DETAILED ACTION
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.
This action is in response to application 18899684 filed 9/27/24.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are presented for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are unclear to the examiner; what does it mean by stating “communicate with a network entity based at least in part on the signal”? the claim languages are not very clear of what exactly the network entity based on “at least in part on the signal”? what is it the claimed invention? Trying to do what? To communicate with the network entity? What is the time-frequency resources of RACH have anything to do with anything? How is that affecting the communicate with the network entity? How about the preamble signature? To do what? What about the codeword? Please clarify
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.
(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) 1-9, 11-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated Lee, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2022/0141799 Al.
As to claim 1, Lee teaches an apparatus configured for wireless communications, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors being configured to cause the apparatus to:
send a signal in one or more time-frequency resources of a random access channel (RACH), wherein the signal is multiplexed using a codeword, the one or more time-frequency resources and the codeword defining a preamble signature (Lee, page 14, paragraph 159; page 16, paragraph 210; i.e., [0159] multiplexed with the codeword for UL-SCH data; [0210] A set of PRACH resources (e.g., time, frequency, preamble). Number of PRACH repetitions and number of maximum preamble transmission. Time/frequency resources and repetition factor for random access response messages for BL UEs are derived from the used PRACH resources), and
communicate with a network entity based at least in part on the signal (Lee, page 14, paragraph 159; page 16, paragraph 210; i.e., [0159] multiplexed with the codeword for UL-SCH data; [0210] A set of PRACH resources (e.g., time, frequency, preamble). Number of PRACH repetitions and number of maximum preamble transmission. Time/frequency resources and repetition factor for random access response messages for BL UEs are derived from the used PRACH resources).
As to claim 2, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein receive a configuration indicating a set of codewords including the codeword (Lee, figure 13).
As to claim 3, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal that is multiplexed using the codeword comprises a baseband signal generated based at least in part on the codeword (Lee, figure 13).
As to claim 4, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein receive an indication of the codeword (Lee, page 14, paragraph 163; page 16, paragraph 210; i.e., [0163] The complex-valued modulation symbols of the codeword are mapped to one or more multiple input multiple output (MIMO) layers).
As to claim 5, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein, to receive the indication of the codeword, the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to receive the indication of the codeword in a downlink control information (DCI) message that instructs the apparatus to send the signal (Lee, page 8, paragraph 107; i.e., [0107] downlink logical channel for broadcasting system control information, paging control channel (PCCH) is a downlink logical channel).
As to claim 6, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein receive a configuration indicating one or more RACH resources dedicated to codeword-based RACH communications, wherein the one or more RACH resources include the one or more time-frequency resources (Lee, page 14, paragraph 159; page 16, paragraph 210; i.e., [0159] multiplexed with the codeword for UL-SCH data; [0210] A set of PRACH resources (e.g., time, frequency, preamble). Number of PRACH repetitions and number of maximum preamble transmission. Time/frequency resources and repetition factor for random access response messages for BL UEs are derived from the used PRACH resources).
As to claim 7, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the configuration indicates a number of subcarriers in the one or more RACH resources and a number of start subcarriers (Lee, page 14, paragraph 171; i.e., [0171] subcarrier spacing).
As to claim 8, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein receive a configuration indicating one or more shared RACH resources being shared with codeword-based RACH communications and non-codeword-based RACH communications (Lee, page 8, paragraph 107; i.e., [0107] downlink logical channel for broadcasting system control information, paging control channel (PCCH) is a downlink logical channel).
As to claim 9, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the configuration further indicates one or more dedicated RACH resources being dedicated to codeword-based RACH communications (Lee, page 14, paragraph 159; page 16, paragraph 210; i.e., [0159] multiplexed with the codeword for UL-SCH data; [0210] A set of PRACH resources (e.g., time, frequency, preamble). Number of PRACH repetitions and number of maximum preamble transmission. Time/frequency resources and repetition factor for random access response messages for BL UEs are derived from the used PRACH resources).
Claim(s) 11-19 is/are directed to the apparatus claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 1-9. Therefore, claim(s) 11-19 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 1-9.
Claim(s) 20 is/are directed to a method claim and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 1. Therefore, claim(s) 20 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 of this title, 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.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2022/0141799 Al in view of Islam, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2022/0312501 A1.
As to claim 10, Lee teaches the apparatus as recited in claim 8. But Lee failed to teach the claim limitation wherein the configuration indicates a probability for selecting the one or more shared RACH resources for codeword-based RACH communications.
However, Islam teaches the limitation wherein the configuration indicates a probability for selecting the one or more shared RACH resources for codeword-based RACH communications (Islam, page 13, paragraph 142; i.e., [0142] the probability of interference in dedicated time and frequency resources may be lower than in common time and frequency resources, as RACH procedures).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Lee to substitute CFRA procedure from Islam for random access from Lee to simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices (Islam, page 1, paragraph 3).
Listing of Relevant Arts
Cui, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20220132527 A1 discloses RACH preamble, resource element and DCI.
Lei, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20220312501 A1 discloses time-frequency resource, preamble sequence, RACH occasion.
Contact Information
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
THUONG NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:00-6:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THUONG NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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