DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to communication on October 7th, 2024.
Claims 1-30 are currently pending.
The present application is a 371 national stage entry of Internation Application no. PCT/CN2022/102678, flied on June 30th, 2022.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Claims 1-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by You et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0260007, hereinafter You).
With respect to claims 1 and 23, You discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (paragraph [0081], lines 1-5), comprising:
a memory (paragraph [0088], lines 1-4); and
one or more processors, coupled to the memory (paragraph [0088], lines 1-4), configured to:
receive, from a network node, a configuration that indicates a plurality of beams (paragraph [0182], lines 7-13, so that the beams of the network device and the terminal device are aligned);
transmit, to the network node, a multiple transmission reception point (TRP) (multi-TRP) request message (paragraph [0182], lines 1-4, multi-TRP scenario), wherein the multi-TRP request message indicates multiple qualified beams from the plurality of beams (paragraph [0158], aligning beams of the network device and terminal device); and
perform, with the network node, a multi-TRP small data transmission (SDT) based at least in part on the multiple qualified beams indicated by the multi-TRP request message (paragraph [0182], lines 1-6, in a multi-TRP scenario, a correspondence between a CG-SDT configuration and a control resource set, and/or search space is defined).
With respect to claim 2, You discloses the apparatus of 1, wherein the UE is configured with a first beam for communication with a first TRP of multiple TRPs, wherein a selected beam from the multiple qualified beams is a second beam for communication with a second TRP of the multiple TRPs, and wherein the first beam and the second beam enable two transmission configuration indication states for a multi-TRP SDT operation (paragraph [0163], N TRPs corresponding to the N control resource sets).
With respect to claims 3 and 19, You discloses the apparatus of claims 1 and 17, wherein the one or more processors, to perform the multi-TRP SDT, are configured to:
transmit, to the network node, the multi-TRP SDT based at least in part on the multiple qualified beams indicated by the multi-TRP request message (paragraph [0163], N TRPs corresponding to the N control resource sets); or
receive, from the network node, the multi-TRP SDT based at least in part on the multiple qualified beams indicated by the multi-TRP request message (paragraph [0163], N TRPs corresponding to the N control resource sets).
With respect to claim 4, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: evaluate a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) associated with the plurality of beams, respectively, wherein the multi-TRP request message indicates qualified candidate SSB indices associated with the multiple qualified beams (paragraph [0158], aligning beams of the network device and terminal device).
With respect to claim 5, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the multi-TRP request message based at least in part on a best beam, of the plurality of beams, not satisfying a threshold (paragraph [0182], lines 7-13, data transmission is improved).
With respect to claim 6, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the multi-TRP request message based at least in part on a quantity of failed downlink transmissions satisfying a threshold (paragraph [0106], network device fails).
With respect to claims 7 and 24, You discloses the apparatus of claims 1 and 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the multi-TRP SDT based at least in part on one or more of:
a UE capability of supporting multi-TRP SDTs in one or more physical channels (paragraph [0182], lines 7-13);
reported measurements of downlink reference signaling associated with the plurality of beams not satisfying a first threshold (paragraph [0170], reference signal received power);
a quantity of failed uplink transmissions satisfying a second threshold (paragraph [0106], network device fails).; or
the multi-TRP request message indicating the multiple qualified beams and an activation or deactivation request (paragraph [0161]).
With respect to claims 8 and 25, You discloses the apparatus of claims 1 and 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the multi-TRP SDT based at least in part on a time division multiplexing, a frequency division multiplexing, or a spatial division multiplexing depending on whether the multiple qualified beams are reported in separate groups (paragraph [0163]).
With respect to claim 9, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network node, an indication of a single beam to disable multi-TRP SDTs for the UE (paragraph [0169], switch from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state).
With respect to claims 10, 21, 26, and 29, You discloses the apparatus of claims 1, 17, 23, and 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network node, downlink control information (DCI) or a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation medium access control control element (MAC-CE) (paragraph [0103]), wherein the DCI or the TCI state activation MAC-CE indicates a first beam that corresponds to a beam currently being used by the UE, and a second beam that corresponds to a new beam to be used for the multi-TRP SDT (paragraph [0103], paragraph [0193]).
With respect to claim 11, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, to receive the configuration, are configured to: receive, from the network node, the configuration via dedicated signaling or broadcast signaling that configures multi-TRP resources (paragraph [0182], lines 1-6, in a multi-TRP scenario, a correspondence between a CG-SDT configuration and a control resource set, and/or search space is defined).
With respect to claim 12, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, from the network node, a configured grant SDT configuration that indicates one of:
a set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) that are associated with one set of configured grant occasions, and one SSB is configured to be associated with two configured grant occasions (paragraph [0189]); or
two sets of SSBs that are associated with two sets of configured grant occasions (paragraph [0209]).
With respect to claims 13 and 27, You discloses the apparatus of claims 1 and 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit, to the network node, a UE capability that indicates whether the UE supports multi-TRP SDTs while operating in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state (paragraph [0182], lines 7-13).
With respect to claim 14, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-TRP request message indicates a UE preference on whether to activate or deactivate a multi-TRP SDT operation (paragraph [0158]).
With respect to claim 15, You discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-TRP SDT is associated with a multi-TRP repetition for SDT, and wherein the multi-TRP SDT is based at least in part on transmitting a same or repeated uplink data or signaling towards two TRPs, or the multi-TRP SDT is based at least in part on receiving a same or repeated downlink data or signaling from the two TRPs (paragraph [0177]-[0179]).
With respect to claim 16, You discloses the pparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network node and when operating in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state, a tracking reference signal (TRS) configuration that indicates one or more TRS resources, wherein the multiple qualified beams are determined based at least in part on one or more TRSs associated with the one or more TRS resources (paragraph [0189]-[0193]).
With respect to claims 17 and 28, You discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (paragraph [0081], lines 1-5), comprising:
a memory (paragraph [0088], lines 1-4); and
one or more processors, coupled to the memory (paragraph [0088], lines 1-4), configured to:
receive, from a network node, a radio resource control (RRC) release message that indicates a transmission reception point (TRP) resource or beam configuration (paragraph [0102], lines 1-4; paragraph [0181], RRC release message), wherein the TRP resource or beam configuration indicates multiple beams associated with multiple TRPs of the network node, respectively (paragraph [0158], aligning beams of the network device and terminal device); and
perform, with the network node, a multiple TRP (multi-TRP) small data transmission (SDT) based at least in part on the TRP resource or beam configuration (paragraph [0182], lines 1-6, in a multi-TRP scencario, a correspondence between a CG-SDT configuration and a control resource set, and/or search space is defined).
With respect to claims 18 and 29, You discloses the apparatus of claims 17 and 28, wherein the TRP resource or beam configuration configures a set of more than two beams when the UE moves to a radio resource control inactive state, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select two qualified beams, among the set of more than two beams, for the multi-TRP SDT (paragraph [0163], N TRPs corresponding to the N control resource sets).
With respect to claim 20, You discloses the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: enter an RRC inactive state based at least in part on receiving the RRC release message, wherein the UE receives the RRC release message while operating in an RRC connected state, and wherein two beams corresponding to two TRPs are already configured when the UE is in the RRC connected state or are configured in the RRC release message for the UE to use when performing the multi-TRP SDT in the RRC inactive state (paragraph [0182], lines 7-13).
With respect to claims 21 and 30, You discloses the apparatus of claims 17 and 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network node, a network response that indicates a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation medium access control control element (MAC-CE), wherein the TCI state activation MAC-CE indicates one or more updated beams for the multiple TRPs (paragraph [0103], paragraph [0193]).
With respect to claim 22, You discloses the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the multi-TRP SDT based at least in part on multiple corresponding configured grant occasions associated with the multiple beams indicated by the TRP resource or beam configuration paragraph [0189]), or the UE falls back to select one corresponding configured grant occasion for SDT without a multi-TRP repetition based at least in part on the network node indicating only one beam paragraph [0209]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sedin Pat. Pub. 2025/0106811
Dwivedi Pat. Pub. 2024/0230826
Thangarasa Pat. Pub. 2026/0164494
Tsai Pat. Pub. 2024/0015741
Christoffersson Pat. Pub. 2024/0267914
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BLAKE J RUBIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3802. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached on 571-272-4001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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9/10/26
/BLAKE J RUBIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
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