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.
Claim 2 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 2, the claim recites “receiving a first Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH) or transmitting a first Physical Uplink Shared CHannel (PUSCH) using, per first periodicity, a first radio resource comprised in a first Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH)”. This claim limitation is indefinite because it is unclear how a radio resource used for a shared data channel (PDSCH or PUSCH) can be “comprised in” (contained within) a control channel (PDCCH). As described in the specification (see [0079]-[0080], [0102]), radio resources in the downlink or uplink direction are allocated by downlink control information (DCI) that is transmitted sing the PDCCH. The PDCCH carries the scheduling information that points the radio resource; it does not structurally contain or comprise the shared channel radio resources themselves. For examination purposes the phrase “comprised in” is changed to “indicated by”.
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)(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, 2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 2025/0071749 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, Zhang ‘749 teaches, a network node ([0032], [0298] and Fig. 1, a base station(gNB)) comprising: a controller configured to perform one of associating a first Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration and a second SPS configuration having different periodicities ([0143]-[0148], [0156]-[0159] and Figs. 5 and 11, an SPS configuration pool containing separately indexed SPS configurations with different periodicities. The DCI jointly identifies two configuration indices (i.e. SPS-configindex A and B) and the UE uses the associated configurations in an identified cyclic order) or associating a first Configured Grant (CG) configuration and a second CG configuration having different periodicities ([0208]-[0219], [0222]-[0227] and Figs. 2. 5, indexed CG configurations having different periodicities are jointly identified using ConfigActivation { index1, index3} and then cyclically used in the order 8.5ms, 8ms. Notice, the claim limitation is written in alternative form thus examiner is required to show only one of the alternative claim limitation); and
a transmitter configured to transmit first association information to a user equipment, the first association information relating to one of the association between the first SPS configuration([0157]-[0159], [0165]-[0169], [0276]-[0281] and Figs, 5, 11, a DCI/HARQ field identifies sps-configuredA and sps-configindexB together. Index 0 and index2 identify configurations with 8.5ms and 8ms periodicities, which are then used sequentially and repeatedly. Thus, the transmitted information establishes the operational relationship between the two SPS configurations) and the second SPS configuration or the association between the first CG configuration and the second CG configuration ([0215]-[0219], [0222]-[0227] and Fig. 8, indexed CG configurations having different periodicities are jointly identified using ConfigActivation { index1, index3} . The UE then uses these configurations in the network-specified cyclic order. The CG-ConfigActivation signaling therefore relates directly to the relationship between the selected CG configurations).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang ‘749 teaches, all of the claim limitations Zhang ‘749 further teaches, at the user equipment: receiving a first Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH) or transmitting a first Physical Uplink Shared CHannel (PUSCH) using, per first periodicity, a first radio resource comprised in a first Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) received at a reception timing of the first periodicity indicated by the first SPS configuration or the first CG configuration([0125]-[0128] and Fig. 5, the UE receiving a PDSCH or transmitting a PUSCH using SPS resources according to a first periodicity defined by an SPS configuration which is start/activated using PDCCH); and
receiving a second PDSCH or transmitting a second PUSCH using, per second periodicity, a second radio resource comprised in a second PDCCH received at a reception timing of the second periodicity indicated by the second SPS configuration or the second CG configuration([0125]- [0128], [0199]-[0202] and Table 7, the UE receiving a PDSCH or transmitting a PUSCH using SPS resources according to a second periodicity defined by an SPS configuration which is start/activated using PDCCH).
Claims 4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chin et al(US 2023/0292314 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Chin ‘314 teaches, a communication control method in a mobile communication system comprising the steps of([0040]-[0043] and [0401], a method of resource allocation in a wireless mobile communication network involving a base station and UE): configuring, at a network node, an SPS configuration or a CG configuration for a user equipment ([0073]- [0077], [0088]-[0094], network node providing RRC configurations to the UE for both configured uplink grants(CG type 1 and type 2) and downlink SPS); and
transmitting, at the network node to the user equipment, a timing adjustment command configured to adjust a start timing of a periodicity indicated by the SPS configuration or the CG configuration ([0266]- [0269], [0283]-[0284], the network transmits a specific indication (via DCI, MAC CE or RRC) to the UE instructing it to re-initialize a configured grant. When a configuration is re-initialized by this indication, the UE applies the grant to start in the symbol according to timeDomainOffset and to reoccur with periodicity. Chin ‘314 further teaches that the UE applies this new initialization at a specific time after the reception of the specific indication (e.g. the start of the next symbol slot or CG/SPS period).
Regarding claim 6, Chin ‘314 teaches, requesting, at the user equipment, a timing adjustment from the network node([0127], [0130], [0227]-[0232], the UE sending a request or trigger to the network to adjust its configured grant parameters(which includes timing and periodicity)),wherein the transmitting of the timing adjustment command comprises transmitting, at the network node, the timing adjustment command to the user equipment in response to reception of the request ([0132, [0133, when the bases station receives the request from UE, the base station (NW) allocates or reconfigures new parameter values and transmits a specific switching indication back to the UE).
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang ‘749 in view of Fakoorian et al (US 2023/0084754 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Zhang ‘749 teaches all the claim limitations except, wherein the associating comprises, at the network node, one of: associating the first SPS configuration and a first Configured Scheduling Radio Network Temporary Identifier (CS-RNTI), and associating the second SPS configuration and a second CS-RNTI; or associating the first CG configuration and the first CS-RNTI, and associating the second CG configuration and the second CS-RNTI, and the transmitting comprises transmitting, at the network node, second association information and third association information to the user equipment, the second association information relating to the association between the first CS-RNTI and one of the first SPS configuration or the first CG configuration, and the third association information relating to the association between the second CS-RNTI and one of the second SPS configuration or the second CG configuration.
Fakoorian ‘754 teaches, wherein the associating comprises, at the network node, one of: associating the first SPS configuration and a first Configured Scheduling Radio Network Temporary Identifier (CS-RNTI), and associating the second SPS configuration and a second CS-RNTI; or associating the first CG configuration and the first CS-RNTI, and associating the second CG configuration and the second CS-RNTI([0048], [0054], different configuration sets can be associated with different CS-RNTIs. The UE is associated with multiple CS-RNTIs and each CS-RNTI corresponds to a particular configuration set containing one or more SPS or CG configurations that can be jointly activated or released) and
the transmitting comprises transmitting, at the network node, second association information and third association information to the user equipment, the second association information relating to the association between the first CS-RNTI and one of the first SPS configuration or the first CG configuration, and the third association information relating to the association between the second CS-RNTI and one of the second SPS configuration or the second CG configuration([0048], [0054], the mapping between each configurations (e.g. SPS or CG) and their respective configuration sets is indicated to the UE via RRC. Because the network also associates the different configuration sets with different CS-RNTI, the transmission of the RRC configuration from the network node provides the UE with the association information linking the specific CS-RNTI to their corresponding first and second configurations).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the communication system of Zhang ‘749, by incorporating the teaching of Fakoorian ‘754, since such modification would provide techniques and apparatuses for joint activation and/or release for multiple configured grant and/or semi-persistent scheduling configurations, as suggested by Fakoorian ‘754([0002]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin ‘314 in view of Oh et al (US 2022/0217761 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Chin ‘314 teaches all claim limitations except, wherein the start timing is a timing at which monitoring a PDCCH in the user equipment starts.
Oh ‘761 teaches, wherein the start timing is a timing at which monitoring a PDCCH in the user equipment starts ([0061], [0062], [0088] and Figs. 3-4, the terminal transmits uplink data using periodically configured CG resource and starts a CG timer at the time of transmission of the uplink data and performs a PDCCH monitoring operation on a UE specific search space. Thus, by adjusting the time allocation of the periodic CG resource (the start timing), the network adjusts the exact timing at which the PDCCH starts)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the communication system of Chin ‘314, by incorporating the teaching of Oh ‘761, since such modification would provide a technique for CG resource reconfiguration in consideration of a transmission latency in uplink communication, as suggested by Oh ‘761([0002]).
Internet Communications
Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet communications (PTO/SB/439, which can be found: http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf) in the instant patent application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal mail; or (3) EFS WEB. Written authorization submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AWET A HAILE whose telephone number is (571)270-3114. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM EST.
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/AWET HAILE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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