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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 41-66 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without “significantly more”. Claim(s) 41-66 is/are directed to Abstract Idea such as an idea standing alone such as an instantiated concept, pan or scheme, as well as a mental process (thinking) that “can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper for example using measurement received from a mobile device, transmitting from the source relay node to a donor access node.
The apparatus and the method claim 41, 52, 63 and 66 recites limitation, “receiving, from a first network node, at least one message in a reconfiguration procedure for a first cell group, wherein the at least one message indicates a power saving mode of operation to be applied by the wireless device for a second cell group, wherein the power saving mode comprises a suspended mode or dormant mode or deactivated mode or inactivated mode of operation, wherein the reconfiguration procedure for the first cell group is a mobility procedure for the wireless device, said mobility procedure comprising one or more of: a change of a special cell for the first cell group, a change of at least one other cell for the first cell group, a handover, and a reconfiguration with sync of the first cell group; and operating the second cell group according to the power saving mode of operation indicated in the at least one message” OR “sending, to the wireless device, at least one message in a reconfiguration procedure for a first cell group associated with the wireless device, wherein the reconfiguration procedure for the first cell group is a mobility procedure for the wireless device, said mobility procedure comprising one or more of: a change of a special cell for the first cell group, a change of at least one other cell for the first cell group, a handover, and a reconfiguration with sync of the first cell group; wherein the at least one message indicates a power saving mode of operation of the wireless device for a second cell group, wherein the power saving mode comprises a suspended mode or dormant mode or deactivated mode or inactivated mode of operation”. Since the claim is directed to a process and a machine, which is one of the statutory categories of the invention (Step 1: YES).
The claim is then analyzed to determine whether it is directed to any judicial exception. The claim recites receiving from the network, at least one message in a reconfiguration procedure for a first cell group OR sending, to the wireless device, at least one message in a reconfiguration procedure for a first cell group associated with the wireless device. The receiving or sending step recited in the claim is no more than an abstract idea i.e., mental process of transmitting, etc. (Step 2A: Prong One Abstract Idea=Yes).
The claim is then analyzed if it requires an additional elements or a combination of additional elements in the claim to apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception – i.e., limitation that are indicative of integration into a practical application: improving to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field. In the current claims, there is no additional elements that would integrate the abstract idea into a practical application (Step 2A: Prong Two Abstract Idea=Yes).
Next the claim as a whole is analyzed to determine if there are additional limitation recited in the claim such that the claim amount to significantly more than an abstract idea. The claim requires the additional limitation of a computer with the central processing unit, memory, a printer, an input and output terminal and a program. These generic computer components are claimed to perform the basic functions of storing, retrieving and processing data through the program that enables. In the current scenario, there are no additional elements that would amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Therefore, the claim does not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea itself (Step 2B: No). Accordingly, the claim is not patent eligible.
Further, dependent claims do not add any positive limitation or step that recite within the scope of the claim and does not carry patentable weight they are also rejected for the same reasons as independent claims.
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.
Claim(s) 41-66 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ingale et al. Pub. No. US 20200374961 A1 in view of Zhou et al. Pub. No. US 20210243763 A1.
Regarding Claim 41, Ingale teaches a method performed by a wireless device configured with Multi-Radio Access Technology Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) (Para 24 and Fig. 6 Para 205, E-UTRAN supports MR-DC via E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), in which a UE is connected to one LTE eNB that acts as a MN and one NR gNB that acts as a SN as shown in FIG. 1C i.e., a wireless device configured with Multi-Radio Access Technology Dual Connectivity (MR-DC)), the method comprising:
receiving, from a first network node, at least one message in a reconfiguration procedure for a first cell group (Para 208 and 214, The MeNB sends (610) the LTE RRCConnectionReconfiguration message i.e., receiving from first network node including a NR RRC configuration message to the UE including the new SCG radio resource configuration. This message contains bearer type change information from SCG to SCG split without mobility control info (handover) or mobility control info SCG (SCG change) procedure. This message also carries MN DRB info for SCG split bearer i.e., at least one message in a reconfiguration procedure for a first cell group),
said mobility procedure comprising one or more of: a change of a special cell for the first cell group, a change of at least one other cell for the first cell group, a handover, and a reconfiguration with sync of the first cell group; (Para 208 and 214, This message contains bearer type change information from SCG to SCG split without mobility control info (handover) or mobility control info SCG (SCG change) procedure i.e., mobility procedure comprising a change of a special cell for the first cell group, a change of at least one other cell for the first cell group, a handover, and a reconfiguration with sync of the first cell group); and
operating the second cell group according to the power saving mode of operation indicated in the at least one message (Para 209 and 215, The UE applies (612) the new configuration and performs bearer type change procedure from SCG to SCG split without impacting the other configured bearers i.e., operating the second cell group according to the power saving mode of operation indicated in the at least one message).
wherein the reconfiguration procedure for the first cell group is a mobility procedure for the wireless device (Para 208-209, The UE applies (612) the new configuration and performs bearer type change procedure from SCG to SCG split without impacting the other configured bearers. In this case, UE will not re-establish the PDCP/RLC entity of configured bearers and reset the MAC as procedure is initiated without handover and SCG change procedure i.e., the reconfiguration procedure for the first cell group is a mobility procedure for the wireless device).
Ingale does not specifically teach
wherein the at least one message indicates a power saving mode of operation to be applied by the wireless device for a second cell group, wherein the power saving mode comprises a suspended mode or dormant mode or deactivated mode or inactivated mode of operation.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhou teaches power saving operation indication and confirmation mechanism. In an example, a wireless device may receive from a base station one or more RRC messages comprising configuration parameters of a SCell. The SCell may comprise a plurality of BWPs, by implementing examples of FIG. 23. In an example, the wireless device may receive from the base station a MAC CE (e.g., based on examples of FIG. 18 and/or FIG. 20) indicating an activation of the SCell. In response to receiving the MAC CE, the wireless device may activate the SCell. The wireless device may perform one or more actions on the activated SCell based on examples of FIG. 23 (Para 480 and Fig. 35).
Zhou teaches wherein the at least one message indicates a power saving mode of operation to be applied by the wireless device for a second cell group; wherein the power saving mode comprises a suspended mode or dormant mode or deactivated mode or inactivated mode of operation (Para 481 and Fig. 35, the wireless device may receive a DCI with DCI format 1_1 from a cell. The cell may be a PCell, a second SCell, or the SCell itself. In an example, the DCI format 1_1 may comprise a BWP ID field, a frequency domain resource assignment field, and/or a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator field. The wireless device may determine the DCI with DCI format 1_1 indicates a power saving mode switching of the SCell (e.g., a transition of the SCell to dormant state as shown in FIG. 35) based on the one or more fields of the DCI format 1_1. In an example, the power saving mode switching may comprise transitioning the SCell to a dormant state i.e., the at least one message indicates a power saving mode of operation to be applied by the wireless device for a second cell group, wherein the power saving mode comprises a suspended mode or dormant mode or deactivated mode or inactivated mode of operation),
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the method of Ingale with the method of Zhou so as to improve signaling overhead, power consumption and/or power saving mode switching delay (See Zhou Para 484).
Regarding Claim 42, Ingale does not specifically teach wherein the power saving mode of operation to be applied by the wireless device for the second cell group comprises a mode of operation of the wireless device for a special cell of the second cell group and/or one or more other cells of the second cell group.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhou teaches the wireless device may receive a DCI with DCI format 1_1 from a cell. The cell may be a PCell, a second SCell, or the SCell itself. In an example, the DCI format 1_1 may comprise a BWP ID field, a frequency domain resource assignment field, and/or a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator field. The wireless device may determine the DCI with DCI format 1_1 indicates a power saving mode switching of the SCell (e.g., a transition of the SCell to dormant state as shown in FIG. 35) based on the one or more fields of the DCI format 1_1. In an example, the power saving mode switching may comprise transitioning the SCell to a dormant state. The dormant state of the SCell may be different from a deactivated state of the SCell, e.g., based on examples of FIG. 20A/B and/or related description above. The power saving mode switching may comprise transitioning an active BWP of the SCell from a first BWP of the SCell to a second BWP of the SCell i.e., the power saving mode of operation to be applied by the wireless device for the second cell group comprises a mode of operation of the wireless device for a special cell of the second cell group and/or one or more other cells of the second cell group (Para 481 and Fig. 35).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the method of Ingale with the method of Zhou so as to improve signaling overhead, power consumption and/or power saving mode switching delay (See Zhou Para 484).
Regarding Claim 43, Ingale does not specifically teach wherein operating the second cell group according to the power saving mode of operation comprises at least one of: operating a special cell of the second cell group in the dormant mode; operating the special cell of the second cell group in the suspended mode; operating the special cell of the second cell group in the deactivated mode; operating the special cell of the second cell group in the inactivated mode; operating the special cell of the second cell group in a dormant bandwidth part (BWP); stopping monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of the special cell and/or at least one other cell of the second cell group; suspending transmission for data radio bearers (DRBs) associated with the second cell group; suspending transmission for DRBs associated with a special cell of the second cell group; suspending transmission for DRBs terminated at a node associated with the second cell group or a special cell and/or at least one other cell of the second cell group; suspending DRBs associated with the second cell group; operating the special cell of the second cell group according to discontinuous reception (DRX); and monitoring a PDCCH on the second cell group only during configured on-durations of a DRX cycle for the second cell group and/or at least one cell of the second cell group.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhou teaches the wireless device may receive a DCI with DCI format 1_1 from a cell. The cell may be a PCell, a second SCell, or the SCell itself. In an example, the DCI format 1_1 may comprise a BWP ID field, a frequency domain resource assignment field, and/or a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing indicator field. The wireless device may determine the DCI with DCI format 1_1 indicates a power saving mode switching of the SCell (e.g., a transition of the SCell to dormant state as shown in FIG. 35) based on the one or more fields of the DCI format 1_1. In an example, the power saving mode switching may comprise transitioning the SCell to a dormant state. The dormant state of the SCell may be different from a deactivated state of the SCell, e.g., based on examples of FIG. 20A/B and/or related description above. The power saving mode switching may comprise transitioning an active BWP of the SCell from a first BWP of the SCell to a second BWP of the SCell (Para 481 and Fig. 35).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the method of Ingale with the method of Zhou so as to improve signaling overhead, power consumption and/or power saving mode switching delay (See Zhou Para 484).
Regarding Claim 44, Ingale teaches further comprising storing a configuration associated with the second cell group, and resuming, activating or reactivating the second cell group based on the stored configuration of the second cell group (Para 210, 215 and 255).
Regarding Claim 45, Ingale teaches wherein resuming, activating or reactivating the second cell group based on the stored configuration of the second cell group comprises at least one of: operating a special cell of the second cell group in a normal or active mode; operating the special cell of the second cell group in a non-dormant bandwidth part (BWP); starting monitoring a PDCCH of the special cell and/or at least one other cell of the second cell group; resuming transmission for data radio bearers (DRBs) associated with the second cell group; resuming transmission for DRBs associated with a special cell of the second cell group; resuming transmission for DRBs terminated at a node associated with the second cell group or a special cell and/or at least one other cell of the second cell group; resuming DRBs associated with the second cell group; and exiting discontinuous reception (DRX) of the special cell of the second cell group (Para 211).
Regarding Claim 46, Ingale teaches wherein the at least one message includes an indication of a reconfiguration procedure for the second cell group (Para 208).
Regarding Claim 47, Ingale teaches wherein the reconfiguration procedure for the second cell group comprises a change of a special cell for the second cell group, a change of at least one other cell for the second cell group, a handover, a reconfiguration with sync of the second cell group, and/or a mobility procedure for the wireless device (Para 208).
Regarding Claim 48, Ingale teaches further comprising performing the reconfiguration procedure for the first cell group (Para 208).
Regarding Claim 49, Ingale teaches wherein the at least one message comprises at least one Radio Resource Control (RRC) message and/or at least one RRC reconfiguration message (Para 208).
Regarding Claim 50, Ingale teaches wherein: the first cell group comprises a master cell group (MCG) and the second cell group comprises a secondary cell group (SCG); or the second cell group comprises a master cell group (MCG) and the first cell group comprises a secondary cell group (SCG) (Para 29).
Regarding Claim 51, Ingale teaches wherein the wireless device comprises a User Equipment (UE), and/or the first network node comprises a base station, base station-control unit (CU), base station-distributed unit (DU), eNB, eNB-CU, eNB-DU, gNB, gNB-CU or gNB-DU (Fig. 6, EN-DC capable UE and first network node is EN-DC Capable MeNB).
Regarding Claim 52, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 41 except the steps are performed by the first network node that is sending to the wireless device (Para 208 and 214).
Regarding Claim 53, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 42.
Regarding Claim 54, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 44.
Regarding Claim 55, Ingale teaches further comprising stopping transmitting a PDCCH to the wireless device on a special cell associated with the second cell group and/or at least one other cell associated with the second cell group, wherein a mode of operation of the wireless device for the second cell group comprises a resumed, normal, legacy or active mode (Para 265).
Regarding Claim 56, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 46.
Regarding Claim 57, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 47.
Regarding Claim 58, Ingale teaches further comprising: receiving an indication of a mode of operation of the wireless device for the second cell group from a network node associated with the second cell group before sending the at least one message to the wireless device; and/or sending an indication of a mode of operation of the wireless device for the second cell group to a network node associated with the second cell group; and/or sending context information of the wireless device to a node associated with the first cell group reconfigured according to the reconfiguration procedure (Para 206).
Regarding Claim 59, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 49.
Regarding Claim 60, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 50.
Regarding Claim 61, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 51.
Regarding Claim 62, Ingale teaches wherein the first network node is associated with a special cell (SpCell) of the first cell group (Para 265).
Regarding Claim 63, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 41 and further teaches a wireless device configured with Multi-Radio Access Technology Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), the wireless device (Para 249 and Fig. 11 Unit 1100, UE) comprising a processor and a memory (Para 249 and Fig. 11 Unit 1102 and 1106 i.e., processor and memory), the memory containing instructions executable by the processor (Para 255, he memory 1106 may store the control information or the data included in a signal obtained by the UE 1100. The memory 1106 may be connected to the processor 1102 and store at least one instruction or a protocol or a parameter for the proposed function, process, and/or method).
Regarding Claim 64, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 42.
Regarding Claim 65, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 43.
Regarding Claim 66, it has been rejected for the same reasons as claim 52 and further teaches a first network node (Fig. 10 and Para 241, a network 100/200 for performing the bearer type change) comprising a processor and a memory (Para 241 and Fig. 10 Unit 1006 and 1008, processor and memory), the memory containing instructions executable by the processor (Para 247, the memory 1008 can be configured to store larger amounts of information than the memory).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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NIZAR N. SIVJI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2647
/NIZAR N SIVJI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647