`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/049,433
`
`10/21/2020
`
`Takashi IWAI
`
`733456.606USPC
`
`3430
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`DEAN, RAYMONDS
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2645
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`03/18/2022
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`
`
`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1,16 and 18-24 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1,16 and 18-24is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)C The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s)filed on October 21, 2020 is/are: a)(¥) accepted or b)) objected to by the Examiner.
`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)Z) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)X) All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2) (J Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20220314
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/049,433
`IWAl et al.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`RAYMOND S DEAN
`2645
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on February 17, 2022.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) 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 Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA 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.
`
`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
`
`1.
`
`A requestfor continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set
`
`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), wasfiled in this application after final rejection. Since this
`
`application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set
`
`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action
`
`has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on
`
`February 17, 2022 has been entered.
`
`PLEASE NOTE: Examiner reviewed the Applicants’ specification in order to find
`
`features that would place the claims in condition for allowance but was
`
`unsuccessful.
`
`Responseto Arguments
`
`2.
`
`Applicant's arguments, see Applicants’ remarks, filed, with respect to the
`
`rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are
`
`persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further
`
`consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of newly cited prior art Yang
`
`et al. (US 2019/0363832). Yang teaches a detection period of a control channel in the
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 3
`
`terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value and a detection period being
`
`greater than the predetermined value (Sections 0414, 0417, both sections 0414 and
`
`0417 teach that the detection period for a DCI (downlink control information), which is
`
`transmitted on a downlink control channel can be set thus rendering a myriad of
`
`scenarios wherein the detection period is less than, equal to, or greater than a particular
`
`value or number). Additionally, Examiner has taken another look at the previously cited
`
`reference He etal. (US 2018/0249458). He Section 0029 of He teachesthe allocation
`
`of resources for an uplink control channel (PUCCH). Resource elementsin wireless/RF
`
`systems are not in abundance and therefore limited thus there will be a threshold
`
`associated with said limitation. This produces a myriad of scenarios wherein the
`
`number of resource elements is equal to, greater than, or less than threshold.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly
`pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor
`regards as the invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 16, 19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA),
`
`second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly
`
`claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject
`
`to pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
`
`Claims 16, 19 recites the limitation "the uplink signal" in lines 12 and 9
`
`respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. All
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 4
`
`claims that depend from Claims 16 and 19 are rejected for the same reasons setforth
`
`above.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`5.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousnessrejections setforth 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.
`
`6.
`
`Claims 1, 18, 19, 21, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being
`
`unpatentable over Jung et al. (US 2019/0261281) in view of Yang et al. (US
`
`2019/0363832)
`
`Regarding Claim 1, Jung teaches a terminal comprising: circuitry, which, in
`
`operation, calculates a transmission power using a first power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a first service in response to a predetermined condition relating to a
`
`control channel to be used for transmission of assignment information of an uplink
`
`signal being satisfied, and calculates the transmission power using a second power
`
`control parameter corresponding to a second service in response to the predetermined
`
`condition not being satisfied (Figure 9, Sections 0030, 0079, 0083, an uplink (UL) grant
`
`is scheduled, which is assignmentinformation as shownin Section 0030, the uplink
`
`grant is sent via a control channel in the downlink, the equations of Sections 0030, 0079
`
`teach a plurality of different power control parameters such asc (j) and f sub f,c (i, I)
`
`which can be adjusted based on the type of service such asultra reliable low-latency
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 5
`
`(URLLC) service or enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), the conditions of a URLLC
`
`service or a eMBB service); and transmission circuitry, which, in operation, transmits an
`
`uplink signal using the calculated transmission power (Figure 9, Sections 0030, 0079,
`
`the uplink signal power is calculated using the power control parameters in the
`
`equations such as c (j) andf sub f,c (i, |).
`
`Jung does not teach calculates a transmission power usingafirst power control
`
`parameter corresponding to a first service in response to a detection period of a control
`
`channel in the terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value, and
`
`calculates the transmission power using a second power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a second service in response to the detection period being greater
`
`than the predetermined value
`
`Yang, which also teaches a wireless communication system that provides
`
`URLLC and eMBB services, teaches a detection period of a control channel in the
`
`terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value and a detection period being
`
`greater than the predetermined value (Sections 0414, 0417, both sections 0414 and
`
`0417 teach that the detection period for a DCI (downlink control information), which is
`
`transmitted on a downlink control channel can be set thus rendering a myriad of
`
`scenarios wherein the detection period is less than, equal to, or greater than a particular
`
`value or number).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Jung with the above features
`
`of Yang for the purpose ofefficiently performing operations of transmission and
`
`reception of a wireless signal as taught by Yang. The combination of Jung and Yang
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 6
`
`teaches calculates a transmission power using a first power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a first service in response to a detection period of a control channel in
`
`the terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value, and calculates the
`
`transmission power using a second power control parameter corresponding to a second
`
`service in responseto the detection period being greater than the predetermined value.
`
`Regarding Claim 19, Jung teaches a transmission method comprising:
`
`calculating a transmission power usingafirst power control parameter corresponding to
`
`a first service in response to a predetermined condition relating to a control channel to
`
`be used for transmission of assignment information of an uplink signal being satisfied,
`
`and calculating the transmission power using a second power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a second service in response to the predetermined condition not being
`
`satisfied (Sections 0030, 0079, 0083, an uplink (UL) grant is scheduled, which is
`
`assignmentinformation as shown in Section 0030, the uplink grant is sent via a control
`
`channel in the downlink, the equations of Sections 0030, 0079 teacha plurality of
`
`different power control parameters such as c (j) and f sub f,c (i, 1) which can be
`
`adjusted based on the type of service such asultra reliable low-latency (URLLC) service
`
`or enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) as shownin Section 0083, the conditions of a
`
`URLLC service or a eMBB service); and transmitting an uplink signal using the
`
`calculated transmission power (Sections 0030, 0079, the uplink signal power is
`
`calculated using the power control parameters in the equations suchas c (j) and f sub
`
`f,c (i, 1)).
`
`Jung does not teach calculating a transmission power using a first power control
`
`parameter corresponding to a first service in response to a detection period of a control
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 7
`
`channel in the terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value, and
`
`calculating the transmission power using a second power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a second service in response to the detection period being greater
`
`than the predetermined value.
`
`Yang, which also teaches a wireless communication system that provides
`
`URLLC and eMBB services, teaches a detection period of a control channel in the
`
`terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value and a detection period being
`
`greater than the predetermined value (Sections 0414, 0417, both sections 0414 and
`
`0417 teach that the detection period for a DCI (downlink control information), which is
`
`transmitted on a downlink control channel can be set thus rendering a myriad of
`
`scenarios wherein the detection period is less than, equal to, or greater than a particular
`
`value or number).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Jung with the above features
`
`of Yang for the purpose ofefficiently performing operations of transmission and
`
`reception of a wireless signal as taught by Yang. The combination of Jung and Yang
`
`teaches calculates a transmission power usingafirst power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a first service in response to a detection period of a control channel in
`
`the terminal being less than or equal to a predetermined value, and calculates the
`
`transmission power using a second power control parameter corresponding to a second
`
`service in responseto the detection period being greater than the predetermined value.
`
`Regarding Claim 18, The above Jung combination teachesall of the claimed
`
`limitations recited in Claim 1.
`
`Jung further teaches wherein the transmission power
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 8
`
`calculated using the first power control parameter is greater than the transmission
`
`power calculated using the second power control parameter (Sections 0030, 0079, the
`
`uplink signal power is calculated using the power control parameters in the equations
`
`such as c (j) andfsub f,c (i, I), these power control parameters can change thus
`
`rendering a scenario wherein the transmission power defined by said power control
`
`parameters changes thus further rendering a scenario wherein power in one instance is
`
`greater than the transmission power in another instance).
`
`Regarding Claim 21, The above Jung combination teachesall of the claimed
`
`limitations recited in Claim 18. Jung further teaches wherein thefirst service is Ultra-
`
`Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and the second service is
`
`different from URLLC (Section 0083, URLLC and eMBB whichis different from URLLC).
`
`Regarding Claim 23, The above Jung combination teachesall of the claimed
`
`limitations recited in Claim 1. Yang further teaches reception circuitry, which, in
`
`operation, receives control information indicating the detection period (Sections 0414,
`
`0417, both sections 0414 and 0417 teach that the detection period for a DCI (downlink
`
`control information), the mobile or UE detects the DCI on the downlink thus said UE will
`
`need reception circuitry, in order to detect said DCI the UE will need know the detection
`
`period thus there will be some kind of indication of the detection period to the UE).
`
`7.
`
`Claims 16, 20, 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
`
`over Jung et al. (US 2019/0261281) in view of He et al. (US 2018/0249458) andin
`
`further view of Kwon et al. (US 2011/0274099)
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 9
`
`Regarding Claim 16, Jung teaches a terminal comprising: circuitry, which, in
`
`operation, calculates a transmission power usingafirst power control parameter
`
`corresponding to a first service in response to a predetermined condition relating to a
`
`control channel to be used for transmission of assignment information of an uplink
`
`signal being satisfied, and calculates the transmission power using a second power
`
`control parameter corresponding to a second service in response to the predetermined
`
`condition not being satisfied (Figure 9, Sections 0030, 0079, 0083, an uplink (UL) grant
`
`is scheduled, which is assignmentinformation as shownin Section 0030, the uplink
`
`grant is sent via a control channel in the downlink, the equations of Sections 0030, 0079
`
`teach a plurality of different power control parameters such as c (j) and f sub f,c (i, I)
`
`which can be adjusted based on the type of service such as ultra reliable low-latency
`
`(URLLC) service or enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), the conditions of a URLLC
`
`service or a eMBB service); and transmission circuitry, which, in operation, transmits an
`
`uplink signal using the calculated transmission power (Figure 9, Sections 0030, 0079,
`
`the uplink signal power is calculated using the power control parametersin the
`
`equations such as c (j) andfsub f,c (i, 1).
`
`Jung does not teach calculates a transmission power using a first power control
`
`parameter corresponding to a first service in response to a number of resources of
`
`uplink control information being equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold
`
`value, wherein the uplink control information is included in an uplink signal and is a
`
`responsesignal to downlink data of the first service, calculates the transmission power
`
`using a second power control parameter corresponding to a second service in response
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 10
`
`to the number of resources of the uplink control information being less than the
`
`predetermined threshold value
`
`He, which also teaches a wireless communication system, teaches a number of
`
`resources of uplink control information being equal to or greater than a predetermined
`
`threshold value (Section 0029, He teachesthe allocation of resources for an uplink
`
`control channel (PUCCH), Resource elementsin wireless/RF systems are notin
`
`abundanceand therefore limited thus there will be a threshold associated with said
`
`limitation. This produces a myriad of scenarios wherein the number of resource
`
`elements is equal to, greater than, or less than threshold) and a number of resources of
`
`the uplink control information being less than the predetermined threshold value
`
`(Section 0029, He teachesthe allocation of resources for an uplink control channel
`
`(PUCCH), Resource elements in wireless/RF systems are not in abundance and
`
`therefore limited thus there will be a threshold associated with said limitation. This
`
`produces a myriad of scenarios wherein the number of resource elements is equalto,
`
`greater than, or less than threshold).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Jung with the above features
`
`of He for the purpose of efficiently transmitting signals on the uplink as taught by He.
`
`Kwon, which also teaches a wireless communication system, teaches wherein
`
`the uplink control information included in the uplink signal and is a response signal to
`
`downlink data of a service (Sections 0049, 0050).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of the Jung combination with
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 11
`
`the above features of Kwon for the purpose of decreasing a transmission error rate and
`
`increase capacity as taught by Kwon. The combination of Jung, He, and Kwon teaches
`
`calculates a transmission power usingafirst power control parameter corresponding to
`
`a first service in response to a number of resources of uplink control information being
`
`equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, wherein the uplink control
`
`information is included in an uplink signal and is a response signal to downlink data of
`
`the first service, calculates the transmission power using a second power control
`
`parameter corresponding to a second service in response to the number of resources of
`
`the uplink control information being less than the predetermined threshold value.
`
`Regarding Claim 20, Jung in view of He andin further view of Kwon teachesall
`
`of the claimedlimitations recited in Claim 16. Jung further teaches wherein the
`
`transmission power calculated using the first power control parameter is greater than
`
`the transmission power calculated using the second power control parameter (Sections
`
`0030, 0079, the uplink signal power is calculated using the power control parametersin
`
`the equations such as c (j) and f sub f,c (i, l), these power control parameters can
`
`change thus rendering a scenario wherein the transmission power defined by said
`
`power control parameters changes thus further rendering a scenario wherein power in
`
`one instance is greater than the transmission power in another instance).
`
`Regarding Claim 22, Jung in view of He andin further view of Kwon teachesall
`
`of the claimedlimitations recited in Claim 21. Jung further teaches wherein the second
`
`service is enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)(Section 0083).
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 12
`
`8.
`
`Claim 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et
`
`al. (US 2019/0261281) in view of Yang etal. (US 2019/0363832), as applied to Claim 1
`
`set forth above, and further in view of Park et al. (US 2016/0227491)
`
`Regarding Claim 24, Jung in view of Yang teachesall of the claimed limitations
`
`recited in Claim 1. Jung in view of Yang does not teach wherein the first power control
`
`parameter includes a first set number that indicates a first power control parameter set,
`
`and the second power control parameter includes a second set number that indicates a
`
`second power control parameter set.
`
`Park, which also teaches the use of power control in a wireless system, teaches
`
`wherein the first power control parameter includes a first set number that indicates a
`
`first power control parameter set, and the second power control parameter includes a
`
`second set number that indicates a second power control parameter set (Section 0142,
`
`the value of the bits are the numbers).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of the Jung combination with
`
`the above features of Park for the purpose of effectively controlling the power of a
`
`sounding reference signal (SRS) as taught by Park.
`
`Conclusion
`
`9.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to RAYMOND S DEAN whosetelephone number is
`
`(571)272-7877. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 6:00-2:30, EST.
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 17/049,433
`Art Unit: 2645
`
`Page 13
`
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`
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`
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`
`(AIR) at http:/Avww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Anthony S Addy can be reached on 571-272-7795. The fax phone number
`
`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
`obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is
`
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`
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`
`/RAYMOND S$ DEAN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
`Raymond S. Dean
`
`