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
`
`16/830,799
`
`03/26/2020
`
`Ming-Hung TAO
`
`736456.492C1
`
`9810
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`ZHAO, WEI
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2473
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`06/04/2021
`
`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.
`16/830,799
`Examiner
`WEI ZHAO
`
`Applicant(s)
`TAOetal.
`Art Unit
`2473
`
`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 3/26/2020.
`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.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-16 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Cj] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-16 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 5 is/are objectedto.
`£] 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:/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 3/26/2020 is/are: a)¥) 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:
`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)
`
`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) (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 20210518
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA 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.
`
`Priority
`
`2.
`
`Acknowledgment is madeof this application is a continuation of
`
`PCT/EP2018/075517 filed on September 20, 2018, which claims a foreign priority under
`
`35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) based on EP Parent Application No. 17193906.9, filed on
`
`September 28, 2017.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`3.
`
`Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s submission of information disclosure
`
`statement (IDS), dated on March 26, 2020. The submission is in compliance with the
`
`provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being
`
`considered by the examiner.
`
`Examiner's Notes
`
`4.
`
`Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet
`
`communications (PTO/SB/439,
`
`Weeceteninedanecentenecnceeqnenerentcnhrestecerahsteccacecsereuacscsecceucrauecserensersuecsescuauecserausqrenecsereueceesereureserensesenrsescsarseserereuecnondeserates
`
`application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 3
`
`authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written
`
`authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax
`
`which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal
`
`mail; (8) EFS WEB; or(4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS webis
`
`the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into
`
`the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization
`
`submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be
`
`accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
`
`Claim Objections
`
`5.
`
`Claim 7 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) because of the following
`
`informalities:
`
`Regarding claim 7, it recites, “The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein
`
`the transceiver,
`
`in operation, transmits an indication for the base station to (re-)initiate
`
`allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources for the beam failure recovery procedure,
`
`and, wherein the indication for (re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated uplink radio
`
`resources is at least one of:
`
`a channel status information, CSI, report, signaling a quality or power of the
`
`serving downlink beam below a threshold value; and
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 4
`
`a dedicated transmission, in form of either a RRC message, or an uplink MAC
`
`CE, signaling an explicit request for (re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated uplink radio
`
`resources.”
`
`The examiner objects the usage of (re-) in the term “(re-)initiate’ as indicated in
`
`italics in the first wherein clause, because the term contained within parentheses is a
`
`non-positive claim limitation or an optional claim limitation.
`
`The usage of the term “(re-)initiating’ indicated in italics in the second wherein
`
`clause is objected for the same reason.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`6.
`
`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.
`
`7.
`
`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 madein this Office action:
`
`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patentissued under section 151, orinan
`application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the
`patentor application, as the case maybe, namesanotherinventor and waseffectively filed
`before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page5S
`
`8.
`
`Claims 1-4, 6-11, and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being
`
`anticipated by Zhou et al. (US 2020/0068644).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Zhou et al. teach the mobile terminal for communicating in a
`
`mobile communication system with a base station using at least one of a plurality of
`
`downlink beams and at least one ofaplurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines
`
`1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: terminal device 1 and network device
`
`depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the limitations of “mobile terminal’ and “base
`
`station,” individually:
`
`in fact, terminal device 1 communicating with network device
`
`through a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Al, and an uplink beam, e.g., a
`
`beam pair Ai and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches this limitation), each of
`
`the downlink and uplink beams having different directivities and/or coverage (paragraph
`
`[0086] lines 1-15; Examiner's Notes: a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Al,
`
`and an uplink beam, e.g., a beam pair Al and B2, having different coverage as shown
`
`in FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches the limitation of “each of the downlink and uplink beams
`
`having different directivities and/or coverage” in the instant application), comprising:
`
`a transceiver which, in operation, receives for a beam failure recovery, BFR,
`
`procedure an allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources for transmitting a beam
`
`failure recovery signal (paragraphs [0133] lines 1-17 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner's
`
`Notes: transceiver 1501 depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior art teaches thelimitation of “a
`
`transceiver,” the beam recovery in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a beam failure
`
`recovery, BFR, procedure;” in fact, receiving the allocation information on the time-
`
`frequency resource used for uplink transmission, ¢.g., beam failure recovery
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 6
`
`information,
`
`in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives for a beam failure
`
`recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of dedicated uplink radio resourcesfor
`
`transmitting a beam failure recovery signal’ in the instant application); and
`
`a processor which, in operation, detects a downlink beam failure event and, in
`
`response thereto, initiates the beam failure recovery procedure, including the
`
`transceiver transmitting the beam failure recovery signal using the dedicated uplink
`
`radio resources from the allocation (paragraphs [0099] lines 1-12 & [0138 lines 1-10];
`
`Examiner’s Notes: processor 1502 depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “a processor,” detecting the downlink signal/oeam failure teaches the
`
`limitation of “detects a downlink beam failure event; the current/serving beam pair set
`
`of the resources, e.g., serving beam pair 1 depicted in FIG. 8 of the prior art, teaches
`
`the limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources from the allocation;” in fact, wnen
`
`detecting the beam failure, the terminal device initiates the beam recovery request using
`
`the current/serving beam pair set of the resourcesin the prior art teachesthis limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the mobile terminal (paragraph [0100] lines 1-36; Examiner’s Notes: the
`
`serving beams, e.g., resource beam pair 1 of x’ and x depicted in FIG. 8 of the prior art
`
`teaches the limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the
`
`transmission to a subsetof the plurality of uplink beams;”in fact, the network device
`
`allocating resource serving beams for uplink transmission in the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resourcesare restricting the transmission to a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 7
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the mobile terminal” in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 2, Zhou et al. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`subsetof the plurality of the uplink beams is exclusively allocated to the mobile terminal
`
`based on at least one of: uplink reference signals or sounding reference signals, SRS,
`
`transmitted by the mobile terminal on the plurality of uplink beams; and a report or a
`
`channel status information, CSI, report, by the mobile terminal on measurementsof
`
`downlink references signals or CSI-RSs, transmitted by the base station on the plurality
`
`of downlink beams (paragraph [0096] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: the measurement
`
`on downlink signal strengths of the reference signals in the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “measurements of downlink references signals;” in fact, the terminal device
`
`reports measurement on downlink signal strengths of the reference signals in the prior
`
`art teachesthis limitation).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Zhou et al. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`numberof uplink beams forming the subsetof the plurality of uplink beams corresponds
`
`to one, two or three uplink beams (paragraph [0069] lines 1-23; Examiner's Notes: the
`
`uplink beams, e.g., 4 beams B1-B4 corresponds to 1 beam Ai as shownin FIG. 2 of the
`
`prior art teachesthis limitation).
`
`Regarding claim 4, Zhou et al. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`numberof uplink beams forming the subset of the plurality of uplink beams corresponds
`
`to amobility state of the mobile terminal that distinguishes between a low and a high
`
`rate of positional changes of the mobile terminal (paragraph [0091] lines 1-9;
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 8
`
`Examiner’s Notes: the movement of terminal device in the prior art teaches the limitation
`
`of “a mobility state of the mobile terminal that distinguishes between a low and a high
`
`rate of positional changes of the mobile terminal;” in fact, establishing beam set
`
`corresponds to tracking a channel change caused by movementof the terminal device
`
`in the prior art teachesthis limitation).
`
`Regarding claim 6, Zhou et al. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`transceiver,
`
`in operation, additionally receives for the beam failure recovery procedure
`
`an indication indicating the number of uplink beams in the subsetof the plurality of
`
`uplink beams that is to be used in the beam failure recovery procedure (paragraph
`
`[0126] lines 1-22; Examiner's Notes: the signal strength of received signal corresponds
`
`to the numberof available uplink beams in the prior art teaches the limitation of “an
`
`indication indicating the number of uplink beams in the subset of the plurality of uplink
`
`beams;” in fact, the terminal device receiving the signal strength of the signal
`
`corresponds to the number of available uplink beams for beam recovery in the prior art
`
`teachesthis limitation).
`
`Regarding claim 7, Zhou et al. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`indication indicating the number of uplink beams in the subsetof the plurality of uplink
`
`beams is to be used is received in at least one of: an radio resource configuration, RRC,
`
`message; a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE; and a downlink control
`
`information, DCI (paragraph [0128] lines 1-19; Examiner's Notes: the medium access
`
`control-control element (MAC CE) in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a medium
`
`access control, MAC, control element, CE” in the instant application;
`
`in fact,
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 9
`
`implementing the indication message by using MAC CE in the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation in this wherein-clause).
`
`Regarding claim 8, Zhou etal. teach the mobile terminal for communicating in a
`
`mobile communication system with a base station using at least one of a plurality of
`
`downlink beams and at least one of a plurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines
`
`1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: terminal device 1 and network device
`
`depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the limitations of “mobile terminal’ and “base
`
`station,” individually:
`
`in fact, terminal device 1 communicating with network device
`
`through a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Al, and an uplink beam, e.g., a
`
`beam pair Ai and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches this limitation), each of
`
`the downlink and uplink beams having different directivities (paragraph [0086] lines 1-
`
`15; Examiner’s Notes: a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Ai, and an uplink
`
`beam, e.g., a beam pair Al and B2, having different directivities as shown in FIG. 2 of
`
`the prior art teaches the limitation of “each of the downlink and uplink beams having
`
`different directivities” in the instant application), comprising:
`
`a transceiver which, in operation, receives for a beam failure recovery, BFR,
`
`procedure an allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources for transmitting a beam
`
`failure recovery signal (paragraphs [0133] lines 1-17 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s
`
`Notes: transceiver 1501 depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior art teaches the limitation of “a
`
`transceiver,” the beam recovery in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a beam failure
`
`recovery, BFR, procedure;” in fact, receiving the allocation information on the time-
`
`frequency resource used for uplink transmission, ¢.g., beam failure recovery
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 10
`
`information,
`
`in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives for a beam failure
`
`recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of dedicated uplink radio resourcesfor
`
`transmitting a beam failure recovery signal’ in the instant application); and
`
`a processor which, in operation, detects a downlink beam failure event and, in
`
`response thereto, initiates the beam failure recovery procedure, including the
`
`transceiver transmitting the beam failure recovery signal using the dedicated uplink
`
`radio resources from the previous allocation (paragraphs [0099] lines 1-12 & [0138 lines
`
`1-10]; Examiner's Notes: processor 1502 depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “a processor;” detecting the downlink signal/beam failure teaches the
`
`limitation of “detects a downlink beam failure event;” the current/serving beam pair set
`
`of the resources, e.g., serving beam pair 1 depicted in FIG. 8 of the prior art, teaches
`
`the limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources from the previous allocation;” in
`
`fact, when detecting the beam failure, the terminal device initiates the beam recovery
`
`request using the current/serving beam pair set of the resourcesin the prior art teaches
`
`this limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be non-exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the mobile terminal (paragraph [0100] lines 1-36; Examiner’s Notes: both
`
`serving beams and alternative beams, e.g., resource beam pairs 1 and 2 depicted in
`
`FIG. 8 of the prior art teaches the limitation of “a subset of the plurality of uplink beams
`
`that can be non-exclusively allocated;” in fact, the network device allocating resource
`
`beams, including both serving and alternative beams for uplink transmission in the prior
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 11
`
`art teachesthe limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the
`
`transmission to a subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be non-exclusively
`
`allocated by the base station to the mobile terminal’ in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 9, Zhou et al. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`transmission on the subsetof the plurality of uplink beams, to which the beam failure
`
`recovery signal on the dedicated uplink radio resourcesis restricted, enables the base
`
`station to identify the mobile terminal, and/or wherein,
`
`in case of the dedicated uplink
`
`radio resourcesincludes a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, the transmission of
`
`demodulation reference signals, DM-RS together with the beam failure recovery signal
`
`in the PUCCH enables the base station to identify the mobile terminal (paragraph [0118]
`
`lines 1-11; Examiner’s Notes: identifying/allocating a UE-specific resource in the prior
`
`art teachesthe limitation of “identify the mobile terminal:” in fact, the network device
`
`allocating the UE-specific resource in the beam failure recovery in the prior art teaches
`
`this limitation in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 10, Zhou etal. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources includes an instruction for the mobile
`
`terminal to include its identification in subsequent messages of the beam failure
`
`recovery procedure (paragraph [0088] lines 1-18; Examiner's Notes: the request
`
`sequence to the terminal device in the prior art teachesthe limitation of “an instruction
`
`for the mobile terminal;” in fact, the network device allocating resource, including the
`
`instruction for the mobile terminal in the beam failure recovery in the prior art teaches
`
`this wherein-clause limitation in the instant application).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 12
`
`Regarding claim 11, Zhou et al. teach the mobile terminal, wherein the dedicated
`
`uplink radio resources correspond to one of: a contention-free resource, a contention-
`
`free preamble sequence with a time and frequency reference, of a physical random
`
`access channel, PRACH; and a contention-free resource, uplink control information,
`
`UCI with a time and frequency reference, of a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH,
`
`and/or wherein the allocation of the dedicated uplink radio resourcesis received via one
`
`of: a radio resource configuration, RRC, connection reconfiguration or RRC connection
`
`setup message; a downlink medium access control, MAC, control element, CE; a
`
`downlink control information, DCI; and a control protocol data unit, PDU, of a packed
`
`data convergence protocol, PDCP (paragraph [0128] lines 1-19; Examiner’s Notes: the
`
`medium access control-control element (MAC CE)in the prior art teaches thelimitation
`
`of “a downlink medium access control, MAC, control element, CE”in the instant
`
`application;
`
`in fact, allocating resources with implementing the indication message by
`
`using MAC CE in the prior art teaches the limitation of “wherein the dedicated uplink
`
`radio resources correspond to wherein the allocation of the dedicated uplink radio
`
`resources is received via a downlink medium access control, MAC, control element,
`
`CE;” so the cited paragraph teachesthelimitation of this wherein-clause).
`
`Regarding claim 14, Zhou etal. further teach the mobile terminal, wherein the
`
`transceiver,
`
`in operation, transmits an indication for the base station to (re-)initiate
`
`allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources for the beam failure recovery procedure,
`
`and, wherein the indication for (re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated uplink radio
`
`resources is at least one of:
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 13
`
`a channel status information, CSI, report, signaling a quality or powerof the
`
`serving downlink beam below a threshold value; and
`
`a dedicated transmission, in form of either a RRC message, or an uplink MAC
`
`CE, signaling an explicit request for (re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated uplink radio
`
`resources (paragraph [0128] lines 1-19; Examiner’s Notes: the medium access control-
`
`control element (MAC CE) in the prior art teaches the limitation of “an uplink MAC CE”
`
`in the instant application;
`
`in fact, allocating resources with implementing the indication
`
`message by using MAC CE for the beam failure recovery in the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “wherein the transceiver, in operation, transmits an indication for the base
`
`station to (re-)initiate allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources for the beam failure
`
`recovery procedure, and, wherein the indication for (re-)initiating allocation of the
`
`dedicated uplink radio resourcesis an uplink MAC CE, signaling an explicit request for
`
`(re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated uplink radio resources ;” so the cited paragraph
`
`teaches the limitation of this wherein-clause in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 15, Zhou et al. teach the method for initiating a beam failure
`
`recovery procedure to be performed by a mobile terminal configured to communicate in
`
`a mobile communication system with a base station using at least one of a plurality of
`
`downlink beams and at least one of a plurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines
`
`1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: terminal device 1 and network device
`
`depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the limitations of “mobile terminal’ and “base
`
`station,” individually:
`
`in fact, terminal device 1 communicating with network device
`
`through a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Al, and an uplink beam, e.g., a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 14
`
`beam pair Ai and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teachesthis limitation), each of
`
`the downlink and uplink beams having different directivities and/or coverage (paragraph
`
`[0086] lines 1-15; Examiner’s Notes: a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and A‘,
`
`and an uplink beam, e.g., a beam pair Al and B2, having different coverage as shown
`
`in FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches the limitation of “each of the downlink and uplink beams
`
`having different directivities and/or coverage’ in the instant application), the method
`
`comprising the stepsof:
`
`receiving for a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of dedicated
`
`uplink radio resources for transmitting a beam failure recovery signal (paragraphs
`
`[0133] lines 1-17 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: the beam recovery in the prior
`
`art teachesthe limitation of “a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure;” in fact, receiving
`
`the allocation information on the time-frequency resource used for uplink transmission,
`
`€.g., beam failure recovery information,
`
`in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives
`
`for a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of dedicated uplink radio
`
`resourcesfor transmitting a beam failure recovery signal’ in the instant application); and
`
`detecting a downlink beam failure event and, in response thereto, initiating the
`
`beam failure recovery procedure, including transmitting the beam failure recovery signal
`
`using the dedicated uplink radio resources from the allocation (paragraphs [0099] lines
`
`1-12 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: detecting the downlink signal/oeam failure
`
`teachesthe limitation of “detects a downlink beam failure event;” the current/serving
`
`beam pair set of the resources, e.g., serving beam pair 1 depicted in FIG. 8 of the prior
`
`art, teaches the limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources from the allocation,”
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 15
`
`in fact, when detecting the beam failure, the terminal deviceinitiates the beam recovery
`
`request using the current/serving beam pair set of the resourcesin the prior art teaches
`
`this limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the mobile terminal (paragraph [0100] lines 1-36; Examiner’s Notes: the
`
`serving beams, e.g., resource beam pair 1 of x’ and x depicted in FIG. 8 of the prior art
`
`teachesthe limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the
`
`transmission to a subset of the plurality of uplink beams;” in fact, the network device
`
`allocating resource serving beams for uplink transmission in the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resourcesare restricting the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the mobile terminal’ in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 16, Zhou et al. teach the methodfor initiating a beam failure
`
`recovery procedure to be performed by a mobile terminal configured to communicate in
`
`a mobile communication system with a base station using at least one of a plurality of
`
`downlink beams and at least one of a plurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines
`
`1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: terminal device 1 and network device
`
`depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the limitations of “mobile terminal’ and “base
`
`station,” individually:
`
`in fact, terminal device 1 communicating with network device
`
`through a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Al, and an uplink beam, e.g., a
`
`beam pair Ai and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches this limitation), each of
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 16
`
`the downlink and uplink beams having different directivities (paragraph [0086] lines 1-
`
`15; Examiner’s Notes: a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Ai, and an uplink
`
`beam, e.g., a beam pair Al and B2, having different directivities as shown in FIG. 2 of
`
`the prior art teaches the limitation of “each of the downlink and uplink beams having
`
`different directivities” in the instant application), comprising:
`
`receiving for a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of dedicated
`
`uplink radio resourcesfor transmitting a beam failure recovery signal (paragraphs
`
`[0133] lines 1-17 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner’s Notes: the beam recovery in the prior
`
`art teachesthe limitation of “a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure;” in fact, receiving
`
`the allocation information on the time-frequency resource used for uplink transmission,
`
`€.g., beam failure recovery information,
`
`in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives
`
`for a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of dedicated uplink radio
`
`resourcesfor transmitting a beam failure recovery signal’ in the instant application);
`
`and
`
`detecting a downlink beam failure event and, in response thereto, initiating the
`
`beam failure recovery procedure, including transmitting the beam failure recovery signal
`
`using the dedicated uplink radio resources of the previous allocation (paragraphs [0099]
`
`lines 1-12 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner's Notes: processor 1502 depicted in FIG. 15 of
`
`the prior art teachesthe limitation of “a processor;” detecting the downlink signal/beam
`
`failure teaches the limitation of “detects a downlink beam failure event;” the
`
`current/serving beam pair set of the resources, e.g., serving beam pair 1 depicted in
`
`FIG. 8 of the prior art, teaches the limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830,799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 17
`
`from the previous allocation;” in fact, wnen detecting the beam failure, the terminal
`
`device initiates the beam recovery request using the current/serving beam pair set of
`
`the resourcesin the prior art teachesthis limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be non-exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the mobile terminal (paragraph [0100] lines 1-36; Examiner’s Notes: both
`
`serving beams and alternative beams, e.g., resource beam pairs 1 and 2 depicted in
`
`FIG. 8 of the prior art teaches the limitation of “a subset of the plurality of uplink beams
`
`that can be non-exclusively allocated;” in fact, the network device allocating resource
`
`beams, including both serving and alternative beams for uplink transmission in the prior
`
`art teachesthe limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources are restricting the
`
`transmission to a subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be non-exclusively
`
`allocated by the base station to the mobile terminal’ in the instant application).
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`9.
`
`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 maynot