DETAILED ACTION
Claim(s) 16-35 have been examined are pending.
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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim(s) 27-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 27 has been amended to recite the following:
27. (Currently Amended) A base station for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to:
transmit, to a User Equipment ("UE") device, a Physical Downlink Control Channel ("PDCCH") configuration of a first Downlink Control Information ("DCI") format, wherein the PDCCH configuration includes a search space configuration of the first DCI format;
transmit the first DCI format according to the search space configuration, wherein the first DCI format indicates that the UE is to monitor for paging DCI of a second DCI format; and
determining to transmit the paging DCI of the second DCI format in a paging period associated with the transmitted first DCI format in response to the first DCI format being transmitted.
The claimed has been amended to now recite a limitation of “…determining to transmit the paging DCI of the second DCI format in a paging period associated with the transmitted first DCI format in response to the first DCI format being transmitted...”, this limitation does not appear to be supported by the Instant Application as originally filed. Applicants cite paragraphs [0098] and [0116] – [0119] to support the amended claim 27, and consequently the limitation in question.
“[0098] In one implementation, the DCI format may indicate that the UE 205 is to skip monitoring the paging DCI over a number of DRX cycles or over a number of system information ("SI") modification periods for power saving. For example, if potential applications for the UE 10 205 is delay-tolerant - or if the UE 205 is of a particular type or access class (e.g., based on a (signaled) capability of the UE 205 or a UE 205 with reduced capability), then a network (e.g., RAN) may delay paging the UE 205. In another example, if the network intends not to change, for a certain time period, particular system information that a particular group of UEs (or a particular class of UEs) have to maintain and if the UE is one or the particular group of UEs, the network 15 can indicate the UE 205 to skip monitoring the paging DCI over multiple SI modification periods.”
Paragraph [0098] seems to at best refer to where the base station (i.e. network/RAN) indicates to the UE to skip the paging DCI.
[0116] In some embodiments, a UE 205 may be operated in a normal UE mode (e.g., a smart phone) for a first time duration and may be operated in a reduced capability UE mode (e.g., 10 a sensor) for a second time duration. For example, a smart phone UE may be operated in a reduced capability sensor mode during the night or when a human user is away from the UE. When a certain operation mode is triggered (e.g., normal mode or reduced capability mode), the UE employs system information, paging, and other operation related parameters corresponding the triggered operation mode. In an embodiment, the UE 205 may be operated with the normal UE 15 mode and the reduced capability UE mode concurrently. In this case, some operation parameters are applicable to both modes and other operational parameters are separately configured, and which parameter set the UE should apply may be indicated implicitly or explicitly.
Paragraph [0116] seems to generally discuss the various operation modes of a UE (i.e. normal, reduced capability).
[0117] Figures 4A-4B depict one example of a DownlinkConfigCommonSHB information element, according to embodiments of the disclosure. Due to the size its contents, the 20 DownlinkConfigCommonSIB information element is split in two for ease of illustration; however, the DownlinkConfigCommonSIB information element, according to this disclosure is a concatenation of Figure 4A and Figure 4B. Included in the DownlinkConfigCommonSIB information element are the following new parameters:
Paragraph [0117] discusses the structure, format, and contents of a DownlinkConfigCommonSHB information element.
[0118] In the example shown in Figures 4A-4B, a UE 205 may receive an indication within the PPS-PDCCH configuration parameter, where the indication informs the UE 205 whether the UE 205 has to wake-up for paging DCI monitoring in a following number of paging/DRX cycles before the next PPS-PDCCH monitoring occasion, if the UE does not detect PPS-PDCCH in a current PPS-PDCCH monitoring occasion. The paging DCI monitoring behavior may be configured differently depending on a UE access identity.
Paragraph [0118] discusses the UE receiving an indication within the PPS-PDCCH, the indication informing the UE whether it wakes up for paging DCI monitoring.
[0119] Figures 5A-5B depict one example of an RRCRelease message, according to embodiments of the disclosure. Due to the size its contents, the RRCRelease message is split in two for ease of illustration; however, the RRCRelease message, according to this disclosure is a concatenation of the contents of Figure 5A and Figure 5B. Included in the RRCRelease message are the following new parameters:
Paragraph [0119] discusses the structure, format, and contents of a RRCRelease message.
None of the cited paragraph appear to teach or suggest a feature to “…determining to transmit the paging DCI of the second DCI format in a paging period associated with the transmitted first DCI format in response to the first DCI format being transmitted...”, as arranged in amended claim 27. Thus claim 27 is regarded as containing new matter. Claim(s) 28-35 depend on claim 27, and thus are regarded as containing new matter as well. If the Applicants believe that there is support for the limitation in question, it is requested that Applicants provide additional evidence (i.e. citations in the Instant Application and/or arguments) to support the limitation in amended claim 27.
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.
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.
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) 16, 20, 22, 26, 27, 30, 32, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM (US 20200163048 A1).
In regards to claim(s) 16 and 26, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) teaches a User Equipment (“UE”) apparatus comprising: (“[0015] The mobile terminal comprises a processor and a transceiver. The processor, in operation, monitors physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, candidates of a first search space set located in a designated first frequency range from the plurality of frequency ranges… [0104] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication system including a mobile terminal 110 (also referred to as user equipment, UE), and a base station 160 (also referred to as g Node B, gNB). The mobile terminal 110 comprises a processor 130 and a transceiver 120 which are indicated as separate building block in the diagram. Similarly, the base station 160 comprises a processor 180 and a transceiver 170 which are indicated as separate building block in the diagram. The block diagram is used for describing the mechanism depicted in FIG. 2, namely the generic scenario where the monitoring of individual search space sets can be skipped.”):
receive, from a base station, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (“PDCCH”) configuration of a first Downlink Control Information (“DCI”) format, wherein the PDCCH configuration includes a search space configuration of the first DCI format (“[0134] During the cell configuration, the mobile terminal 110 receives (see step S01 in FIG. 2) a control resource set (CORESET) information element (IE) via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. The IE is termed “ControlResourceSet” IE and is consistent with the definition discussed above with regard to 3GPP TS 38.331 (referenced above). Importantly, the CORESET IE includes a frequencyDomainResources field defining groups of six resource blocks which are fully contained in the resources within which the CORESET is configured… [0138] Thus, these two information elements permit the mobile terminal 110 to monitor PDCCH candidates in the first search space set in the NR specific deployment scenario.”);
detect the first DCI format by monitoring according to the search space configuration, wherein the first DCI format indicates whether the UE device is to monitor for “[0149] Accordingly, the mobile terminal 110 monitors the first search space set for DCIs having DCI format 2_0. [0150] The mobile terminal 110 then receives (see step S06 of FIG. 2) the downlink control information, DCI including an indication whether or not to skip monitoring PDCCH candidates. In this specific implementation, the received DCI has a DCI format 2_0 which implies that it is used by the base station 160 to notify to the mobile terminal 110 of the slot format. Through the notification of specific slot formats to the mobile terminal 110, the base station 160 (also) transmits the indication whether or not to skip monitoring of PDCCH candidates…”) ; and
determine to monitor for (“16. A communication apparatus comprising; a receiver, which, in operation, receives a first downlink control information (DCI) in a first search space set, the first DCI including control information indicating whether the communication apparatus skips monitoring a second DCI in each of a plurality of frequency ranges; and circuitry, which, in operation, monitors the second DCI in one or more second search space sets of one or more frequency ranges of the plurality of frequency ranges, wherein the one or more frequency ranges are determined based on the control information.”).
KUANG differs from claim 16, in that KUANG is silent on where the DCI of a second format is a paging DCI. KUANG additionally differs from claim 16, in that KUANG is silent on at least one memory and wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving features pertaining transmission of control information in a wireless network. KIM (US 20200163048 A1) teaches where second format of DCI comprises a paging DCI, where a first DCI indicates the paging DCI. KIM also teaches where the second DCI is monitored in a paging period, response window, indicated by the first DCI (“[0126] UL feedback resource allocation scheme 2) When the eNB instructs the UE to transmit a UL feedback for a PI, the eNB may separately allocate (or designate/indicate) a time/frequency resource for the UL feedback by first paging DCI. The UL feedback may be understood as ACK information transmission. As many resources as RACH resources do not need to be allocated for the UL feedback. The resources may be allocated 1) on a P-RNTI basis, 2) on a PI basis, and 3) on a UE basis within a PI. A set of resources available for a feedback may be pre-configured. The eNB may indicate a resource to be used for the feedback of the specific UE, while paging the UE by the first paging DCI. [0127] The UE may transmit a feedback for the first paging DCI and PI in the indicated feedback resource. As in scheme 1), the UE may attempt to monitor and detect second paging DCI in order to receive a paging message. A time period during which the UE attempts to detect the DCI, that is, a response window, may be separately configured and signaled to the UE by the network. The UE attempts to detect the DCI during the response window time. The response window may be a time period other than a PO. In another method, the first paging DCI may indicate the time period during which the UE attempts to detect the second paging DCI, the response window, or a time (slot or mini-slot) when the second paging DCI is transmitted.”). KIM [Par. 37] and [Fig. 1] additionally teaches where a UE comprises a memory and a processor coupled to the memory (“[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a BS 105 may include a transmitted (Tx) data processor 115, a symbol modulator 120, a transmitter 125, a transceiving antenna 130, a processor 180, a memory 185, a receiver 190, a symbol demodulator 195 and a received data processor 197. And, a UE 110 may include a transmitted (Tx) data processor 165, a symbol modulator 170, a transmitter 175, a transceiving antenna 135, a processor 155, a memory 160, a receiver 140, a symbol demodulator 155 and a received data processor 150. Although the BS/UE 105/110 includes one antenna 130/135 in the drawing, each of the BS 105 and the UE 110 includes a plurality of antennas. Therefore, each of the BS 105 and the UE 110 of the present disclosure supports a MIMO (multiple input multiple output) system. And, the BS 105 according to the present disclosure may support both SU-MIMO (single user-MIMO) and MU-MIMO (multi user-MIMO) systems.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of KIM it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG’s feature for transmitting/configuring control information by, adopting use of a memory coupled to the process, by adopting use a paging DCI, and further using the paging DCI to indicate feedback to thus arrive at claim 16, in order to provide a benefit of feedback and paging in the wireless communication network of KUANG.
In regards to claim 27, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) teaches a base station for wireless communication comprising: FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication system including a mobile terminal 110 (also referred to as user equipment, UE), and a base station 160 (also referred to as g Node B, gNB). The mobile terminal 110 comprises a processor 130 and a transceiver 120 which are indicated as separate building block in the diagram. Similarly, the base station 160 comprises a processor 180 and a transceiver 170 which are indicated as separate building block in the diagram. The block diagram is used for describing the mechanism depicted in FIG. 2, namely the generic scenario where the monitoring of individual search space sets can be skipped.””)
cause the apparatus to: transmit, to a User Equipment (“UE”) device, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (“PDCCH”) configuration of a first Downlink Control Information (“DCI”) format, wherein the PDCCH configuration includes a search space configuration of the first DCI format (“[0134] During the cell configuration, the mobile terminal 110 receives (see step S01 in FIG. 2) a control resource set (CORESET) information element (IE) via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. The IE is termed “ControlResourceSet” IE and is consistent with the definition discussed above with regard to 3GPP TS 38.331 (referenced above). Importantly, the CORESET IE includes a frequencyDomainResources field defining groups of six resource blocks which are fully contained in the resources within which the CORESET is configured… [0138] Thus, these two information elements permit the mobile terminal 110 to monitor PDCCH candidates in the first search space set in the NR specific deployment scenario.”);
transmit the first DCI format according to the search space configuration, wherein the first DCI format indicates that the UE is to monitor for “[0149] Accordingly, the mobile terminal 110 monitors the first search space set for DCIs having DCI format 2_0. [0150] The mobile terminal 110 then receives (see step S06 of FIG. 2) the downlink control information, DCI including an indication whether or not to skip monitoring PDCCH candidates. In this specific implementation, the received DCI has a DCI format 2_0 which implies that it is used by the base station 160 to notify to the mobile terminal 110 of the slot format. Through the notification of specific slot formats to the mobile terminal 110, the base station 160 (also) transmits the indication whether or not to skip monitoring of PDCCH candidates…”) ; and
determining to transmit the (“16. A communication apparatus comprising; a receiver, which, in operation, receives a first downlink control information (DCI) in a first search space set, the first DCI including control information indicating whether the communication apparatus skips monitoring a second DCI in each of a plurality of frequency ranges; and circuitry, which, in operation, monitors the second DCI in one or more second search space sets of one or more frequency ranges of the plurality of frequency ranges, wherein the one or more frequency ranges are determined based on the control information.”).
KUANG differs from claim 27, in that KUANG is silent on where the DCI of a second format is a paging DCI. KUANG additionally differs from claim 27, in that KUANG is silent on at least one memory and wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving features pertaining transmission of control information in a wireless network. KIM (US 20200163048 A1) teaches where second format of DCI comprises a paging DCI, where a first DCI indicates the paging DCI. KIM also teaches where the second DCI is monitored in a paging period, response window, indicated by the first DCI (“[0126] UL feedback resource allocation scheme 2) When the eNB instructs the UE to transmit a UL feedback for a PI, the eNB may separately allocate (or designate/indicate) a time/frequency resource for the UL feedback by first paging DCI. The UL feedback may be understood as ACK information transmission. As many resources as RACH resources do not need to be allocated for the UL feedback. The resources may be allocated 1) on a P-RNTI basis, 2) on a PI basis, and 3) on a UE basis within a PI. A set of resources available for a feedback may be pre-configured. The eNB may indicate a resource to be used for the feedback of the specific UE, while paging the UE by the first paging DCI. [0127] The UE may transmit a feedback for the first paging DCI and PI in the indicated feedback resource. As in scheme 1), the UE may attempt to monitor and detect second paging DCI in order to receive a paging message. A time period during which the UE attempts to detect the DCI, that is, a response window, may be separately configured and signaled to the UE by the network. The UE attempts to detect the DCI during the response window time. The response window may be a time period other than a PO. In another method, the first paging DCI may indicate the time period during which the UE attempts to detect the second paging DCI, the response window, or a time (slot or mini-slot) when the second paging DCI is transmitted.”). KIM [Par. 37] and [Fig. 1] additionally teaches where a base station comprises a memory and a processor coupled to the memory (“[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a BS 105 may include a transmitted (Tx) data processor 115, a symbol modulator 120, a transmitter 125, a transceiving antenna 130, a processor 180, a memory 185, a receiver 190, a symbol demodulator 195 and a received data processor 197. And, a UE 110 may include a transmitted (Tx) data processor 165, a symbol modulator 170, a transmitter 175, a transceiving antenna 135, a processor 155, a memory 160, a receiver 140, a symbol demodulator 155 and a received data processor 150. Although the BS/UE 105/110 includes one antenna 130/135 in the drawing, each of the BS 105 and the UE 110 includes a plurality of antennas. Therefore, each of the BS 105 and the UE 110 of the present disclosure supports a MIMO (multiple input multiple output) system. And, the BS 105 according to the present disclosure may support both SU-MIMO (single user-MIMO) and MU-MIMO (multi user-MIMO) systems.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of KIM it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG’s feature for transmitting/configuring control information by, adopting use of a memory coupled to the process, by adopting use a paging DCI, and further using the paging DCI to indicate feedback to thus arrive at claim 27, in order to provide a benefit of feedback and paging in the wireless communication network of KUANG.
In regards to claim 20, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) is silent on the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the paging period comprises at least one of: a Discontinuous Reception (“DRX”) cycle, a system information modification period, or a combination thereof. However similar features have been seen in other prior art involving the transmission/reception of control information for wireless communication. KIM teaches where a second DCI, paging DCI, is transmitted during a paging period, a PO. KIM further teaches where the paging period comprising a DRX cycle (
[0058] In order to minimize the power consumption of UEs, a discontinuous reception (DRX) scheme is defined for the UEs. A UE using DRX may monitor whether a paging message is transmitted only in one PO every paging cycle (i.e., DRX cycle). One paging frame (PF) may refer to one radio frame which may include one or more POs. One PO may be one subframe in which there is a paging-RNTI (P-RNTI) transmitted on a PDCCH addressing a paging message. That is, a PO may be defined as a specific subframe in a PF in which the UE monitors a paging message.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of KIM it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG’s feature for transmitting control information, by transmitting control information such as a paging message/paging DCI, where the DCI is transmitting during a paging period such as DRX cycle, in order to provide the benefit of paging to the wireless communication feature of KUANG.
In regards to claim 30, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) is silent on the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the paging period comprises at least one of: a Discontinuous Reception (“DRX”) cycle, a system information modification period, or a combination thereof. However similar features have been seen in other prior art involving the transmission/reception of control information for wireless communication. KIM teaches where a second DCI, paging DCI, is transmitted during a paging period, a PO. KIM further teaches where the paging period comprising a DRX cycle (
[0058] In order to minimize the power consumption of UEs, a discontinuous reception (DRX) scheme is defined for the UEs. A UE using DRX may monitor whether a paging message is transmitted only in one PO every paging cycle (i.e., DRX cycle). One paging frame (PF) may refer to one radio frame which may include one or more POs. One PO may be one subframe in which there is a paging-RNTI (P-RNTI) transmitted on a PDCCH addressing a paging message. That is, a PO may be defined as a specific subframe in a PF in which the UE monitors a paging message.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of KIM it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG’s feature for transmitting control information, by transmitting control information such as a paging message/paging DCI, where the DCI is transmitting during a paging period such as DRX cycle, in order to provide the benefit of paging to the wireless communication feature of KUANG.
In regards to claim 22, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the PDCCH configuration of the first DCI format includes information of bit field configuration, wherein the bit field configuration comprises at least one information selected from: a size of the first DCI format, a number of Paging Frames associated with the first DCI format, a number of Paging Occasions associated with the first DCI format, or a combination thereof (See KUANG where “[0098] The size of DCI format 2_0 is configurable by higher layers up to 128 bits, according to sub-section 11.1.1 of 3GPP TS 38.213 (referenced above).”).
In regards to claim 32, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM teaches the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the PDCCH configuration of the first DCI format includes information of bit field configuration, wherein the bit field configuration comprises at least one selected from a size of the first DCI format, a number of Paging Frames associated with the first DCI format, and a number of Paging Occasions associated with the first DCI format (See KUANG where “[0098] The size of DCI format 2_0 is configurable by higher layers up to 128 bits, according to sub-section 11.1.1 of 3GPP TS 38.213 (referenced above).”).
Claim(s) 17 and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM (US 20200163048 A1) in view of Rastegardoost (US 20210051672 A1).
In regards to claim 17, KUANG in view of KIM is silent on the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus receives the PDCCH configuration of the first DCI format as a part of system information and wherein the first DCI format comprises common control information transmitted to a plurality of UEs camping on a cell or being served by the cell. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving the communication of control information in a wireless communication system. Rastegardoost teaches receiving a PDCCH configuration of a first DCI format, DCI format 2_0, as part of system information, pdcch-COnfigSib1 in MIB, wherein the first DCI format comprises common control information, Common Search Space (CSS), transmitted to a plurality of UEs camping on a cell or being served by the cell (“[0300] The wireless device may detect (or may not expect to detect) a DCI format (e.g., DCI format 2_0) with an SFI-index field value indicating one or more symbols of a slot as uplink, for example, if the one or more symbols of the slot are indicated, to the wireless device, for reception of SS/PBCH blocks by one or more RRC messages (e.g., ssb-PositionsInBurst in SystemInformationBlockType1 or ssb-PositionsInBurst in ServingCellConfigCommon). The wireless device may detect (or may not expect to detect) a DCI format (e.g., DCI format 2_0) with an SFI-index field value indicating one or more symbols of a slot as downlink, for example, if the one or more symbols of the slot are indicated, to the wireless device, for PRACH transmissions by one or more RRC messages (e.g., prach-ConfigurationIndex in RACH-ConfigCommon). The wireless device may detect (or may not expect to detect) a DCI format (e.g., DCI format 2_0) with an SFI-index field value indicating one or more symbols of a slot as uplink, for example, if the one or more symbols of the slot are indicated, to the wireless device, for a CORESET (e.g., for a CORESET for Type0-PDCCH CSS set) by one or more RRC messages (e.g., pdcch-ConfigSIB1 in MIB).”).
Thus based upon the teachings of Rastergardoost it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG in view of KIM’s feature for transmitting/configuring control information, to adopt the features seen in control information configuration feature of Rastergardoost such as providing the configuration via system information on a common search space, to thus arrive at claim 17, in order to provide a benefit of an efficient means to provide the configuration of the control information.
In regards to claim 28, KUANG in view of KIM is silent on the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the PDCCH configuration of the first DCI format is transmitted as a part of system information and wherein the first DCI format is common control information transmitted to a plurality of UE devices camping on a cell or being served by the cell. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving the communication of control information in a wireless communication system. Rastegardoost teaches receiving a PDCCH configuration of a first DCI format, DCI format 2_0, as part of system information, pdcch-COnfigSib1 in MIB, wherein the first DCI format comprises common control information, Common Search Space (CSS), transmitted to a plurality of UEs camping on a cell or being served by the cell (“[0300] The wireless device may detect (or may not expect to detect) a DCI format (e.g., DCI format 2_0) with an SFI-index field value indicating one or more symbols of a slot as uplink, for example, if the one or more symbols of the slot are indicated, to the wireless device, for reception of SS/PBCH blocks by one or more RRC messages (e.g., ssb-PositionsInBurst in SystemInformationBlockType1 or ssb-PositionsInBurst in ServingCellConfigCommon). The wireless device may detect (or may not expect to detect) a DCI format (e.g., DCI format 2_0) with an SFI-index field value indicating one or more symbols of a slot as downlink, for example, if the one or more symbols of the slot are indicated, to the wireless device, for PRACH transmissions by one or more RRC messages (e.g., prach-ConfigurationIndex in RACH-ConfigCommon). The wireless device may detect (or may not expect to detect) a DCI format (e.g., DCI format 2_0) with an SFI-index field value indicating one or more symbols of a slot as uplink, for example, if the one or more symbols of the slot are indicated, to the wireless device, for a CORESET (e.g., for a CORESET for Type0-PDCCH CSS set) by one or more RRC messages (e.g., pdcch-ConfigSIB1 in MIB).”).
Thus based upon the teachings of Rastergardoost it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG in view of KIM’s feature for transmitting/configuring control information, to adopt the features seen in control information configuration feature of Rastergardoost such as providing the configuration via system information on a common search space, to thus arrive at claim 28, in order to provide a benefit of an efficient means to provide the configuration of the control information.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUANG is silent on in view of KIM (US 20200163048 A1) in view of MURRAY (US 20200404617 A1).
In regards to claim 18, The combination of KUANG in view of KIM is silent on the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to: determine a paging frame and a paging occasion of the paging frame associated with the UE device based on a UE identity; and determine a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (“RNTI”) value to be used for detecting the first DCI format, wherein the RNTI value is determined based on at least one of: a paging frame index of the paging frame, a paging occasion index of the paging occasion, the UE identity, or a combination thereof.
Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art concerning paging a UE in a wireless network. MURRAY (US 20200404617 A1) teaches determining a paging frame and a paging occasion of the paging frame associated with a UE device based on a UE identity (“[0194] The Paging Frame (PF) and subframe within that PF, for example, the Paging Occasion (PO) that a UE may monitor for the Paging Channel, for example in Idle Mode, may be determined based on the UE ID (e.g., UE_ID) and parameters which may be specified by the network. The parameters may include the Paging Cycle (PC) length (e.g., in frames) which may be the same as a DRX cycle and another parameter, e.g., nB, which together may enable the determination of the number of PF per PC and the number of PO per PF which may be in the cell. The UE ID may be the UE IMSI mod 1024.”). Murray further teaches determining a RNTI value to be used for detecting a first DCI format, wherein the RNTI value is determined based on at least one of: a paging frame index of the paging frame, a paging occasion index of the paging occasion, the UE identity, or a combination thereof (“[0193] A UE may, for example periodically, monitor a PDCCH for a DL control information (DCI) or DL assignment on a PDCCH masked with a P-RNTI (Paging RNTI), for example in Idle Mode and/or in Connected Mode. When a UE detects or receives a DCI or DL assignment using a P-RNTI, the UE may demodulate the associated or indicated PDSCH RBs and/or may decode a Paging Channel (PCH) that may be carried on an associated or indicated PDSCH. A PDSCH which may carry PCH may be referred to as a PCH PDSCH. Paging, paging message, and PCH may be used interchangeably… [0409] A Paging Indication RNTI (PI-RNTI), for example, may be used as a unique identifier for paging indication. The PI-RNTI may be configured in the specification or through SI. The identifier (RNTI) may be a compressed form of the UE ID being paged so that a UE would decode its paging DCIs using the identifier derived from its ID such as the IMSI or S-TMSI.”).
Thus based upon the paging feature of Murray, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the paging feature of KUANG in view of KIM, to thus arrive at the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to: determine a paging frame and a paging occasion of the paging frame associated with the UE device based on a UE identity; and determine a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (“RNTI”) value to be used for detecting the first DCI format, wherein the RNTI value is determined based on at least one of: a paging frame index of the paging frame, a paging occasion index of the paging occasion, the UE identity, or a combination thereof, in order to provide a benefit of decoding a DCI.
Claim(s) 35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM (US 20200163048 A1) in view of CHEN (US 20200169446 A1).
In regards to claim 35, KUANG in view of KIM is silent on the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the paging DCI includes at least one of: scheduling information for a paging message and a short message. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving the transmission of control messages in a wireless network.
Regarding the “paging DCI” of claim 27, the combined teachings of KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM (US 20200163048 A1) are believed to arrive at the paging DCI of claim 27, for the same rationale provided with respect to claim 27. Furthermore, with respect to apparatus of claim 27, wherein the paging DCI includes at least one of scheduling information, said features can be gleaned from CHEN (US 20200169446 A1), which teaches a paging DCI including a scheduling information for a paging message and a short message (“[0072] During the paging process 500, at S530, the UE 110 can be configured to inspect a short message indicator in the paging DCI. When the short message indicator indicates the paging DCI includes a short message (corresponding to FIG. 8A example), the UE 110 may obtain the respective short message. When the short message indicator indicates a paging message is carried in a PDSCH transmitted subsequently, the UE 110 may proceed to decode the PDSCH to obtain the paging message based on scheduling message included in the paging DCI. The UE 110 may further process the paging message, for example, to determine whether the paging message carries an identity of the UE 110.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of CHEN it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the paging DCI suggested by the combined teachings KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM, to arrive at claim 35, in order to provide a benefit of scheduling paging messages on a PDSCH.
Claim(s) 21 and 31, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM (US 20200163048 A1) in view of HE (“US 20190254110 A1”).
In regards to claim 21, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM is silent on the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the search space configuration of the first DCI format includes a monitoring periodicity, wherein the monitoring periodicity is one or multiple of a time period selected from one of: a Discontinuous Reception (“DRX”) cycle, or a system information modification period. Despite these differences similar features have been seen involving the communication of control information in a wireless communication network. HE (“US 20190254110 A1”) teaches where a search space configuration of a DCI format includes a monitoring periodicity, wherein the monitoring periodicity is a multiple of a time period selected from a DRX cycle (“[0181] A search space set for a PDCCH conveying a DCI format providing a WUS can be configured to a UE by higher layers. The configuration can include the following parameters: a number of CCE aggregation levels, number of candidates per CCE aggregation level, monitoring periodicity, monitoring offset, and monitoring pattern within a slot. A configuration of the monitoring periodicity can also be omitted and it can then have a same value as the periodicity of the DRX cycle.”).
Thus based upon the teachings of HE, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM’s feature for the search space configuration of the first DCI format, such that includes a monitoring periodicity, wherein the monitoring periodicity is one or multiple of a time period selected from one of: a Discontinuous Reception (“DRX”) cycle, or a system information modification period, as similarly seen in HE, in order to provide a benefit of an efficient monitoring period, by basing the monitoring period on a DRX cycle.
In regards to claim 31, KUANG (US 20210258962 A1) in view of KIM is silent on the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the search space configuration of the first DCI format includes a monitoring periodicity, wherein the monitoring periodicity is one or multiple of a time period selected from one of: a Discontinuous Reception (“DRX”) cycle, or a system information modification period. Despite these differences similar features have been seen involving the communication of control information in a wireless communication network. HE (“US 20190254110 A1”) teaches where a search space configuration of a DCI format includes a monitoring periodicity, wherein the monitoring periodicity is a multiple of a time period selected from a DRX cycle (“[0181] A search space set for a PDCCH conveying a DCI format providing a WUS can be configured to a UE by higher layers. The configuration can include the following parameters: a number of CCE aggregation levels, number of candidates per CCE aggregation level, monitoring periodicity, monitoring offset, and monitoring pattern within a slot. A configuration of the monitoring periodicity can also be omitted and it can then have a same value as the periodicity of the DRX cycle.”).
Thus based upon the teachings of HE, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KUANG in view of KIM’s search space configuration of the first DCI format, such that includes a monitoring periodicity, wherein the monitoring periodicity is one or multiple of a time period selected from one of: a Discontinuous Reception (“DRX”) cycle, or a system information modification period, as similarly seen in HE, in order to provide a benefit of an efficient monitoring period, by basing the monitoring period on a DRX cycle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 19, 23-25, are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims (due to the power-saving benefits provided by the claimed features).
Claim(s) 29, and 33-34 would be allowable pending resolution of the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 1st paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/TARELL A HAMPTON/Examiner, Art Unit 2476 /AYAZ R SHEIKH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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