Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/17/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment made dated 3/17/2026 does not contain any new matter, and has been accepted.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5, and 10-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Independent claims 1 and 10 are now newly rejected with the incorporation of the cited reference of He et al. (2019/0254110) and Lim et al. (US 2019/0281546), as shown below. Therefore, the claims are still not yet in condition for allowance and are still rejected as shown below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Medles et al. (US 2020/0084714; hereinafter Medles) in view of He et al. (US 2019/0254110; hereinafter He) in further view of Lim et al. (US 2019/0281546; hereinafter Lim).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Medles discloses the signal measurement method performed by user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a periodic reference signal in a first on-duration, wherein the first on-duration is in a non-active time in a discontinuous reception DRX state ([0039], [0042]: UE being able to turn on to become an on-duration for receiving CSI-RS during an off period of the DRX configuration, the run on duration for receiving control signal may provide additional chances for the UE to receive the CSI-RS resources); and
measuring the periodic reference signal to obtain a measurement result ([0039]: performing reporting of the CSI-RS measurement).
Medles discloses all the particulars of the claim except for the limitations of
the measuring is done during the non-active time in a discontinuous reception DRX state, and
reporting the measurement result to a network side in the first on-duration.
However, He does disclose the limitation of
the measuring is done during the non-active time in a discontinuous reception DRX state ([0143]-[0144]: use of WUS to notify UE to continue to sleep or wake up to receive in the next DRX cycle).
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate He’s disclosure to lower power consumption for the UE.
Lim furthermore does disclose the limitation of
reporting the measurement result to a network side in the first on-duration ([0131]-[0133]; Fig. 7, wherein the report is sent within the on-duration after the CSI-RS occasion).
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Lim’s disclosure to reduce power consumption.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Medles in view of He discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a wake-up signal (WUS) that indicates whether to wake up or remain asleep, and receiving the periodic signal in the first on-duration (He: Fig. 11; [0143]-[0144]: use of WUS provided by a SIB to notify UE to continue to sleep or wake up to receive in the next DRX cycle: [0149]-[0151]; [0211]: DRX on-duration; Fig2. 25-28: wherein the WUS is detected then receiving signal in the first on-duration).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Medles discloses the method according to claim 2, further comprising:
determining, based on a configuration of the network, that the measurement result is to be reported, wherein the configuration of the network indicates the UE is to report the measurement result in an on-duration in a non-active time in a DRX state ([0039], [0042]: UE being able to turn on to become an on-duration for receiving CSI-RS during an off period of the DRX configuration, the run on duration for reciing control signal may provide additional chances for the UE to receive the CSI-RS resources; perform reporting of the RS measurement).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Medles discloses all the particulars of the claims including using various UL to report the CSI-RS measurement, but is unclear about the method according to claim 2, wherein the step of reporting the measurement result uses a periodic physical uplink control channel resource.
However, He in a similar endeavor does disclose the limitation of
wherein the step of reporting the measurement result uses a periodic physical uplink control channel resource ([0325]: CSI-RS reports being sent using PUCCH).
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate He’s disclosure to provide various uplink capabilities for reporting the CSI-RS measurements.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Medles discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the measurement result comprises periodic channel state information CSI ([0039], [0042]: UE being able to turn on to become an on-duration for receiving CSI-RS) or periodic L1-RSRP.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)272-7866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am - 6pm.
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/CHUCK HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644
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