DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgements
This is a Non-Final Office Action addressing U.S. Application No. 18/860,271. Based upon a review of the instant application, the actual filing date of the instant application is October 25, 2024. Since the instant application was filed after September 16, 2012, the statutory provisions of the America Invents Act ("AIA ") will govern this proceeding.
The preliminary amendment filed October 25, 2024, is acknowledged. Claims 1-12 are pending and examined hereinbelow.
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, 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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0284221 hereinafter “Gao”) in view of Zhou et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0037484 hereinafter “Zhou”).
Referring to method claim 1 and apparatus claim 7, Gao teaches a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver and a method implemented by for use in a WTRU, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state (see figures 3B and 4 and ¶¶ 64-68);
receiving a first physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission based on the first TCI state, wherein the first PDCCH transmission includes a first downlink control information (DCI), wherein the first DCI indicates second TCI state and scheduling information for a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (see figures 3B and 4 and ¶¶ 64-68); and
sending an acknowledgement (DCI-ACK) for the first DCI and sending HARQ feedback associated with the first PDSCH after sending the DCI-ACK, wherein sending the DCI-ACK confirms reception of the first DCI, and wherein the time duration is a period of time between receiving the PDCCH and a scheduled reception of the first PDSCH reception or a transmission of HARQ feedback associated with the first PDSCH (see figures 3B and 4 and ¶¶ 64-68); and
Gao fails to expressly disclose the sending a DCI-ACK for the first DCI and sending the HARQ feedback associated with the first PDSCH after sending the DCI-ACK is on a condition that the time duration is greater than a threshold and on a condition that the time duration is not greater than a threshold, sending the HARQ feedback associated with first PDSCH without sending the DCI-ACK.
Zhou teaches, in an analogous system, sending a DCI-ACK for the first DCI and sending the HARQ feedback associated with the first PDSCH after sending the DCI-ACK is on a condition that the time duration is greater than a threshold and on a condition that the time duration is not greater than a threshold, sending the HARQ feedback associated with first PDSCH without sending the DCI-ACK (See Zhou, figure 36 and ¶¶ 336-337).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the Applicant’s invention to modify the teachings of GAO with the above teachings of Zhou. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make such modification to inform the network that the DCI was received to prevent retransmission.
Referring to method claim 2 and apparatus claim 8, the combination of Gao and Zhou teaches the method of claim 1 and the device of claim 7 (as shown above), and Gao further teaches the HARQ feedback is sent using a second physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource (see Gao, figure 4, ¶¶ 64-68).
Referring to method claim 3 and apparatus claim 9, the combination of Gao and Zhou teaches the method of claim 1 and the device of claim 7 (as shown above) and Gao further teaches the DCI-ACK is sent using a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource, wherein the first PUCCH resource is determined based on a RRC configuration or based on an indication in the first DCI (see Gao, figure 3B, ¶¶ 64-68).
Referring to method claim 4 and apparatus claim 12, the combination of Gao and Zhou teaches the method of claim 1 and the device of claim 7 (as shown above), and Gao further teaches wherein sending the DCI-ACK confirming reception of the first DCI is further conditioned on determining the second TCI state is different from the first TCI state (see Gao, figure 3B, ¶ 64).
Referring to method claim 5 and apparatus claim 11, the combination of Gao and Zhou teaches the method of claim 1 and the device of claim 7 (as shown above), and Gao further teaches wherein sending the DCI-ACK confirming reception of the first DCI is further conditioned on determining the second TCI states is a unified TCI states, wherein the unified TCI states apply to more than one channel type (see Gao, figure 3B, ¶¶ 64-68).
Referring to method claim 6 and apparatus claim 12, the combination of Gao and Zhou teaches the method of claim 1 and the device of claim 7, and Gao further teaches receiving the first PDSCH based on the first TCI state (see Gao, figure 3B, ¶¶ 64-68).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references are cited to further show the state of the art as it pertains to the Applicant’s invention:
WO 2022/217202 is cited as teaching sending HARQ feedback information for multiple PDSCH as is provided as background information.
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Signed:
/ERON J SORRELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3992
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