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 .
Amendment filed 8/13/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 have been amended.
Claims 1-12 remain pending.
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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bai et al. (US20240348403A1; see also Provisional Application 63/134483), hereafter Bai.
Regarding independent claims 1 and 9,
Bai discloses a method (Fig. 3, 5-7) performed by a UE (Fig. 2, device 202) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising a controller (Fig. 2, processor 210) and a transceiver (Fig. 2, transceiver 206) operably coupled with the controller configured to receive, from a base station (BS) (Fig. 2, base station 226), information configuring a plurality of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states (paragraph 15-23; receiving configuration of one or more TCI states for serving and non-serving cells).
Bai further discloses to receive, from the BS, a first medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for activating a first TCI state among the plurality of TCI states (Fig. 5, step 536; paragraph 65; MAC-CE utilized to activate TCI states), wherein the first TCI state is associated with a serving cell (Fig. 5, serving cell 530), and to receive, from the BS, a second MAC CE for activating a second TCI state among the plurality of TCI states (Fig. 5, step 540), wherein the second TCI state is associated with a non-serving cell (Fig. 5, non-serving cell 534), wherein a reference signal for the second TCI state is configured with a physical cell identity (PCI) of the non-serving cell (paragraph 52; see Provisional paragraphs 17-20, 24, 38-45, 55, 78, 82; non-serving cell identifiers at L1). See also Fig. 6, 9, paragraphs 138-208.
Regarding independent claim 5,
Bai discloses a BS (Fig. 2, base station 226) in a wireless communication system, the BS comprising a controller (Fig. 2, processor 220) and a transceiver (Fig. 2, transceiver 216) operably coupled with the controller, the transceiver configured to transmit, to a UE (Fig. 2, device 202), information configuring a plurality of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states (paragraph 15-23; configuring one or more TCI states by both serving and non-serving cells).
Bai further discloses to transmit, to the UE, a first medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (Fig. 5, step 536; paragraph 65; MAC-CE utilized to activate TCI states) for activating a first TCI state among the plurality of TCI states, wherein the first TCI state is associated with a serving cell (Fig. 5, serving cell 530), and to transmit, to the UE, a second MAC CE for activating a second TCI state among the plurality of TCI states (Fig. 5, step 540), wherein the second TCI state is associated with a non-serving cell (Fig. 5, non-serving cell 534), wherein a reference signal for the second TCI state is configured with a physical cell identity (PCI) of the non-serving cell (paragraph 52; see also Provisional paragraphs 17-20, 24, 38-45, 55, 78, 82; non-serving cell identifiers at L1). See also Fig. 4, 6, 8, 10, paragraphs 138-208.
Regarding dependent claims 2, 6, and 10,
Bai discloses the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the BS, information configuring a list of at least one physical cell identity (PCI) of the non-serving cell (paragraph 52; see also Provisional paragraphs 17-20, 24, 38-45, 55, 78, 82; non-serving cell identifiers at L1).
Regarding dependent claims 3, 7, and 11,
Bai discloses the reference signal includes a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (SS-PBCH) block (i.e. SSB; paragraph 21, 28, 43, 46, 57, 87-96, 141).
Regarding dependent claims 4, 8, and 12,
Bai discloses the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the BS, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) based on at least one of the first TCI state or the second TCI state (paragraph 18, 65; activate/select TCI states for a PDSCH or PDCCH).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/13/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the Remarks on pg. 7-8 of the Amendment, Applicant contends Bai’s Provisional does not provide support for “non-serving cells may be identified by their physical cell IDs (PCIs)” or “TCI state capability may indicate a maximum number of non-serving cells with corresponding reference signals configured for a TCI state” from paragraph 52 of Bai’s publication. Applicant concludes that Bai is no prior art for meeting these emphasized elements of the claims, as amended.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. As now shown in the rejection, Bai’s Provisional provides support for a maximum number of non-serving cells with corresponding reference signals configured for a TCI state (paragraph 50) as well as cell identifiers of non-serving cells at the physical layer/layer1/L1 (paragraphs 17-20, 24, 38-45, 55, 78, and 82). One of ordinary skill would recognize these disclosures from Bai’s Provisional provide support for the language in paragraph 52 of Bai’s Publication. Therefore, the rejections are properly maintained.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Liu et al. (US20230239823A1); non-serving cell’s PCI configured for UE (paragraph 126).
Zhou et al. (US20230180141A1); reference signal for non-serving cell including identifier/PCI (paragraph 63).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY B SEFCHECK whose telephone number is (571)272-3098. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-4PM.
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/GREGORY B SEFCHECK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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