Detailed Action
The office action is in response to the communications filed on 09/23/2024 .
Notice of 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 .
Claims Status
Claims 1-30 are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/09/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9-10, 12, 23-24, and 26 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nakashima et al. (Publication No. US 2013/0034089), the prior art discloses that there are two types of formats (hereinafter, referred to as a first format and a second format) of a physical uplink control channel signal that are used to transmit a scheduling request; see ¶ 68. The first format is a format, in which a radio resource in the time domain to which a sounding reference signal may be allocated, i.e., an SC-FDMA symbol to which a sounding reference signal may be allocated, is used, while the second format is a format; see ¶ 68.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 9-10, 12, 23-24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Claims 9 and 23, the claim recites: “communicate an indication of a time delay across antennas for the PUCCH, wherein the time delay is based at least in part on a PUCCH format, the quantity of RBs, or a payload of the PUCCH, and wherein the PUCCH is transmitted based at least in part on the time delay”. Based on the context of the claim is ambiguous whether the indication communicated across antennas, or is the delay based on the antennas. As a result, the claim is indefinite.
Regarding Claims 10 and 24, the claims are rejected as they inherited the deficiencies of their parent claim and have not resolved the deficiencies. Therefore, they are rejected based on the same rationale as applied to their parent claim above.
Regarding Claims 12 and 26, the claim recites: “communicate an indication of a time delay across antennas for the SRS associated with the PUCCH, wherein the SRS and the PUCCH are transmitted based at least in part on the time delay”. Based on the context of the claim is ambiguous whether the indication communicated across antennas, or is the delay based on the antennas. As a result, the claim is indefinite.
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, 3-4, 15, 17-18, 29-30 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(2) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen).
Regarding claims 1 and 29, Chen discloses 1. A user equipment (UE), comprising (The network includes a UE connected to a base station; see fig 5.):
one or more memories storing processor-executable code (It is inherent that the UE comprises one or more memories storing processor-executable code in order to transmit signals to the network device.); and
one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to (It is inherent that the UE comprises one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories in order to transmit signals to the network device.):
transmit, to a network entity, a sounding reference signal (SRS) associated with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) via one or more resource sets (The UE may identify that a sounding reference signal (SRS) is to be transmitted in a first symbol using a first uplink component carrier (CC) of the two or more uplink CCs.; see figure 5 step 540 & ¶ 77. The UE transmit the SRS and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); see figure 5 step 570.); and
transmit, to the network entity, the PUCCH via at least one resource block (RB) within a quantity of RBs supported for one or more PUCCH formats (The UE may determine a PUSCH/PUCCH transmission is to be transmitted in the first symbol using a second uplink CC of the two or more uplink CCs; see figure 4 step 430 & ¶ 34. The UE transmit the SRS and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); see figure 5 step 570.).
Regarding claims 3 and 17, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configure to transmit the SRS via at least one RB that overlaps in frequency with the at least one RB utilized to communicate the PUCCH (Whenever SRS and PUSCH/PUCCH transmissions overlap in the same symbol within the same carrier or across different carriers. For the UE configured with multiple TAGs, different rules may apply in existing deployments, which provide that if SRS is scheduled on one CC and PUSCH/PUCCH is scheduled on a different CC, a UE may transmit SRS if the UE 215 is not power limited; see ¶ 68.).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, Cheng discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to receive information indicating a configuration of the SRS associated with the PUCCH, wherein the SRS is configured based at least in part on the quantity of RBs or one or more locations of one or more RBs for the PUCCH (The UE receive configuration information from the base station, wherein the configuration identify the SRS is to be transmitted in a firs symbol [location]; see figure 5 steps 535-540.).
Regarding claims 15 and 30, Chen one or more memories storing processor-executable code (It is inherent that the network device comprises one or more memories storing processor-executable code in order to transmit signals to the UE.); and
one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the network entity to (It is inherent that the network device comprises one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories in order to transmit signals to the UE.):
obtain, from a user equipment (UE), a sounding reference signal (SRS) associated with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) via one or more resource sets (The UE may identify that a sounding reference signal (SRS) is to be transmitted in a first symbol using a first uplink component carrier (CC) of the two or more uplink CCs; see figure 5 step 540 & ¶ 77. The UE transmit the SRS and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); see figure 5 step 570.); and
obtain, from the UE, the PUCCH via at least one resource block (RB) within a quantity of RBs supported for one or more PUCCH formats (The UE may determine a PUSCH/PUCCH transmission is to be transmitted in the first symbol using a second uplink CC of the two or more uplink CCs; see figure 4 step 430 & ¶ 34. The UE transmit the SRS and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); see figure 5 step 570.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under AIA 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.
Claims 2, 5, 16, and 19 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Noh et al. (Publication No. US 2013/0148592, hereinafter referred as Noh).
Regarding claims 2 and 16, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose a bandwidth of the SRS associated with the PUCCH is limited to the quantity of RBs supported for the one or more PUCCH formats. However, in analogous art, Noh discloses that when the SRS and the PUCCH are transmitted within one subframe, a shortened PUCCH format 2/2a/2b may be used; see figure 14 and ¶ 93. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with PUCH format of Noh in order to be able to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH within one subframe.
Regarding claims 5 and 19, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose that the SRS is independent of a second SRS associated with a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). However, in analogous art, Noh discloses that when the SRS and the PUCCH are transmitted within one subframe, a shortened PUCCH format 2/2a/2b may be used; see figure 14 and ¶ 93. Furthermore, the UE can transmit the second SRS with the PUSCH on a second CC; see figure 14. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with PUCH format of Noh in order to be able to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH within one subframe.
Claims 6 and 20 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Bai et al. (Publication No. US 2021/0185648, hereinafter referred as Bai).
Regarding claims 6 and 20, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose receiving a transmitted precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) or a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) for the PUCCH, wherein the TPMI or TCI is based at least in part on the SRS associated with the PUCCH. However, in analogous art, Bai discloses the signaling mechanism may enable a DCI-based update for a SRS spatial relation TCI state activation command to be applied across a CC group; see ¶ 86. In response to the TCI state activation command, the UE may activate/apply the spatial relation information for the SRS resource(s) with the same SRS resource ID for all the BWPs in the indicated CCs; see ¶ 86. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with TCI of Bai in order to enhance the transmission of the SRS and the PUCCH.
Claims 7 and 21 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Chunli et al. (Publication No. US 2014/0010182, hereinafter referred as Chunli).
Regarding claims 7 and 21, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose transmit, previous to transmitting the PUCCH, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) utilizing a port, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted utilizing the port that was utilized for transmission of the PUSCH. However, in analogous art, Chunli discloses the UE transmits the PUCCH data and the PUSCH data on the current subframe, wherein the PUCCH is transmitted after transmitting the PUSCH on the same CC [port]; see figure 7 & ¶ 74. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with transmission sequence of Chunli in order to enhance the transmission of the SRS and the PUCCH.
Claims 8 and 22 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Sun et al. (Publication No. US 2021/0037501, hereinafter referred as Sun).
Regarding claims 8 and 22, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose transmiting the PUCCH based at least in part on a precoding matrix that varies based at least in part on a frequency associated with a resource element (RE), an RB, or a precoding resource block group (PRG). However, in analogous art, Sun discloses a PUCCH resource configuration, a PM information indicating whether a number of resource blocks used for a resource is proportionate to or independent of a number of sub-bands [frequency] included in multiple sub-bands, and/or the like; see ¶ 193. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with PM information of Sun in order to enhance the transmission of the SRS and the PUCCH.
Claims 11 and 25 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Taherzadeh Boroujeni et al. (Publication No. US 2022/0240261, hereinafter referred as Taherzadeh).
Regarding claims 11 and 25, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose transmitting the PUCCH with a transmission scheme that is based at least in part on a quantity of RBs utilized for transmission of the PUCCH. However, in analogous art, Taherzadeh discloses when the base station detects that the channel quality for one or more uplink channels and/or downlink channels is below a threshold, the base station may determine to indicate the PUCCH repetition factor [scheme]; see ¶ 89. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with quality mechanism of Taherzadeh in order to improve the communication reliability.
Claims 13 and 27 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Hsu et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0243106, hereinafter referred as Hsu).
Regarding claims 13 and 27, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose transmitting a power headroom report (PHR) associated with the PUCCH, wherein the PHR is independent from a PHR associated with a PUSCH. However, in analogous art, Hsu discloses independent PHR for PUCCH and PUSCH are sent; see ¶ 54. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with transmission sequence of Hsu in order enhance the transmission of the SRS and the PUCCH.
Claims 14 and 28 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (Publication No. US 2011/0249639, hereinafter referred as Chen) in view of Li et al. (Publication No. US 2026/0052537, hereinafter referred as Li).
Regarding claims 14 and 28, Chen discloses that the UE of claim 1 is configured to transmit the SRS and the PUCCH, but fails to explicitly disclose receiving a synchronization signal block (SSB); and
transmit, based at least in part on receiving the SSB, an indication of one or more recommended resources for transmitting the PUCCH,
wherein the indication indicates a recommended quantity of repetitions for the PUCCH, one or more recommended PUCCH formats, a recommended quantity of symbols, or a recommended quantity of RBs. However, in analogous art, Li discloses that the UE can measure the SSB, and/or other signals sent by the BS; see ¶ 74. Subsequently, the UE 104 can determine (e.g., calculate/compute) whether to indicate repetition request or report capability according to the measured SSB, wherein indicating the subset of 4-step type ROs shared with requesting PUCCH repetition for each SSB; see ¶¶ 74/78. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with transmission sequence of Li in order enhance the transmission of the SRS and the PUCCH.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hector Reyes (Hector.Reyes@uspto.gov) whose telephone number is (571) 270-0239. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6-5.
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/H.R/Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/KEVIN T BATES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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