DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is a response to Preliminary Amendment made to an Application No. 18/874,230 filed on 12/12/2024 in which claims 1-3 are amended and no new claims are added. Accordingly, claims 1-3 are currently pending for examination.
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 .
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 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.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 12/12/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Examiner has considered the reference(s) listed on the Information Disclosure Statement submitted on 12/12/2024.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1-3 recites acronyms such as “PDSCH, DCI, PUCCH, and DMRS” respectively. For clarity, it is suggested to spell out the specified acronyms in at least the first time it is mentioned in the claim.
Appropriate corrections are required.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by PARK et al. (US 2023/0319822 A1) hereinafter “Park”.
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Park discloses Claim 1 of a terminal apparatus (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0366], UE) comprising: and a communication method used in a terminal apparatus (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0366], UE), the communication method comprising:
a receiver (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0366], UE includes RF transceiver) configured to receive a PDSCH and a DCI format indicating reception of the PDSCH (see FIG. 5; see ¶ [0078-79], the UE receives downlink control information (DCI) for DL scheduling (i.e., including scheduling information about the PDSCH) from the BS. DCI format 1_0 or 1_1 may be used for DL scheduling); and
a transmitter (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0366], UE includes RF transceiver) configured to transmit a PUCCH to which uplink control information for the PDSCH is mapped (see FIG. 6; see ¶ [0095] [0324] [0341], the UE transmits UL data/PUCCH to the BS),
wherein a DMRS for the PDSCH is mapped to one or multiple resource elements (see FIG. 7; see ¶ [0071] [0084-85] [0102-24], DMRS mapped to resource element for PDSCH),
the one or multiple resource elements are determined based on a first index or a second index, possible values of the first index are not identical to possible values of the second index (see ¶ [0084-85] [0102-24], depending on DMRS configuration type, DMRS/antenna ports mapped to different indexes),
in a case that a first higher layer parameter is not configured, the one or multiple resource elements are determined based on the first index (see ¶ [0084-85] [0098], when the higher layer parameter is not configured, the UE does not expect scheduling by DCI format 0_1. In the case of DMRS configuration type 1, when a single codeword is scheduled for the UE and an antenna port mapped to an index of {2, 9, 10, 11, or 30} is specified),
in a case that the first higher layer parameter is configured, the one or multiple resource elements are determined based on the second index (see ¶ [0083-85], when the UE receives a PDSCH scheduled by DCI format 1, a DMRS configuration type may be configured for the UE by a higher layer parameter ‘dmrs-Type’, and the DMRS type is used to receive the PDSCH), and
the first higher layer parameter is related to a maximum number of DMRS ports for the DMRS (see ¶ [0083-85], the maximum number of front-loaded DMRS symbols for the PDSCH may be configured for the UE by the higher layer parameter ‘maxLength’).
Regarding claim 2, Park discloses a base station apparatus (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0371], BS) comprising:
a transmitter (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0371], BS includes RF transceiver) configured to transmit a PDSCH and a DCI format indicating reception of the PDSCH (see FIG. 5; see ¶ [0078-79], the UE receives downlink control information (DCI) for DL scheduling (i.e., including scheduling information about the PDSCH) from the BS. DCI format 1_0 or 1_1 may be used for DL scheduling); and
a receiver (see FIG. 5 and 21; see ¶ [0371], BS includes RF transceiver) configured to receive a PUCCH to which uplink control information for the PDSCH is mapped (see FIG. 6; see ¶ [0095] [0324] [0341], the UE transmits UL data/PUCCH to the BS),
wherein a DMRS for the PDSCH is mapped to one or multiple resource elements (see FIG. 7; see ¶ [0071] [0084-85] [0102-24], DMRS mapped to resource element for PDSCH),
the one or multiple resource elements are determined based on a first index or a second index, possible values of the first index are not identical to possible values of the second index (see ¶ [0084-85] [0102-24], depending on DMRS configuration type, DMRS/antenna ports mapped to different indexes),
in a case that a first higher layer parameter is not configured, the one or multiple resource elements are determined based on the first index (see ¶ [0084-85] [0098], when the higher layer parameter is not configured, the UE does not expect scheduling by DCI format 0_1. In the case of DMRS configuration type 1, when a single codeword is scheduled for the UE and an antenna port mapped to an index of {2, 9, 10, 11, or 30} is specified),
in a case that the first higher layer parameter is configured, the one or multiple resource elements are determined based on the second index (see ¶ [0083-85], when the UE receives a PDSCH scheduled by DCI format 1, a DMRS configuration type may be configured for the UE by a higher layer parameter ‘dmrs-Type’, and the DMRS type is used to receive the PDSCH), and
the first higher layer parameter is related to a maximum number of DMRS ports for the DMRS (see ¶ [0083-85], the maximum number of front-loaded DMRS symbols for the PDSCH may be configured for the UE by the higher layer parameter ‘maxLength’).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Matsumura et al. (US 2025/0286683 A1) teaches a terminal includes a receiving section that receives a configuration of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) of a shared channel, and a control section that applies a frequency domain (FD)-orthogonal cover code (OCC) having a length of 4 or 3 to the DMRS, based on the configuration (see Abstract).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of the action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7241. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached at (571) 272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PETER CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
Prosecution Insights