UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`16/086,543
`
`09/ 19/2018
`
`LILEI WANG
`
`731456.477USPC
`
`3074
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`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panason1e (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
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`ELLIOTT IV” BENJAMIN H
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`ART UNIT
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`2474
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`11/ 13/2019
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`US PTOeACtion @ SeedIP .Com
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`pairlinkdktg @ seedip .eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`0/7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/086,543
`Examiner
`BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV
`
`Applicant(s)
`WANG et al.
`Art Unit
`2474
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9/19/2018.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)[:] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
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`21—40 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) 21—40 is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s)
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`is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabie. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11)[:] The drawing(s) filed on
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`is/are: a)D accepted or b)l:] objected to by the Examiner.
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`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12):] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)D All
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`b)I:I Some**
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`c)CI None of the:
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`1.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3.[:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20191107
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
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`Claims 21 -40 have been examined and are pending.
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`2.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Information Disclosure Statement
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`3.
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`The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/19/2018 and
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`4/12/2019 have been found to be in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
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`Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the
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`examiner.
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`Specification
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`4.
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`The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to
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`determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is
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`requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the
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`specification.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`5.
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`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA
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`35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect,
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`any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 3
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`ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection,
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`would be the same under either status.
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`6.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(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.
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`7.
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`Claims 21 -40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by
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`United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0171842 A1 to You et al. (hereinafter
`
`“You”) claiming benefit and fully supported by provisional application 62/266,000 filed
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`December 11, 2015.
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`Regarding Claim 21, You discloses a communication apparatus (You: Figure
`
`39, either transmitting device, 10, or receiving device, 20), comprising:
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`circuitry (You: Figure 39 with [0343-0355] — describing explicitly elements of each
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`device comprising at least a processor), which, in operation, maps a reference signal
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`(RS) and a physical channel to a first subgroup of a plurality of subgroups within
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`a slot (Corresponds to mapping a PDCCH/PDSCH/PUCCH/PUSCH (“physical
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`channel”) transmitted within a short transmission time interval (sTTl, or plurality of
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`subgroups) or in units of sTTl are referred to as sPDCCH/sPDSCH/sPUCCH/sPUSCH
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`(also physical channels) with a reference signal in a symbol, a group of resource
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`elements, or at least one sTTl in a plurality of sTTls in one slot of a subframe. See You
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`at [0168], [0178-0179], [0185], [0187], [0197], and [0247]. Examiner notes a subgroup
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`may represent a symbol, and sTTl, a physical resource block (PRB), and a resource
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 4
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`element (RE), all of which individually or in combination when described as two or more,
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`constitute a subgroup in a slot. See also [0062-0065].); and
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`a transmitter (You: Figure 39 with [0343-0355] — describing explicitly elements of
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`each device comprising at least a transmitter/receiver), which is coupled to the
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`circuitry (You: Figure 39) and which, in operation, transmits the mapped RS and
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`the mapped physical channel in the first subgroup within the slot (You: [0056-
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`0057], [0062-0065], and [0066-0067] — describes background of a typical subframe
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`including at least a physical channel region in at least one slot that is transmitted. See
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`also [0073] describing downlink control information (DCI) that includes at least physical
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`channel information and reference signal information. See also [0086] and [0124-0126]
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`— describing a downlink subframe comprising both a physical channel and a reference
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`signal configured in OFDM symbols.);
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`wherein, the first subgroup of the plurality of subgroups has a different
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`number of symbols from a second subgroup of the plurality of subgroups (You:
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`[0165-0166] — as described, depending on the TTl, a shorter TTl may be implemented
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`in a plurality of different symbol configurations. See also [0168], [0170-172], and [0174-
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`0176] — one set of sTTls has a different number of symbols based on the
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`configuration.).
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`Regarding Claim 22, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein a number of symbols on which an BS is mapped within a slot
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`is smaller than a number of the plurality of the subgroups (You: [0270] — as one
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`example, a reference signal may be transmitted in one OFDM symbol in a three symbol
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`sTTl.).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 5
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`Regarding Claim 23, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein the RS is mapped to the first subgroup of the plurality of
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`subgroups and no RS is mapped to one or more subgroup(s) of the plurality of
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`subgroups (You: [00324] — describes an example of an R8 present in one symbol of
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`sTTl not another symbol. See also [0325] and [0335-0336] — corresponds to
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`transmitting the DMRS on one symbol rather than all symbols.).
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`Regarding Claim 24, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein the RS mapped on a symbol is used for some or all of the
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`plurality of subgroups (You: [0244-0247] — in one example, RS signals may be
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`transmitted in all OFDM symbols of an sTTl.).
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`Regarding Claim 25, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein a position of the RS is indicated by downlink control
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`information (DCI) (You: [0073] — at least DMRS is transmitted in DCI.).
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`Regarding Claim 26, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein RS port numbers are indicated by Radio Resource Control
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`(RRC) signaling (You: [0052] — describes how DMRS (and other R8) are associated
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`with a port. See also [0326-0327] — describes values for R8 patterns may be received
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`through RRC signaling.).
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`Regarding Claim 27, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of subgroups has one RS mapped
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`thereto (You: [00324] — describes an example of an R8 present in one symbol of sTTl
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`not another symbol. See also [0325] and [0335-0336] — corresponds to transmitting the
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`DMRS on one symbol rather than all symbols.).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 6
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`Regarding Claim 28, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein the physical channel is mapped after the RS (You: [0341] — in
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`an instance when the DMRS is shared and one of two physical channels is shared, the
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`DMRS is mapped before the shared, physical channel.).
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`Regarding Claim 29, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein the physical channel is mapped before the RS (You: [0341] —
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`in an instance when the DMRS is shared and one of two physical channels is shared,
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`the DMRS is mapped after the first physical channel.).
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`Regarding Claim 30, You discloses the communication apparatus according
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`to claim 21, wherein the BS is a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (You:
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`[0052] — DMRS is an R8, also referred to as UE-RS or A-RS. See also [0184-0187]).
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`Claims 31-40, directed to the method of claims 21 -30, recite similar
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`features as claims 21 -30 and are rejected upon the same grounds as claims 21-30.
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`Please see above rejections of claims 21 -30.
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`Conclusion
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`8.
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`Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet
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`communications (PTO/SB/439,
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` ‘ wit) in the instant patent
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`application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The
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`authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written
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`authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 7
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`which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal
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`mail; (3) EFS WEB; or (4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS web is
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`the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into
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`the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization
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`submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be
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`accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
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`9.
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`The prior art made of record (please see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon
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`is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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`US PGPub 2018/0376495 A1 to Lee et al. at [0212-0213];
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`US PGPub 2018/0198588 A1 to Zhang at [0021]; and
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`US PGPub 2019/0044675 A1 to Li et al. at [0074].
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`10.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV whose telephone number is
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`(571)270-7163. The examiner can normally be reached on M, T, R, F 5:00 AM-5:00
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`PM, W 5:00 AM-3:00 PM (EDT).
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
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`(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/086,543
`Art Unit: 2474
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`Page 8
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached on (571) 272-2832. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272—1000.
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`BENJAMIN H. ELLIOTT IV
`
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 2474
`
`/BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
`November 8, 2019
`
`