www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/488,251
`
`08/23/2019
`
`TETSUYA YAMAMOTO
`
`731456.531USPC
`
`6473
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`HAMPTON, TARELL A
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2476
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`12/24/2021
`
`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)
`
`

`

`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/488,251
`YAMAMOTOetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`TARELL A HAMPTON
`2476
`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 November 3, 2021.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`2a)¥) This action is FINAL.
`2b) (J 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.
`
`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`
`) Claim(s)24-28and30-39is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 24-28 and 30-39is/are rejected.
`(1 Claim(s)__is/are objectedto.
`C} Claim(s)
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`* 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)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`a)[¥}) accepted or b)L) objected to by the Examiner.
`11){¥] The drawing(s)filed on August 23, 2019 is/are:
`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:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) All
`1.4) 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)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 11/03/2021.
`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 20211201
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Claim(s) 24-39 have been examined and are pending.
`
`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.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`Response to Remarks and Arguments
`
`Applicants argue that the prior art of record, Yin (US 20180220415 A1) in view of Matsumura
`
`{US 20200236700 A1), fail to render obvious the features of claim 24, and in particular limitation
`
`wherein, “...a range of values as the starting symbolis different between a short PUCCH using one or two
`
`symbol(s) and a long PUCCH using four or more symbols.” . In the Non-Final Rejection mailed October 4,
`
`2021, Matsumura (USPGPub No. 2020/0236700) [Fig. 2A] — [Fig. 9B] which illustrate wherein a range of
`
`values as the starting symbol is different between a short PUCCH using one or two symbols and a long
`
`PUCCH using four or more symbols, was relied upon to remedy deficiencies of Yin with respect to said
`
`limitation. Applicants argue [Remarks, Page 5-6] that that said rejection is improper because the
`
`illustrated figures shown in Figures 2A to 9B are just examples, Resources where the short and long
`
`PUCCH are mappedare notlimited to these examples.
`
`In response to the argumentsit is noted that (1) although the starting symbol positions
`
`illustrated in [Fig. 2A] — [Fig. 9B] of Matsumura are provided as examples and the resource mappingsof
`
`the long PUCCH and the short PUCCH arenot necessarily limited to the provided examples, one of
`
`ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to rely on those particular examples in order to provide a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 3
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`knownand reliable means to facilitate the resource mappings of the long PUCCH and the short PUCCH
`
`taught byYin.
`
`(2) Additionally it intrinsic to the design of the long PUCCH and the short PUCCH that they have
`
`a different range of values of starting symbols due to the different lengths of the long PUCCH and the
`
`short PUCCH. The rangeof valuesof the starting symbols would be limited to the positions that allow
`
`the entire of the length of the short or long PUCCH to be transmitted within a single subframe (length of
`
`14 symbols), with the long PUCCH being more limited in terms of starting symbols due to the its longer
`
`length in comparison to the short PUCCH. Thus for the reasons provided the rejection of claim 24 under
`
`35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yin (US 20180220415 A1) in view of Matsumura (US
`
`20200236700 A1).
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`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, 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 ordinaryskill in the art to which the
`claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`was made.
`
`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the
`
`examiner presumesthat the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the
`
`effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised
`
`of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effectivefiling dates of each claim that
`
`was not commonly ownedas of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner
`
`to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art
`
`against the later invention.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 4
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`The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C.
`
`103 are summarized as follows:
`
`1. Determining the scope and contents ofthe prior art.
`
`2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
`
`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinentart.
`
`4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or
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`nonobviousness.
`
`Claim(s) 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as
`
`being unpatentable over Yin (US 20180220415 A1) in view of Matsumura (US 20200236700 A1).
`
`In regards to claim(s) 24 and 39, Yin (US 20180220415 A1) teaches a terminal comprising:
`
`a receiver, which, in operation, receives information indicating a set of parameters
`
`related to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource (Yin [Par. 148 — Par. 149] teaches a
`
`terminal, UE, that receives information indicating a set of parameters related to a PUCCH resource,
`
`“{0148] Therefore, for a short PUCCH, at least the following parameters may be configured for a given
`
`UE 102 to determine the PUCCH format... [0149] To determine a short PUCCHresource, besides the
`
`above mentioned parameters, more information should be signaled...”); and
`
`a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits a uplink control information using the
`
`PUCCH resource determined based on the information, wherein the set of parameters includes a
`
`starting symbol and a number of symbol(s) for a PUCCH transmission ([Par. 37] teaches a transmitter
`
`for a UE, for transmitting UCI using the PUCCH resource(s) determined based on the received
`
`information, “[0037] A user equipment (UE) is described...The instructions are further executable to
`
`transmit uplink control information (UCI) on the selected PUCCH resource” [Par. 148 — Par. 149] teach
`
`wherein the set of parameters include a starting symbol and a number of symbols for a PUCCH
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 5
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`au
`transmission,“"[0148] Therefore, for a short PUCCH,at least the following parameters may be
`
`configured for a given UE 102 to determine the PUCCH format: the numberof symbols for the PUCCH...”
`
`.. [0149] To determine a short PUCCH resource, besides the above mentioned parameters, more
`
`information should be signaled, including the starting symbol index in a siot...), and-arangeofvalues-as
`
`
`
`Yin differs from claim 24, in that Yin is silent on the terminal according to claim 24, wherein a
`
`range of values as the starting symbolis different between a short PUCCH using one or two symbol(s)
`
`and along PUCCHusing four or more symbols. Despite these differences similar features have been
`
`seen in other prior art involving the allocation of resources for PUCCH transmissions. Matsumura
`
`(USPGPub No. 2020/0236700)[Fig. 2A] — [Fig. 9B]illustrate wherein a range of values as the starting
`
`symbol is different between a short PUCCH using one or two symbols and a long PUCCH using four or
`
`more symbols. Thus it would have been obvious to a person of ordinaryskill in the art before the time of
`
`filing to further modify PUCCH resource allocation feature of Yin to adopt a feature wherein a range of
`
`values as the starting symbolis different between a short PUCCH using one or two symbol(s) and a
`
`long PUCCH using four or more symbols, as similarly seen in Matsumura to provide needed design for
`
`symbol allocations of the long PUCCH and the short PUCCH ofYin.
`
`In regards to claim 25, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 24, wherein the set of
`
`parametersincludesa starting resource block or a number of resource block(s) for the PUCCH
`
`transmission ([Par. 148 - Par. 149] teaches where the set of parameters include a starting resource block
`
`for the PUCCH transmission or a number of resource block(s) for the PUCCH transmission, “[0148]
`
`Therefore, for a short PUCCH,at least the following parameters may be configured for a given UE 102 to
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 6
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`determine the PUCCH format: the numberof symbols for the PUCCH; the waveform (e.g., CP-OFDM or
`
`DFT-S-OFDM); the numberof RBs in a PUCCH region/subband...[0149] To determine a short PUCCH
`
`resource, besides the above mentioned parameters, more information should be signaled, including the
`
`starting symbol index in a slot; the RB index of the starting RB of a PUCCH resource; and the RB pattern
`
`for distributed resource mapping".).
`
`In regards to claim 28, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 25, wherein the number of
`
`resource block(s) is associated with a format of the PUCCH ([Par. 148] teaches wherein the numberof
`
`resource block(s) is associated with a format of the PUCCH, “, “/0148] Therefore, for a short PUCCH, at
`
`least the following parameters may be configured for a given UE 102 to determine the PUCCH format:
`
`the numberof symbols for the PUCCH; the waveform (e.g., CP-OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM); the numberof
`
`RBs in a PUCCHregion/subband...”).
`
`In regards to claim 30, Yin is silent on the terminal according to claim 24, wherein a range of
`
`values as the starting symbolis associated with a range of values as the number of symbol(s).
`
`Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving the
`
`allocation of resources for PUCCH transmissions. Matsumura (USPGPub No. 2020/0236700) [Fig. 2A] —
`
`[Fig. 9B]
`
`illustrate wherein a range of values as the starting symbol is associated with a range of values
`
`as the numberof symbol(s). Thus it would have been obvious to a person ofordinaryskill in the art
`
`before the time offiling to further modify PUCCH resource allocation feature of Yin to adopt a feature
`
`wherein a range of values as the starting symbolis associated with a range of values as the number of
`
`symbol(s), as similarly seen in Matsumura to provide needed design for symbol allocations of the long
`
`PUCCH and the short PUCCH ofYin.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 7
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`In regards to claim 31, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 24, wherein a plurality of
`
`sets, each set including parametersrelated to the PUCCH resource, are configured to the terminal, and
`
`the information indicates onesetof the plurality of sets ([Par. 163 — Par. 165] teach, "[0163] Before
`
`RRC configuration, a default HARQ-ACK timing and PUCCHresource should be specified for UEinitial
`
`access. After RRC connection, a set of HARQ-ACK timing can be configured for a UE 102, and the actual
`
`HARQ-ACKtiming may be dynamically indicated by a DCI. Similarly, a set of PUCCH resources can be
`
`configured for a UE 102, and the actual PUCCHresourceto be used for the reporting maybeindicated by
`
`a DCI. [0164] The PUCCHresource configuration has a tradeoff between semi-static RRC signaling and
`
`dynamic DCI indication. In general, the PUCCH format/structure should be configured by RRC signaling,
`
`and the actual PUCCHresource to be used for UCI reporting should be determinedby explicit DCI
`
`indication.
`
`[0165] If the HARQ-ACK timing only indicates the slot for a PUCCH reporting, the PUCCH
`
`resource indication should include more detailed information such as the symbol index within the slot.
`
`In one method, the RRCsignaling configures a set of short PUCCH resources with detailed parameters
`
`for a UE 102. The parameters include the PUCCH formats, the resource allocation and the symbol index
`
`in a slot, etc. And the DCI indicates the short PUCCH index within the RRC configured set of resources. In
`
`another method, the PUCCH resources may be indexed based on a RRC configured short PUCCH
`
`structure. The indexes may be generated for resources in a PUCCH region spanning over one or more
`
`symbols. A UE 102 may be configured with a set of PUCCH resources based on the PUCCH indexes. The
`
`DCI indicates the index of a PUCCH resource in a set of PUCCH resources configured for a UE 102. The
`
`DCI of HARQ-ACK timing and the DCI for PUCCH resource indication jointly determines the HARQ-ACK
`
`feedback location.”).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 8
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`In regards to claim 32, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 31, wherein the plurality of
`
`sets are semi-statically configured by a higher layer, and the information is received in a downlink
`
`control information ([Par. 163 — Par. 165] teach wherein the plurality of sets are semi-statically
`
`configured by a higher layer via RRC signaling, and the information is received in a downlink control
`
`information, to select/index a particular resource of the set of PUCCH resources).
`
`In regards to claim 33, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 32, wherein the information
`
`is dedicated to the terminal ([Par. 102] teaches where information is dedicated to the terminal, “[0102]
`
`Multiplexing capabilities for an RS and UCI multiplexing-based PUCCHarealso described herein. For a
`
`short PUCCH, in one method, UE multiplexing is not supported. FDM maybe usedfor different UEs 102 so
`
`that the short PUCCHresourcesof different UEs 102 do not overlap with each other. However, this kind
`
`of dedicated resource for each UE 102 causes waste of resources since PUCCHis not alwaystransmitted.
`
`a” ).
`
`In regards to claim 34, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 24, wherein the receiver, in
`
`operation, receives a downlink control information, and the transmitter, in operation,
`
`transmits
`
`the uplink control information using the PUCCH resource that is based on the information and
`
`that is associated with a resource used for transmission of the downlink control information
`
`(“[0074] The UCI information may be transmitted as L1/L2 control signaling (e.g., via a physical uplink
`
`control channel (PUCCH) or physical uplink share channel (PUSCH) or uplink data channel). Furthermore,
`
`it should be possible to dynamically indicate (at least in combination with Radio Resource Control (RRC))
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 9
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`the timing between data reception and hybrid-ARQ acknowledgementtransmission as part of the
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`Downlink Control Information (DCI).”)
`
`In regards to claim 35, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 34, wherein the information
`
`is specific to a cell or a group of terminals ([Par. 103] teaches wherein information is specific to a cell or
`
`a group of terminals, “ [0103] In another approach, UE multiplexing for PUCCHis supported to share the
`
`same RBresourcesfor different UEs 102. To separate the signals from different UEs 102 multiplexed on
`
`the same RB, some orthogonal code should be applied on the RS and/or UCI data symbols.”).
`
`In regards to claim 36, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 24, wherein the receiver, in
`
`operation, receives a downlink control information related to a symbol available for uplink,
`
`and
`
`the transmitter, in operation, transmits the uplink control information using the symbol available for
`
`uplink in the PUCCH resource determined based on the information ([Par. 37] teaches a transmitter for
`
`a UE, for transmitting UCI using the PUCCH resource(s) determined based on the received information,
`
`“{0037] A user equipment (UE) is described...The instructions are further executable to transmit uplink
`
`control information (UCI) on the selected PUCCH resource” [Par. 148 — Par. 149] teach wherein the set of
`
`parametersinclude a starting symbol and a number of symbols for a PUCCH transmission, “ "[0148]
`
`Therefore, for a short PUCCH,at least the following parameters may be configured for a given UE 102 to
`
`determine the PUCCH format: the numberof symbols for the PUCCH...” ... [0149] To determine a short
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 10
`
`PUCCHresource, besides the above mentioned parameters, more information should be signaled,
`
`including the starting symbolindex inaslot...).
`
`In regards to claim 37, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 36, wherein when the
`
`PUCCH resource determined based on the information is not the symbol available for uplink, the
`
`uplink control information is not transmitted ([Par. 175 — Par. 176] teach where when the PUCCH
`
`resource determined based on the information is not available for the uplink, for example when an
`
`allocated PUCCH resource, such as a symbol overlaps with URLLC traffic, the UCI is not
`
`transmitted/dropped, "[0175] As mentioned, URLLC traffic requires ultra-reliability and low latency, and
`
`maycollide with a PUCCH or PUSCHtransmission of the same UE 102. As a general rule, the URLLC traffic
`
`should have higherpriority than any other UL transmissions. In the case where a short PUCCH
`
`transmission collides with a URLLC traffic in the same symbol, the URLLC should havehigherpriority.
`
`Several methods can be considered.
`
`[0176] Ina first method (Method 1), URLLC is transmitted and the PUCCHin the overlapping symbolis
`
`dropped.This is a simple solution and can be applicable in all cases regardless of PUCCH waveforms
`
`and/or numerologies. The whole short PUCCH should be dropped for a 1-symbol PUCCH. For a 2-symbol
`
`PUCCH,if the URLLC collides with the first symbol of a short PUCCH,all short PUCCH symbols should be
`
`dropped.If a 2-symbol short PUCCH transmission already starts, and the URLLC collides with the 2nd
`
`symbol in a 2-symbol short PUCCH, the second symbol of the short PUCCHis dropped.").
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 11
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`In regards to claim 38, Yin teaches the terminal according to claim 36, wherein the uplink
`
`control information is a periodically transmitted signal ([Par. 72 — Par. 73] teach where UCI is
`
`transmitted periodically such as is the case for periodic CSI transmissions).
`
`Claim(s) 26-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yin in view of
`
`Matsumura (US 20200236700 A1) in view of Love (Love et al., US 20100029289 A1).
`
`In regards to claim 26, Yin is silent on the terminal according to claim 25, wherein the starting
`
`resource block is represented as an offset from an edge of a bandwidth.
`
`Despite these differences similar features have seen in other prior art involving the configuring
`
`of PUCCH resources. Love [Par. 25 — Par. 26] and [Fig. 6 — Fig. 7] teach wherein the starting resource
`
`block is represented as an offset from an edgeof a bandwidth, “[0025] In mostor all such embodiments
`
`that permit offsetting of the PUCCH resource,including the case of over-provisioning, the networkis
`
`enabled to initiate uplink data transmission in frequency resources not used by PUCCH transmissions.
`
`Also, while in the descriptions of the embodimentsthe offset is generally defined with respect to the
`
`edgeof the band...”. [Fig. 6 — Fig. 7] illustrate where the starting resource block is indicated based upon
`
`an offset from an edge of a bandwidth.
`
`Thus it would have been obvious to a person of ordinaryskill in the art before the time offiling
`
`to further modify the feature for configuring resources of Yin to arrive at wherein the starting resource
`
`block is represented as an offset from an edge of a bandwidth, as similarly seen in Love in order to in
`
`orderto fulfill a need for implementing a feature for providing an indication of a starting resource block.
`
`In regards to claim 27, Yin is silent on the terminal according to claim 26, wherein the offsetis
`
`in a range of a bandwidth that the terminal supports in a system bandwidth.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
`
`Page 12
`
`Despite these differences similar features have seen in other prior art involving the configuring
`
`of PUCCH resources. Love [Par. 21] teaches wherein the offset is a range of a bandwidth that a terminal
`
`supports in a system bandwidth, “[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a pair of uplink control channels (PUCCH
`
`region 1 and region 2) located at opposite edges of the band, which is the location specified for the
`
`PUCCH underthe current EUTRAspecification...”
`
`Thus it would have been obvious to a person of ordinaryskill in the art before the time offiling
`
`to further modify the feature for configuring resources of Yin to arrive at wherein the starting resource
`
`block is represented as an offset from an edge of a bandwidth, as similarly seen in Love in order to in
`
`orderto fulfill a need for reliably implementing a feature for providing an indication of a starting
`
`resource block.
`
`THIS ACTION IS MADEFINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth
`
`Conclusion
`
`in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`
`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from
`
`the mailing date of this action.
`
`In the eventa first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date
`
`of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH
`
`shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory
`
`action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing
`
`date of the advisory action.
`
`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than
`
`SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/488,251
`Art Unit: 2476
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to TARELL A HAMPTON whosetelephone numberis (571)270-7162. The examiner
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`can normally be reached on 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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`Examiner interviewsare available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
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`USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
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`the USPTO Automated Interview Request(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
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`Ayaz Sheikh can be reached on 5712723795. The fax phone numberfor the organization where this
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`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
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`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained
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`from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available
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`through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-
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`my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on accessto the Private PAIR system, contact
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`the Electronic 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 system, call 800-786-
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`9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
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`/TARELL A HAMPTON/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2476
`/AYAZ R SHEIKH/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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