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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-16 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 11/15/2024, 11/15/2024, 4/1/2025, 8/27/2025, 10/23/2025 and 9/3/2026 are considered.
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 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.
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.
(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, 4-10, 12-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Matsumura et al (Matsumura), US 2021/0282168.
Matsumura is cited by the applicant in the IDS.
As per claim 1, Matsumura teaches the invention including a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:
A processor (pp. 0269, 0271, 0274) configured to:
Receive configuration information from a network, wherein the configuration information comprises a first beam failure detection (BFD) reference signal (RS) resource set associated with a first TRP of a cell, and a second BFD RS resource set associated with a second TRP of the cell, wherein the first TRP and a second TRP are associated with the same cell (pp. 0081);
detect a beam failure for the first TRP of the cell based on measurements associated with the first BFD RS resource set being below a threshold (pp. 0037, 0039, 0087); and
send a report to the network, wherein the report comprises an indication of the beam failure for the first TRP of the cell and an indication of a selected candidate beam RS for use in beam failure recovery (BFR) (pp. 0037, 0039-0049, 0142, 0144).
As per claim 2, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Matsumura further teaches wherein the processor is further configured to:
Receive configuration information that comprises an indication of first candidate beam RS set for BFR for the first TRP of the cell and an indication candidate beam RS set for BFR for the second TRP of the cell (pp. 0108-0111, 0122-0123); and
Select the candidate beam RS for use in BFR from the first candidate beam RS set for BFR for the first TRP of the cell (pp. 0108, 0116-0117, 0130).
As per claim 4, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Matsumura further teaches wherein the indication of the selected candidate beam RS for use in BFR comprises an identifier of the selected candidate beam RS for use in BFR (pp. 0130).
As per claim 5, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Matsumura further teaches wherein the report further comprises an indication of the cell associated with the beam failure for the first TRP (pp. 0037, 0039-0049).
As per claim 6, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Matsumura further teaches wherein the indication of the beam failure for the first TRP of the cell comprises an identifier that indicates the first TRP (pp. 0130).
As per claim 7, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Matsumura further teaches wherein the indication of the beam failure for the first TRP of the cell comprises an identifier associated with the first BFD RS resource set associated with the first TRP of the cell (pp. 0039, 0098, 0103, 0130).
As per claim 8, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 1. Matsumura further teaches wherein the processor is configured to:
Detect a beam failure for the second TRP of the cell based on measurement associated with the second BFD RS resource set being below the threshold (pp. 0037, 0039, 0087, 0107-0111); and
Wherein the report comprises an indication of the beam failure for the second TRP of the cell and an indication of a second selected candidate beam RS for use in BFR (pp. 0037, 0039-0049, 0142-0143).
As per claim 9, Matsumura teaches the invention including a method performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:
Receiving configuration information from a network, wherein the configuration information comprises a first beam failure detection (BFD) reference signal (RS) resource set associated with a first TRP of a cell, and a second BFD RS resource set associated with a second TRP of the cell, wherein the first TRP and a second TRP are associated with the same cell (pp. 0081);
detecting a beam failure for the first TRP of the cell based on measurements associated with the first BFD RS resource set being below a threshold (pp. 0037, 0039, 0087); and
sending a report to the network, wherein the report comprises an indication of the beam failure for the first TRP of the cell and an indication of a selected candidate beam RS for use in beam failure recovery (BFR) (pp. 0037, 0039-0049, 0142, 0144).
As per claim 10, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 9. Matsumura further teaches wherein the method further comprises:
Receiving configuration information that comprises an indication of first candidate beam RS set for BFR for the first TRP of the cell and an indication candidate beam RS set for BFR for the second TRP of the cell (pp. 0108-0111, 0122-0123); and
Selecting the candidate beam RS for use in BFR from the first candidate beam RS set for BFR for the first TRP of the cell (pp. 0108, 0116-0117, 0130).
As per claim 12, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 9. Matsumura further teaches wherein the indication of the selected candidate beam RS for use in BFR comprises an identifier of the selected candidate beam RS for use in BFR (pp. 0130).
As per claim 13, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 9. Matsumura further teaches wherein the report further comprises an indication of the cell associated with the beam failure for the first TRP (pp. 0037, 0039-0049).
As per claim 14, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 9. Matsumura further teaches wherein the indication of the beam failure for the first TRP of the cell comprises an identifier that indicates the first TRP (pp. 0130).
As per claim 15, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 9. Matsumura further teaches wherein the indication of the beam failure for the first TRP of the cell comprises an identifier associated with the first BFD RS resource set associated with the first TRP of the cell (pp. 0039, 0098, 0103, 0130).
As per claim 16, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 9. Matsumura further teaches wherein the method comprises:
Detecting a beam failure for the second TRP of the cell based on measurement associated with the second BFD RS resource set being below the threshold (pp. 0037, 0039, 0087, 0107-0111); and
Wherein the report comprises an indication of the beam failure for the second TRP of the cell and an indication of a second selected candidate beam RS for use in BFR (pp. 0037, 0039-0049, 0142-0143).
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.
Claim(s) 3 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumura et al, US 2021/0282168, in view of Chin et al, US 2021/0050901.
Chin is cited by the applicant in the IDS.
As per claim 3, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 2. Matsumura does not teach wherein the processor is configured to select the candidate beam RS for the first TRP from the first candidate beam RS set indicated for the first TRP of the cell based on a measurement value, the candidate beam RS having a highest measurement value of the candidate beams RSs of the first candidate beam RS set. Chin teaches to select the candidate beam RS for the first TRP from the first candidate beam RS set indicated for the first TRP of the cell based on a measurement value, the candidate beam RS having a highest measurement value of the candidate beams RSs of the first candidate beam RS set (pp. 0050, 0071, 0405). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Matsumura and Chin in order to select the candidate beam with the highest RSRP to ensure high beam quality and minimize further beam failure.
As per claim 11, Matsumura teaches the invention as claimed in claim 10. Matsumura does not teach wherein the method comprises selecting the candidate beam RS for the first TRP from the first candidate beam RS set indicated for the first TRP of the cell based on a measurement value, the candidate beam RS having a highest measurement value of the candidate beams RSs of the first candidate beam RS set. Chin teaches to select the candidate beam RS for the first TRP from the first candidate beam RS set indicated for the first TRP of the cell based on a measurement value, the candidate beam RS having a highest measurement value of the candidate beams RSs of the first candidate beam RS set (pp. 0050, 0071, 0405). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Matsumura and Chin in order to select the candidate beam with the highest RSRP to ensure high beam quality and minimize further beam failure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Cheng, US 2019/0379506
Zhou et al, US 11,950,287
A shortened statutory period for reply to this Office action is set to expire Three MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNY S LIN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3968.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
KENNY S. LIN
Examiner
Art Unit 2416
/Kenny S Lin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
September 22, 2026
Prosecution Insights