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 § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to performing mathematical/logical operations and determining a numerical result. without significantly more. The claims 1/9/18 recites accessing first information (PRACH repeated transmission procedures, calculated transmit power, resource configurations, downlink signal measurement results) and outputting a determination (the number of PRACH repeated transmissions) based on first information. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the claims do not require the actual performance or execution of the PRACH transmission by the terminal device/ (a process and memory). The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because generic hardware ( a processor, memory, computer -executable instructions) components do not transform an abstract idea into patent-eligible subject matter. Dependent claims 2-8, 10-17, and 19-20 depend from independent claims 1/ 9/18. These dependent claims add further limitations (e.g., determining based on execution sequential numbers, measurement thresholds, power offsets, resource selection, and stopping conditions) but do not cure the fundamental eligibility defect. The additional limitations remain directed to data processing and mathematical operations without “significantly more” that would render the claims patent-eligible. Accordingly, dependent claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 for the same reasons as their respective independent claims.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MolavianJazi et al. (US 2022/0256612).
With regard to claims 1 and 18, MolavianJazi teaches: A CRM(paragraphs 09-10 and /A method (see figure 6), for wireless communication, applied to a terminal device (the method comprising:
determining a number of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) repeated transmissions according to first information (paragraphs 131-139: see figure 6, determine a number (first, second, or last ) of PRACH repetitions:
[0135] In operation 625, based on the UE 116 determining the adjusted RSRP is less than the first threshold, the UE 116 determines a first number of repetitions for PRACH transmission. In operation 630, based on the UE 116 determining the adjusted RSRP is not less than the first threshold, the UE 116 compares the adjusted RSRP with a second threshold. The second threshold can be indicated by an SIB or configured by RRC. If the UE 116 determines the adjusted RSRP is less than the second threshold, the UE 116 proceeds to operation 635. If the UE 116 determines the adjusted RSRP is not less than the second threshold, the UE 116 proceeds to operation 640.
[0136] In operation 635, based on the UE 116 determining the adjusted RSRP is less than the second threshold, the UE 116 determines a second number of repetitions for PRACH transmission. Based on the UE 116 determining the adjusted RSRP is not less than the second threshold, the UE 116 continues a same procedure until the UE 116 reaches a last threshold. For example, the UE 116 can compare the adjusted RSRP with any suitable number of thresholds. Although described herein as a first threshold, second threshold, and last threshold, the UE 116 can compare the adjusted RSRP with more or fewer than three thresholds without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0137] In operation 640, the UE 116 compares the adjusted RSRP with a last threshold. If the UE 116 determines the adjusted RSRP is less than the last threshold, the UE 116 proceeds to operation 645. If the UE 116 determines the adjusted RSRP is not less than the last threshold, the UE 116 proceeds to operation 650.
[0138] In operation 645, based on the UE 116 determining the adjusted RSRP is less than the last threshold, the UE 116 determines a second to last number of repetitions for PRACH transmission. In operation 650, based on the UE 116 determining the adjusted RSRP is not less than the last threshold, the UE 116 determines a last number of repetitions for PRACH transmission.
) ,
wherein the first information comprises at least one of:
a PRACH repeated transmission procedure corresponding to the PRACH repeated transmissions, wherein one PRACH repeated transmission procedure corresponds to one Random Access Response (RAR);
a calculated transmit power for a PRACH (paragraphs 121-123, and 131-132: power class);
a resource configuration for the PRACH repeated transmissions (paragraphs 121-123, and 131-132: configuration of PRACH repetition based on coverage enhancement levels); or
a measurement result of a downlink signal (paragraphs 121-123, and 131-132: RSRP)
. The number of PRACH transmissions for the CE level can be provided to the UE 116 by higher layer signaling, such as by a SIB, and can be same for all CE levels or provided separately at least for some of the CE levels.
[0131] In some embodiments, for each PRACH transmission by an NR-Light UE, the UE 116 can transmit the PRACH preamble with a number of PRACH repetitions and with a same transmission power for each repetition. For example, the number of PRACH repetitions can be indicated by a system information block (SIB) or be provided by UE-specific higher layer signaling, such as for a PRACH transmission that is not triggered by a PDCCH order, or be indicated by a DCI format, from a set of configured or specified numbers, such as for a PRACH transmission that is triggered by a PDCCH-order. In one example, the set of possible numbers for PRACH repetitions can depend on the operating CE level and/or the power class of the NR-Light UE 116. Then, a first UE and a second UE, that have respective RSRP measurements in a same RSRP range, can transmit a PRACH with a different number of repetitions depending on a corresponding UE power class. In another example, the RSRP ranges can be defined with respect to a predetermined UE power class, such as 23 dBm, and a UE 116 can determine the RSRP range by subtracting the difference of the UE power class from 23 dBm from a RSRP that the UE 116 measures. For example, for a first RSRP range of [−80, −90) dBm and a second RSRP range of [−90, −100) dBm, a first UE with 23 dBm power class that measures an RSRP of −87 dBm determines the first RSRP range, and a second UE with 17 dBm power class that measures an RSRP of −87 dBm determines the second RSRP range.
[0132] FIG. 6 illustrates a method of determining a number of repetitions based on an RSRP range/CE level and a UE power class according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Although described herein as being implemented by the UE 116, the method 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 can be implemented by one or more of the UEs 111-116 and a corresponding method can be performed by one or more of the gNBs 101-103 described in FIG. 1. Other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
.
With regard to claims 9, MolavianJazi teaches: A terminal device (see figure 3)2460, comprising:
a processor (see figure 3: paragraphs 53-57) and
a memory (see figure 3: paragraphs 53-57), wherein the memory is configured to store computer-executable instructions; and the processor is configured to invoke and run the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to perform an operation of (paragraphs 10, 59-60, and 132):
determining a number of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) repeated transmissions according to first information (paragraphs 131-139: see figure 6),
wherein the first information comprises at least one of:
a PRACH repeated transmission procedure corresponding to the PRACH repeated transmissions, wherein one PRACH repeated transmission procedure corresponds to one Random Access Response (RAR);
a calculated transmit power for a PRACH (paragraphs 121-123, and 131-133);
a resource configuration for the PRACH repeated transmissions (paragraphs 121-123, and 130-132); or
a measurement result of a downlink signal (paragraphs 121-123, and 131-132: RSRP).
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With regard to claims 2 and 10, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the PRACH repeated transmissions correspond to a first PRACH repeated transmission procedure, and the number of PRACH repeated transmissions is a number of PRACH repeated transmissions comprised in the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claims 3 and 11, MolavianJazi teaches:
wherein determining the number of PRACH repeated transmissions according to the first information comprises: determining, according to an execution sequential number corresponding to the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure, the number of PRACH repeated transmissions comprised in the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claim 4, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein determining, according to the execution sequential number corresponding to the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure, the number of PRACH repeated transmissions comprised in the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure comprises: determining, according to the execution sequential number corresponding to the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure and first indication information, the number of PRACH repeated transmissions comprised in the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure, wherein the first indication information is for indicating a number of PRACH repeated transmissions corresponding to the execution sequential number (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claim 5, MolavianJazi teaches:
wherein the first indication information is for indicating a plurality of numbers of repeated transmissions, wherein each number of repeated transmissions corresponds to one PRACH repeated transmission procedure, and a number of repeated transmissions corresponding to a PRACH repeated transmission procedure performed later is greater than or equal to a number of repeated transmissions corresponding to a PRACH repeated transmission procedure performed earlier (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claim 6, MolavianJazi teaches:
wherein determining the number of PRACH repeated transmissions according to the first information comprises: determining the number of PRACH repeated transmissions according to the measurement result of the downlink signal and at least one measurement result threshold, wherein the at least one measurement result threshold has a correspondence with the number of PRACH repeated transmissions (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claim 7, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the at least one measurement result threshold is predefined, or configured by a network device (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139)..
With regard to claim 8, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein all of the PRACH repeated transmissions use a same transmit power (paragraph 131)
With regard to claims 12, MolavianJazi teaches: perform an operation of: selecting, according to the number of PRACH repeated transmissions, target resources for performing the PRACH repeated transmissions in the resource configuration for the PRACH repeated transmissions (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claims 13, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein determining the number of PRACH repeated transmissions according to the first information comprises: in a case where a downlink signal selected by the terminal device changes, determining the number of PRACH repeated transmissions according to the first information, wherein the downlink signal is associated with a resource for transmitting the PRACH (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claim 14, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the transmit power used in the PRACH repeated transmissions is related to at least one of: an execution sequential number corresponding to the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure; or the number of PRACH repeated transmissions comprised in the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure (see figure 6: paragraphs 130-139).
With regard to claim 15, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the transmit power used in the PRACH repeated transmissions is determined according to a first transmit power and a target power offset, wherein the first transmit power is the calculated transmit power for the PRACH, and the target power offset comprises a first power offset and/or a second power offset, the first power offset being related to the number of PRACH repeated transmissions comprised in the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure, and the second power offset being related to a sequential number corresponding to the first PRACH repeated transmission procedure (paragraphs 130-132 and 206-210).
With regard to claim 16, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the second power offset is predefined, or configured by a network device (paragraphs 130-132 and 206-210).
With regard to claim 17, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the calculated transmit power for the PRACH is determined according to a target received power of a network device and a pathloss between the terminal device and the network device (paragraphs 121-122 and 232-233).
With regard to claim 19, MolavianJazi teaches:
wherein the processor is caused to further perform an operation of: in a case where a total number of times of execution of the PRACH repeated transmission procedures satisfies a first threshold value, stopping the PRACH repeated transmissions (paragraphs 143-144).
With regard to claim 20, MolavianJazi teaches: wherein the first threshold is predefined, or configured by a network device (paragraphs 143-144).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ly et al. (US 2024/0324025, see figure 5)
Chang et al. (US 2023/0292373, see figure 3)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS R SMITH whose telephone number is (571)270-1096. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM -5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Deborah J Reynolds can be reached at (571) 272-0734. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2468
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