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 .
This office action is in response to remarks filed 11/11/2025.
Claims 1, 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, and 25-28 are pending and presented for examination. Claims 1, 8, 15, and 22 are amended.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 11/11/2025 has been entered.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, and 25-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chou et al. (WO 2024035956 A1, hereinafter “Chou”) in view of Sun et al. (US 20180124753 A1, hereinafter “Sun”).
RE Claim 15, 1, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
An apparatus for of wireless communication, by a user equipment (UE) (¶0036, Fig. 2), comprising:
a memory (¶0036, Fig. 2); and
at least one processor coupled to the memory (¶0036, Fig. 2), the at least one processor configured (¶0036, Fig. 2; Fig. 1A: 150,152):
to receive an in-band skipping indication on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) during a semi persistent scheduling (SPS) occasion (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates of an SPS period. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS PDSCH candidate. ¶0071, Fig. 4B); and
to skip at least one future SPS occasion based on the in-band skipping indication (Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates, to be transmitted – future, for an SPS occasion. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates a transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS occasion. ¶0071, Fig. 4B).
Chou does not explicitly disclose:
the in-band skipping indication comprising a specific scrambled cyclic redundancy check (CRC) sequence that provides N bits of skipping indication information transmitted over an M bit CRC sequence;
However, Sun discloses:
the in-band skipping indication comprising a specific scrambled cyclic redundancy check (CRC) sequence that provides N bits of skipping indication information transmitted over an M bit CRC sequence; (First and second DCI portions may provide semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) of downlink assignments, skipping indication. The first DCI portion may further include the piggyback, in-band signaling, control information providing information about the second DCI portion, piggybacked DCI. ¶¶0095, 0112, Fig. 7; Each first DCI portion may be transmitted to a different scheduled entity, and the DL traffic and control channel generation and transmission circuitry 542 may select one of the scheduled entities to receive the second DCI portion by scrambling the second DCI portion with the RNTI of the selected scheduled entity. ¶0096, Fig. 5; In some examples, the second DCI portion, piggybacked DCI, may further include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for error detection that may be scrambled with a specific user RNTI or a group RNTI. ¶0085; Examiner interpretation of the claim limitation, as written, is that for integers N and M, N may be smaller, equal, or larger than M. The SPS skipping indication information of the piggyback DCI has a CRC applied and then scrambled.)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date
of the claimed invention to combine the method of Chou, in-band skipping indication for SPS, with the teachings of Sun, piggyback DCI with SPS indications and apply CRC for error detection and scrambled with specific RNTI to indicate grouping.
The motivation in doing so would be to support SPS skipping by use of in-band signaling via PDSCH with DCI information with CRC for error checking and specific scrambling for cell and UE. This method reduces overhead signaling and reducing the requirement for the UE to continuously monitor PDCCH for power savings. (Chou: ¶¶0005, 0009, 0060, 0123, 0140; Sun: Abstract, ¶¶0004, 0005-0009, 0073, 0085, Fig. 5, 7, 10,)
RE Claim 18, 4, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the in-band skipping indication indicates a quantity of future SPS occasions to skip (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates, to be transmitted – future, for an SPS occasion, a quantity of SPS occasions. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS occasion. ¶0071, Fig. 4B).
RE Claim 19, 5, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the quantity of future SPS occasions to skip comprises at least one of a skipping duration (MAC CE or piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, where the length of the bitmap is equal to or larger than the number of SPS PDSCH candidates in the SPS period, a duration. ¶0071), or a quantity of occasions (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates, to be transmitted – future, for an SPS occasion, a quantity of SPS occasions. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS occasion. ¶0071, Fig. 4B).
RE Claim 20, 6, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the in-band skipping indication indicates an end of a current SPS burst (UE determines end of data transmission in this SPS period and omits, skips, the last actual SPS PDSCH of the SPS period, the current SPS burst. ¶0064, Fig. 4A: 414; ¶0071, Fig. 4B: 414).
RE Claim 21, 7, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the at least one processor is further configured to receive signaling indicating a mapping between a binary sequence carried by the in-band skipping indication and an interpretation of the binary sequence (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates. Example of SPS Period with 4 SPS PDSCH candidates. Bitmap size is 4. Skipping indication bitmap for skipping the first and last PDSCHs while transmitting the two middle PDSCHs is {0,1,1,0}, a binary sequence with a mapped interpretation. ¶0071).
RE Claim 22, 8, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
An apparatus for wireless communication, by a network device (¶0035, Fig. 2:104), comprising:
a memory (¶0035, Fig. 2:104); and
at least one processor coupled to the memory (¶0035, Fig. 2:104), the at least one processor configured (¶0035, Fig. 1A: 130, 132):
to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a semi persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI SPS scheduling configuration, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. ¶0071, Fig. 4B); and
to transmit, to the UE, an in-band skipping indication on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) during an SPS occasion of the SPS configuration to enable the UE to skip at least one future SPS occasion (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates of an SPS period. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS PDSCH candidate. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates, to be transmitted – future, for an SPS occasion. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates a transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS occasion. ¶0071, Fig. 4B).
Chou does not explicitly disclose:
the in-band skipping indication comprising a specific scrambled cyclic redundancy check (CRC) sequence that provides N bits of skipping indication information transmitted over an M bit CRC sequence;
However, Sun discloses:
the in-band skipping indication comprising a specific scrambled cyclic redundancy check (CRC) sequence that provides N bits of skipping indication information transmitted over an M bit CRC sequence; (First and second DCI portions may provide semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) of downlink assignments, skipping indication. The first DCI portion may further include the piggyback, in-band signaling, control information providing information about the second DCI portion, piggybacked DCI. ¶¶0095, 0112, Fig. 7; Each first DCI portion may be transmitted to a different scheduled entity, and the DL traffic and control channel generation and transmission circuitry 542 may select one of the scheduled entities to receive the second DCI portion by scrambling the second DCI portion with the RNTI of the selected scheduled entity. ¶0096, Fig. 5; In some examples, the second DCI portion, piggybacked DCI, may further include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for error detection that may be scrambled with a specific user RNTI or a group RNTI. ¶0085; Examiner interpretation of the claim limitation, as written, is that for integers N and M, N may be smaller, equal, or larger than M. The SPS skipping indication information of the piggyback DCI has a CRC applied and then scrambled.)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date
of the claimed invention to combine the method of Chou, in-band skipping indication for SPS, with the teachings of Sun, piggyback DCI with SPS indications and apply CRC for error detection and scrambled with specific RNTI to indicate grouping.
The motivation in doing so would be to support SPS skipping by use of in-band signaling via PDSCH with DCI information with CRC for error checking and specific scrambling for cell and UE. This method reduces overhead signaling and reducing the requirement for the UE to continuously monitor PDCCH for power savings. (Chou: ¶¶0005, 0009, 0060, 0123, 0140; Sun: Abstract, ¶¶0004, 0005-0009, 0073, 0085, Fig. 5, 7, 10,)
RE Claim 25, 11, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the in-band skipping indication indicates a quantity of future SPS occasions to skip (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates, to be transmitted – future, for an SPS occasion, a quantity of SPS occasions. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS occasion. ¶0071, Fig. 4B).
RE Claim 26, 12, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the quantity of future SPS occasions to skip comprises at least one of a skipping duration (MAC CE or piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, where the length of the bitmap is equal to or larger than the number of SPS PDSCH candidates in the SPS period, a duration. ¶0071), or a quantity of occasions (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates, to be transmitted – future, for an SPS occasion, a quantity of SPS occasions. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS occasion. ¶0071, Fig. 4B).
RE Claim 27, 13, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the in-band skipping indication indicates an end of a current SPS burst (UE determines end of data transmission in this SPS period and omits, skips, the last actual SPS PDSCH of the SPS period, the current SPS burst. ¶0064, Fig. 4A: 414; ¶0071, Fig. 4B: 414).
RE Claim 28, 14, Chou discloses an apparatus or method:
The apparatus, in which the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a mapping between a binary sequence carried by the in-band skipping indication and an interpretation of the binary sequence (MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates. Example of SPS Period with 4 SPS PDSCH candidates. Bitmap size is 4. Skipping indication bitmap for skipping the first and last PDSCHs while transmitting the two middle PDSCHs is {0,1,1,0}, a binary sequence with a mapped interpretation. ¶0071).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s argument with respect to the Advisory Action is directed to “the Examiner interprets the in-band skipping indication as "DCI configured for SPS scheduling and skipping events." Such an interpretation is incorrect. As noted in published paragraph 63, a DCI signal causes the UE to remain in a CDRX active state. To address this issue, aspects of the present disclosure introduce an alternative to DCI: the indication comprises a scrambled CRC. Paragraph 65 explains an example of the CRC scrambling to indicate the skipping indication.” In addition, applicant argues that the references of Fan and Chou fail to discloses "in-band skipping indication comprising a specific scrambled cyclic redundancy check (CRC) sequence." Applicant references ¶¶0063 and 0065 of the instant application.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. In the Final Office Action, 09/16/2025, the disclosure by Chou was cited: “MAC CE or Piggybacked DCI, transmitted on SPS PDSCH, includes a bitmap, in-band skipping indication. Bitmap size related to number of SPS PDSCH candidates of an SPS period. Each bit for each SPS candidate indicates transmission, a ‘1’, or no transmission, a ‘0’, an indication of skipping the referenced SPS PDSCH candidate. ¶0071, Fig. 4B” The DCI is a ‘piggyback’ DCI transmitted on SPS PDSCH which is an alternative to a DCI transmitted over PDCCH.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 8, 15, and 22 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20250240194 A1 Qin et al.
US 20250024447 A1 Lee at al.
US 20230092206 A1 Bae et al.
US-20200396760-A1 Yi et al.
US-20220132341-A1 Lee et al.
US-20250240194-A1 Qin et al
US-20250393096-A1 Deng
The above references disclose various aspects of downlink control information and SPS methods.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL A. LANGER whose telephone number is (703)756-1780. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nishant B. Divecha can be reached at 1 (571) 270-3125. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL A. LANGER/Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419