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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/19/2024; 1/28/2026; and 8/20/2026 have been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Rastegardoost (US 2021/0051707).
Regarding claim 1, Rastegardoost discloses a terminal (Rastegardoost, paragraph [0004], wireless device; paragraph [0046], UE) comprising:
a control section (Rastegardoost, Fig. 15B, processor) that determines a plurality of groups including a plurality of resources for a physical random access channel (Rastegardoost, paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0254], group of two ROs allocated for a preamble transmission with up to two repetitions; paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs), determines one or more pathloss reference signals for the plurality of groups, and determines a plurality of pieces of transmission power corresponding to the plurality of respective resources, based on the one or more pathloss reference signals (Rastegardoost, paragraph [00153], wireless device may determine a preamble group based on a pathloss measurement; paragraph [0154], based on a pathloss measurement, wireless device may use one or more reference signals (SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s)) for selection of preamble and for determining PRACH occasions based on an association between PRACH occasions and one or more reference signals; paragraph [0155], wireless may determine transmit power based on pathloss measurement and may ramp of transmit power for preamble retransmissions; paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs; paragraph [0273], determine repetition factor, K, based on measurement of RSRP of selected SSB); and
a transmitting section (Rastegardoost, Fig. 15A, TX processing system) that transmits a plurality of repetitions of the physical random access channel in the plurality of resources (Rastegardoost, Fig. 23, MsgA repetition transmissions; paragraph [0232], quantity of PRACH repetitions for preamble transmission; paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0254], group of two ROs allocated for a preamble transmission with up to two repetitions; paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs; paragraph [0273], determine repetition factor, K, based on measurement of RSRP of selected SSB).
Regarding claim 3, Rastegardoost discloses wherein the control section determines one pathloss reference signal for one group (Rastegardoost, paragraph [00153], wireless device may determine a preamble group based on a pathloss measurement; paragraph [0154], based on a pathloss measurement, wireless device may use one or more reference signals (SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s)) for selection of preamble and for determining PRACH occasions based on an association between PRACH occasions and one or more reference signals; paragraph [0155], wireless may determine transmit power based on pathloss measurement and may ramp of transmit power for preamble retransmissions; paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs; paragraph [0273], determine repetition factor, K, based on measurement of RSRP of selected SSB).
Regarding claim 4, Rastegardoost discloses wherein the control section determines a pathloss reference signal for each resource in one group (Rastegardoost, paragraph [00153], wireless device may determine a preamble group based on a pathloss measurement; paragraph [0154], based on a pathloss measurement, wireless device may use one or more reference signals (SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s)) for selection of preamble and for determining PRACH occasions based on an association between PRACH occasions and one or more reference signals; paragraph [0155], wireless may determine transmit power based on pathloss measurement and may ramp of transmit power for preamble retransmissions; paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more ROs associated with the at least one downlink reference signal).
Claim 5 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, Rastegardoost discloses a base station (Rastegardoost, paragraph [0004], base station) comprising:
a control section (Rastegardoost, Fig. 15A, processing system) that controls transmission of first information for determining a plurality of groups including a plurality of resources for a physical random access channel (Rastegardoost, paragraph [0251], wireless device receives from a base station, configuration parameters for MsgA transmission; paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0254], group of two ROs allocated for a preamble transmission with up to two repetitions; paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs; paragraph [0273], base station may send RRC messages and/or SSBs comprising configuration information), and transmission of second information for determining one or more pathloss reference signals for the plurality of groups and determining a plurality of pieces of transmission power corresponding to the plurality of respective resources, based on the one or more pathloss reference signals (Rastegardoost, Fig. 23, SSBs; paragraph [00153], wireless device may determine a preamble group based on a pathloss measurement; paragraph [0154], based on a pathloss measurement, wireless device may use one or more reference signals (SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s)) for selection of preamble and for determining PRACH occasions based on an association between PRACH occasions and one or more reference signals; paragraph [0155], wireless may determine transmit power based on pathloss measurement and may ramp of transmit power for preamble retransmissions; paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs; paragraph [0273], base station may send RRC messages and/or SSBs comprising configuration information, wireless device may determine repetition factor, K, based on measurement of RSRP of selected SSB); and
a receiving section (Rastegardoost, Fig. 15A, RX processing system) that receives a plurality of repetitions of the physical random access channel in the plurality of resources (Rastegardoost, Fig. 23, MsgA repetition transmissions; paragraph [0232], quantity of PRACH repetitions for preamble transmission; paragraph [0253], a group of ROs may be configured for one or more repetitions of a preamble transmission as part of the random access procedure, the associated group of ROs may be mapped to the same SSB(s)/CSI-RS(s); paragraph [0254], group of two ROs allocated for a preamble transmission with up to two repetitions; paragraph [0257], wireless device may select one or more groups of ROs associated with at least one downlink reference signal if configured with preamble repetition for MsgA PRACH, at least some groups of ROs may comprise Q ROs; paragraph [0273], determine repetition factor, K, based on measurement of RSRP of selected SSB).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegardoost (US 2021/0051707) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2025/0071817).
Regarding claim 2, Rastegardoost does not explicitly disclose wherein the control section uses a plurality of beams for the plurality of repetitions.
Zhang discloses wherein the control section uses a plurality of beams for the plurality of repetitions (Zhang, paragraph [0101], PRACH repetitions with different beams, transmitting the preamble in each RO).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Zhang into the system of Rastegardoost in order to improve the coverage of the PRACH (Zhang; [0055]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Xiong et al. (US 20220038935) discloses same or different Tx beams can be applied for the transmission of PRACH preamble during repetitions can be configured by higher layers via MSI, RMSI (SIB1), OSI or RRC signaling.
Li et al. (US 20190387546) discloses flexible association between SSBs and ROs, the SSBs that are intended to be transmitted can be divided into N groups; and the ROs associated with the SSBs within the n-th group (1<=n<=N) can be determined by first determining the RO occasion(s) associated with each SSB within the n-th SSB group, and then the union of the RO occasion(s) associated with each SSB within the n-th SSB group can be shared by the UEs associated with the SSBs within the n-th SSB group. In another sub-embodiment, for this flexible association, the ROs associated with the group of SSBs can be determined jointly. For example, for the n-th SSB group, the ROs associated with this SSB group can be determined based on a parameter that gives the number of ROs associated with a SSB group, e.g., SSB_group-perRACH-occasion, wherein SSB_group-perRACH-occasion=m/n means each SSB_group is mapped to m/n ROs.
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/A.L.L/ Examiner, Art Unit 2413
/UN C CHO/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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