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 .
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cirik et al. (US 12,402,143 B2, hereinafter “Cirik”).
Regarding claim 1:
Cirik discloses a method for communicating in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
generating at least one of a time-varying radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) and a time-varying identifier (ID) (e.g., Column 30, Lines 14-31, “RA-RNTI”);
seeding a scrambling sequence with the at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the time-varying ID (e.g., Column 33, Lines 5-14, “the base station may scramble the CRC parity bits with an identifier of the UE … The identifier may comprise a 16-bit value of a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI)”, the RNTI corresponds to a scrambling sequence).
scrambling a physical channel or a reference signal using the scrambling sequence (e.g., Column 33, Lines 5-14, “the base station may scramble the CRC parity bits with an identifier of the UE … The identifier may comprise a 16-bit value of a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI)”, Lines 15-42, “(P-RNTI)”, “(SI-RNTI)”, “(RA-RNTI)”, “(C-RNTI)”, “(TC-RNTI)”); and
transmitting the physical channel or the reference signal (e.g., Column 33, Lines 43-65, “the base station may transmit the DCIs with one or more DCI formats”, Column 34, Line 1-14, “the base station may transmit the DCI via a PDCCH”).
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.
Claims 2-13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI in view of SEHIER et al. (US 2023/0033737 A1, hereinafter “SEHIER”).
Regarding claim 2:
Cirik discloses generating the time-varying RNTI using a first function based on a time variable (e.g., Column 30, Lines 11-21, “an OFDM symbol index; a slot index; a frequency domain index; and/or a UL carrier indicator”).
Cirik is silent regarding deriving a common key between a base station and a user equipment (UE); and generating the time-varying RNTI using a first function based on the common key, and an RNTI.
SEHIER teaches deriving a common key between a base station and a user equipment (UE) (e.g., [0057], encryption key); and generating a time-varying RNTI based on the common key, and an RNTI (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420, “an encryption key may be combined with various other information, such as a codeword (q), an RNTI value, a data scrambling identity (e.g., the higher-layer parameter dataScramblingIdentityPDSCH) or a cell identifier”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on the teaching from SEHIER to include the features deriving a common key between a base station and a user equipment (UE), and generating the time-varying RNTI using a first function based on the common key, and an RNTI, in order to improve security of transmissions for downlink channels.
Regarding claim 3:
Cirik is silent regarding wherein generation of the scrambling sequence used for the physical channel or the reference signal is based on, at least in part, the common key.
SEHIER teaches generation of a scrambling sequence is based on a common key (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 424).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on the teaching from SEHIER to include the features generation of the scrambling sequence used for the physical channel or the reference signal is based on, at least in part, the common key, in order to improve security of transmissions for downlink channels.
Regarding claim 4:
Cirik and SEHIER are both silent regarding delivering a key update of the common key in one of a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration and a media access control (MAC) control element (CE).
Official notice is taken that the technique of updating an encryption key through a resource control (RRC) reconfiguration or a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) is well known in the art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik and SEHIER to include the feature delivering a key update of the common key in one of a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration and a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), in order to ensure continuous transmission security when an UE changes networks/cells.
Regarding claim 5:
Cirik in view of SEHIER discloses wherein the time variable is selected from a group comprising a slot index, a symbol index, and a radio frame index (e.g., Column 30, Lines 11-21, “the UE may determine the RA-RNTI based on: an OFDM symbol index; a slot index; a frequency domain index; and/or a UL carrier indicator of the PRACH occasions”).
Regarding claim 6:
Cirik is silent regarding the time variable comprises at least 24 bits. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize such a limitation is merely a matter of design choice in Cirik. Cirik describes the length of the time variable in determining a RA-RNTI is related to PRACH occasions. Having a time variable comprising at least 24 bits enables the system to accommodate a corresponding numbers of PRACH occasions and yields no unexpected functional results, and the specification does not disclose a time variable comprising at least 24 bits solves any stated problem. Therefore, such a limitation would have been obvious in the system of Cirik.
Regarding claim 7:
Cirik is silent regarding generating the time-varying ID using a second function based on the common key, and a first constant ID, and the time variable.
SEHIER teaches generating a time-varying ID based on a common key, a constant ID, and a time variable (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420 and 422, “an encryption key may be combined with various other information, such as a codeword (q), an RNTI value, a data scrambling identity (e.g., the higher-layer parameter dataScramblingIdentityPDSCH) or a cell identifier”, an RNTI value, a data scrambling identity, or a cell identifier corresponds to an constant ID, codeword (q) or initialization Cinit corresponds to a time variable).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on the teaching from SEHIER to include the feature generating the time-varying ID using a second function based on the common key, and a first constant ID, and the time variable, in order to improve security of transmissions for downlink channels.
Regarding claim 8:
Cirik is silent regarding at least one of the first function and the second function is selected from a group comprising a hash function and a ciphering function.
SEHIER teaches at least one of the first function and the second function is selected from a group comprising a hash function and a ciphering function (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on the teaching from SEHIER to include the feature at least one of the first function and the second function is selected from a group comprising a hash function and a ciphering function, in order to improve security of transmissions for downlink channels.
Regarding claim 9:
Cirik is silent regarding the first constant ID comprises a scrambling ID that is UE specific, UE group specific, or cell specific.
SEHIER teaches the first constant ID comprises a scrambling ID that is UE specific, UE group specific, or cell specific (e.g., [0053], an RNTI value, a data scrambling identity, or a cell identifier).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on the teaching from SEHIER to include the feature the first constant ID comprises a scrambling ID that is UE specific, UE group specific, or cell specific, in order to improve security of transmissions for downlink channels.
Regarding claim 10:
Cirik in view of SEHIER discloses wherein the physical channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and wherein scrambling the physical channel comprises using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PDCCH coded bits (e.g., Column 33, Line 5-Column 34, Line 14, Column 39, Lines 5-9).
Regarding claim 11:
Cirik in view of SEHIER discloses wherein the reference signal comprises a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (e.g., Column 22, Line 54-Column 23, Line 25), and wherein the method further comprises using the first time-varying ID to scramble PDCCH DMRS bits (e.g., Column 46, Line 10, Column 55, Lines 50-51, pdcch-DMRS-ScramblingID).
Regarding claim 12:
Cirik in view of SEHIER discloses using the time-varying RNTI for masking PDCCH cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits (e.g., Column 33, Lines 5-33).
Regarding claim 13:
Cirik in view of SEHIER discloses wherein the physical channel comprises a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and wherein scrambling the physical channel comprises using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PDSCH coded bits (e.g., Column 39, Lines 5-9, Column 46, Line 67).
Regarding claim 15:
Cirik in view of SEHIER discloses wherein the physical channel comprises a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (e.g., Column 23, Lines 47-51, Column 23, Lines 45-50), and wherein scrambling the physical channel comprises using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PUSCH coded bits (e.g. Column, 30, Lines 45-47).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI in view of SEHIER, and further in view of Xu et al. (US 12,156,208 B2, hereinafter “Xu”).
Regarding claim 14:
Cirik discloses wherein the reference signal comprises a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) (e.g., Column 22, Line 54-Column 23, Line 46).
Cirik is silent regarding generating a second time-varying ID using the second function based on the common key, one or more second constant ID, and the time variable, and wherein the method further comprises using the second time-varying ID to scramble PDSCH DMRS bits or PDSCH PTRS bits.
SEHIER teaches generating a time-varying ID based on a common key, a constant ID, and a time variable (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420).
Xu teaches using a time-varying ID to scramble PDSCH DMRS bits (e.g. Column 9, Lines 12-22).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on SEHIER and Xu to include the feature generating a second time-varying ID using the second function based on the common key, one or more second constant ID, and the time variable, and using the second time-varying ID to scramble PDSCH DMRS bits or PDSCH PTRS, in order to improve downlink transmission security as well as reduce interference.
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI in view of SEHIER, and further in view of CHA et al. (US 2021/0385039 A1, hereinafter “CHA”).
Regarding claim 16:
Cirik in view of SEHIER further discloses the reference signal comprises a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) (e.g., Column 23, Line 47-Column 24, Line 27).
Cirik is silent regarding generating the time-varying ID further comprises generating a second time-varying ID using the second function based on the common key, one or more second constant ID, and the time variable, wherein the method further comprises using the second time-varying ID to scramble PUSCH DMRS bits or PUSCH PTRS bits.
SEHIER teaches generating a time-varying ID based on a common key, a constant ID, and a time variable (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420).
CHA teaches using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PUSCH DMRS or PTRS (e.g., [0209], [0284], [0297]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on SEHIER and CHA to include the feature generating the time-varying ID further comprises generating a second time-varying ID using the second function based on the common key, one or more second constant ID, and the time variable, wherein the method further comprises using the second time-varying ID to scramble PUSCH DMRS bits or PUSCH PTRS bits, in order to improve transmission security as well as reduce signaling overhead required for resource allocation.
Regarding claim 17:
Cirik in view of SEHIER further disclsoes wherein the physical channel comprises a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) (e.g., Column 23, Line 47-Column 24, Line 27).
Cirik is silent regarding scrambling the physical channel comprises using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PUCCH coded bits.
SEHIER teaches generating a time-varying ID based on a common key, a constant ID, and a time variable (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420).
CHA teaches using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PUCCH (e.g., [0209]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on SEHIER and CHA to include the feature scrambling the physical channel comprises using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PUCCH coded bits, in order to improve transmission security as well as reduce signaling overhead required for resource allocation.
Regarding claim 18:
Cirik in view of SEHIER further discloses the reference signal comprises a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (e.g., Column 23, Line 47-Column 24, Line 27).
Cirik is silent regarding generating the time-varying ID further comprises generating a second time-varying ID using the second function based on the common key, one or more second constant ID, and the time variable, and wherein the method further comprises using the second time-varying ID to scramble PUCCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bits.
SEHIER teaches generating a time-varying ID based on a common key, a constant ID, and a time variable (e.g., [0053], Fig. 4, 420).
CHA teaches using at least one of the time-varying RNTI and the first time-varying ID to scramble PUCCH DMRS (e.g., [0209], [0284], [0297]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Cirik based on SEHIER and CHA to include the feature generating the time-varying ID further comprises generating a second time-varying ID using the second function based on the common key, one or more second constant ID, and the time variable, and wherein the method further comprises using the second time-varying ID to scramble PUCCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bits, in order to improve transmission security as well as reduce signaling overhead required for resource allocation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alvin ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-1086. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6am-9am and 2pm-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Mui can be reached at 571-270-1420. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BO HUI A ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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