DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Applicant’s amendment filed 10/29/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 1,11,21, and 28 are amended.
Claims 3-10,16,17, 22-27,33, and 34 are canceled.
Claims 1,2,11-15,18-21, and 28-32 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1,2,11-14,18,20,21,28, and 29-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berggren (US 20220394619).
Re claim 1:
Berggren discloses obtaining a WUS capability configuration comprising a WUS monitoring span indicating a duration for which the wireless device is capable of monitoring for WUS (Para.[0069] The parameter values for the transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn, or how they depend on DRX cycle, may also be signaled in UE radio as capabilities. The parameter value for the transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn may depend on the characteristics of the BWP that the PDCCH_PS is to be monitored on and hence the UE might report different UE capabilities for different BWP configurations and Para.[0077] The UE capabilities may include information identifying various properties of the terminal to the wireless network, associated with DRX operation. The information may e.g. identify parameter values, such as time parameter values and/or weight factors, usable for determining a time offset ΔT.sub.O dependent on characteristics of DRX operation, as described herein and Para.[0091] the terminal 10 may also provide UE assistance information with either a preferred gap or a preferred value of the time offset ΔT.sub.O); and
transmitting the WUS capability configuration to a network node (Fig.6 ref. 61 Cap and Para.[0077] In the attach procedure, UE capabilities 61 for the terminal 10 are identified to the network, either directly from the terminal 10 and Para.[0091] the terminal 10 may also provide UE assistance information with either a preferred gap or a preferred value of the time offset ΔT.sub.O),
wherein the WUS monitoring span comprises a number of consecutive monitoring occasions in which the wireless device can monitor WUS (Para.[0050] The first window 41 for WUS detection is opened at the configured time offset ΔT.sub.O, which may also be denoted PS_offset, before the start of the On Period 42. The terminal 10 may be arranged to operate in the first window 41 for monitoring PDCCH with CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI, so as to detect a WUS within a configured active BWP. It may be noted that more than one monitoring occasion can be configured within a slot or multiple slots before the On Period. Considering WUS is encoded in the form of a PDCCH, in the following descriptions, it is also referred to as PDCCH_PS).
wherein the WUS monitoring span is dependent on a supported discontinuous reception (DRX) ON duration of the wireless device (Para.[0069] the parameter value related to minimum transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn may be dynamically changed depending on scenario, e.g. short, long or extended DRX cycle and Para.[0077] The UE capabilities may include information identifying various properties of the terminal to the wireless network, associated with DRX operation. The information may e.g. identify parameter values, such as time parameter values and/or weight factors, usable for determining a time offset ΔT.sub.O dependent on characteristics of DRX operation).
Berggren does not explicitly state “consecutive”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the multiple monitoring occasions are consecutive because they occur before the On Period. Zhou (US 20220225470) is further evidence relied upon to explicitly show consecutive (Para.[0075] the network device may determine N consecutive PDCCH monitoring occasions before a specific time offset from the active time DRX ON as the N PDCCH monitoring occasions and Para.[0084] the network device may send the WUS signal on any one or more of the M PDCCH monitoring occasions).
Re claim 2:
Berggren discloses wherein the WUS capability configuration includes a time gap that the wireless device needs between a last symbol of a WUS to a beginning of a discontinuous reception (DRX) ON duration (Para.[0109] Terminal 10 sends capability information on required gap between WUS and DRX ON period based on a first WUS receiver type and Fig.4 ref. ΔT.sub.Lat and Para.[0051] the gap ΔT.sub.Lat between the end of the PDCCH_PS monitoring range 41 and the start of the On Period).
Re claim 11:
Claim 11 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 1.
Re claim 12:
Claim 12 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 2.
Re claim 13:
As discussed above, Berggren meets all the limitations of the parent claim.
Berggren does not explicitly disclose wherein the WUS monitoring span duration is shorter than a discontinuous reception (DRX) ON duration configured for the wireless device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the monitoring span is shorter than the on duration because the monitoring span is for reducing power consumption, thus for optimal power savings the monitoring span should be less than the on duration. Hwang (US 20220279427 Para.[0089] For the power consumption reduction effect, a time period in which the WUS is transmitted may be shorter than a length of on-Duration or a PO) is further evidence relied upon.
Re claim 14:
As discussed above, Berggren meets all the limitations of the parent claim.
Berggren does not explicitly disclose wherein the WUS monitoring span comprises units of slots, symbols, or duration indicated in units of milli-seconds.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the monitoring span to be in units of slot, symbols, or milli-seconds because the monitoring span is a time unit and slot, symbols, and milli-seconds are well-known time units in wireless communication. Wu (US 20200229092) is further evidence of times units (Para.[0186] The gap can be based on millisecond (ms) or the number of the slots).
Re claim 18:
Berggren discloses receive, from the network node, a WUS configuration comprising one or more monitoring occasions for monitoring WUS, wherein the monitoring occasions fall within the WUS monitoring span (Para.[0075] An access node 120 of the wireless network 100 may configure the time offset ΔT.sub.O. In various embodiments, this configuration is made dependent on characteristics of the DRX for communication with the terminal. Moreover, property data associated with the terminal 10 is employed for determining the time offset ΔT.sub.O. The property data may be determined from UE capabilities and Para.[0051] The configured time offset value ΔT.sub.O needs to account for the length ΔT.sub.w1 of the PDCCH_PS monitoring range, i.e. the first window 41, such that the gap ΔT.sub.Lat between the end of the PDCCH_PS monitoring range 41 and the start of the On Period 42 is sufficiently long to allow the terminal 10 to wake up to the extent that it can perform the subsequent operation during ON period, such as monitor PDCCH and decode PDSCH, encode PUSCH, transmit Channel State Information (CSI) report or some other function).
Re claim 20:
Berggren discloses wherein the received WUS configuration includes a WUS monitoring occasion outside of the WUS monitoring span (Para.[0091] the terminal 10 may also provide UE assistance information with either a preferred gap or a preferred value of the time offset ΔT.sub.O and Para.[0092] UE assistance information, however, may be employed to provide the preferred configuration information of the terminal 10 to the access node 120. The access node 120 can override this preferred configuration with the preferred configuration of the access node 120) and
the wireless device wakes up for the next discontinuous reception (DRX) ON duration only if a WUS is received during the WUS monitoring span (Para.[0005] The rationale is that only in case a WUS transmitted in a WUS occasion is detected in the terminal, such as within the PDCCH with CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI, the UE will wake-up and proceed to the subsequent operation, such as further decoding PDCCH (scheduling DCI) or PDSCH being transmitted during the Active Time of DRX ON).
Berggren does not explicitly disclose a WUS monitoring occasion outside of the WUS monitoring span. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention the WUS configuration can have a WUS monitoring occasion outside of the WUS monitoring span. As shown in the cited portions, the access node can override the preferred configuration of the terminal. Therefore the configured WUS monitoring occasion (configured by the access node) can be outside of the WUS monitoring span (indicated as a preference from the UE).
Re claim 21:
Berggren discloses receiving, from a wireless device, a WUS capability configuration comprising a WUS monitoring span indicating a duration for which the wireless device is capable of monitoring for WUS (Para.[0069] The parameter values for the transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn, or how they depend on DRX cycle, may also be signaled in UE radio as capabilities. The parameter value for the transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn may depend on the characteristics of the BWP that the PDCCH_PS is to be monitored on and hence the UE might report different UE capabilities for different BWP configurations and Para.[0077] The UE capabilities may include information identifying various properties of the terminal to the wireless network, associated with DRX operation. The information may e.g. identify parameter values, such as time parameter values and/or weight factors, usable for determining a time offset ΔT.sub.O dependent on characteristics of DRX operation, as described herein and Fig.6 ref. 61 Cap and Para.[0077] In the attach procedure, UE capabilities 61 for the terminal 10 are identified to the network, either directly from the terminal 10 and Para.[0091] the terminal 10 may also provide UE assistance information with either a preferred gap or a preferred value of the time offset ΔT.sub.O);
determining a WUS configuration for the wireless device, the WUS configuration comprising one or more monitoring occasions for monitoring WUS, wherein the monitoring occasion fall within the WUS monitoring span (Para.[0075] An access node 120 of the wireless network 100 may configure the time offset ΔT.sub.O. In various embodiments, this configuration is made dependent on characteristics of the DRX for communication with the terminal. Moreover, property data associated with the terminal 10 is employed for determining the time offset ΔT.sub.O. The property data may be determined from UE capabilities); and
transmitting the WUS configuration to the wireless device (Fig.6 ref. 62 WUS config),
wherein the WUS monitoring span comprises a number of consecutive monitoring occasions in which the wireless device can monitor WUS (Para.[0050] The first window 41 for WUS detection is opened at the configured time offset ΔT.sub.O, which may also be denoted PS_offset, before the start of the On Period 42. The terminal 10 may be arranged to operate in the first window 41 for monitoring PDCCH with CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI, so as to detect a WUS within a configured active BWP. It may be noted that more than one monitoring occasion can be configured within a slot or multiple slots before the On Period. Considering WUS is encoded in the form of a PDCCH, in the following descriptions, it is also referred to as PDCCH_PS).
Berggren does not explicitly state “consecutive”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the monitoring occasions are consecutive because they occur before the On Period. Zhou (US 20220225470) is further evidence relied upon to explicitly show consecutive (Para.[0075] the network device may determine N consecutive PDCCH monitoring occasions before a specific time offset from the active time DRX ON as the N PDCCH monitoring occasions and Para.[0084] the network device may send the WUS signal on any one or more of the M PDCCH monitoring occasions).
Re claim 28:
Claim 28 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 21.
Re claim 29:
Claim 29 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 2.
Re claim 30:
Claim 30 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 13.
Re claim 31:
Claim 31 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 14.
Claim(s) 15 and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berggren in view of Wu (US 20200229092).
Re claim 15:
As discussed above, Berggren meets all the limitations of the parent claim.
Berggren does not explicitly disclose wherein the WUS monitoring span is dependent on the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the cell on which WUS is monitored.
Wu discloses wherein the WUS monitoring span is dependent on the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the cell on which WUS is monitored (Para.[0076] Optionally, the minimum gap of the WUS and the On-Duration supported by the UE is related to the subcarrier spacing. For example, the larger the subcarrier spacing used by the UE, the smaller the minimum gap of the WUS and On-Duration that the UE can support).
Berggren and Wu are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Berggren to include a time dependent on the subcarrier spacing as taught by Wu in order to improve power saving (Wu Para.[0007,0009]).
Re claim 32:
Claim 32 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 15.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berggren in view of Seo (US 20220295405).
Re claim 19:
Berggren discloses wherein the received WUS configuration includes a WUS monitoring occasion outside of the WUS monitoring span (Para.[0091] the terminal 10 may also provide UE assistance information with either a preferred gap or a preferred value of the time offset ΔT.sub.O and Para.[0092] UE assistance information, however, may be employed to provide the preferred configuration information of the terminal 10 to the access node 120. The access node 120 can override this preferred configuration with the preferred configuration of the access node 120) and
Berggren does not explicitly disclose a WUS monitoring occasion outside of the WUS monitoring span. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention the WUS configuration can have a WUS monitoring occasion outside of the WUS monitoring span. As shown in the cited portions, the access node can override the preferred configuration of the terminal. Therefore the configured WUS monitoring occasion (configured by the access node) can be outside of the WUS monitoring span (indicated as a preference from the UE).
Berggren does not explicitly disclose the wireless device wakes up for the next discontinuous reception (DRX) ON duration even if a WUS is not received during the WUS monitoring span.
Seo discloses the wireless device wakes up for the next discontinuous reception (DRX) ON duration even if a WUS is not received during the WUS monitoring span (Fig.27 ref. S275 and Para.[0275] the present disclosure proposes an operation of the UE when the UE fails to detect WUS in the WUS monitoring occasion and Para.[0276] Type A fallback operation: this is an operation of performing PDCCH monitoring in the on duration associated with the corresponding WUS monitoring occasion).
Berggren and Seo are analogous because they both pertain to data communications.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Berggren to include monitoring a DRX on duration when a WUS is not received as taught by Seo in order to solve problems related to a decrease in throughput and an increase in delay (Seo Para.[0007]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/29/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the remarks, Applicant contends Berggren does not disclose wherein the WUS monitoring span is dependent on a supported discontinuous reception (DRX) duration of the wireless device. Applicant’s rationale is Berggren discloses the time offset value depends on characteristics of DRX operation, not a WUS monitoring span obtained through UE capabilities.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Berggren reads on the limitation as claimed. The claim limitation states wherein the WUS monitoring span is dependent on a supported discontinuous reception (DRX) duration of the wireless device. As shown by Berggren, the WUS monitoring span depends on a DRX ON duration (Para.[0050] The first window 41 for WUS detection is opened at the configured time offset ΔT.sub.O, which may also be denoted PS_offset, before the start of the On Period 42. The terminal 10 may be arranged to operate in the first window 41 for monitoring PDCCH with CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI, so as to detect a WUS within a configured active BWP).
As shown above, the timing information is obtained through UE capabilities (Para.[0069] The parameter values for the transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn, or how they depend on DRX cycle, may also be signaled in UE radio as capabilities. The parameter value for the transition time value ΔT.sub.mrgn may depend on the characteristics of the BWP that the PDCCH_PS is to be monitored on and hence the UE might report different UE capabilities for different BWP configurations and Para.[0077] The UE capabilities may include information identifying various properties of the terminal to the wireless network, associated with DRX operation. The information may e.g. identify parameter values, such as time parameter values and/or weight factors, usable for determining a time offset ΔT.sub.O dependent on characteristics of DRX operation, as described herein and Para.[0091] the terminal 10 may also provide UE assistance information with either a preferred gap or a preferred value of the time offset ΔT.sub.O).
Therefore, given the broadest reasonable interpretation, the disclosure of Berggren reads on the limitation as claimed.
In the remarks, Applicant contends Berggren does not disclose wherein the WUS monitoring span is dependent on a supported discontinuous reception (DRX) duration of the wireless device. Applicant’s rationale is the time offset value is between a window for wake-up signal detection and window for communication in a DRX On duration, which is different from the WUS monitoring span that is defined as a duration for which the wireless device is capable of monitoring for WUS.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The time offset value being between a window for WUS detection and DRX On duration shows the dependency of the WUS monitoring span on the ON duration. Berggren discloses multiple monitoring occasions can occur from the beginning of the monitoring span to the end of the monitoring span, which is when DRX ON begins (Para.[0050] The first window 41 for WUS detection is opened at the configured time offset ΔT.sub.O, which may also be denoted PS_offset, before the start of the On Period 42.).
In Figure 4, WUS monitoring can occur for the duration of the time offset (Para.[0050] The first window 41 for WUS detection is opened at the configured time offset ΔT.sub.O, which may also be denoted PS_offset, before the start of the On Period 42. The terminal 10 may be arranged to operate in the first window 41 for monitoring PDCCH with CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI, so as to detect a WUS within a configured active BWP. It may be noted that more than one monitoring occasion can be configured within a slot or multiple slots before the On Period.). Thus, the WUS monitoring span (the area from the beginning of ref. 41 in Figure 4 to the beginning of ref. 42 in Figure 4) depends on a supported DRX ON duration because the monitoring span ends at the start of the DRX On duration.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD SAJID ADHAMI whose telephone number is (571)272-8615. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00 PM.
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/MOHAMMAD S ADHAMI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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