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 .
This office action is in response to communication filed 05/28/2026.
Claims 1-20 have been cancelled. Claims 21-40 are pending and presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/20/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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 21-23, 26, 32, 36-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yuan et al. (US 2024/0243798 A1).
Regarding claim 21, Yuan (US 2024/0243798 A1) discloses a method comprising:
detecting a condition to trigger a report of a preferred transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state (see para. 0087-0089, discloses receiving a message, such as MAC CE or CMRs to trigger measurement and CSI report); and
generating, based on detecting the condition, the report to indicate the preferred TCI state, the report to be transmitted to a base station (see para. 0087-0089, 0097, discloses CSI report with CMR2 indication corresponding TCI).
Regarding claim 32, Yuan discloses an apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry to (see para. 0009):
receive, from a network, a message to indicate a plurality of beams (see para. 0087-0089, discloses MAC CE or CMRs with multiple TCI states, each indicative of one or more beams);
determine that a condition is met with respect to a first beam of the plurality of beams (see para. 0097, discloses rules as condition); and
generate, for transmission to the network based on the determination that the condition is met, a user equipment (UE)-initiated report that indicates the first beam (see para. 0087-0089, discloses a CSI report with indicated state corresponding to a beam); and
interface circuitry, coupled to the processing circuitry, to receive the message (see para. 0009, 0066).
Regarding claim 37, Yuan discloses a method comprising:
generating, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), configuration information that includes a list of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states to be monitored (see para. 0087-0089, discloses MAC CE or CMRs with multiple TCI states, each indicative of one or more beams); and
processing a report, received from a user equipment (UE), to indicate that a condition has been met with respect to a first TCI state of the list of TCI states (see para. 0084-0089, discloses a CSI report with indicated state corresponding to a beam).
Regarding claim 22, Yuan discloses the method further comprising:
receiving a configuration of a channel measurement resource (CMR) (see para. 0087-0089, discloses receiving CMRs message);
performing a measurement associated with the TCI state based on a reference signal received in the CMR (see para. 0087-0089, discloses performing measurement and sending CSI report); and
determining the preferred TCI state based on the measurement (see para. 0097).
Regarding claim 23, Yuan discloses the method wherein the report includes: the preferred TCI state (see para. 0087-0089, 0097); or the preferred TCI state and the measurement associated with the preferred TCI state (optional element).
Regarding claim 26, Yuan discloses the method further comprising: processing a CSI report configuration received in a radio resource control (RRC) information element, or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (see fig. 4, 405, discloses CMR received in MAC CE), wherein the CSI report configuration includes a list of TCI states to be considered for the preferred TCI state (see fig. 4, 405, the message includes multiple TCIs).
Regarding claim 36, Yuan discloses the apparatus wherein the UE-initiated report includes a channel state information (CSI) report (see fig. 4, 415 discloses CSI report).
Regarding claim 38, Yuan discloses the method wherein the configuration information is further to indicate respective resources in which reference signals associated with the list of TCI states are to be transmitted (see fig. 4, 6, 410, 610, discloses CMR with specific TCI).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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 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.
Claims 24-25, 31, 35, 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al.
Regarding claims 24, 35, 39, Yuan fails to disclose discloses the method wherein the report is included in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
However, Examiner takes official notice that it is well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a report to be included in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include the report in well known communication channels of PUCCH or PUSCH.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow communicating the report to the base station.
Regarding claim 25, Yuan discloses the method wherein the report is a channel state information (CSI) report (see para. 0087-0089, fig. 4, 9).
Yuan fails to disclose wherein the CSI report is a periodic CSI report, an aperiodic CSI report, or a semi-persistent CSI report.
However, Examine takes official notice that is well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a CSI report to be a periodic CSI report, an aperiodic CSI report, or a semi-persistent CSI report.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include a CSI report to be a periodic CSI report, an aperiodic CSI report, or a semi-persistent CSI report.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow communicating the report to the base station.
Regarding claim 31, Yuan fails to disclose the method further comprising receiving a resource configuration to indicate an uplink resource for the report.
However, Examiner takes official notice that it is well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to receive a resource configuration to indicate an uplink resource for the report.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include receiving a resource configuration to indicate an uplink resource for the report.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow reliable transmission of the report.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al. in view of Zhou et al. (US 2025/0380174 A1)
Regarding claim 27, Yuan fails to disclose but Zhou discloses the method wherein detecting the condition comprises: determining a timer associated with the report is expired (see para. 0662).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include determining a timer associated with the report is expired.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow communicating the report to the base station.
Claims 28-29, 33-34, 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al. in view of Hong et al. (US 2026/0012957 A1)
Regarding claim 28, 40, Yuan fails to disclose but Hong discloses the method wherein detecting the condition comprises: determining a difference between a first quality measurement of an activated TCI state and a second quality measurement of the preferred TCI state is more than a threshold (see para. 0238).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include determining a difference between a first quality measurement of an activated TCI state and a second quality measurement of the preferred TCI state is more than a threshold.
The motivation for doing so would be to prevent prematurely switching a beam.
Regarding claim 29, Yuan discloses the method wherein the first quality measurement of the activated TCI state or the second quality measurement of the preferred TCI state corresponds to a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) measurement, a block error rate (BLER) measurement, or a data rate measurement (see para, 0084, 0099, discloses the measurements to be RSRP).
Regarding claim 33, the combination of Yuan and Hong discloses the apparatus wherein the processing circuitry is further to: receive a configuration of a channel measurement resource (CMR) (see para. 0087-0089, discloses receiving CMRs message); perform a measurement associated with the first beam based on a reference signal received in the CMR (see para. 0087-0089, discloses performing measurement and sending CSI report); and determine that the condition is met based on the measurement (Hong at para. 0238).
Regarding claim 34, the combination of Yuan and Hong discloses the apparatus wherein to determine that the condition is met includes to determine that a difference between a first layer 1 (L1)-reference signal received power (RSRP) of the first beam and a second L1-RSRP of an activated transmission control indicator (TCI) state is more than a threshold (see para. 0189, 0238).
Claims 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al. in view of Hong et al. (US 2026/0012957 A1) and Zhou et al.
Regarding claim 30, Yuan fails to disclose but Zhou discloses the method further comprising receiving, via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, configuration information to configure the threshold (see para. 0482).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include receiving configuration of threshold via RRC signaling.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow configuring the threshold.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NISHANT B DIVECHA whose telephone number is (571)270-3125. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM-6:00 PM.
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NISHANT B. DIVECHA
Supervisory Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419
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