Application No. 15/810,589
`Reply to Office Action dated August 5, 2020
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`REMARKS
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`Claims 1, 10, 12—13, and 16-20 will be pending upon entry of this amendment.
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`Claims 1, 10, 12—13, 17, and 19 have been amended. Claims 2—9, 11, and 14—15 are canceled.
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`Claim 20 is new. Support for the amendments may be found, for example, in 111110084], [0088]-
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`[0090], [0100], and [0104}{0106}, and. Figure 18 of the application as published (US.
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`2018/0070339). No new matter has been added to the application.
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`in the Office Action, claims 1, 10, 12-13, and 16—19 were rejected under 35
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`U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TSG RAN W61 #81 (RI—153567) in View of
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`3GPP TSG RAN WGl #81 (Rl—152954) and Kim et al. (US. 2015/0036609 A1). in response,
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`Applicant has amended claims 1, 10, and 12—1 3 to more particularly recite the subject matter that
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`Applicant considers as their invention and to more clearly distinguish the claims from R1~
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`153567, R1—152954, and Kim.
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`Amended claim 1 recites a base station comprising:
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`control circuitry which, in operation, allocates a physical downlink shared
`channel (PDSCl—l) on a plurality of resource blocks (RBs) determined based on a
`frequency position ofa narrowband and a frequency position of resource block groups
`(RBGs),
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`wherein a boundary of the frequency position of the narrowband is
`different from a boundary of the frequency position of the RBGs, and
`the frequency position of the narrowband is determined based on a
`size of each of the RBGS the size of each of the RBGs bein smaller than a size of the
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`narrowband; and
`a transmitter which, in operation, transmits the PDSCH.
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`Rl—153567 fails to teach or suggest that the frequency position of the narrowband
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`is determined based on a size of the RBG, the size ot‘the RBG being smaller than a size of the
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`narrowband. Rl—153 567 describes that a narrowband for MTC UEs is defined as a set of
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`contiguous PKBs. See page 2. For example, a narrowband may be 6 PRBs defined continuously
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`starting from one edge of the system BW. See page 4. The portions ole-153567 cited by the
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`Examiner are silent to a frequency position of a narrowband being detemiined based on a size of
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`a RBG, where the size of the RBG is smaller than a size of the narrowband.
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`

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`Application No. 15/810,589
`Repty to Office Action dated August 5, 2020
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`Rl—152954 fails to cure the deficiencies of 111453567. Rl~152954 describes
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`different RBG groups. See Figures 1a and 1b, and Figures 2a to 2c. A MTC—RBG may bean
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`RBG or partial RBG. The portions of Rl—15356‘7 cited by the Examiner are silent to a frequency
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`position of a narrowband being determined based on a size ofa RBG, where the size of the RBG
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`is smaller than a size of the narrowband.
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`Kim fails to cure the deficiencies of Rl—153567 and Rl-152954. Kim describes a
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`RBG 1300 including RB 1300~2 and RB 1300—1. See M0167} and Figure 13. The user equipment
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`specific reference signals (URS) transmitted through the RBs may have different URS patterns.
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`The portions of Kim cited by the Examiner are silent to a frequency position of a narrowband
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`being determined based on a size of a RBG, where the size of the RBG is smaller than a size of
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`the narrowband.
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`Applicant submits claim 1 is allowable over Rl~153567, R1—152954, and Kim.
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`Dependent claims 16—19 are allowable for the features recited therein as well as for the reasons
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`discussed above with respect to claim 1.
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`in addition, claim 17 recites, in part, wherein the frequency position of the
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`narrowband is set based on an offset, the offset being different for each of a, plurality of
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`freguency bandwidths. Applicant submits that the portions of Rl—l 53567, Rl—152954, and Kim
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`cited by the Examiner are silent to the frequency position of the narrowband being set based on
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`an offset, where the offset is different for each of a plurality of frequency bandwidths.
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`Although the language of claims 10 and 12—13 are not identical to the language of
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`claim 1, the allowability of claims 10 and 12-13 will become apparent in light of the discussion
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`above with respect to claim 1. Applicant submits claims 10 and 12—13 are allowable over R1—
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`153567, Rl—152954, and Kim.
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`Closing
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`All of the claims remaining in the application are now clearly allowabie.
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`Favorable consideration and a Notice of Allowance are earnestly solicited.
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`Application No. 15/810,589
`Reply to Office Action dated August 5, 2020
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`In the event the Examiner disagrees or finds minor informalities that can be
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`resolved, by telephone conference, the Examiner is urged to contact Applicant’s undersigned
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`representative by telephone at (206) 622—4900 in order to expeditiously resolve prosecution of
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`this application. Consequently, early and favorable action allowing these claims and passing this
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`case to issuance is respectfully solicited.
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`The Director is authorized to charge any additional fees due by way of this
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`Amendment, or credit any overpayment, to our Deposit Account No. l9~1090.
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`SEED Intellectual Property Law Group LLP
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`/B1ake K. Kumabe/
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`Blake K. Kumabe
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`Registration No. 68,240
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`BKszmk
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`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
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`Seattle, Washington 98104-7092
`Phone: (206) 622-4900
`Fax: (206) 682—6031
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`7505486}
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