DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. 18/000,766 filed on 12/05/2022 is presented for examination by the examiner.
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 .
Status of Claims
Claim 58 is amended. Claims 1-57 and 59-76 are cancelled. Claim 58 is pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see Remarks, filed on 02/25/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim 58 has been considered but are not persuasive because the arguments do not apply to the references as used in the current rejection. Examiner provides a new ground(s) of rejections to address Applicant’s arguments.
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 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.
Claim 58 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ang et al. (Pub. No. 2021/0321330 A1 hereinafter Ang) in view of Chen et al. (Pub. No. 2020/0022040 A1 hereinafter Chen).
Regarding claim 58, Ang teaches “a user equipment (UE) apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor,” as [(Para. 0010), an apparatus of a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication includes a memory and at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory] “cause the UE apparatus at least to: transition to an idle state;” [(Para. 0006), The UE may also be configured to monitor reference signals, such as a tracking reference signal (TRS), when the UE is in the inactive mode or the idle mode.] “acquire information about a need of additional reference signals for synchronization purposes with a cell,” [(Para. 0007), configuring a tracking reference signal (TRS) with respect to a paging occasion for an idle/inactive mode user equipment (UE).] “receive, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state;” [(Para. 0007), configuring a tracking reference signal (TRS) with respect to a paging occasion for an idle/inactive mode user equipment (UE)] “and monitor for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration” [(Para. 0010), configured to monitor for a tracking reference signal (TRS)] “and use the additional reference signals at least for synchronization purposes to synchronize with the cell,” [(Para. 0079), the process 1200 may include transmitting the tracking reference signal during a paging cycle corresponding to the paging occasion] “wherein the using the additional reference signals at least for synchronization purposes to synchronize with the cell comprises using the additional reference signals to synchronize with the cell in order to be ready to monitor for a paging indication or a paging message in a paging occasion for the cell” [(Para. 0009), The memory and the processor(s) are able to configure a tracking reference signal (TRS) with respect to a paging occasion for an idle/inactive mode user equipment (UE). The apparatus is also configured to transmit the tracking reference signal during a paging cycle corresponding to the paging occasion, in accordance with the configuration… (Para. 0010), In another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus of a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication includes a memory and at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory. The memory and the processor(s) are configured to monitor for a tracking reference signal (TRS) during a period when a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) is received] “or using the additional reference signals for time or frequency error offset estimation, for tracking for demodulation” [(Para. 0060), It is desirable to make a tracking reference signal/channel state information reference signal (TRS/CSI-RS) available to idle/inactive mode UEs to help with tracking loops. Because the UE is not in a connected state, alternative methods enable signaling TRS/CSI-RS information to idle/inactive UEs. A first method utilizes a short message (e.g., a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI)). Reserved bits in DCI format 1_0 for the short message may be used. A second method utilizes a paging message (e.g., a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by a PDCCH with CRC scrambled by a P-RNTI). A third method utilizes new paging downlink control information (DCI) signaling (e.g., a separate resource from legacy paging DCI) with a TRS/CSI-RS occasion configuration and the identifier for the paging/UE group.] “and wherein the additional reference signal configuration indicates an exact timing of the additional reference signals before a paging occasion,” [(Para. 0009), The memory and the processor(s) are able to configure a tracking reference signal (TRS) with respect to a paging occasion for an idle/inactive mode user equipment (UE). The apparatus is also configured to transmit the tracking reference signal during a paging cycle corresponding to the paging occasion, in accordance with the configuration… (Para. 0010), In another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus of a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication includes a memory and at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory. The memory and the processor(s) are configured to monitor for a tracking reference signal (TRS) during a period when a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) is received] “the exact timing being provided as a delta versus a timing of a first paging occasion in a paging frame” [(Para. 0079), the process 1200 may include transmitting the tracking reference signal during a paging cycle corresponding to the paging occasion... (Para. 0007), configuring a tracking reference signal (TRS) with respect to a paging occasion for an idle/inactive mode user equipment (UE).].
However, Ang does not specifically disclose wherein the radio quality metrics comprise signal to interference plus noise ratio, reference signal received power, and reference signal received quality; send to the cell, an indication that additional reference signals are needed for synchronization, wherein the sending the indication that additional reference signals are needed for synchronization comprises sending an indication of the radio quality metrics being deemed to be low, and wherein the acquiring information is performed at least by: determining that radio quality metrics are deemed to be low, and the sending the indication that additional reference signals are needed for synchronization is in response to the determination that the radio quality metrics are deemed to be low; and for reference signal received power measurements for mobility.
In an analogous art, Chen teaches “wherein the radio quality metrics comprise signal to interference plus noise ratio, reference signal received power, and reference signal received quality;” as [(Para. 0157), the measurement quantities, e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR.] “send to the cell, an indication that additional reference signals are needed for synchronization, wherein the sending the indication that additional reference signals are needed for synchronization” [(Para. 0096),Based on an RS used for beam management transmitted by a TRP, a UE may report information associated with a number, N, of selected Tx beams ] “comprises sending an indication of the radio quality metrics being deemed to be low,” [(Para. 0211), S-measure may correspond to a PCell quality threshold that is compared with the derived cell quality of the PCell. The UE would be required to perform neighbor cell measurements when the derived PCell quality is below S-measure.] “and wherein the acquiring information is performed at least by: determining that radio quality metrics are deemed to be low,” [(Para. 0211), S-measure may correspond to a PCell quality threshold that is compared with the derived cell quality of the PCell. The UE would be required to perform neighbor cell measurements when the derived PCell quality is below S-measure] “and the sending the indication that additional reference signals are needed for synchronization is in response to the determination that the radio quality metrics are deemed to be low;” [(Para. 0212), For NR, metrics other than the derived PCell quality may also be used to control when the UE is required to perform neighbor cell measurements. For example, the UE may trigger neighbor cell measurements when the number of suitable serving cell beams is below a threshold. A suitable beam may be a beam whose measurement quantity is above a specified threshold.… (Para. 0219), In step 3 of FIG. 15, upon triggering a measurement reporting event based on NR-SS, UE provides the RRC level report to the source cell.] “and for reference signal received power measurements for mobility” [(Para. 0157), the measurement quantities, e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR.].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings as in Ang to provide an effective technique as taught by Chen in order to improve measuring multiple beams within a cell by reducing UE measurement overhead and cost [Chen: Para. 0170].
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 NATALI N PASCUAL PEGUERO whose telephone number is (571)272-4691. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11AM-9PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ASAD M NAWAZ can be reached at (571)272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATALI PASCUAL PEGUERO/ Examiner, Art Unit 2463
/ASAD M NAWAZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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