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
`
`10/07/2021
`
`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 7/15/2021.
`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*
`1-16 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)() 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)
`
`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 20210915
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
`
`is being examined
`
`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Response to Amendment
`
`2.
`
`Acknowledgment is made of Applicant's submission of claims amendment with
`
`remarks, dated July 15, 2021. Claims 1-16 have been amended. Claims 1-16 remain
`
`pending. This communication is considered fully responsive and sets forth below.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis forall
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention maynotbe obtained, notwithstanding thatthe claimed
`invention is not identicallydis closed as set forth in section 102ofthis title, if the differences
`between the claimed invention andthe prior artare such thatthe claimed invention as a whole
`would have been obvious beforethe effective filing date of the claimed invention to aperson
`having ordinaryskill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentabilityshall not
`be negated by the manner in whichthe invention was made.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 1-4, 6-11, and 13-16 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
`
`over Zhou et al. (US 2020/0068644) in view of Deenoo et al. (US 2020/0374960).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Zhou etal. teach the user equipment, comprising:
`
`a transceiver (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10];
`
`Examiner’s Notes: terminal device, e.g., 1 depicted in FIG. 2 and 150 depicted in
`
`FIG. 15 of the prior art teach the limitations of “user equipment;” transceiver 1501
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 3
`
`depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior art teaches the limitation of “a transceiver” in the
`
`instant application) which, in operation,
`
`performs communication in a wireless communication system with a base
`
`station using at least one of a plurality of downlink beams andat least one of a
`
`plurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10];
`
`Examiner’s Notes: network device depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the
`
`limitations of “base station;” 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 Al and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art
`
`teachesthis limitation), 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 Ai, and an uplink beam, e.g., a beam
`
`pair A1 and B2, having different coverage as shownin FIG.2 of the prior art
`
`teachesthe limitation of “the downlink and uplink beams having different
`
`directivities and/or coverage” in the instant application), comprising:
`
`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, e.g., beam failure recovery
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 4
`
`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
`
`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 from the 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 teachesthis limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resourcesrestrict the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be dedicatedly allocated by the
`
`base station to the user equipment (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
`
`restrict the transmission to a subsetof the plurality of uplink beams;”in fact, the
`
`network device allocating resource serving beams for uplink transmission in the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page5
`
`prior art teaches the limitation of “the dedicated uplink radio resources are
`
`restricting the transmission to a subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can
`
`be dedicatedly allocated by the base station to the user equipment” in the instant
`
`application).
`
`Zhou et al. teach the subject matter without explicitly teaching the
`
`allocation of the dedicated uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in
`
`the allocation.
`
`Deenoo et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor teach
`
`implementing fairness of the method, wherein the allocation of the dedicated
`
`uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation (paragraph
`
`[0091] lines 1-30; Examiner’s Notes: the time resource allocation in the prior art
`
`teaches the limitation of “a time period indicated in the allocation;” in fact, the
`
`uplink resource dedicated each beam based on the time resource allocation in
`
`the prior art teaches the limitation of “the allocation of the dedicated uplink
`
`resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation” in the instant
`
`application).
`
`Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in art to implement the method of
`
`Deenoo et al.
`
`in the system of Zhou etal.
`
`The motivation for implementing the allocation of the dedicated uplink
`
`resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation, is to further
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 6
`
`enhance the mechanism for the method of beam failure recovery and
`
`management for multi-carrier communications with beamforming, wherein a
`
`wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) monitors for and detects a beam failure of
`
`a beam associated with a secondarycell (Scell), selects an Scell candidate
`
`beam, and transmits using a selected uplink (UL) resource in a primary cell
`
`(SpCell) a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) including an
`
`indication of Scell beam failure and identifying the selected candidate beam.
`
`Regarding claim 2, Zhou et al. further teach the user equipment, wherein
`
`the subsetof the plurality of the uplink beams is dedicatedly allocated to the user
`
`equipment based on at least one of: uplink reference signals or sounding
`
`reference signals (SRS) transmitted by the user equipment on the plurality of
`
`uplink beams; and a report or a channel status information (CSI) report, by the
`
`user equipment on measurements of 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 teachesthe 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 user equipment, wherein
`
`the number of uplink beams forming the subset of the plurality of uplink beams
`
`correspondsto one, two or three uplink beams (paragraph [0069] lines 1-23;
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 7
`
`Examiner’s Notes: the uplink beams, e.g., 4 beams B1-B4 correspondsto 1
`
`beam Ai as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teachesthislimitation).
`
`Regarding claim 4, Zhou etal. further teach the user equipment, wherein
`
`the number of uplink beams forming the subset of the plurality of uplink beams
`
`corresponds to a mobility state of the user equipment that distinguishes between
`
`a low and a high rate of positional changes of the user equipment (paragraph
`
`[0091] lines 1-9; Examiner’s Notes: the movement of terminal device in the prior
`
`art teachesthe limitation of “a mobility state of the user equipment that
`
`distinguishes between a low and a high rate of positional changes of the user
`
`equipment;” in fact, establishing beam set correspondsto tracking a channel
`
`change caused by movementof the terminal device in the prior art teaches this
`
`limitation).
`
`Regarding claim 6, Zhou et al. further teach the user equipment, 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 teachesthe limitation of “an indication indicating the numberof 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).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 8
`
`Regarding claim 7, Zhou et al. further teach the user equipment, wherein
`
`the indication indicating the number of uplink beams in the subset of the plurality
`
`of uplink beams is to be usedis received in at least one of: an radio resource
`
`configuration, RRC, message; a medium accesscontrol (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, implementing the indication
`
`message by using MAC CE in the prior art teaches the limitation in this wherein-
`
`clause).
`
`Regarding claim 8, Zhou et al. teach the user equipment, comprising:
`
`a transceiver (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10];
`
`Examiner’s Notes: terminal device, e.g.,
`
`1 depicted in FIG. 2 and 150 depicted in
`
`FIG. 15 of the prior art teach the limitations of “user equipment;” transceiver 1501
`
`depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior art teaches thelimitation of “a transceiver” in the
`
`instant application) which, in operation,
`
`performs communication in a wireless communication system with a base
`
`station using at least one of a plurality of downlink beams andat least one of a
`
`plurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10];
`
`Examiner’s Notes: network device depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the
`
`limitations of “base station;” in fact, terminal device 1 communicating with
`
`network device through a downlink beam, e.g., abeam pair B1 and Al, and an
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 9
`
`uplink beam, e.g., a beam pair Al and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art
`
`teachesthis limitation), 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 Ai, and an uplink beam, e.g., a beam
`
`pair A1 and B2, having different coverage as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art
`
`teachesthe limitation of “the downlink and uplink beams having different
`
`directivities and/or coverage” in the instant application), comprising:
`
`receives for a beam failure recovery (BFR) procedure anallocation of
`
`dedicated uplink radio resourcesfor 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, e.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
`
`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
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 10
`
`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 from the 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 teachesthis limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resourcesrestrict the transmission to a
`
`subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be non-exclusively allocated by
`
`the base station to the user equipment (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 teaches the limitation of “the
`
`dedicated uplink radio resourcesrestrict the transmission to a subset of the
`
`plurality of uplink beams that can be non-exclusively allocated by the base
`
`station to the user equipment” in the instant application).
`
`Zhou et al. teach the user equipment without explicitly teaching the
`
`allocation of the dedicated uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in
`
`the allocation.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 11
`
`Deenooetal. from the same or similar field of endeavor teach
`
`implementing fairness of the method, wherein the allocation of the dedicated
`
`uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation (paragraph
`
`[0091] lines 1-30; Examiner’s Notes: the time resource allocation in the prior art
`
`teachesthe limitation of “a time period indicated in the allocation,” in fact, the
`
`uplink resource dedicated each beam based on the time resource allocation in
`
`the prior art teaches the limitation of “the allocation of the dedicated uplink
`
`resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation’ in the instant
`
`application).
`
`Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in art to implement the methodof
`
`Deenoo et al.
`
`in the system of Zhou etal.
`
`The motivation for implementing the allocation of the dedicated uplink
`
`resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation,
`
`is to further
`
`enhance the mechanism for the method of beam failure recovery and
`
`managementfor multi-carrier communications with beamforming, wherein a
`
`wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) monitors for and detects a beam failure of
`
`a beam associated with a secondarycell (Scell), selects an Scell candidate
`
`beam, and transmits using a selected uplink (UL) resource in a primary cell
`
`(SpCell) a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) including an
`
`indication of Scell beam failure and identifying the selected candidate beam.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 12
`
`Regarding claim 9, Zhou et al. further teach the user equipment, 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 user equipment, and/or wherein, in case
`
`of the dedicated uplink radio resources includes 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 user equipment (paragraph [0118] lines 1-11; Examiner's
`
`Notes: identifying/allocating aUE-specific resource in the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “identify the user equipment;” in fact, the network device allocating
`
`the UE-specific resource in the beam failure recovery in the prior art teachesthis
`
`limitation in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 10, Zhou etal. further teach the user equipment, wherein
`
`the allocation of dedicated uplink radio resources includes an instruction for the
`
`user equipmentto includeits 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 teaches the limitation of
`
`“an instruction for the user equipment,” 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 13
`
`Regarding claim 11, Zhou et al. teach the user equipment, wherein the
`
`dedicated uplink radio resources correspond to one of: a contention-free
`
`resource, comprising 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 resources is received via one
`
`of: a radio resource configuration, RRC, connection reconfiguration or RRC
`
`connection setup message; a downlink medium accesscontrol, 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 the limitation 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 resourcesis received via a
`
`downlink medium access control, MAC, control element, CE;” so the cited
`
`paragraph teaches the limitation of this wherein-clause).
`
`Regarding claim 13, Deenoo etal. further teach the user equipment,
`
`wherein the allocation of dedicated uplink resourcesis valid for until a new
`
`allocation is received (paragraph [0091] lines 11-30; Examiner’s Notes: the time
`
`resource allocation in the prior art teaches the limitation of “valid for until a new
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 14
`
`allocation is received;” in fact, the uplink resource dedicated each beam based
`
`on the time resource allocation in the prior art teaches the limitation of “the
`
`allocation of the dedicated uplink resourcesis valid for until a new allocation is
`
`received” in the instant application).
`
`Regarding claim 14, Zhou et al. further teach the user equipment, 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 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
`
`a dedicated transmission, in form of either a RRC message,or an uplink
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`MAC CE, signaling an explicit request for (re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated
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`uplink radio resources (paragraph [0128] lines 1-19; Examiner's Notes: the
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`medium access control-control element (MAC CE)in the prior art teaches the
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`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 teachesthe 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
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 15
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`requestfor (re-)initiating allocation of the dedicated uplink radio resources;” so
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`the cited paragraph teaches the limitation of this wherein-clause in the instant
`
`application).
`
`Regarding claim 15, Zhou et al. teach the method performed by a user
`
`equipment (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner's Notes:
`
`terminal device, e.g.,
`
`1 depicted in FIG. 2 and 150 depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior
`
`art teach the limitations of “user equipment” in the instant application),
`
`comprising:
`
`performing communication in a wireless communication system with a
`
`base station using at least one of a plurality of downlink beams andat least one
`
`of a plurality of uplink beams (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10];
`
`Examiner’s Notes: network device depicted in FIG. 2 of the prior art teach the
`
`limitation of “base station;” in fact, terminal device 1 communicating with network
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`device through a downlink beam, e.g., a beam pair B1 and Al, and an uplink
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`beam, e.g., a beam pair Al and B2, as shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches
`
`this limitation), 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 shownin FIG. 2 of the prior art teaches the
`
`limitation of “the downlink and uplink beams having different directivities and/or
`
`coverage” in the instant application);
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 16
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`receiving for a beam failure recovery, BFR, procedure an allocation of
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`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 teaches the limitation of “a beam failure recovery, BFR,
`
`procedure;” in fact, receiving the allocation information on the time-frequency
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`resource usedfor uplink transmission, e.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 resources for 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 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 thelimitation of
`
`“the dedicated uplink radio resources from the 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 resources in the prior art teaches this
`
`limitation),
`
`wherein the dedicated uplink radio resourcesare restricting the
`
`transmission to a subsetof the plurality of uplink beams that can be dedicatedly
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 17
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`allocated by the base station to the user equipment (paragraph [0100] lines 1-36;
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`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 resourcesare 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 subsetof the plurality of
`
`uplink beams that can be dedicatedly allocated by the base station to the mobile
`
`terminal’ in the instant application).
`
`Zhou et al. teach the method without explicitly teaching the allocation of
`
`the dedicated uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the
`
`allocation.
`
`Deenooetal. from the sameor similar field of endeavor teach
`
`implementing fairness of the method, wherein the allocation of the dedicated
`
`uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation (paragraph
`
`[0091] lines 1-30; Examiner’s Notes: the time resource allocation in the prior art
`
`teachesthe limitation of “a time period indicated in the allocation,” in fact, the
`
`uplink resource dedicated each beam based on the time resource allocation in
`
`the prior art teaches the limitation of “the allocation of the dedicated uplink
`
`resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in the allocation’ in the instant
`
`application).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/830, 799
`Art Unit: 2473
`
`Page 18
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`Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in art to implement the method of
`
`Deenoo et al.
`
`in the system of Zhou et al. The motivation for implementing the
`
`allocation of the dedicated uplink resourcesis valid for a time period indicated in
`
`the allocation,
`
`is to further enhance the mechanism for the method of
`
`beam failure recovery and management for multi-carrier communications with
`
`beamforming, wherein a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) monitors for and
`
`detects a beam failure of a beam associated with a secondary cell (Scell), selects
`
`an Scell candidate beam, and transmits using a selected uplink (UL) resource in
`
`a primary cell (SpCell) a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE)
`
`including an indication of Scell beam failure and identifying the selected
`
`candidate beam.
`
`Regarding claim 16, Zhou et al. teach the method performed by a user
`
`equipment (paragraphs [0086] lines 1-15 & [0138 lines 1-10]; Examiner's Notes:
`
`terminal device, e.g.,
`
`1 depicted in FIG. 2 and 150 depicted in FIG. 15 of the prior
`
`art teach the limitations of “user equipment” in the instant application),
`
`comprising:
`
`performing communicati