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
`
`15/573,803
`
`11/13/2017
`
`ALEXANDER GOLITSCHEK
`EDLER VON ELBWART
`
`731456.456USPC
`
`3514
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panason1e (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`SCIACCA' SCOTT M
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2478
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`05/31/2019
`
`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):
`US PTOeACtion @ SeedIP .Com
`
`pairlinkdktg @ seedip .eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Aclion Summar
`y
`
`Application No.
`15/573,803
`
`Examiner
`Scott M Sciacca
`
`Applicant(s)
`GOLITSCHEK EDLER VON
`
`ELBWART 9
`Art Unit
`2478
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 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).
`
`Status
`
`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 11/13/2017.
`CI A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`2a)[:] This action is FINAL.
`2b)
`This action is non-final.
`
`3)l:J 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.
`
`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.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
`
`1—15 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`D Claim(s)
`
`is/are allowed.
`
`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
`
`) )
`
`6 7
`
`
`
`8) E] Claim(s)
`9
`
`is/are objected to.
`
`)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`E] Claim(s)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable. you may be eligible 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.usptogov/patents/init_event§/pph/index.'§p or send an inquiry to PPeredhagk@usptg.ggv.
`
`Application Papers
`10)l:J The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on 11/13/2017 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). Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`a). All
`
`b)C] Some**
`
`c)C] None of the:
`
`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2D Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3C] 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)).
`
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 11/13/2017.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) [:] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) D Other-
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190516
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`1.
`
`The instant application having Application No. 15/573,803 has a total of 15 claims pending in the
`
`application. There are 4 independent claims and 11 dependent claims, all ofwhich are ready for
`
`examination by the examiner.
`
`2.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
`
`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
`
`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`3.
`
`The Information Disclosure Statement dated 11/13/2017 is acknowledged by the examinerand
`
`the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. A copy ofthe
`
`PTOL-1449 has been initialed.
`
`4.
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U. S.C. 102 that form the basis
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
`
`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a )(2) the claimed invention wasdescribed in a patent issued under section 151, or i n a n application
`for patent published ordeemed published undersection 122(b), in whichthe patent orapplication, as
`the ca se may be, names another inventor a nd was effectivelyfiled before the effective filingdate of
`the claimed invention.
`
`5.
`
`Claims 1, 2, 10 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Noga mi
`
`et al. (US 2016/0338023).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 3
`
`Regarding Claim 1, Noga mi teaches a method for transmitting or receiving data in a wireless
`
`communication system supporting a plurality of carriersincluding a component carrierand an additional
`
`ca rrier accessible by a listen before talk approach (”The systems and methods disclosed may involve
`
`carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation refers to the concurrent utilization of more than one carrier. ln
`
`carrier aggregation, more than one cell may be aggregated to a UE” — See [0041]; ”FIG. 12 is a block
`
`diagram illustrating an example of search space sharing among scheduled serving cells 1267. A subframe
`
`1223 is shown for both a scheduling serving cell 1265 and a scheduled serving cell 1267 with respect to
`
`time t. In this example of cross-carrier scheduling, the scheduling serving cell 1265 is a licensed carrier
`
`and the scheduled serving cell1267 is an unlicensed carrier (e. g., LAA cell). LBTmay be performed in the
`
`subframe 1223 on the scheduled serving cell 1267 (Le, the LAA SCell). In this example, CCA 1277 follows
`
`a busy 1275 period”— See [0160]; The wireless system supports carrier aggregation so that data can be
`
`tra nsmitted/received on a plurality of carriers. The system includes a component carrier 1265 and an
`
`additional carrier 1267 that is accessible using listen before talk(LBT)), the method comprising:
`
`monitoring a search space on a cross-scheduling component ca rrierfor detecting downlink
`
`control information (DCI) having a carrieridentification field indicating one of the cross-scheduling
`
`component ca rrier a nd the additional ca rrier (”The set ofPDCCH candidates to monitor may be defined
`
`in terms of search spaces. The UE 102 may monitora set of EPDCCH candidates on one or more activated
`
`serving cells as configured by higher layer signaling for control information. In this case, monitoring
`
`implies attempting to decode each of the EPDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DC/ formats” —
`
`See [0070]; ”The UE 202 may be configured with the first serving cell and the second serving cell. The UE
`
`202 may also be configured with cross-carrierscheduling for the second serving cell” — See [0129] ; ”The
`
`UE 202 may monitor an EPDCCH scheduling resources in a subframe on the first serving cell on the basis
`
`of the first EPDCCH starting position that is one of the initial number of OFDM symbols within the
`
`subframe” — See [0130] ; ”In the implementation of FIG. 12, the UE 102 may monitor the EPDCCH 1169b
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page4
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`for the non-LAA cell 1165 on a search space for the EPDCCH for the LAA cell. In one case, UE 102 may be
`
`configured to monitor EPDCCH candidates in a given serving cell with a given DCI format size with CIF” —
`
`See [0163]; The UE monitors a EPDCCH (search space) on the first component ca rrier which is configured
`
`as a cross-scheduling component carrier. ACIF (carrier indication field) is transmitted in the DCI carried
`
`on the EPDCCH which indicates the ca rrierthat the DCI applies to),
`
`wherein the search space is specified by a subset of resources, associated with the carrier
`
`identification field indicating the cross-scheduling component carrier but is not associated with the
`
`ca rrier identification filed indicating the additional carrier (”The set ofPDCCH candidates to monitor may
`
`be defined in terms of search spaces. The UE 102 may monitor a set of EPDCCH candidates on one or
`
`more activated serving cells as configured by higher layer signaling for control information. In this case,
`
`monitoring implies attempting to decode each of the E PDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DCI
`
`formats” — See [0070]; ”EPDCCH may be mapped to a set of down/ink resource elements. Each down/ink
`
`resource element may be indexed as (k, l) in a physical resource -block (PRB) pair configured for possible
`
`EPDCCH transmission of an EPDCCH set, where k is the frequency domain index and l is the time domain
`
`index” — See [0072]; The EPDCCH/search space is defined by a set of resource elements (subset of
`
`resources).
`
`In Fig. 12, for example, EPDCCH 1269a is associated with a CIF that indicates the cross-
`
`scheduling component carrier 1265 but is not associated with a CIF that indicates the unlicensed/LBT
`
`carrier 1267 (additional ca rrier)); and
`
`transmitting or receiving data on the carriers in accordance with the received DCI (”lfthe
`
`EPDCCH is detected, the UE 202 may receive the corresponding PDSCH on the first serving cell ”— See
`
`[0130]; The UE receives PDSCH data on the carriers indicated by the DCI carried in the EPDCCH ).
`
`Regarding Claim 2, Nogami teaches the method of Claim 1. Nogamifurther teachesthat the
`
`monitoring is performed for the DCI for the component carrierand the DCI for the additional carrier
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 5
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`having the same predetermined determined sizes (”lfthe UEis configured with CIF and the Dleormat
`
`size is the same, the eNB may map the (E)PDCCH associated with PDSCH of the serving cell 1 on the same
`
`search space as that for the (E)PDCCH associated with PDSCH of the serving cell 2” — See [0049]; ”the UE
`
`102 is configured with CIF and If the DCI format size is the same, search space for the EPDCCH scheduling
`
`resources on the LAA SCell may be used also for self-scheduling. More specifically, the eNB 160 may
`
`transmit the EPDCCH 1269b for the non-LAA cell 1265 using the search space for the EPDCCHfor the LAA
`
`cell 1267. The UE102 may monitor a set of EPDCCH candidates on one or more activated serving cells as
`
`configured by higher layer signaling for controlinformation, where monitoring implies attempting to
`
`decode each of the EPDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DCI formats. The set of EPDCCH
`
`candidates to monitor are defined in terms of EPDCCH UE-specific search spaces” — See [0162]; The DCI
`
`format size is the same for carrier 1265 (component carrier) and carrier 1267 (additional ca rrier)).
`
`Regarding Claim 10, Nogami teaches the method of Claim 1. Nogamifurther teaches monitoring
`
`a search space on the additional ca rrierfor detecting DCI having no carrier identification field and
`
`relating to downlink on the additional carrier, and receiving data on the additional carrier in accordance
`
`with the DCI detected (”The set of PDCCH candidates to monitor may be defined in terms of search
`
`spaces” — See [0070]; ”In case (a), scheduling serving cell 1767a may perform LBTin the DL subframe
`
`1723a where, CCA 1777a follows a busy 1775a period. In this case, the PDCCH 1785a in subframe i may
`
`carry the DL assignment for a shorter transmission time interval (TTI) mapped in the PDSCH 1771a of
`
`subframe i-1”— See [0177]; ”A linking between uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) may allow identifying the
`
`serving cell for which the DL assignment or UL grant applies when the CIF is not present
`
`A DL
`
`assignment received on SCell n may correspond to downlink transmission on SCell n” — See [0063]; ”If the
`
`EPDCCH is detected, the UE 202 may receive the corresponding PDSCH on the second serving cel ” — See
`
`[0131]; See also Fig. 17; The UE monitors a PDCCH/search space on the unlicensed carrier 1765a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 6
`
`(additional carrier). When CIF is not present in the DCI, the UE receives downlink data on the additional
`
`carrier in accordance with the received DCI ).
`
`Regarding Claim 12, Nogami teaches the method of Claim 1. Nogamifurther teachesthat the
`
`DCI carries either uplink or downlink grant or no grant but a configuration relating to uplink or downlink
`
`(”Note that the DL assignment corresponds to DCI format 1A/1B/1D/1/2A/2/2B/2C/2D and the UL grant
`
`corresponds to Dleormat 0/4/ ” — See [0096]; The DCI can carry uplink grants and downlink grants).
`
`Regarding Claim 13, Noga mi teachesa method for transmitting or receiving data in a wireless
`
`communication system supporting a plurality of carriersincluding a component carriers and an
`
`additional carrier accessible by a listen before talk a pproach (”The systems and methods disclosed may
`
`involve carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation refers to the concurrent utilization of more than one
`
`carrier. ln carrier aggregation, more than one cellmay be aggregated to a UE” — See [0041]; ”FIG. 12 is a
`
`block diagram illustrating an example of search space sharing among scheduled serving cells 1267. A
`
`subframe 1223 is shown for both a scheduling serving cell 1265 and a scheduled serving cell 1267 with
`
`respect to time t. In this example of cross-carrier scheduling, the scheduling serving cell 1265 is a licensed
`
`carrier and the scheduled serving cell 1267 is an unlicensed carrier (e. g., LAA cell). LBTmay be performed
`
`in the subframe 1223 on the scheduled serving cell 1267 (Le, the LAA SCell). In this example, CCA 127 7
`
`follows a busy 1275 period”— See [0160]; The wireless system supports ca rrier aggregation so that data
`
`can be transmitted/received on a plurality of carriers. The system includes a component carrier 1265
`
`and an additional carrier 1267 that is accessible using listen before talk(LBT)), the method comprising:
`
`transmitting in a search space on a cross-scheduling component carrier, downlink control
`
`information having a carrier identification field indicating one of the cross-scheduling component carrier
`
`a nd the additional ca rrier (”The eNB also includes a physical downlink control channel transmitter
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 7
`
`configured to transmit a first EPDCCH scheduling a first PDSCH in a subframe on the first serving cell on
`
`the basis of a first EPDCCH starting position and to transmit a second EPDCCH scheduling a second
`
`PDSCH in the subframe on the first serving cell on the basis of a second EPDCCH starting position. The
`
`eNB further includes a physical down/ink shared channel transmitter configured to transmit the first
`
`PDSCH on the first serving cell, and to transmit the second PDSCH on the second serving cel ”— See
`
`[0034]; ”In the implementation of FIG. 12, the UE 102 may monitor the EPDCCH 1169b for the non -LAA
`
`cell 1165 on a search space for the EPDCCH for the LAA cell. In one case, UE 102 may be configured to
`
`monitor EPDCCH candidates in a given serving cell with a given DCI formatsize with CIF”— See [0163];
`
`The eNBtransmits a EPDCCH in a search space on the first component carrierwhich is configured as a
`
`cross-scheduling component carrier. A CIF (carrier indication field) is transmitted in the DCI carried on
`
`the EPDCCH which indicates the ca rrier that the DCI applies to),
`
`wherein the search space is specified by a subset of resources, associated with the carrier
`
`identification field indicating the cross-scheduling component carrier but is not associated with the
`
`ca rrier identification field indicating the additional carrier (”The set ofPDCCH candidates to monitor may
`
`be defined in terms of search spaces. The UE 102 may monitor a set of EPDCCH candidates on one or
`
`more activated serving cells as configured by higher layer signaling for control information. In this case,
`
`monitoring implies attempting to decode each of the EPDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DCI
`
`formats” — See [0070]; ”EPDCCH may be mapped to a set of down/ink resource elements. Each down/ink
`
`resource element may be indexed as (k, l) in a physical resource -block (PRB) pair configured for possible
`
`EPDCCH transmission of an EPDCCH set, where k is the frequency domain index andl is the time domain
`
`index” — See [0072]; The EPDCCH/search space is defined by a set of resource elements (subset of
`
`resources).
`
`In Fig. 12, for example, EPDCCH 1269a is associated with a CIF that indicates the cross-
`
`scheduling component carrier 1265 but is not associated with a CIF that indicates the unlicensed/LBT
`
`ca rrier 1267 (additional ca rrier)); and
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 8
`
`receiving or transmitting data on the carriers in accordance with the tra nsmitted downlink
`
`control information (”lfthe EPDCCH is detected, the UE 202 may receive the corresponding PDSCH on the
`
`first serving cel ”— See [0130]; The eNB transmits PDSCH data on the carriers indicated by the DCI
`
`carried in the EPDCCH. As such, the UE can receive PDSCH data on the ca rriersindicat ed by the DCI
`
`carried in the EPDCCH when the EPDCCH is detected).
`
`Regarding Claim 14, Noga mi teaches a n apparatus for tra nsmitting or receiving data in a wireless
`
`communication system supporting a plurality of carriersincluding a component carrierand an additional
`
`ca rrier accessible by a listen before talk approach (”The systems and methods disclosed may involve
`
`carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation refers to the concurrent utilization of more than one carrier. ln
`
`carrier aggregation, more than one cell may be aggregated to a UE” — See [0041]; ”FIG. 12 is a block
`
`diagram illustrating an example of search space sharing among scheduled serving cells 1267. A subframe
`
`1223 is shown for both a scheduling serving cell 1265 and a scheduled serving cell 1267 with respect to
`
`time t. In this example of cross-carrier scheduling, the scheduling serving cell 1265 is a licensed carrier
`
`and the scheduled serving cell1267 is an unlicensed carrier (e. g., LAA cell). LBTmay be performed in the
`
`subframe 1223 on the scheduled serving cell 1267 (i. e., the LAA SCell). In this example, CCA 1277 follows
`
`a busy 1275 period”— See [0160]; The wireless system supports carrier aggregation so that data can be
`
`tra nsmitted/received on a plurality of carriers. The system includes a component carrier 1265 and an
`
`additional carrier 1267 that is accessible using listen before talk (LBT)), the apparatus comprising:
`
`circuitry (”The UE 2002 includes a processor 2055 that controls operation of the UE 2002. The
`
`processor 2055 may also be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU)” — See [0203]), which, in
`
`operation,
`
`monitors a search space on a cross-scheduling component ca rrierfor detecting downlink control
`
`information having a carrier identification field indicating one of the cross-scheduling component carrier
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 9
`
`a nd the additional carrier (”The set ofPDCCH candidates to monitor may be defined in terms ofsearch
`
`spaces. The UE 102 may monitor a set of EPDCCH candidates on one or more activated serving cells as
`
`configured by higher layer signaling for control information. In this case, monitoring implies attempting
`
`to decode each of the EPDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DCI formats” — See [0070] ; ”The UE
`
`202 may be configured with the first serving cell and the second serving cell. The UE 202 may also be
`
`configured with cross-carrierscheduling for the second serving cell”— See [0129]; ”The UE 202 may
`
`monitor an EPDCCH scheduling resourcesin a subframe on the first serving cell on the basis of the first
`
`EPDCCH starting position that is one of the initial number of OFDM symbols within the subframe” — See
`
`[0130]; ”In the implementation of FIG. 12, the UE 102 may monitor the EPDCCH 1169b for the non -LAA
`
`cell 1165 on a search space for the EPDCCH for the LAA cell. In one case, UE 102 may be configured to
`
`monitor EPDCCH candidates in a given serving cell with a given DCI formatsize with CIF”— See [0163];
`
`The UE monitors a EPDCCH (search space) on the first component carrier which is configured as a cross-
`
`scheduling component carrier. A CIF (carrier indication field) is transmitted in the DCI carried on the
`
`EPDCCH which indicates the ca rrierthat the DCI applies to),
`
`wherein the search space is specified by a subset of resources, associated with carrier
`
`identification field indicating the cross-scheduling component carrier but is not associated with the
`
`ca rrier identification field indicating the additional carrier (”The set ofPDCCH candidates to monitor may
`
`be defined in terms of search spaces. The UE 102 may monitor a set of EPDCCH candidates on one or
`
`more activated serving cells as configured by higher layer signaling for control information. In this case,
`
`monitoring implies attempting to decode each of the EPDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DCI
`
`formats” — See [0070] ; ”EPDCCH may be mapped to a set of down/ink resource elements. Each down/ink
`
`resource element may be indexed as (k, l) in a physical resource -block (PRB) pair configured for possible
`
`EPDCCH transmission of an EPDCCH set, where k is the frequency domain index andl is the time domain
`
`index” — See [0072]; The EPDCCH/search space is defined by a set of resource elements (subset of
`
`

`

`Application/Control Num ber: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 10
`
`resources).
`
`In Fig. 12, for example, EPDCCH 1269a is associated with a CIF that indicates the cross-
`
`scheduling component carrier 1265 but is not associated with a CIF that indicates the unlicensed/LBT
`
`carrier 1267 (additional ca rrier)); and
`
`a transceiver (”The UE 2002 may also include a housing that contains one or more transmitters
`
`2058 and one or more receivers 2020 to allow transmission and reception of data. The transmitter(s)
`
`2058 and receiver(s) 2020 may be combined into one or more transceivers 2018” — See [0204]) which, in
`
`operation,
`
`transmits or receives data on the carriers in accordance with the received downlink control
`
`information (”If the EPDCCH is detected, the UE 202 may receive the corresponding PDSCH on the first
`
`serving cel ”— See [0130]; The UE receives PDSCH data on the carriersindicated by the DCI carried in the
`
`EPDCCH]
`
`Regarding Claim 15, Noga mi teaches a n appa ratusfor transmitting or receiving data in a wireless
`
`communication system supporting a plurality of carriersincluding a component carriers and an
`
`additional carrier accessible by a listen before talk a pproach (”The systems and methods disclosed may
`
`involve carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation refers to the concurrent utilization of more than one
`
`carrier. ln carrier aggregation, more than one cellmay be aggregated to a UE” — See [0041]; ”FIG. 12 is a
`
`block diagram illustrating an example of search space sharing among scheduled serving cells 126 7. A
`
`subframe 1223 is shown for both a scheduling serving cell 1265 and a scheduled serving cell 1267 with
`
`respect to time t. In this example of cross-carrier scheduling, the scheduling serving cell 1265 is a licensed
`
`carrier and the scheduled serving cell 1267 is an unlicensed carrier (e. g., LAA cell). LBTmay be performed
`
`in the subframe 1223 on the scheduled serving cell 1267 (Le, the LAA SCell). In this example, CCA 1277
`
`follows a busy 1275 period”— See [0160]; The wireless system supports carrier aggregation so that data
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 11
`
`can be transmitted/received on a plurality of carriers. The system includes a component carrier 1265
`
`and an additional carrier 1267 that is accessible using listen before talk (LBT)), the apparatus comprising:
`
`circuitry (”The eNB 2160 includes a processor 2155 that controls operation of the eNB 2160. The
`
`processor 2155 may also be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU)” — See [0206]), which, in
`
`operation,
`
`generates, in a search space on a cross-scheduling component carrier, downlink control
`
`information having a carrier identification field indicating one of the cross-scheduling component carrier
`
`a nd the additional ca rrier (”The eNB also includes a physical downlink control channel transmitter
`
`configured to transmit a first EPDCCH scheduling a first PDSCH in a subframe on the first serving cell on
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`the basis of a first EPDCCH starting position and to transmit a second EPDCCH scheduling a second
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`PDSCH in the subframe on the first serving cell on the basis of a second EPDCCH starting position. The
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`eNB further includes a physical downlink shared channel transmitter configured to transmit the first
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`PDSCH on the first serving cell, and to transmit the second PDSCH on the second serving cel ”— See
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`[0034]; ”In the implementation of FIG. 12, the UE 102 may monitor the EPDCCH 1169b for the non -LAA
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`cell 1165 on a search space for the EPDCCH for the LAA cell. In one case, UE 102 may be configured to
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`monitor EPDCCH candidates in a given serving cell with a given DCI formatsize with CIF”— See [0163];
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`The eNB generatesa EPDCCH in a search space on the first component ca rrier which is configured as a
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`cross-scheduling component carrier. A CIF (carrier indication field) is transmitted in the DCI carried on
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`the EPDCCH which indicates the ca rrier that the DCI applies to),
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`wherein the search space is specified by a subset of resources, associated with the carrier
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`identification field indicating the cross-scheduling component carrier but is not associated with the
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`ca rrier identification field indicating the additional carrier (”The set ofPDCCH candidates to monitor may
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`be defined in terms of search spaces. The UE 102 may monitor a set of EPDCCH candidates on one or
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`more activated serving cells as configured by higher layer signaling for control information. In this case,
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 12
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`monitoring implies attempting to decode each of the EPDCCHs in the set according to the monitored DCI
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`formats” — See [0070]; ”EPDCCH may be mapped to a set of downlink resource elements. Each downlink
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`resource element may be indexed as (k, I) in a physical resource -block (PRB) pair configured for possible
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`EPDCCH transmission of an EPDCCH set, where k is the frequency domain index andl is the time domain
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`index”— See [0072]; The EPDCCH/search space is defined by a set of resource elements (subset of
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`resources).
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`In Fig. 12, for example, EPDCCH 1269a is associated with a CIF that indicates the cross-
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`scheduling component carrier 1265 but is not associated with a CIF that indicates the unlicense d/LBT
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`carrier 1267 (additional ca rrier)); and
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`a tra nsceiver (”eNB 2160 may also include a housing that contains one or more transmitters
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`2117 and one or more receivers 21 78 to allow transmission and reception of data. The transmitter(s)
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`2117 and receiver(s) 2178 may be combined into one or more transceivers217 ” — See [0207]), which, in
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`operation,
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`receives or transmits data on the ca rriers in accordance with the tra nsmitted downlink control
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`information (”If the EPDCCH is detected, the UE 202 may receive the corresponding PDSCH on the first
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`serving cel ”— See [0130]; The eNB transmits PDSCH data on the carriers indicated by the DCI carried in
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`the EPDCCH. As such, the UE can receive PDSCH data on the carriers indicated by the DCI carried in the
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`EPDCCH when the EPDCCH is detected).
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`6.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections
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`set forth in this Office action:
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`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, ifthe differences between the claimed inve ntion
`a nd the prior a rt are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the
`effective filingdate ofthe claimed invention to a person having ordinaryskill i nthe art to which the
`claimed invention pertains. Pa tentabilityshall not be negated bythe manner in which the invention
`was made.
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`

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`Application/Control Num ber: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 13
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`7.
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`Claims 3-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatenta ble over Noga mi et al. (US
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`2016/0338023) in view of Ya ng et al. (US 2013/0016672).
`
`Regarding Claim 3, Noga mi teachesthe method of Claim 1. Nogamidoes not explicitly teach
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`that a size ofthe DCI transmitted on the component carrierfor configuring uplink of the component
`
`ca rrieris the same as a size ofthe DCI transmitted for configuring uplink of the additional carrier.
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`However, Yang teaches that a size of the DCI transmitted on the component ca rrierfor
`
`configuring uplink of the component carrieris the same as a size of the DCI transmitted for configuring
`
`uplink of the additional ca rrier("F/G. 17shows an asymmetric CC aggregation case in which three DL CCs
`
`and two UL CCs are aggregated. Referring to FIG. 17, a search space for each DL CC and a search space
`
`for each UL CC may be independently constituted. In this case, DCls (formats) having the same size
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`irrespective of DL/UL may share search spaces corresponding to CCs as described in Embodiment 1” —
`
`See [0156]; DCI for a first uplink component carrier (DCI for configuring uplink ofthe component carrier)
`
`and DCI for a second uplink component carrier(DC| for configuring uplink of the additional carrier) have
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`the same size).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of
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`the claimed invention to modify Noga mi such that a size ofthe DCI transmitted on the component
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`ca rrierfor configuring uplink of the component carrier is the same as a size of the DCI transmitted for
`
`configuring uplink of the additional carrier. Motivation for doing so would be to unify the search spaces
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`of the DCI formats so that DCIs having the same size may be transmitted via any PDCCH candidate within
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`an extended search space, instead of via respective search spaces. Thus, increased freedom in PDCCH
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`scheduling is provided (See Yang, [0122] and [0139]).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Num ber: 15/573,803
`Art Unit: 2478
`
`Page 14
`
`Regarding Claim 4, Nogami teaches the method of Claim 1. Nogami does not explicitly teach
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`that a size ofthe DCI transmitted on the component ca rrierfor configuring uplink of the additional
`
`ca rrieris the same as a size ofthe DCI transmitted on the component carrierfor configuring downlink of
`
`the additional carrier.
`
`However, Yang teaches that a size of the DCI transmitted on the component ca rrierfor
`
`configuring uplink of the additional ca rrieris the same as a size ofthe DCI transmitted on the
`
`component ca rrierfor configuring downlink of the additional carrier ( ”FIG. 17shows an asymmetric CC
`
`aggregation case in which three DL CCs and two UL CCs are aggregated. Referring to FIG. 17, a search
`
`space for each DL CC and a search space for each UL CC may be independently constituted. In this case,
`
`DCls (formats) having the same size irrespective of DL/UL may share search spaces corresponding to CCs
`
`as describedin Embodimentl”— See [0156]; DCI for a second uplink component ca rrier(DC| for
`
`configuring uplink of the additional carrier) and DCI for a second downlink component carrier(DC| for
`
`configuring downlink ofthe additional carrier)