastPreamble. [0654] the criteria to select PRACH resources based on RSRP measurement per CE level supported in the serving cell rsrp-ThresholdsPrachInfoList. [0655] the maximum number of preamble transmission attempts per CE level supported in the serving cell maxNumPreambleAttemptCE. [0656] the number of repetitions required for preamble transmission per attempt for each CE level supported in the serving cell numRepetitionPerPreambleAttempt. [0657] the configured UE transmitted power of the serving cell performing the random access procedure, P.sub.CMAX,c”.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAKERAM JANGBAHADUR whose telephone number is (571)272-1335. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7 am - 4 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ian Moore can be reached on 571-272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAKERAM JANGBAHADUR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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