DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
2. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uesaka et al (US 20230060444 A1, hereinafter referred to as Uesaka) in view of Taherzadeh Boroujeni et al (US 20220046726, hereinafter referred to as Taherzadeh).
Re claim 1, Uesaka teaches a communication method (Fig. 4-7, Fig. 15-16), comprising:
(i) receiving, by a terminal device (UE), first information (scheduling information for receiving a system information message (i.e. SIB1)) in a first frequency unit (time frequency resource over which the system information message (i.e. SIB1) scheduling information is received), wherein the first information indicates a first periodicity (SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) in which common information is transmitted (SIB1 scheduling bitmap indicates the SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) (Fig. 4, Fig. 6-7, Fig. 15-16, Par 0062-0064, Par 0071-0073, Par 0081-0082, Par 0091, Par 0127-0135, Par 0070-0071, Par 0221-0224); and
(ii) detecting, by the terminal device, the common information (receiving SIB1) in a second frequency unit (time frequency resource over which SIB1 is transmitted) based on the first periodicity (SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) (Fig. 4, Fig. 6-7, Fig. 15-16, Par 0062-0064, Par 0071, Par 0081-0082, Par 0155, Par 0166-0171, Par 0229-0234),
Uesaka teaches to obtain Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resource information from SIB1 to perform a random access procedure for Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release with redirection and RRC re-establishment (Par 0004). Uesaka does not explicitly disclose that the common information (i.e.,SIB1) is used by the terminal device for initial access to a network device.
Taherzadeh teaches that the common information (SIB1 including PRACH resources) is used by the terminal device for initial access to a network device (initial access procedure (e.g., a RACH procedure)) (Par 0112).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Uesaka by including the step that the common information is used by the terminal device for initial access to a network device, as taught by Taherzadeh for the purpose of providing a beam-specific coverage enhancement to improve signal coverage during a random access procedure, as taught by Taherzadeh (Par 0002-0003).
Claim 11 recites a wireless apparatus performing the steps recited in claim 1 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 1. Uesaka further teaches that the wireless apparatus comprises one or more processors (Fig. 10, Par 0196, Par 0199).
Re claims 2, 8, 12, Uesaka teaches that a duration of the first periodicity is greater than 20 ms (SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) (Fig. 4-7, Par 0110-0111, Par 0114, Par 0133-0134, Par 0150).
Re claims 3, 13, Uesaka teaches that the first information further indicates a time window corresponding to the first periodicity (SI window, Fig. 5, transmission occasion within the transmission periodicity, bitmap indicating the transmission occasions with bit value “1” within the transmission periodicity, Fig. 4, Fig. 6-7, time TSI to acquire system information within the transmission periodicity, Par 0074, Par 0150) and the detecting the common information in the second frequency unit based on the first periodicity comprises: detecting the common information in the second frequency unit based on the first periodicity in the time window corresponding to the first periodicity (detecting system information/SIB1 based on the transmission occasions/SI window within the transmission periodicity) (Par 0071-0074, Par 0097, Par 0110-0111, Par 0132-0138, Par 0150-0153, Par 0166-0171).
Re claims 4, 14, Uesaka teaches that the first information further indicates an identifier of the second frequency unit (carrier identifier k; cell (i.e., cell2) for which SI scheduling information is sent), and the detecting the common information in the second frequency unit based on the first periodicity comprises: detecting the common information in the second frequency unit based on the identifier of the second frequency unit (Carrier k) and the first periodicity (transmission periodicity 160 ms) (Fig. 4-7, Par 0115-0123, Par 0127-0130, Par 0132-0133, Par 0149-0150, Par 0155, Par 0156-0167, Par 0223-0225, Par 0229-0230, Par 0237-0238).
Re claims 5, 10, 15, Uesaka teaches that the first information further indicates a second periodicity (20 ms) in which the common information is transmitted (Eight 20 ms transmission occasions within the 160ms transmission periodicity) (Fig. 4-7, Par 0110-0111, Par 0114, Par 0121, Par 0133-0134, Par 0150).
Re claims 6, 16, Uesaka teaches to detect the common information in the second frequency unit based on the second periodicity (20 ms transmission occasion) in response to the common information not being detected based on the first periodicity (obtaining SIB1 message in every 20 ms transmission occasion within the transmission periodicity 160 ms, Par 0139, Par 0172) (Par 0133-0134, Par 0139, Par 0172).
Re claim 7, Uesaka teaches a communication method (Fig. 4-7, Fig. 15-16), comprising:
(i) sending, by a network device (network node, Fig. 8, Par 0177), first information (scheduling information for receiving a system information message (i.e. SIB1)) in a first frequency unit (time frequency resource over which the system information message (i.e. SIB1) scheduling information is sent), wherein the first information indicates a first periodicity (SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) in which common information is transmitted (SIB1 scheduling bitmap indicates the SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) (Fig. 4, Fig. 6-7, Fig. 15-16, Par 0062-0064, Par 0071-0073, Par 0081-0082, Par 0091, Par 0127-0135, Par 0070-0071, Par 0221-0224); and
(ii) sending, by the network device (network node, Fig. 8, Par 0177), the common information (sending SIB1) in a second frequency unit (time frequency resource over which SIB1 is transmitted) based on the first periodicity (SIB1 transmission periodicity, 160ms) (Fig. 4, Fig. 6-7, Fig. 15-16, Par 0062-0064, Par 0071, Par 0081-0082, Par 0155, Par 0166-0171, Par 0229-0234),
Uesaka teaches to obtain Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resource information from SIB1 to perform a random access procedure for Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release with redirection and RRC re-establishment (Par 0004). Uesaka does not explicitly disclose that the common information (i.e.,SIB1) is used by a terminal device for initial access to a network device.
Taherzadeh teaches that the common information (SIB1 including PRACH resources) is used by a terminal device for initial access to a network device (initial access procedure (e.g., a RACH procedure)) (Par 0112).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Uesaka by including the step that the common information is used by a terminal device for initial access to a network device, as taught by Taherzadeh for the purpose of providing a beam-specific coverage enhancement to improve signal coverage during a random access procedure, as taught by Taherzadeh (Par 0002-0003).
Re claim 9, Uesaka teaches that the first information further indicates at least one of : a time window corresponding to the first periodicity (SI window, Fig. 5, transmission occasion within the transmission periodicity, bitmap indicating the transmission occasions with bit value “1” within the transmission periodicity, Fig. 4, Fig. 6-7, time TSI to acquire system information within the transmission periodicity, Par 0074, Par 0150) or an identifier of the second frequency unit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARUN UR R CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3895. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang B Yao can be reached at 5712723182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HARUN CHOWDHURY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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