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 ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant's communication filed on 10/15/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1 – 23 are currently pending in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The claims include the limitation “the reader device”. Examiner could not find support for this limitation in originally filed specification. Examiner suggests that the Applicant provide where exactly the support could be found in the original filed specification or amend the claims to overcome the 112 (a) rejection.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being lack of antecedent basis. Claims 22 and 23 recite limitation in line 4 “the reader device”, which is not defined previously in the claims. And it is also unclear as to what it refers to.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 1 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Islam et al. (hereinafter “Islam”) (Pub # US 2019/0364599 A1) in view of Liu et al. (hereinafter “Liu”) (Pub # US 2023/0188293 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 22, Islam discloses a method of wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) (see UE 350 in FIG. 3 comprising a memory (360 in FIG. 3) comprising executable instructions; and one or more processors (359 in FIG. 3) configured to execute the executable instructions, see [0029], [0053]), comprising:
detecting a synchronization signal block (SSB) in a first frequency band (see [0052] for each receiver receives a signal and recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier, see S505 in FIG. 5, [0060] – [0062], [0091] for the UE receives SSB(s) on a first cell/ first frequency band and see [0065] for the UE selects an SSB based on RSRP measurement threshold);
determining whether a second frequency band is configured to transmit SSBs (see abstract, S507 – S511 in FIG. 5, [0059] – [0064] for the UE is limited or unable from transmitting uplink communication via the first cell/first frequency band, determine to transmit the PRACH message via second cell or second frequency band, and see [0033] for using spectrum bandwidth per carrier in a carrier aggregation);
selecting, based on the determination, one or more parameters for transmission or reception of one or more messages of a random-access channel (RACH) procedure (see S507 – S511 in FIG. 5, [0059] – [0065] for enable the UE to select an appropriate RACH occasion and preamble index from the set of time and frequency resources in order to convey a particular SSB index/CSI-RS to the network); and
performing the RACH procedure on the second frequency band using the selected parameters (see S511 in FIG. 5, [0067] for the UE uses the corresponding dedicated RACH occasion and preamble index for the selected SSB/CSI-RS to transmit a RACH preamble, e.g., Msg1 on 2nd cell/ 2nd frequency band, to the network using a time and frequency resource and preamble index corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI-RS).
Islam teaches about 1st and 2nd cell / 1st and 2nd frequency band.
Islam does not disclose specifically that 1st and 2nd carrier.
In an analogous art, Liu discloses 1st and 2nd carrier (see Liu, [0038], [0058], where Liu is discussing the UE is served by both cells over the different carrier, the UE is configured with two carriers within a band, and signals/channels to/from the cell on the first carrier may be QCLed directly /indirectly with the other cell transmitted on the second carrier).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Islam, and have the first/second cell or first/second frequency band to serve the UE in different carrier (i.e., inter-cell), thereby provides an application solution for multiple transmission reception points scenarios in LTE and 5G system such that base station and/or UE operate with carrier aggregation, as discussed by Liu (see Liu, [0005], [0042]).
Regarding claims 13 and 23, Islam discloses a method of wireless communication by a network entity (an apparatus (see 1302’ in FIG. 14) for wireless communications by a network entity, comprising: a memory comprising executable instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the executable instructions (see base station 310 in FIG. 3, 1414 in FIG.10 comprising a memory (376 in FIG. 3, 1406 in FIG. 14) comprising executable instructions; and one or more processors (375 in FIG. 3, 1404 in FIG. 14) configured to execute the executable instructions, see [0050], [0121] –[0124]), comprising:
transmitting information indicating a first frequency band is configured for synchronization signal block (SSB) transmissions (see S505 in FIG. 5, [0091] for the BS transmits SSB(s) on a first cell/ first frequency band);
determining, based on whether a second frequency band is configured to transmit SSBs, one or more parameters for transmission or reception of one or more messages of a random access channel (RACH) procedure (see 501 in FIG. 5, [0090] for base station in which the UE transmits a RACH on a different cell/frequency band than the cell/frequency band on which the UE receives an SSB/CSI-RS that prompts the RACH, the base station determines RACH parameters based on a combination of a first cell for SSB and a second cell for RACH corresponding to the SSB, the base station may determine the RACH parameters based on a combination of a first frequency band for an SSB and a second frequency band for a RACH corresponding to the SSB, and the base station may configure different RACH parameters for various combinations of SSB/RACH, and see [0033] for using spectrum bandwidth per carrier in a carrier aggregation); and
participating in the RACH procedure with a user equipment (UE) on the second frequency band using the parameters (see S511 in FIG. 5, [0067], [0092], [0093] for the UE uses the corresponding dedicated RACH occasion and preamble index for the selected SSB/CSI-RS to transmit a RACH preamble, e.g., Msg1 on 2nd cell/ 2nd frequency band, to the network using a time and frequency resource and preamble index corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI-RS).
Islam teaches about 1st and 2nd cell / 1st and 2nd frequency band.
Islam does not disclose specifically that 1st and 2nd carrier.
In an analogous art, Liu discloses 1st and 2nd carrier (see Liu, [0038], [0058], where Liu is discussing the UE is served by both cells over the different carrier, the UE is configured with two carriers within a band, and signals/channels to/from the cell on the first carrier may be QCLed directly /indirectly with the other cell transmitted on the second carrier).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Islam, and have the first/second cell or first/second frequency band to serve the UE in different carrier, thereby provides an application solution for multiple transmission reception points scenarios in LTE and 5G system such that base station and/or UE operate with carrier aggregation, as discussed by Liu (see Liu, [0005], [0042]).
Regarding claims 2 and 14, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein the one or more parameters comprise a RACH occasion (RO) resource, a spatial transmit filter, and a power control parameter (see Islam, [0059], [0067], [0068], [0084] for RACH occasion).
Regarding claims 3 and 15, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein the second carrier supports time division duplexing (TDD) (see Islam, [0043] for subframes within the set of subcarriers are TDD in which for a particular set of subcarriers, and the 5G/NR frame structure is assumed to be TDD, or also see Liu, [0033] for carrier is seen as operating in a time division duplexed (TDD) mode).
Regarding claims 4 and 16, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein the one or more messages comprise at least one of a physical RACH (PRACH) preamble or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see Islam, [0007], [0059], [0071], [0091]).
Regarding claims 5 and 17, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein: the second carrier is not configured to transmit SSBs; and the selecting comprises selecting the one or more parameters based on an SSB transmitted in the first carrier (see Islam, [0070], Table 1 – 5).
Regarding claims 7 and 18, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein: the second carrier is configured to transmit SSBs; and the selecting comprises selecting the one or more parameters based on an SSB transmitted in the second carrier or an SSB transmitted in the first carrier (see Islam, [0070], Table 1 – 5).
Regarding claims 8 and 19, Islam in view of Liu disclose receiving signaling indicating whether the UE is to select the one or more parameters based on the SSB transmitted in the second carrier or the SSB transmitted in the first carrier (see Islam, [0070], Table 1 – 4).
Regarding claims 9 and 20, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein: the one or more messages comprise at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (see Islam, [0047], [0072]); and the one or more parameters comprises a quasi-colocation (QCL) source for reception of the PDCCH or PDSCH (see Liu, [0043], [0046] for a PDCCH is used to indicate via quasi co-location (QCL) relation). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made in order to provide an application solution for multiple transmission reception points scenarios in LTE and 5G system such that base station and/or UE operate with carrier aggregation, as discussed by Liu (see Liu, [0005], [0042]).
Regarding claims 10 and 11, Islam in view of Liu disclose wherein: the second carrier is/ is not configured to transmit SSBs (see Islam, [0070], Table 1 – 5); and the selecting comprises selecting, as the QCL source for reception of the PDCCH or PDSCH, an SSB transmitted in the first carrier or an SSB transmitted in the second carrier (see Islam, [0047], [0072], and see Liu, [0043] - [0046], [0049] – [0053] for a PDCCH is used to indicate via quasi co-location (QCL) relation). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made in order to provide an application solution for multiple transmission reception points scenarios in LTE and 5G system such that base station and/or UE operate with carrier aggregation, as discussed by Liu (see Liu, [0005], [0042]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 12 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.
Claim 21 is 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONG-THUY THI TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3199. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM - 6PM (IFP).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANTHONY ADDY can be reached at (571)272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MONG-THUY T TRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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