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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
`
`16/769,270
`
`06/03/2020
`
`LILEI WANG
`
`731456.570USPC
`
`5766
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`YOUNG,STEVE R
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2477
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`03/14/2022
`
`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)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-16 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1,6-8,10-11 and 15-16 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 2-5,9 and 12-14 is/are objected to.
`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)() The drawing(s) filedon__ is/are: a)C) accepted or b)C) 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:
`cc) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)D) All
`1.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived 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 06/03/20,08/20/21.
`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 20220308
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/769,270
`WANG etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`Steve R Young
`2477
`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 06/03/2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)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.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
`
`is being examined
`
`underthe first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claims 1-16 are pending.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`1.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly
`pointing outand distinctlyclaiming the subject matter whichthe inventor or a jointinventor
`regards as the invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specifications hall conclude with one or more claims particulary pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
`
`2.
`
`Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA),
`
`second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly
`
`claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject
`
`to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
`
`RE Claim 6, the instant claim language “after the UL grant is higher than a
`
`predetermined value”is indefinite as it is unclear what aspect of the UL grant is being
`
`compared to the predetermined value to make the determination (i.e. higher than).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 3
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`3.
`
`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35
`
`U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any
`
`correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new groundof
`
`rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be
`
`the same under either status.
`
`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, orin public use,
`on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`5.
`
`Claims 1, 10-11, 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by NPL “Discussion on UCI multiplexing” (hereinafter referred to as
`
`MediaTek).
`
`RE Claim 1, MediaTek discloses a user equipment (See MediaTek Section 1-
`
`UE), comprising:
`
`circuitry operative to process Uplink Control Information (UCI) bits (See
`
`MediaTek Section 2.1 — Determination of number of HARQ-ACK bits) to be
`
`transmitted according to the comparison of the number M of UCI bits generated based
`
`on Downlink (DL) assignment(s) before an Uplink (UL) grant from a base station (See
`
`MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits indicated in
`
`DL assignment before UL grant from gNB (i.e. exisiting UL DAI)) and the number N
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 4
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`of UCI bits generated based on DL assignment(s) after the UL grant (See MediaTek
`
`Section 2.1 — proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits indicated in DL
`
`assignment after UL grant from gNB (i.e. additional DAI in later DL assignment))
`
`with the number P of UCI bits indicated in the UL grant (See MediaTek Section 2.1 —
`
`proposals 2-4 —i.e. DAI indicated in UL grant) and/or the maximum numberQ ofbits
`
`(See MediaTek proposal #8 — i.e. ““N” — max size of UCI) determined based on at
`
`least a configured coding rate (See MediaTek proposal #4 — HARQ-ACK bit size
`
`parameters based on rate matching and rate matching parameters), wherein each
`
`of M, N, P, Q is an integer equal to or larger than 0 (See MediaTek Section 2.1 —
`
`proposals 2-4 — DAI and HARQ-ACK size parameters are integers greater than or
`
`equal to zero); and
`
`a transmitter operative to transmit the processed UCI bits in Physical Uplink
`
`Shared Channel (PUSCH) at a Transmission Time Interval
`
`(TTI) indicated in the UL
`
`grant to the base station (See MediaTek proposal 2 — FIG 2 -PUSCH transmitted @
`
`slot n).
`
`RE Claim 10, MediaTek discloses a user equipment, as set forth in claim 1
`
`above, wherein the UCI bits are used for one of HARQ-ACK, CSI part 1 and CSI part 2
`
`(See MediaTek Section 3 - HARQ-ACK, CSI part I and II), and wherein the coding
`
`rate for each of HARQ-ACK, CSI part 1 and CSI part 2 is separately configured (See
`
`MediaTek Section3, 3.2 — proposal 8 - HARQ-ACK, CSIpart I andIl are
`
`configured and encoded separately).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 5
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`RE Claim 11, MediaTek discloses a base station (See MediaTek Section 1-
`
`gNB), comprising:
`
`a receiver operative to receive Uplink Control Information (UCI) bits transmitted
`
`in Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) at a Transmission Time Interval
`
`(TTI) (See
`
`MediaTek proposal 2 — FIG 2 —-UClin PUSCH transmitted @ slot n) indicated in an
`
`Uplink (UL) grant from a user equipment (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4
`
`— i.e. DAI indicated in UL grant); and
`
`circuitry operative to decode the UCI bits in accordance with a UCI multiplexing
`
`rule (See MediaTek Section 3 — gNB decoding UCI bits),
`
`wherein the UCI bits before transmission is processed at the user equipment
`
`(See MediaTek Section 2.1 — Determination of number of HARQ-ACK bits)
`
`according to the comparison of the number M of UCI bits generated based on Downlink
`
`(DL) assignment(s) before the UL grant from the base station (See MediaTek Section
`
`2.1 — proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based onbits indicated in DL assignment
`
`before UL grant from gNB (i.e. exisiting UL DAl)) and the numberN of UCI bits
`
`generated based on DL assignment(s) after the UL grant (See MediaTek Section 2.1 —
`
`proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits indicated in DL assignment after UL
`
`grant from gNB (i.e. additional DAI in later DL assignment)) with the numberP of
`
`UCI bits indicated in the UL grant (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 — i.e.
`
`DAI indicated in UL grant) and/or the maximum numberQofbits (See MediaTek
`
`proposal #8 — i.e. “N” — max size of UCI) determined based onat least a configured
`
`coding rate in accordance with the UCI multiplexing rule (See MediaTek proposal #4 —
`
`HARQ-ACK bit size parameters based on rate matching and rate matching
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
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`Page 6
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`parameters), wherein each of M, N, P, Qis an integer equal to or larger than 0 (See
`
`MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 — DAl and HARQ-ACK size parameters are
`
`integers greater than or equalto zero).
`
`RE Claim 15, MediaTek discloses a wireless communication method for a user
`
`equipment (See MediaTek Section 1- UE), comprising:
`
`processing Uplink Control Information (UCI) bits (See MediaTek Section 2.1 —
`
`Determination of number of HARQ-ACK bits) to be transmitted according to the
`
`comparison of the number M of UCI bits generated based on Downlink (DL)
`
`assignment(s) before an Uplink (UL) grant from a base station (See MediaTek Section
`
`2.1 — proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits indicated in DL assignment
`
`before UL grant from gNB (i.e. exisiting UL DAI)) and the number N of UCI bits
`
`generated based on DL assignment(s) after the UL grant (See MediaTek Section 2.1 —
`
`proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits indicated in DL assignment after UL
`
`grant from gNB (i.e. additional DAI in later DL assignment)) with the numberP of
`
`UCI bits indicated in the UL grant (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 — i.e.
`
`DAI indicated in UL grant) and/or the maximum numberQof bits (See MediaTek
`
`proposal #8 — i.e. “N” — max size of UCI) determined based onat least a configured
`
`coding rate (See MediaTek proposal #4 — HARQ-ACK bit size parameters based on
`
`rate matching and rate matching parameters), wherein each of M, N, P, Qis an
`
`integer equal to or larger than 0 (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 — DAl
`
`and HARQ-ACK size parameters are integers greater than or equalto zero); and
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 7
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`transmitting the processed UCI bits in Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)
`
`at a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) indicated in the UL grant to the base station (See
`
`MediaTek proposal 2 — FIG 2 -PUSCHtransmitted @ slot n).
`
`RE Claim 16, MediaTek discloses a wireless communication method for a base
`
`station (See MediaTek Section 1- gNB), comprising:
`
`receiving Uplink Control Information (UCI) bits transmitted in Physical Uplink
`
`Shared Channel (PUSCH) at a Transmission Time Interval
`
`(TTI) (See MediaTek
`
`proposal 2 — FIG 2— UCI in PUSCH transmitted @ slot n) indicated in an Uplink (UL)
`
`grant from a user equipment (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 —i.e. DAI
`
`indicated in UL grant); and
`
`decoding the UCI bits in accordance with a UCI multiplexing rule (See MediaTek
`
`Section 3 — gNB decoding UCI bits), wherein the UCI bits before transmissionis
`
`processed at the user equipment (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — Determination of
`
`number of HARQ-ACK bits) according to the comparison of the number M of UCI bits
`
`generated based on Downlink (DL) assignment(s) before the UL grant from the base
`
`station See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits
`
`indicated in DL assignment before UL grant from gNB (i.e. exisiting UL DAI)) and
`
`the number N of UCI bits generated based on DL assignment(s) after the UL grant (See
`
`MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposal 2, FIG 2 - # of UCI bits based on bits indicated in
`
`DL assignment after UL grant from gNB (i.e. additional DAI in later DL
`
`assignment)) with the number P of UCI bits indicated in the UL grant (See MediaTek
`
`Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 —i.e. DAI indicated in UL grant) and/or the maximum
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 8
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`number Q of bits (See MediaTek proposal #8 — i.e. “N” — max size of UCI)
`
`determined based on at least a configured coding rate in accordance with the UCI
`
`multiplexing rule (See MediaTek proposal #4 — HARQ-ACK bit size parameters
`
`based on rate matching and rate matching parameters), wherein each of M, N, P, Q
`
`is an integer equal to or larger than 0 (See MediaTek Section 2.1 — proposals 2-4 —
`
`DAI and HARQ-ACK size parameters are integers greater than or equal to zero).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 9
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`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`6.
`
`Claims 2-5, 9, and 12-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected
`
`base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the
`
`limitations of the base claim and anyintervening claims.
`
`Conclusion
`
`7.
`
`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure. Wang et al. (US# 2020/0367265) and Parket al. (US#
`
`2019/0199477) which teach of determining # of UCI bits.
`
`8.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Steve R Young whose telephone numberis (571)270-
`
`7518. The examiner can normally be reached MF 9am-5pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
`
`(AIR) at http:/AWwww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Gregory B Sefcheck can be reached on 571-272-3098. The fax phone
`
`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-
`
`273-8300.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/769,270
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 10
`
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`
`/STEVE R YOUNG/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
`
`