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 § 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Convida et al. (hereinafter Convida) WO 2021/231816 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Convida teaches a method for wireless communication, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device, first information (¶00238-¶00239; a high layer signaling may be used to convey this information, e.g. RRC parameter such as repetition_pattern, which may be signaled in SIB / as part of RACH-ConftgCommon. Also, such parameters may be preconfigured, provided in the specs."), wherein the first information is used to configure at least one of following:
association periods in which resources for Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) repetition are located, PRACH occasions in association periods in which resources for PRACH repetition are located, duration(s) in which resources for PRACH repetition are located, PRACH occasion(s) in duration(s) in which resources for PRACH repetition are located, preamble(s) associated with PRACH repetition, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration dedicated to PRACH repetition (par. [00227]-[00233] "Exploiting the unused RO based on legacy PRACH configurations in one association period may not be enough to provide the desired coverage enhancement. Therefore, exploiting the unused ROs based on legacy PRACH configurations in multiple consecutive or non-consecutive association periods.", par. [00234] "FIG. 16 shows an example of repeating a PRACH transmission in the same RO across different association periods 1600. ", par. [00241], figures 16 & 17).
Regarding claim 2, Convida teaches the method of claim 1, wherein, in case that the first information is at least used to configure the association periods in which the resources for PRACH repetition are located, the resources for PRACH repetition are located in M association periods, wherein each of the M association periods comprises at least one PRACH occasion for PRACH repetition, M is a positive integer, and M > 1 ([00234] FIG. 16 shows an example of repeating a PRACH transmission in the same RO across different association periods 1600. Alternatively, reduced capability NR devices may transmit PRACH repetitions across different consecutive or non-consecutive association periods 1601, 1602. Also [00239] association period can be used to carry PRACH repetition starting from the one that carried the first PRACH repetition) and so on. Also, the pattern may be provided in the form of a bitmap. For example, the bitmap 1001001001001001 corresponds to the pattern in FIG. 18. As mentioned above, this pattern may be applied for repetitions on ROs within association period and/or repetitions on RO across different association periods).
Regarding claim 3, Convida teaches the method of claim 2, wherein, a number of the M association periods is less than or equal to a number of times of PRACH repetition (Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 4, Convida teaches the method of claim 2, wherein, the PRACH occasions for PRACH repetition in the M association periods are associated with at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), wherein the at least one SSB at least comprises a target SSB determined by the terminal device (¶00226-¶00232; based on the selected SSB…).
Regarding claim 5, Convida teaches the method of claim 2, wherein, a number of the M association periods is determined based on at least one of following: a number of times of PRACH repetition, or a number of time division PRACH occasions associated with one SSB in the association periods (¶00229-¶00232).
Regarding claim 6, Convida teaches the method of claim 2, wherein, the PRACH occasions for PRACH repetition in the M association periods are preconfigured or stipulated by protocol (¶00239; A high layer signaling may be used to convey this information, e.g. RRC parameter such as repetition _pattern, which may be signaled in SIB I as part of RACH-ConftgCommon. Also, such parameters may be preconfigured, provided in the specs. [00240] Furthermore, the needed coverage enhancement level may be associated with the repetition pattern, not only with the number of repetitions. As mentioned above, each coverage enhancement level may be associated with the repetition configurations which may include the number of repetitions, and the repetition pattern as well. Table 11 shows an example of such configuration. This table may be preconfigured, provided in the specs, or it may be provided by high layer signaling to indicate thresholds on RSRP, i.e., bo, bi and b2, and/or the repetition pattern for each coverage enhancement level).
Regarding claim 7, Convida teaches the method of claim 6, wherein, at least one time division PRACH occasion associated with one SSB in an association period is preconfigured or stipulated by protocol for PRACH repetition (¶00239; A high layer signaling may be used to convey this information, e.g. RRC parameter such as repetition _pattern, which may be signaled in SIB I as part of RACH-ConftgCommon. Also, such parameters may be preconfigured, provided in the specs. [00240] Furthermore, the needed coverage enhancement level may be associated with the repetition pattern, not only with the number of repetitions. As mentioned above, each coverage enhancement level may be associated with the repetition configurations which may include the number of repetitions, and the repetition pattern as well. Table 11 shows an example of such configuration. This table may be preconfigured, provided in the specs, or it may be provided by high layer signaling to indicate thresholds on RSRP, i.e., bo, bi and b2, and/or the repetition pattern for each coverage enhancement level).
Claims 8-14 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus the same rationale applies.
Regarding claim 15, Convida teaches the terminal device of claim 8, wherein, in case that the first information is at least used to configure the duration(s) in which the resources for PRACH repetition are located and/or the PRACH occasion(s) in the duration(s) in which the resources for PRACH repetition are located, the resources for PRACH repetition are located in at least one duration, wherein each of the at least one duration comprises at least one PRACH occasion for PRACH repetition (¶00232 & ¶0240 & Table 11. Also see par. [00227]-[00233] "Exploiting the unused RO based on legacy PRACH configurations in one association period may not be enough to provide the desired coverage enhancement. Therefore, exploiting the unused ROs based on legacy PRACH configurations in multiple consecutive or non-consecutive association periods.", par. [00234] "FIG. 16 shows an example of repeating a PRACH transmission in the same RO across different association periods 1600. ", par. [00241], figures 16 & 17).
Regarding claim 16, Convida teaches the terminal device of claim 8, wherein, the first information comprises feature combination element information associated with PRACH repetition, wherein the feature combination element information is used to configure at least one of following: the association periods in which the resources for PRACH repetition are located, the PRACH occasions in the association periods in which the resources for PRACH repetition are located, the duration(s) in which the resources for PRACH repetition are located and the PRACH occasion(s) in the duration(s), or preamble(s) associated with PRACH repetition (¶00240-¶00241 & Table 11. Also see claim 1).
Claims 17-20 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus the same rationale applies.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHRAN ABU ROUMI whose telephone number is (469)295-9170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6AM-5PM.
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MAHRAN ABU ROUMI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2455
/MAHRAN Y ABU ROUMI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2455
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