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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/643,766
`
`03/02/2020
`
`TOMOHUMI TAKATA
`
`731456.563USPC
`
`1325
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`NGUYEN, TU X
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2642
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`07/30/2021
`
`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)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/643,766
`Examiner
`TU X NGUYEN
`
`Applicant(s)
`TAKATAetal.
`Art Unit
`2642
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`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 21 July 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*
`1-11 and 13 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`(J Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-4,6-11 and 13 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 5 is/are objectedto.
`1) Claim(s
`are subject to 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:/Awww.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.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 02 March 2020 is/are: a)) accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[¥] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.1.) 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)
`
`2) (J Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210727
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Response to Amendment
`
`Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 13 have been considered but
`
`are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in
`
`the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the
`
`argument.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousnessrejections setforth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed
`invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the
`claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have
`been obvious beforethe 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.
`
`Claims 1-4 and 6-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by
`
`Park (US Pub. 2019/0190747, Provisional Application 62501706) in view of Suzuki (US
`
`Pub. 2012/0087334).
`
`Regarding claims 1 and 13, Park discloses a terminal comprising:
`
`Circuitry (par.0484-0488, fig.14), which, in operation, calculates a transmission
`
`power of an uplink signal (par.018 “the transmission power of the PUSCH.....calculated
`
`by the UE”) by using the transmission power control information (par.018 “using a
`
`downlink reference signal indicated by the parameter set for the power control of the
`
`PUSCH’, par.021-22); and
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 3
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`a transmitter (par.0487 “RF unit 1423”), which, in operation, transmits the uplink
`
`signal with the transmission power (par.0347 “PUCCH power.....PUSCH or SRS
`
`power....UE transmission power’), wherein
`
`the plurality of candidate values respectively associated with a plurality of
`
`correction values that correct a control value to use in a closed loop control of the
`
`transmission power (par.0396 “closed loop parameters between different beams for a
`
`UE”, par.0347 “power may be adjusted by the TPC command”, par.0458 “SRS
`
`transmission powers may be configured to be equal to a specific value among the N
`
`power values”, par.0445-0446 “Closed Loop Power Control’):
`
`eachof the plurality of candidate values is associated with a first correction value
`
`of the plurality of correction values, and a second correction value of the plurality of
`
`correction values that has a larger step size than the first correction value (par.0347
`
`“SRS... small step size of TPC values. On the other hand...... using relatively large
`
`step size of TPC values’, par.0458 “SRS transmission powers may be configured to be
`
`equal to a specific value among the N power values’).
`
`Park discloses “predefined/preconfigured power level/value” (par.0458):
`
`however, Park lacks of expression stores a plurality of candidate values.
`
`Suzuki discloses stores a plurality of candidate values, receives transmission
`
`power control information indicating one candidate value from among the plurality of
`
`candidate values (par.007 “the number of bits of the TPC commands’, par.0180 “fig. 16
`
`is a diagram.....such items are stored in the form of a table”, par.0203 “fig. 21 is a
`
`diagram.....such items are stored in the form of table”). Therefore, it would have been
`
`obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effectivefilling date to modify the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 4
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`system of Park with the above teaching of Suzuki in order to provide fast uplink power
`
`control.
`
`Regarding claim 2, Park discloses within a predetermined period from a beam
`
`switch, the circuitry, in operation, computes the transmission power by using the second
`
`correction value corresponding to the candidate value indicated by the transmission
`
`power control information (par.0370 “information indicating when the specific power
`
`offset value is to be applied. For example, when switching periodicity related
`
`information of beam switching”), and in a period outside the predetermined period, the
`
`circuitry, in operation, computes the transmission power by using the first correction
`
`value corresponding to the candidate value indicated by the transmission power control
`
`information (par.013 “the transmission power... .independently....transmission interval’,
`
`par.466 “the power control adjustment may be performed independently for each
`
`specific interval’, par.0475).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Park discloses within a predetermined period from a beam
`
`switch between different transmission and reception points, the circuitry, in operation,
`
`computes the transmission power by using the second correction value corresponding
`
`to the candidate value indicated by the transmission power control information
`
`(par.0444 “additional power offset/bias values... ULPC processes A and B maytarget
`
`different reception points”), and within the predetermined period from a beam switch at
`
`the same transmission and reception point, the circuitry, in operation, computes the
`
`transmission power by using the first correction value corresponding to the candidate
`
`value indicated by the transmission power control information.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 5
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`Regarding claim 4, Park discloses the second correction value further includes a
`
`third correction value and a fourth correction value having a larger step size than the
`
`third correction value, and within a predetermined period from a beam switch at the
`
`same transmission and reception point, the circuitry, in operation, computes the
`
`transmission power by using the third correction value corresponding to the candidate
`
`value indicated by the transmission power control information, and within the
`
`predetermined period from a beam switch between different transmission and reception
`
`points, the circuitry, in operation, computes the transmission power by using the fourth
`
`correction value corresponding to the candidate value indicated by the transmission
`
`power control information (par.0354-0355 “additional power offset to be applied on the
`
`TPC accumulation whenever beam change or switching occurs”, par.0365 “a specific
`
`power offset value....to be added to a power control process”, par.0370 “a beam
`
`switching... switching periodicity....the power offset values may be configured to be
`
`applied”, par.0372-0373).
`
`Regarding claim 6, Park discloses the uplink signal is an uplink data channel
`
`signal (par.078).
`
`Regarding claim 7, Park discloses the uplink signal is a sounding reference
`
`signal SRS (par.0458).
`
`Regarding claim 8, Park discloses the uplink signal is a sounding reference
`
`signal (SRS) used to estimate channel state information CSI (par.009-010).
`
`Regarding claim 9, Park discloses the circuitry, in operation, computes the
`
`transmission power of the SRS by using the second correction value corresponding to
`
`the candidate value indicated by the transmission power control information received in
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 6
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`all downlink control information formats that indicate transmission of the SRS
`
`(par.0347).
`
`Regarding claim 10, Park discloses the circuitry, in operation, computes the
`
`transmission power of the SRS by using the second correction value corresponding to
`
`the candidate value indicated by the transmission power control information received in
`
`a subset of downlink control information formats that indicate transmission of the SRS
`
`(par.0347 “DCI format 3/3A’).
`
`Regarding claim 11, Park discloses a class of the subset of downlink control
`
`information formats is a format class that indicates transmission of the SRS and an
`
`uplink data channel or a format class that indicates transmission of the SRS (par.0347
`
`“DCI format 3/3A”).
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`Claim 5 objected to as being dependent upona rejected base claim, but would
`
`be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base
`
`claim and any intervening claims.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
`
`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
`
`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
`
`CFR 1.136(a).
`
`A shortenedstatutory 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
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 7
`
`TWO MONTHS ofthe mailing date ofthis final action and the advisory action is not
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortenedstatutory period, then the
`
`shortenedstatutory 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
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Examiner Tu Nguyen whose telephone number is
`
`(571)272-7883. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5PM Eastern Time.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-basedcollaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
`
`(AIR) at http:/Avww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached on 571-272-789915. The fax phone
`
`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -
`
`273-8300 or mailed to:
`
`Commisioner for Patents
`
`P.O. Box 1450
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Hand-delivered responses should be brought to
`
`Customer Service Window
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/643,766
`Art Unit: 2642
`
`Page 8
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`/TU X NGUYEN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
`
`