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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
`
`17/633,928
`
`02/08/2022
`
`Tetsuya YAMAMOTO
`
`733456.677USPC
`
`1071
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2643
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`03/26/2024
`
`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*
`1-13 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1-13 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) The drawing(s) filed on 02/08/2022 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)(.) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)(¥) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)Y) All
`1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received 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
`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 20240319
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`171633,928
`YAMAMOTOetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`JEAN A GELIN
`2643
`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 02/08/2022.
`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: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`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
`
`underthe first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`2.
`
`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 personshall 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.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 1-10, 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
`
`Urabayashi et al. (US 2019/0274187).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Urabayashi teachesa terminal(fig. 2, [0030]), comprising:
`
`control circuitry, which, in operation, applies a pattern of a coefficient to first information
`
`arranged in a plurality of frequency resources, the pattern being associated with second
`
`information (i.e., the controller is configured to transmit the physical uplink control
`
`channel by an interlace mapping using a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a
`
`frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis [0006]-[0007]. Asillustrated in FIG. 6,
`
`each UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by using a predetermined numberof
`
`resource blocks arranged with a predetermined frequencyinterval. For example, each
`
`UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by using 10 RBs arranged with a frequency
`
`interval of 10 RBs... The interlace mapping hasa plurality of patterns as arrangement
`
`patterns of a plurality of RB distributed on the frequency axis while overlapping on the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 3
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`time axis. Such a pattern is referred to as “interlace”, below. If a frequencyinterval of 10
`
`RBsis provided, an interlace #0 is comprised of RB#0, RB#10, RB#20, .... An
`
`interlace #1 is comprised of RB#1, RB#11, RB#21,.... An #2 is comprised of RB#2,
`
`RB#12, RB#22, ... [0053]-[0054], [0057], [0068], [0090], and claims 6-7); and
`
`transmission circuitry, which, in operation, transmits the first information to which the
`
`pattern is applied (i.e., The controller is configured to transmit the physical uplink control
`
`channel by an interlace mapping using a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a
`
`frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis [0007)).
`
`Regarding claim 2, Urabayashi teachesthe pattern includes an element
`
`corresponding in numberto the plurality of frequency resources ([0044], [0053]-
`
`[0054)).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Urabayashi teaches the elementis any of a cyclic shift
`
`amount, a phaserotation amount, and a sequence numberof a code sequence([0054],
`
`[0078], cls. 6-7).
`
`Regarding claim 4, Urabayashi teachesa plurality of the elements included in the
`
`pattern are values different from each other(i.e., the interlace used for transmitting the
`
`PUCCH hasa plurality of groups with different RBs used for transmitting the PUCCH.
`
`For example, the plurality of groups are defined as group #1 {RB#9, 29, 49, 69, 89},
`
`group #2 {RB#19, 39, 59, 79, 99}, and so on [0080)).
`
`Regarding claim 5, Urabayashi further teaches the elementfor each of the
`
`plurality of frequency resourcesis a value different between a plurality of candidatesfor
`
`the pattern(i.e., the interlace used for transmitting the PUCCH hasa plurality of groups
`
`with different RBs used for transmitting the PUCCH. For example, the plurality of groups
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 4
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`are defined as group #1 {RB#9, 29, 49, 69, 89}, group #2 {RB#19, 39, 59, 79, 99}, and
`
`so on [0080}).
`
`Regarding claim 6, Urabayashi further teaches plurality of candidates (candidate
`
`of what?. It is extremely vague) for the pattern are generated based on a law common
`
`to values of the second information associated respectively with the plurality of
`
`candidates ([0054])
`
`Regarding claim 7, Urabayashi further teaches wherein the control circuitry
`
`applies a plurality of the patterns respectively to different pieces of the first information
`
`arranged respectively in a plurality of groups into which the plurality of frequency
`
`resources are divided, the plurality of patterns being associated respectively with
`
`different pieces of the second information (i.e., the controller is configured to transmit
`
`the physical uplink control channel by an interlace mapping using a plurality of resource
`
`blocks distributed on a frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis [0006]-[0007].
`
`Asillustrated in FIG. 6, each UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by using a
`
`predetermined numberof resource blocks arranged with a predetermined frequency
`
`interval. For example, each UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by using 10 RBs
`
`arranged with a frequencyinterval of 10 RBs... The interlace mapping hasa plurality of
`
`patterns as arrangementpatterns of a plurality of RB distributed on the frequency axis
`
`while overlapping on the time axis. Such a pattern is referred to as “interlace”, below.If
`
`a frequencyinterval of 10 RBsis provided, an interlace #0 is comprised of RB#O,
`
`RB#10, RB#20,.... An interlace #1 is comprised of RB#1, RB#11, RB#21,....An #2
`
`is comprised of RB#2, RB#12, RB#22,.. .
`
`[0053]-[0054], [0057], [0068], [0090)).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 5
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`Regarding claim 8, Urabayashi further teaches a formatofthe first infornation is
`
`PUCCH format 0 or PUCCH format 1 ([0062)).
`
`Regarding claim 9, Urabayashi further teaches the second information is a
`
`scheduling request ([0048)]).
`
`Regarding claim 10, Urabayashi further teachesthe plurality of frequency
`
`resources are resourcesincluded in an interlace(i.e., read on: the interlace mapping is
`
`a resource mapping scheme employing a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a
`
`frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis [0052]-[0054)).
`
`Regarding claim 11, Urabayashi teaches a basestation, comprising: (fig. 2,
`
`[0030]), control circuitry, which, in operation, detects second information associated with
`
`a pattern of a coefficient applied to the first information (i.e., the controller is configured
`
`to transmit the physical uplink control channel by an interlace mapping using a plurality
`
`of resource blocksdistributed on a frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis
`
`[0006]-[0007]. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, each UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by
`
`using a predetermined numberof resource blocks arranged with a predetermined
`
`frequencyinterval. For example, each UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by
`
`using 10 RBs arranged with a frequency interval of 10 RBs... The interlace mapping
`
`has a plurality of patterns as arrangementpatterns of a plurality of RB distributed on the
`
`frequency axis while overlapping on the time axis. Such a pattern is referred to as
`
`“interlace”, below.If a frequency interval of 10 RBsis provided, an interlace #0 is
`
`comprised of RB#0, RB#10, RB#20, ... . An interlace #1 is comprised of RB#1, RB#11,
`
`RB#21,....An #2 is comprised of RB#2, RB#12, RB#22, ... [0053]-[0054], [0057],
`
`[0068], [0090], and claims 6-7); and reception circuitry, which, in operation, receivesfirst
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 6
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`information arranged in a plurality of frequency resources(i.e., The controlleris
`
`configured to transmit the physical uplink control channel by an interlace mapping using
`
`a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a frequency axis while overlapping on a time
`
`axis [0007]).
`
`Regarding claim 12, Urabayashi teaches a transmission method(fig. 2, [0030]),
`
`applying a pattern of a coefficient to first information arranged in a plurality of frequency
`
`resources, the pattern being associated with second information (i.e., the controller is
`
`configured to transmit the physical uplink control channel by an interlace mapping using
`
`a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a frequency axis while overlapping on a time
`
`axis [0006]-[0007]. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, each UE 100 performs a PUSCH
`
`transmission by using a predetermined numberof resource blocks arranged with a
`
`predetermined frequency interval. For example, each UE 100 performs a PUSCH
`
`transmission by using 10 RBs arranged with a frequency interval of 10 RBs... The
`
`interlace mapping has a plurality of patterns as arrangement patterns of a plurality of RB
`
`distributed on the frequency axis while overlapping on the time axis. Such a pattern is
`
`referred to as “interlace”, below. If a frequency interval of 10 RBsis provided, an
`
`interlace #0 is comprised of RB#0, RB#10, RB#20, ... . An interlace #1 is comprised of
`
`RB#1, RB#11, RB#21,.... An #2 is comprised of RB#2, RB#12, RB#22,...
`
`[0053]-
`
`[0054], [0057], [0068], [0090], and claims 6-7); and transmitting the first information to
`
`whichthe pattern is applied (i.e., The controller is configured to transmit the physical
`
`uplink control channel by an interlace mapping using a plurality of resource blocks
`
`distributed on a frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis [0007)).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 7
`
`Regarding claim 13, Urabayashi teaches a reception method(fig. 2, [0030]),
`
`detecting second information associated with a pattem of a coefficient applied to the first
`
`information (i.e., the controller is configured to transmit the physical uplink control
`
`channel by an interlace mapping using a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a
`
`frequency axis while overlapping on a time axis [0006]-[0007]. Asillustrated in FIG. 6,
`
`each UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by using a predetermined numberof
`
`resource blocks arranged with a predetermined frequency interval. For example, each
`
`UE 100 performs a PUSCH transmission by using 10 RBs arranged with a frequency
`
`interval of 10 RBs... The interlace mapping hasaplurality of patterns as arrangement
`
`patterns of a plurality of RB distributed on the frequency axis while overlapping on the
`
`time axis. Such a pattern is referred to as “interlace”, below.If a frequencyinterval of 10
`
`RBsis provided, an interlace #0 is comprised of RB#0, RB#10, RB#20, .... An
`
`interlace #1 is comprised of RB#1, RB#11, RB#21,.... An #2 is comprised of RB#2,
`
`RB#12, RB#22,...
`
`[0053]-[0054], [0057], [0068], [0090], and claims 6-7); and receiving
`
`first information arranged in a plurality of frequency resources(i.e., The controller is
`
`configured to transmit the physical uplink control channel by an interlace mapping using
`
`a plurality of resource blocks distributed on a frequency axis while overlapping on a time
`
`axis [0007]).
`
`4.
`
`Claims 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
`
`Park et al. (US 8,965,273).
`
`Regarding claim 11, Park teaches a basestation, comprising: (i.e., a relay node
`
`(RN) apparatus), control circuitry, which, in operation, detects second information
`
`associated with a pattern of a coefficient applied to the first information (i.e., a processor
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 8
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`configured to control the receiver and to search a RN-specific search spaceof the
`
`received subframe to detect the R-PDCCH based on a relay-control channel element
`
`(R-CCE) aggregation level, wherein a location of the RN-specific search space within
`
`the received subframe is derived from the second information related to the setof
`
`resource blocks claims 6-7); and reception circuitry, which, in operation, receivesfirst
`
`information arranged in a plurality of frequency resources(i.e., a receiver configured to
`
`receivefirst information related to a pattern of subframes for an eNodeB to the RN
`
`transmission and second information related to a set of resources blocks on which a
`
`relay-physical downlink control channel (R-PDCCH) is able to be mapped and to
`
`receive a subframe capable of carrying the R-PDCCH according to the pattern of
`
`subframes[claims 1, 7]).
`
`Regarding claim 13, Park teaches a reception method (i.e., a method for
`
`receiving a signal at a relay node acting as basestation, claim 1): receiving first
`
`information arrangedin a plurality of frequency resources(i.e., receiving first information
`
`related to a pattern of subframes for an eNodeBto the RN transmission and second
`
`information related to a set of resources blocks on which a relay-physical downlink
`
`control channel (R-PDCCH) is able to be mappedand to receive a subframe capable of
`
`carrying the R-PDCCH according to the pattern of subframes[claims 1, 7]); detecting
`
`second information associated with a pattern of a coefficient applied to the first
`
`information (i.e., detecting the R-PDCCH from the received subframe, wherein a
`
`location of the RN-specific search space within the received subframe is derived from
`
`the second information related to the set of resource blocks, and wherein the R-PDCCH
`
`is detected fromafirst slot of the received subframeif the R-PDCCH correspondsto a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 9
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`downlink assignment for the RN, and the R-PDCCH is detected from a secondslot of
`
`the received subframe if the R-PDCCH correspondsto a uplink grant for the RN).
`
`Conclusion
`
`5.
`
`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to JEAN ALLAND GELIN whosetelephone numberis
`
`(571)272-7842. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FR 9-6 PM.
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/633,928
`Art Unit: 2643
`
`Page 10
`
`/JEAN A GELIN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
`
`