DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 10/17/2024 in which claims 1-20 are pending.
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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dinan (US20160270095A1).
As to claim 10, Dinan teaches a network device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: ([0006] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a base station and a wireless device as per an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. [0037] The base station 401 may include at least one communication interface 402, at least one processor 403, and at least one set of program code instructions 405 stored in non-transitory memory 404 and executable by the at least one processor 403.)
transmit, to a terminal device, an indication associated with a plurality of secondary cells including a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, secondary cell, the PUCCH secondary cell being configured with a PUCCH, the indication indicating that one or more secondary cells of the plurality of secondary cells are associated with a primary cell and/or one or more secondary cells of the plurality of secondary cells are associated with the PUCCH secondary cell. ([0085] The eNB may select the PUCCH SCell among current SCells or candidate SCells considering cell loading, carrier quality (e.g. using measurement reports), carrier configuration, and/or other parameters. From a functionality perspective, a PUCCH Cell group management procedure may include a PUCCH Cell group addition, a PUCCH group release, a PUCCH group change and/or a PUCCH group reconfiguration. The PUCCH group addition procedure may be used to add a secondary PUCCH group (e.g., to add PUCCH SCell and one or more SCells in the secondary PUCCH group). [0086] An eNB may transmit a MAC CE activation command to a UE. The UE may activate an SCell in response to receiving the MAC CE activation command [0088] At least one RRC message may provide configuration parameters for at least one cell and configuration parameters for PUCCH groups. The information elements in one or more RRC messages may provide mapping between configured cells and the PUCCH groups. Cells may be grouped into a plurality of PUCCH groups and a cell may be assigned to one of the configured PUCCH groups. There may be a one-to-one relationship between PUCCH groups and cells with configured PUCCH resources. At least one RRC message may provide mapping between an SCell and a PUCCH group and PUCCH configuration on PUCCH SCell. [0092] From functionality perspective, PUCCH Cell group management procedure may include PUCCH Cell group addition, PUCCH group release, PUCCH group change and PUCCH group reconfiguration. The PUCCH group addition procedure may be used to add a secondary PUCCH group, e.g., to add a PUCCH SCell and one or more SCells in the secondary PUCCH group. [0094] A PUCCH SCell may be in a deactivated state after it is configured. The PUCCH SCell may be activated by an activation MAC CE.)
As to claim 11, Dinan teaches the network device of claim 10, wherein the indication comprises an instruction to activate the plurality of secondary cells. ([0086] An eNB may transmit a MAC CE activation command to a UE. The UE may activate an SCell in response to receiving the MAC CE activation command [0094] A PUCCH SCell may be in a deactivated state after it is configured. The PUCCH SCell may be activated by an activation MAC CE.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 12-20 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 1-9 and 12-20 recite; “prioritize activation of the one or more secondary cells associated with the primary cell over activation of the one or more secondary cells associated with the PUCCH secondary cell.” The prior art does not specifically teach this limitation and it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Dinan describes in [0091] If no PUCCH group assignment and/or PUCCH configuration on SCell(s) is provided in RRC configuration messages, the SCell(s) may be associated to PCell for PUCCH transmission (be assigned to the primary PUCCH group). If there is no explicit PUCCH configuration and/or PUCCH group configuration for a given SCell, the SCell may belong to the primary PUCCH group. This may ensuring a Release-13 or beyond CA UE would behave like a Release-12 UE in a Release-12 network regarding PUCCH transmission; however this does not mention prioritizing the activation of SCells associated with the primary cell over activation of SCells associated with the PUCCH secondary cell.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELTON S WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9933. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4 Mon-Fri.
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/Elton Williams/ Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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