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 § 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.
Claims 1, 4, 5, 8, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegardoost et al (US 2024/0357681, hereinafter Rastegardoost, claiming the priority date of provisional application 63/295,186) and in view of Huang et al (US 2025/0016817, hereinafter Huang).
Regarding claim 1, Rastegardoost discloses an uplink transmission method, comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, first information, wherein the first information indicates the terminal device to perform 1-antenna-port uplink transmission on a first carrier, and the terminal device supports uplink switching performed in at least three frequency bands (UE configured with uplink switching, Para [0290], UE can transmit 1-port transmission on one uplink carrier, Para [0291], UE can receive RRC message for UL Tx switching across more than two bands, Para [0356]); and sending, by the terminal device, the uplink transmission in the radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching (UE configured with uplink switching across more than two carriers/bands, Para [0376], UE performs UL transmissions after the uplink switching, Fig. 27, UE can reconfigure RF chain to support transmission, Para [0358]. Also see from Para [0272-274] and Fig. 27 the provisional application); but does not explicitly disclose determining, by the terminal device based on a first radio resource control RRC parameter and/or indication signaling in at least three radio frequency chain states supporting the uplink transmission, a radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching. Huang discloses UE may perform UL switching to switch the RF chains, Para [0004], UE can receive RRC signaling that indicates whether the UE should use case 1 or case 2 for uplink transmissions, where the UE supports any quantity of RF chains over any quantity of component carriers, Para [0103], where the cases are RF chain configurations, Para [0102]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Rastegardoost in the system of Huang and in order to use a quantity of available RF chains to reduce latency, improve throughput and improve communication reliability.
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Rastegardoost discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/8, further comprising: receiving the first RRC parameter and/or indication signaling from a network device. Huang discloses UE can receive RRC signaling that indicates whether the UE should use case 1 or case 2 for uplink transmissions, where the UE supports any quantity of RF chains over any quantity of component carriers, Para [0103], where the cases are RF chain configurations, Para [0102], received from a base station, Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 5, Rastegardoost discloses an uplink transmission method, comprising: sending, by a network device, first information, wherein the first information indicates a terminal device to perform 1-antenna-port uplink transmission on a first carrier, and the terminal device supports uplink switching performed in at least three frequency bands (UE configured with uplink switching, Para [0290], UE can transmit 1-port transmission on one uplink carrier, Para [0291], UE can receive RRC message, from gNB, for UL Tx switching across more than two bands, Para [0356]); and receiving, by the network device, the uplink transmission from the terminal device in the radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching (UE configured with uplink switching across more than two carriers/bands, Para [0376], UE performs UL transmissions after the uplink switching, received by gNB, Fig. 27,UE can reconfigure RF chain to support transmission, Para [0358]. Also see from Para [0272-274] and Fig. 27 the provisional application); but does not disclose sending, by the network device, a first RRC parameter and/or indication signaling to the terminal device, wherein the first RRC parameter and/or the indication signaling are/is for the terminal device to determine, in at least three radio frequency chain states supporting the uplink transmission, a radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching. Huang discloses UE may perform UL switching to switch the RF chains, Para [0004], UE can receive RRC signaling, from BS, that indicates whether the UE should use case 1 or case 2 for uplink transmissions, where the UE supports any quantity of RF chains over any quantity of component carriers, Para [0103], where the cases are RF chain configurations, Para [0102]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Rastegardoost in the system of Huang and in order to use a quantity of available RF chains to reduce latency, improve throughput and improve communication reliability.
Regarding claim 8, Rastegardoost discloses a communication apparatus (wireless device, Fig. 15) corresponding to a terminal device, comprising: at least one processor and a memory (processing system and memory, Fig. 15) storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, the programming instructions instructing the communication apparatus to perform operations comprising: receiving first information, wherein the first information indicates the terminal device to perform 1-antenna-port uplink transmission on a first carrier, and the terminal device supports uplink switching performed in at least three frequency bands (UE configured with uplink switching, Para [0290], UE can transmit 1-port transmission on one uplink carrier, Para [0291], UE can receive RRC message for UL Tx switching across more than two bands, Para [0356]); and sending, by the terminal device, the uplink transmission in the radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching (UE configured with uplink switching across more than two carriers/bands, Para [0376], UE performs UL transmissions after the uplink switching, Fig. 27,UE can reconfigure RF chain to support transmission, Para [0358]. Also see from Para [0272-274] and Fig. 27 the provisional application); but does not explicitly disclose determining, by the terminal device based on a first radio resource control RRC parameter and/or indication signaling in at least three radio frequency chain states supporting the uplink transmission, a radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching. Huang discloses UE may perform UL switching to switch the RF chains, Para [0004], UE can receive RRC signaling that indicates whether the UE should use case 1 or case 2 for uplink transmissions, where the UE supports any quantity of RF chains over any quantity of component carriers, Para [0103], where the cases are RF chain configurations, Para [0102]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Rastegardoost in the system of Huang and in order to use a quantity of available RF chains to reduce latency, improve throughput and improve communication reliability.
Regarding claim 12, Rastegardoost discloses a communication apparatus (base station, Fig. 15), comprising: at least one processor and a memory (processing system and memory, Fig. 15) storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, the programming instructions instructing the communication apparatus to perform operations comprising: sending first information, wherein the first information indicates a terminal device to perform 1-antenna-port uplink transmission on a first carrier, and the terminal device supports uplink switching performed in at least three frequency bands; (UE configured with uplink switching, Para [0290], UE can transmit 1-port transmission on one uplink carrier, Para [0291], UE can receive RRC message, from gNB, for UL Tx switching across more than two bands, Para [0356]); and receiving, by the network device, the uplink transmission from the terminal device in the radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching (UE configured with uplink switching across more than two carriers/bands, Para [0376], UE performs UL transmissions after the uplink switching, received by gNB, Fig. 27,UE can reconfigure RF chain to support transmission, Para [0358]. Also see from Para [0272-274] and Fig. 27 the provisional application); but does not disclose sending, by the network device, a first RRC parameter and/or indication signaling to the terminal device, wherein the first RRC parameter and/or the indication signaling are/is for the terminal device to determine, in at least three radio frequency chain states supporting the uplink transmission, a radio frequency chain state that is after the uplink switching. Huang discloses UE may perform UL switching to switch the RF chains, Para [0004], UE can receive RRC signaling, from BS, that indicates whether the UE should use case 1 or case 2 for uplink transmissions, where the UE supports any quantity of RF chains over any quantity of component carriers, Para [0103], where the cases are RF chain configurations, Para [0102]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Rastegardoost in the system of Huang and in order to use a quantity of available RF chains to reduce latency, improve throughput and improve communication reliability.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 13-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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