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 § 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites "over a second set of multiple slots." Claim 1 already introduces "a second set of multiple slots," so it is unclear whether claim 3 refers to the same second set of multiple slots or to a different one. Claims 9 and 15 recite the same language relative to claims 7 and 13 and are rejected for the same reason. Claims 4, 10 and 16 are rejected as depending from claims 3, 9 and 15, respectively.
Claim 19 recites "a second UL signal in a second set of UL signals." The same claim earlier introduces "a second set of uplink (UL) signals," so it is unclear whether the two recitations refer to the same set. Claim 20 is rejected as depending from claim 19.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 7, 13 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by "Discussion on enhancements on cell DTX/DRX mechanism" 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #112bis, R1-2303025 herein lnterDigital.
Claim 1, lnterDigital discloses A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication (Section 2.1, UE), the UE comprising:
at least one memory (Section 2.2, Pg. 4, UE preconfigured with cell DTX/DRX patterns via RRC, thus a memory); and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to (Section 2.2, Pg. 4, UE switches to the indicated preconfigured pattern, thus a processor coupled with the memory):
receive a first signaling comprising a cell discontinuous reception (DRX) behavior comprising a plurality of DRX cycles (Section 2, Pg. 1, gNB informs the UE on whether/when the cell stays inactive; Section 2.2, Pg. 4, periodic cell DTX/DRX pattern of recurring cycles configured via RRC), a DRX cycle comprising a period of time in which the UE is not to transmit a second set of uplink (UL) signals except for a second on-duration period configured in each DRX cycle (Section 1, Pg. 1, Agreement, UL signals not transmitted during non-active periods: SR, Periodic/Semi Persistent (P/SP) CSI report, P/SP SRS, CG-PUSCH; Section 2.2, Pg. 4, each cycle has an active period and a non-active period), and a second UL signal in the second set of UL signals occupies a second set of multiple slots that overlap at least in part with slots of the DRX cycle excluding the second on-duration period (Section 2.1, Pg. 3, CSI reporting occasions overlap non-active periods of cell DRX; Section 2.1, Pg. 3, Proposal 4, SRS periodicity configured relative to non-active periods of cell DRX);
receive a second signaling occasion activating the cell DRX behavior (Section 2.2, Pg. 4, network signals ID/index of pattern to be activated via L1/L2 signaling); and transmit, based at least in part on the cell DRX behavior, the second UL signal (Section 2.1, Pg. 3, CSI report transmitted on PUCCH in the cell DRX active period; Section 2.1, Pg. 3, Proposal 4, SRS not transmitted during non-active periods of cell DRX).
Claim 7, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. lnterDigital discloses a processor for wireless communication (Section 2.2, Processor), and comprising:
at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to (Section 2.2, Pg. 4, UE switches to the indicated preconfigured pattern, thus a controller coupled with a memory).
Claim 13, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1.
Claim 19, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. lnterDigital discloses a network equipment for wireless communication (Section 2, gNB), and comprising:
at least one memory (Section 2.2, Pg. 4, network maintains preconfigured patterns indicated by ID/index, thus a memory); and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the network equipment to (Section 2, Pg. 1, gNB informs UE whether/when the cell stays inactive, thus a processor coupled with the memory).
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) 2-4, 8-10 and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over lnterDigital in view of US 2022/0095346 A1 herein Khoshnevisan.
Claim 2, lnterDigital discloses the UE of claim 1. lnterDigital may not explicitly disclose wherein the second UL signal comprises at least one of: a periodic or semi-persistent sounding reference signal (SRS) associated with a usage value set to antenna switching over more than one slot; a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configured with an inter-slot repetition pattern; or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) configured with a repetition pattern over multiple slots.
Khoshnevisan discloses wherein the second UL signal comprises at least one of: a periodic or semi-persistent sounding reference signal (SRS) associated with a usage value set to antenna switching over more than one slot; a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configured with an inter-slot repetition pattern (0061, PUCCH repetition in 2, 4, or 8 slots; 0065, repetition configured per PUCCH resource for periodic CSI); or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) configured with a repetition pattern over multiple slots. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify lnterDigital to include PUCCH repetition over multiple slots configured per PUCCH resource for periodic CSI, as taught by Khoshnevisan, so as to configure PUCCH repetition more flexibly (0065).
Claim 3, lnterDigital discloses the UE of claim 1. lnterDigital may not explicitly disclose wherein the second UL signal is associated with a repetition pattern comprising multiple scheduled transmissions of a same UL signal content from the UE over a second set of multiple slots.
Khoshnevisan discloses wherein the second UL signal is associated with a repetition pattern comprising multiple scheduled transmissions of a same UL signal content from the UE over a second set of multiple slots (0061, same PUCCH resource and symbols used across repetitions in different slots, thus same UL signal content). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify lnterDigital to include PUCCH repetition over multiple slots configured per PUCCH resource for periodic CSI, as taught by Khoshnevisan, so as to configure PUCCH repetition more flexibly (0065).
Claim 4, lnterDigital in view of Khoshnevisan discloses the UE of claim 3. lnterDigital may not explicitly disclose wherein the second UL signal comprises at least one of: a PUCCH configured with inter-slot repetition; or a PUSCH configured with repetition type B over multiple slots.
Khoshnevisan discloses wherein the second UL signal comprises at least one of: a PUCCH configured with inter-slot repetition (0061, PUCCH repetition in different slots); or a PUSCH configured with repetition type B over multiple slots. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify lnterDigital to include PUCCH repetition over multiple slots configured per PUCCH resource for periodic CSI, as taught by Khoshnevisan, so as to configure PUCCH repetition more flexibly (0065).
Claim 8, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 2.
Claim 9, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 3.
Claim 10, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 4.
Claim 14, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 2.
Claim 15, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 3.
Claim 16, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 4.
Claim(s) 5, 6, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over lnterDigital in view of US 2019/0356431 A1 herein Manolakos.
Claim 5, lnterDigital discloses the UE of claim 1. lnterDigital may not explicitly disclose wherein the second UL signal is associated with multiple scheduled transmissions of different UL signal content from the UE over the second set of multiple slots.
Manolakos discloses wherein the second UL signal is associated with multiple scheduled transmissions of different UL signal content from the UE over the second set of multiple slots (0057, different SRS resources transmitted via different antennas in different slots, thus different UL signal content; 0058, FIG. 58, UE sounds 2 ports in one slot and 2 in the next). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify lnterDigital to include P/SP SRS for antenna switching sounded across more than one slot, as taught by Manolakos, so as to support UL transmit diversity and DL MIMO beamforming based on channel reciprocity (0062).
Claim 6, lnterDigital in view of Manolakos discloses the UE of claim 5. lnterDigital may not explicitly disclose wherein the second UL signal comprises at least a periodic or semi-persistent SRS associated with a usage value set to antenna switching over more than one slot.
Manolakos discloses wherein the second UL signal comprises at least a periodic or semi-persistent SRS associated with a usage value set to antenna switching over more than one slot (0053, periodic or semi-persistent SRS resource; 0062, SRS resource set for antenna switching; 0058, FIG. 58, antenna switching sounded across two slots). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify lnterDigital to include P/SP SRS for antenna switching sounded across more than one slot, as taught by Manolakos, so as to support UL transmit diversity and DL MIMO beamforming based on channel reciprocity (0062).
Claim 11, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Claim 12, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 6.
Claim 17, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Claim 18, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 6.
Claim 20, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220368485 A1 – Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive configuration information for a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set, the configuration information indicating a usage type for the SRS resource set associated with Doppler tracking and a configuration for one or more associated SRS resource identifiers. Some configuration parameters of the SRS resource set and the associated SRS resource identifiers can be dynamically reconfigured in order to allow adaptive SRS time domain pattern for enhanced Doppler parameter estimation and/or synchronization loop tracking, among other examples. The UE may transmit one or more SRSs in accordance with the configuration or dynamic reconfiguration information for the SRS resource set and the associated SRS resources based at least in part on receiving the configuration and/or reconfiguration information. Numerous other aspects are described.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad Nawaz can be reached at (571) 272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
MEHMOOD B. KHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2463
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