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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/633,535
`
`02/07/2022
`
`Tomoya NUNOME
`
`733156.581USPC
`
`1007
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`ABU ROUML, MAHRAN Y
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2455
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`04/24/2024
`
`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*
`1-9 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected.
`(] Claim(s)__ is/are objectedto.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)0) The drawing(s) filedon__ is/are: a)(J 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)Z None ofthe:
`b)() Some**
`a) All
`1.¥) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) 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
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240415
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/633,535
`NUNOME etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`MAHRAN ABU ROUMI
`2455
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof 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 02/07/2022.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3) 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)(2) 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: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
`
`This communication is in responsive to Application 17/633535filed on
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`02/07/2022. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being
`
`examined underthe first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`2.
`
`Status of Claims:
`
`Claims 1-9 are presented for examination.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`3.
`
`The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) complies with 37 CFR 1.97
`
`provisions. Accordingly, the Examiner has considered the IDS.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`4.
`
`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
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`correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) for the rejection will
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`not be considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale
`
`supporting the rejection, would be the same undereither status.
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`5.
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`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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use,
`on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
`
`Page 3
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`6.
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`Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Vivo
`
`“discussion on the enhancements to configured grants” (hereinafter D1) [NPL filed in
`
`IDS 02/07/2022].
`
`Regarding Claim 1, D1 teaches a terminal, comprising:
`
`transmission circuitry, which, in operation, performs a repetition transmission of
`
`an uplink signal in a plurality of time periods (p 2-5 and 7-8 section 2.1 and 2.4; see
`
`proposal 2 in section 2.1 thatillustrate controlling and configuring repetition
`
`transmission for a plurality of time periods e.g. multiple NR Rel-15 configurations in
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`option 2 can havedifferent combinations of period and time offset and duration of
`
`PUSCH suchthatflexible transmission occasion candidates on time domain resource
`
`are provided);
`
`and control circuitry, which, in operation, controls at least one of the plurality of
`
`time periods in which a transmission occasion of uplink control information is configured
`
`(p 2-5 and 7-8 section 2.1 and 2.4; see proposal 2 in section 2.1 thatillustrate
`
`controlling and configuring transmission for a plurality of time periods e.g. multiple NR
`
`Rel-15 configurations in option 2 can have different combinations of period and time
`
`offset and duration of PUSCH suchthatflexible transmission occasion candidates on
`
`time domain resource are provided).
`
`Regarding Claim 2, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 1, wherein
`
`the control circuitry configures the transmission occasion of the uplink control
`
`information in any of one or more candidate time periods in which transmission of the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
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`Page 4
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`uplink signal is started among the plurality of time periods (p 2-5 and 7-8 section 2.1
`
`and 2.4; see proposal2 in section 2.1 thatillustrate controlling and configuring
`
`transmission for a plurality of time periods e.g. flexible transmission occasion
`
`candidates on time domain resource, see different occasion candidate under 2.1
`
`proposal1).
`
`Regarding Claim 3, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 2, wherein
`
`the control circuitry configures the transmission occasion of the uplink control
`
`information in a first time period among the plurality of time periods (p 2-5 and 7-8
`
`section 2.1 and 2.4; see proposal 2 in section 2.1 that illustrate controlling and
`
`configuring transmission for a plurality of time periods e.g. flexible transmission
`
`occasion candidates on time domain resource, see different time periods including first
`
`time period under 2.1 proposal 1).
`
`Regarding Claim 4, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 2, wherein
`
`the control circuitry configures the transmission occasion of the uplink control
`
`information in each of the one or more candidate time periods in which the transmission
`
`of the uplink signal is started among the plurality of time periods (p 2-5 and 7-8 section
`
`2.1 and 2.4; see proposal2 in section 2.1 thatillustrate controlling and configuring
`
`transmission for a plurality of time periods e.g. flexible transmission occasion
`
`candidates on time domain resource, see different occasion candidate under 2.1
`
`proposal1).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
`
`Page 5
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`Regarding Claim 5, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 2, wherein
`
`the one or more candidate time periods in which the transmission of the uplink signalis
`
`started are defined based on the numberofthe plurality of time periods and a
`
`parameter related to the repetition transmission (in addition to citation in claim 2, see
`
`Fig. 3 that provides example of parameterof N for an offset along multiple offsets within
`
`an active configuration).
`
`Regarding Claim 6, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 1,
`
`wherein, the transmission circuitry starts transmission of the uplink signal from any of
`
`the plurality of time periods, and the control circuitry configures the transmission
`
`occasion of the uplink control information in in time period(s) (m is an integer of one or
`
`more) from the time period in which the transmission of the uplink signal is started (p 2-
`
`5 and 7-8 section 2.1 and 2.4; see proposal 2 in section 2.1 thatillustrate controlling and
`
`configuring transmission for a plurality of time periods e.g. transmission according to
`
`time period wherenis an integer of one or more e.g. P=iOslots, N=8,5=0,i = 14, offset =
`
`0 slot).
`
`Regarding Claim 7, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 1, wherein
`
`the uplink control information indicates a transmission resource of information indicating
`
`successor failure in reception of a downlink signal and/or of information indicating a
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`channelstate (section 2.3; If one of the sub bands of the frequency bandwidth is sensed
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`to be busy, UE cannot transmit any UL signal in the active BWP on the unlicensed
`
`spectrum, even though some of other sub bandsareidle. UE can only transmit the UL
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
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`Page 6
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`signal unlessall the sub bands of the frequency bandwidth are sensed to beidle. This
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`may reduce the resource outstation and cause delay. To overcome the issue, UE needs
`
`to supportflexible frequency bandwidth selection based on the channelstate. To be
`
`more specific, UE has multiple frequency resource allocations per BWP such that UE
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`has more opportunism to access the unlicensed channel regardless of the busy one.
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`For example, UE can be configured with CG resource configurations in BWP by RRC.
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`Multiple configured grant configurable are activated simultaneously and different CG
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`configurations have different combinations sub bands. All configurations are indexed,
`
`and the index is carried by the activation/deactivation DCI to indicate the target
`
`configuration. UE performs LBTon the frequency resources of each CG resource and
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`selects one of the resource on which ail the sub bands are sensedto beidle).
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`Regarding Claim 8, D1 further teaches the terminal according to claim 1, wherein
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`the transmission circuitry transmits, in a specific transmission occasion, information
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`indicating successor failure in reception of a downlink signal (p 2-5 and 7-8 section 2.1
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`and 2.4; One candidate group is used for the repX repetition transmissions of the same
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`TB suchthat the uplink transmission could only start from boundary of the candidate
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`group after successful LRT).
`
`Claim 9 is substantially similar to claim 1, thus the same rationale applies.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
`
`Page 7
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`Conclusion
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to MAHRAN ABU ROUMI whosetelephone numberis
`
`(469)295-9170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6AM-5PM.
`
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`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`
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`
`supervisor, Emmanuel Moise can be reached on 571-272-3865. The fax phone number
`
`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
`MAHRAN ABU ROUMI
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 2455
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,535
`Art Unit: 2455
`
`/MAHRAN Y ABU ROUMI/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2455
`
`Page 8
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