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
`
`15/773,528
`
`05/03/2018
`
`Ayako Horiuchi
`
`733456.564USPC
`
`6309
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panason1e (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`RIVAS' RAUL
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2471
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`08/05/2019
`
`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)
`
`

`

`0,7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/773,528
`Examiner
`Raul Rivas
`
`Applicant(s)
`Horiuchi et al.
`Art Unit
`2471
`
`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 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).
`
`Status
`
`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 05/03/2018.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2a)D This action is FINAL.
`
`2b)
`
`This action is non-final.
`
`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.
`
`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)
`
`11—28 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`E] Claim(s)
`
`is/are allowed.
`
`Claim(s) 11—28 is/are rejected.
`
`[:1 Claim(s)
`
`is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`6 7
`
`8
`
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabte. 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.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on 05/03/2018 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)D Some**
`
`C)D None of the:
`
`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`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)).
`
`** 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_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190731
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
`
`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
`
`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`This action is in response to the application/communication filed on 09/07/2018.
`
`The claims 1-10 have been canceled. The Claims 11-28 have been newly added.
`
`Claim Rejections — 35 USC § 102
`
`4.
`
`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.
`
`5.
`
`Claims 11-16, 18-25 and 27-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by Suzuki et al. (U.S. Pub. 20150358124).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 3
`
`Regarding claim 20 Suzuki disclose a communication method, comprising:
`
`receiving downlink control information (DCI) mapped to one or more
`
`Physical Resource Block (PRB) sets among a plurality of PRB sets (para. 12,
`
`wherein in a case where downlink control information with a certain payload size and
`
`mapped to a certain set of resource elements is received using an EPDCCH candidate
`
`corresponding to one of the two EPDCCH-PRB-sets);
`
`mapping an ACK/NACK signal to a Physical Uplink Control Channel
`
`(PUCCH) resource, the ACK/NACK signal being generated based on a detection
`
`result of data indicated by the DCI (para. 12, wherein in a case where a first ECCE
`
`number of the detected EPDCCH candidate is used for determining the PUCCH
`
`resource used by the transmission unit for transmitting HARQ-ACK, the first ECCE
`
`number is determined based on the first EPDCCH-PRB-set, while in a case where the
`
`two EPDCCH candidates corresponding to the respective two EPDCCH-PRB-sets are
`
`mapped to the same set of resource elements); and
`
`transmitting the ACK/NACK signal, wherein, for at least one PRB set
`
`among the plurality of PRB sets, an index to the PUCCH resource is determined
`
`based on a PRB set offset corresponding to the at least one PRB set and a first
`
`ECCE index to which the DCI is mapped (para. 171 -1 73, the mobile station apparatus
`
`1 determines a PUCCH resource used for transmission of HARQ-ACK corresponding to
`
`a transport block received on a PDSCH on the basis of at least N.sub.ECCE,q,
`
`N.sup.(e1).sub.PUCCH,q and .DELTA..sub.ARO (...), N.sup.(e1).sub.PUCCH,q is a
`
`parameter/offset value of a higher layer which is set for EPDCCH-PRB-set q. In a case
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 4
`
`where the mobile station apparatus 1 detects a DCI format in EPDCCH-PRB-set q, the
`
`mobile station apparatus 1 determines a PUCCH resource using a parameter/offset
`
`value N.sup.(e1).sub.PUCCH,q to which EPDCCH-PRB-set q corresponds).
`
`Regarding claim 21 Suzuki disclose wherein the plurality of PRB sets include
`
`a first PRB set and a second PRB set (para. 6, The LTE base station apparatus sets
`
`one or two EPDCCH-PRB-sets to the terminal apparatus);
`
`for the first PRB set, the index to the PUCCH resource is determined
`
`without adding the PRB set offset corresponding to the first PRB set and the first
`
`ECCE index (para. 154, FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence between a
`
`PUCCH resource index and a PUCCH resource. In FIG. 13, m is a number for
`
`identifying a physical resource block to which a PUCCH resource corresponds.
`
`n.sup.(1,p).sub.PUCCH is an index of a PUCCH resource corresponding to an antenna
`
`port p, n.sup.(p).sub.OC an orthogonal sequence index for the antenna port p, and
`
`n.sup.(p).sub.CS is a cyclic shift index for the antenna port p); and
`
`for the second PRB set, the index to the PUCCH resource is determined by
`
`adding the PRB set offset corresponding to the second PRB set and the first
`
`ECCE index (para. 154, FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence between a
`
`PUCCH resource index and a PUCCH resource. In FIG. 13, m is a number for
`
`identifying a physical resource block to which a PUCCH resource corresponds.
`
`n.sup.(1,p).sub.PUCCH is an index of a PUCCH resource corresponding to an antenna
`
`port p, n.sup.(p).sub.OC an orthogonal sequence index for the antenna port p, and
`
`n.sup.(p).sub.CS is a cyclic shift index for the antenna port p. For example, in FIG. 13,
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 5
`
`in the case of a PUCCH resource with an index of 1, m is 0, the orthogonal sequence
`
`index n.sup.(p).sub.OC is 0, and the cyclic shift index n.sup.(p).sub.OC is 1).
`
`Regarding claim 22 Suzuki disclose wherein the plurality of PRB sets
`
`includes a first PRB set and a second PRB set, and a value of the PRB set offset
`
`for the second PRB set is determined based on a number of PRBs in the first PRB
`
`set (para. 12, 182, wherein in a case where a first ECCE number of the detected
`
`EPDCCH candidate is used for determining the PUCCH resource used by the
`
`transmission unit for transmitting HARQ-ACK, the first ECCE number is determined
`
`based on the first EPDCCH-PRB-set, while in a case where the two EPDCCH
`
`candidates corresponding to the respective two EPDCCH-PRB-sets are mapped to the
`
`same set of resource elements, at least the two EPDCCH candidates corresponding to
`
`the respective two EPDCCH-PRB-sets are mapped starting with a resource element in
`
`a same OFDM symbol (...). an EPDCCH candidate of the EPDCCH-PRB-set 2 in a sub-
`
`frame of a serving cell, a selection unit that selects a parameter/offset value
`
`corresponding to the EPDCCH-PRB-set 1 or a parameter/offset corresponding to the
`
`EPDCCH-PRB-set 2 and selects a resource for a PUCCH based on the selected
`
`parameter/offset value, and a transmission unit that transmits HARQ-ACK using the
`
`selected PUCCH resource).
`
`Regarding claim 23 Suzuki disclose wherein the plurality of PRB sets
`
`includes a first PRB set and a second PRB set, and a value of the PRB set offset
`
`for the second PRB set is same as a number of ECCEs included in the first PRB
`
`set (para. 12, wherein in a case where a first ECCE number of the detected EPDCCH
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 6
`
`candidate is used for determining the PUCCH resource used by the transmission unit
`
`for transmitting HARQ-ACK, the first ECCE number is determined based on the first
`
`EPDCCH-PRB-set, while in a case where the two EPDCCH candidates corresponding
`
`to the respective two EPDCCH-PRB-sets are mapped to the same set of resource
`
`elements, at least the two EPDCCH candidates corresponding to the respective two
`
`EPDCCH-PRB-sets are mapped starting with a resource element in a same OFDM
`
`symbol).
`
`Regarding claim 24 Suzuki disclose wherein the index to the PUCCH
`
`resource is determined based on a repetition level offset which is common for a
`
`same repetition level, the repetition level offset being indicated by a higher layer
`
`(para. 189, in a case where the DCI format is detected in the EREG, the mobile station
`
`apparatus 1 determines a PUCCH resource using a parameter
`
`N.sup.(e1).sub.PUCCH,1 for the EPDCCH-PRB-set 1. In this case, the base station
`
`apparatus 3 tries to receive HARQ-ACK using the PUCCH resource determined using
`
`the parameter N.sup.(e1).sub.PUCCH,1 for the EPDCCH-PRB-set 1).
`
`Regarding claim 25 Suzuki disclose wherein the DCI is mapped to the one or
`
`more PRB sets by prioritizing a frequency direction over a time direction (para.
`
`163, Note that in a single SC-FDMA symbol, z.sup.(p) (*) are mapped sequentially to
`
`subcarriers in ascending order of subcarrier numbers.).
`
`Regarding claim 27 Suzuki disclose wherein the index to the PUCCH
`
`resource is determined by assuming the first ECCE index is 0 when the DCI is
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 7
`
`received on multiple PRB sets (para. 173, Fig. 9, shows at least two PRB-set, where
`
`both are considering the case that the first ECCE index is 0).
`
`Regarding claim 28 Suzuki disclose wherein a value of the PRB set offset is
`
`selected from multiple values (para. 173, the mobile station apparatus 1 determines a
`
`PUCCH resource using a parameter/offset value N.sup.(e1).sub.PUCCH,q to which
`
`EPDCCH-PRB-set q corresponds).
`
`Claim 11 recites an apparatus corresponding to the method of claim 1 and thus
`
`is rejected under the same reason set forth in the rejection of claim 20.
`
`Regarding claims 12-16 and 18-19 the limitations of claims 12-16 and 18-19,
`
`respectively, are rejected in the same manner as analyzed above with respect to
`
`claims 21-25 and 27-28, respectively.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`6.
`
`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 of this title, 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.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 8
`
`7.
`
`Claims 17 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable
`
`over Suzuki et al. (U.S. Pub. 20150358124) in view of Chae et al. (U.S. Pub.
`
`20150244510).
`
`Regarding claim 26 Suzuki does not specifically disclose wherein the index to
`
`the PUCCH resource is determined for distributed assignment based on:
`
`3 31.315513}
`‘
`3’
`‘2! ‘5" EFIT’f‘ “t 3 +£\.
`FLEECE—l
`ht,-(.L,q
`ARK]
`
`_ let}
`..
`‘5" 1V ‘;
`twin -
`R‘LQ H33
`
`and the FREE set: Misfit. and wherein the
`
`However Chae teach, (para. 139, This may be efficient when low aggregation levels
`
`(ALs) are concentrated in a localized EPDCCH and high ALs are concentrated in a
`
`distributed EPDCCH. This may be expressed by Equation 4 below
`
`n.sub.PUCCH.sup.(1)=N.sub.PUCCH,n.sup.(1)+f.sub.1(n.sub.ECCE)+.delta..su-
`
`b.ARl.times.n.sub.ARl, for distributed type Equation 4).
`
`index to the PUCCH resource is determined for localized assignment based
`
`{1.333,} _ 313mm ,,,sr__:t:s,q
`
`”motif: [W "4“RE-
`
`3' as}
`
`1“H "fflam ‘1"3"scrim-m
`
`“Plait
`
`amt the FEB set {fixer
`
`on:
`
`n.sub.PUCCH.sup.(1)=N.sub.PUCCH,n.sup.(1)+f.sub.1(n.sub.ECCE)+.delta..su-
`
`b.AP.times.k.sub.P, for localized type
`
`Suzuki and Chae are analogous because they pertain to the field of wireless
`
`communication networks and, more specifically, to managing resources.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 9
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at
`
`the time the invention was made to combine the teachings of Chae in the system of
`
`Suzuki so the use of the available resources are decided based on the concentration of
`
`aggregation levels on localized or distributed EPDCCH. The motivation for doing so
`
`would have been to efficiently managing the available resources.
`
`Regarding claim 17 the limitations of claim 17 are rejected in the same manner
`
`as analyzed above with respect to claim 26.
`
`Conclusion
`
`8.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to RAUL RIVAS whose telephone number is (571)270—
`
`5590. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday — Friday, from 8:30am to
`
`5:00pm.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Chi Pham can be reached on (571) 272—3179. 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
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/773,528
`Art Unit: 2471
`
`Page 10
`
`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
`
`Business Center (EBC) at 866—217—9197 (toll—free).
`
`If you would like assistance from a
`
`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
`
`system, call 800—786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571—272—1000.
`
`/RR/
`
`Examiner, Art Unit 2471
`
`/CHI H PHAM/
`
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2471
`
`