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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see section II, with respect to claim 13 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claim 13 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments, see section V(A), with respect to claims 19 and 35 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant state that support is found in ¶ 123 and ¶ 73 of the specification. After a review of these paragraphs and Applicant’s arguments, the Examiner agrees that these paragraphs support a bandwidth for connected mode UEs. However, in the context of claim 19, this bandwidth for connected mode UEs is not “a first bandwidth of the RS transmission indicated by the RS configuration settings”. As shown in fig. 8, the first bandwidth is denoted by a gray rectangle which is not for connected mode UEs whereas the box on the right side of fig. 8 is a bandwidth for connected mode UEs.
Applicant's arguments, see section V(A), with respect to claim 26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant state that support is found in ¶ 115, ¶ 140-143, ¶ 193, and ¶ 198 of the specification. After a review of these paragraphs and Applicant’s arguments, they do not appear to show and/or discuss multiple connected mode RS resources configured by the RS configuration settings. Instead, these portions of the specification appears to discuss RS (which appears to be configured by RS configuration information) which appears to be different from RS resource(s) (e.g., ¶ 115 of the published specification recite “a device may determine a particular RS or subset of RSs to use from multiple RSs based on a RS resource with the lowest ID, a number of N RS resources with the N lowest IDs, all configured RS resources”).
Applicant's arguments, see section V(A), with respect to claims 33 and 35 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant state that support is found in ¶ 65, ¶ 92, ¶ 72, and ¶ 198 of the specification. After a review of these paragraphs and Applicant’s arguments, they do not appear to show and/or discuss “determining, by the network entity, reference signal (RS) configuration settings” “based on the RS configuration information for connected mode operations (which was transmitted by the network entity)”. Figure 12, which provides the closest support for the limitation, shows “determining, by the network entity, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode UEs”, but does have this determination based on any sort of RS configuration information for connected mode operations transmitted by the network entity.
Applicant's arguments, see section V(A), with respect to claim 36 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant state that support is found in ¶ 131 of the specification. After a review of this paragraph and Applicant’s arguments, they do not appear to show and/or discuss “determine, by the UE, the RS configuration settings” “based on RS SCS configuration information for the connected mode operations”. Although ¶ 131 of the specification appears to disclose “determine, by the UE, the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode” and “RS SCS configuration information for the connected mode operations”, this paragraph does not appear to show that a SCS of the RS being configured or determined by the devices/UEs based on a first SCS of the RS in the associated BWP of the connected mode UEs is the same as a second SCS of the active BWP for unconnected mode UEs. This paragraph appear to just state a relationship between the first and second SCSs, a first SCS of the RS in the associated BWP of the connected mode UEs is the same as a second SCS of the active BWP for unconnected mode UEs.
Applicant’s arguments, see section V(B), with respect to claims 10-16, 18-27, and 36-37 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) of claims 10-16, 18-27, and 36-37 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see section V(C)(1), with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 13, 23, and 28 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are partially persuasive (persuasive because of Applicant’s amendment to add new features and arguments with respect to the new features and not persuasive with respect to previously presented features). Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Laselva in view of Jung and in further view of Maleki as shown below.
Applicant's arguments see section V(C)(1), with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 33 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because Applicant’s arguments for claim 1 do not apply to claim 33 since claim 33 is of different scope from claim 1. However, in view of Applicant’s amendment to claim 33 to further narrow the scope of the claim, the Examiner withdraws the rejection.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(C)(2), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claims 2-4, 18, and 35 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(D), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claim 5 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(E), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claims 6-8 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(F), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claim 9 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(G), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claims 10-11 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(H), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claim 12 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(I), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claims 14-15, 24-25, 27, and 29 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(J), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claim 16 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(K), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claims 20-22 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(L), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claims 30-31 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(M), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claim 32 as shown below.
Applicant's arguments, in section V(N), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive because of the reasoning set forth above and the rejection for claim 37 as shown below.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that use the word “means” or “step” but are nonetheless not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph because the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure, materials, or acts to entirely perform the recited function. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “means for receiving…”, “means for determining…”, “means for transitioning…”, “means for monitoring…”, and “means for receiving…” in claim 23.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are not being interpreted to cover only the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant intends to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to remove the structure, materials, or acts that performs the claimed function; or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) does/do not recite sufficient structure, materials, or acts to perform the claimed function.
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) 1-16, 18-33, and 35-37 is/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.
Regarding claim 1, claim 1 has been amended to now include “determining, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations…information for the connected mode operations”. Applicant state that support is found in figs. 4, 6, and 7 and corresponding paragraphs, including at least ¶ 65 and ¶ 92. After a review of those sections of the specification and the rest of the specification, the specification does not appear to support this limitation. Claims 2-12 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 1 and are thus rejected under similar rationale. Claim 13 recite similar limitations of claim 1 and is thus rejected under similar rationale. Claims 14-16, 18-22, and 36-37 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 13 and are thus rejected under similar rationale. Claim 23 recite similar limitations of claim 1 and is thus rejected under similar rationale. Claims 24-27 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 23 and are thus rejected under similar rationale. Claim 28 recite similar limitations of claim 1 and is thus rejected under similar rationale. Claims 29-32 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 28 and are thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 19, claim 19 had been amended to now have “a first bandwidth” “for the connected mode UEs”. For the reasoning set forth above in Examiner’s remarks, the specification does not appear to support this limitation. Claim 35 recite similar limitations of claim 19 and is thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 26, claim 26 had been amended to now have “multiple connected …with a same SSB”. For the reasoning set forth above in Examiner’s remarks, the specification does not appear to support this limitation.
Regarding claim 33, the specification does not appear to support “determining…for the connected mode UEs…based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations”. Applicant state that support is found in figs. 4, 6, and 7 and corresponding paragraphs, including at least ¶ 65 and ¶ 92. After a review of those sections of the specification and the rest of the specification, the specification does not appear to support this limitation. Additionally, for the reasoning set forth above in Examiner’s remarks, the specification does not appear to support this limitation. Claim 35 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 33 and is thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 36, the specification does not appear to support “…based on RS SCS configuration information for the connected mode operations”. For the reasoning set forth above in Examiner’s remarks, the specification does not appear to support this limitation.
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.
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(s) 1-4, 13, 18, 23, 28, and 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20230246764 by Laselva et al. (hereinafter Laselva) in view of US 20190069256 by Jung et al. (hereinafter Jung) and in further view of US 20230198706 by Maleki et al. (hereinafter Maleki).
Regarding claim 13, Laselva teaches an apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:
a memory storing processor-readable code (fig. 1, memory(ies) 125; ¶ 26, one or more memories 125 include computer program code 123);
and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory (fig. 1, processor(s) 120 coupled to memory(ies) 125),
the at least one processor configured to (¶ 26, the one or more memories 125 and the computer program code 123 may be configured to, with the one or more processors 120, cause the user equipment 110 to perform one or more of the operations as described herein):
receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information (fig. 3, at step 1 UE 110, operating in RRC CONNECTED, receiving, in an RRC Release, both TRS/CSI-RS configuration and an additional RSs presence indication for at least reception and storage by the UE in RRC CONNECTED. Examiner correspond the entire contents of the RRC Release to the RS configuration information);
determine, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations based on the RS configuration information (¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity. Although not explicitly stated, since the UE performs monitoring based on received RS configuration, the UE must determine/identify the RS configuration at some point in time);
transition, by the UE, to an unconnected mode responsive to receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message by the UE (fig. 3, UE 110 operating in RRC_INACTIVE at step 320 from RRC CONNECTED in response to UE 110 receiving RRC Release at step 1);
monitor, by the UE, for a reference signal based on the RS configuration settings (¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity);
and receive, by the UE, a RS transmission in the unconnected mode based on the RS configuration settings (fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 85, In step 5, the serving cell 170 sends additional TRS/CSI-RS, in accordance with the configuration previously sent; ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laselva’s teachings with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although Laselva teachings the RS transmission, Laselva does not explicitly disclose a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of the RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs.
Jung in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of a RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs (¶ 68, if a connected mode UE is configured with a single BWP SCS which is different from a SCS of SS blocks (that may be predefined for a corresponding frequency band), SS blocks may not be transmitted on that BWP, but may be transmitted on another BWP configured with an SCS the same as the SCS of the SS block; ¶ 23, The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more”). By modifying Laselva’s teachings of the RS transmission with Jung’s teachings of a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of a RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs, the modification results in a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of the RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laselva’s teachings with Jung’s above teachings. The motivation is a UE to efficiently measure reference signal(s) (Jung ¶ 52).
Although the combination teaches receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information and determine, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations based on the RS configuration information and connected mode operations (Laselva fig. 3, RRC CONNECTED), the combination does not explicitly disclose receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations and determine, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations.
Maleki in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations (¶ 168, the wireless device receives the compact TRS IE from a network; ¶ 193, the compact TRS IE is available when the wireless device is in…connected mode; ¶ 142, the compact TRS configuration is applicable to both connected mode (e.g., RRC_Connected UEs) and idle mode UEs (e.g., RRC_Idle/Inactive UEs); ¶ 113, Wireless Communication Device: One type of communication device is a wireless communication device, which may be any type of wireless device that has access to (i.e., is served by) a wireless network (e.g., a cellular network). Some examples of a wireless communication device include, but are not limited to: a User Equipment device (UE)) and determine, by the UE in the connected mode, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations (¶ 193, the compact TRS IE is available when the wireless device is in…connected mode; ¶ 142, the compact TRS configuration is applicable to both connected mode (e.g., RRC_Connected UEs) and idle mode UEs (e.g., RRC_Idle/Inactive UEs); ¶ 168, the wireless device configures at least one TRS in accordance with the compact TRS IE; ¶ 100, FIG. 12 illustrates a more compact example of the TRS-Config IE; fig. 12, shows parameters such as startingRB, nrofRBs, powerControlOffsetSS, periodicityAndOffset, and qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS. Although not explicitly stated, since the wireless device configures at least one TRS in accordance with the compact TRS IE, the wireless device must determine/identify contents (such as the above parameters) of compact TRS IE/configuration which are for idle/inactive mode (which has operations/actions) and connected mode (which has operations/actions)). By modifying the combination’s teachings of receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information and determine, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations based on the RS configuration information and connected mode operations with Maleki’s teachings of receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations and determine, by the UE in the connected mode, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations, the modification results in receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations and determine, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Maleki’s above teachings. The motivation is significantly reducing network overhead (Maleki ¶ 67). Known work in one field of endeavor (Maleki prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one (Laselva prior art) based on design incentives (significantly reducing network overhead) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 18, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the RS configuration information does not include sub-carrier spacing (SCS) information for unconnected mode RS transmissions (Laselva ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity. As shown above, Laselva does not include any sort of SCS information for any unconnected mode RS transmissions).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Claim 1 recite similar limitations of claim 13 and is thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the RS transmission is a connected mode RS transmission or a dedicated unconnected mode RS transmission (Laselva fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE from serving gNB/cell).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Regarding claim 3, combination teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the unconnected mode is a RRC inactive mode or a RRC idle mode (Laselva fig. 3, UE 110 operating in RRC_INACTIVE at step 320).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the RS transmission is a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or a tracking reference signal (TRS) (Laselva fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Claim 23 recite similar limitations of claim 13 and is thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 28, Laselva teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising (¶ 26, one or more memories 125 include computer program code 123…the one or more memories 125 and the computer program code 123 may be configured to, with the one or more processors 120, cause the user equipment 110 to perform one or more of the operations as described herein; ):
receiving, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information (fig. 3, at step 1 UE 110, operating in RRC CONNECTED, receiving, in an RRC Release, both TRS/CSI-RS configuration and an additional RSs presence indication for at least reception and storage by the UE in RRC CONNECTED. Examiner correspond the entire contents of the RRC Release to the RS configuration information);
determining, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations based on the RS configuration information (¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity. Although not explicitly stated, since the UE performs monitoring based on received RS configuration, the UE must determine/identify the RS configuration at some point in time);
transitioning, by the UE, to an unconnected mode responsive to receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message by the UE (fig. 3, UE 110 operating in RRC_INACTIVE at step 320 from RRC CONNECTED in response to UE 110 receiving RRC Release at step 1);
monitoring, by the UE, for a reference signal based on the RS configuration settings (¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity);
and receiving, by the UE, a RS transmission in the unconnected mode based on the RS configuration settings (fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 85, In step 5, the serving cell 170 sends additional TRS/CSI-RS, in accordance with the configuration previously sent; ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laselva’s teachings with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although Laselva teachings the RS transmission, Laselva does not explicitly disclose a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of the RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs.
Jung in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of a RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs (¶ 68, if a connected mode UE is configured with a single BWP SCS which is different from a SCS of SS blocks (that may be predefined for a corresponding frequency band), SS blocks may not be transmitted on that BWP, but may be transmitted on another BWP configured with an SCS the same as the SCS of the SS block; ¶ 23, The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more”). By modifying Laselva’s teachings of the RS transmission with Jung’s teachings of a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of a RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs, the modification results in a first sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of the RS transmission is the same as a second SCS of an active bandwidth part (BWP) of connected mode UEs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laselva’s teachings with Jung’s above teachings. The motivation is a UE to efficiently measure reference signal(s) (Jung ¶ 52).
Although the combination teaches receiving, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information and determining, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations based on the RS configuration information and connected mode operations (Laselva fig. 3, RRC CONNECTED), the combination does not explicitly disclose receiving, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations and determining, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations.
Maleki in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations (¶ 168, the wireless device receives the compact TRS IE from a network; ¶ 193, the compact TRS IE is available when the wireless device is in…connected mode; ¶ 142, the compact TRS configuration is applicable to both connected mode (e.g., RRC_Connected UEs) and idle mode UEs (e.g., RRC_Idle/Inactive UEs); ¶ 113, Wireless Communication Device: One type of communication device is a wireless communication device, which may be any type of wireless device that has access to (i.e., is served by) a wireless network (e.g., a cellular network). Some examples of a wireless communication device include, but are not limited to: a User Equipment device (UE)) and determine, by the UE in the connected mode, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations (¶ 193, the compact TRS IE is available when the wireless device is in…connected mode; ¶ 142, the compact TRS configuration is applicable to both connected mode (e.g., RRC_Connected UEs) and idle mode UEs (e.g., RRC_Idle/Inactive UEs); ¶ 168, the wireless device configures at least one TRS in accordance with the compact TRS IE; ¶ 100, FIG. 12 illustrates a more compact example of the TRS-Config IE; fig. 12, shows parameters such as startingRB, nrofRBs, powerControlOffsetSS, periodicityAndOffset, and qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS. Although not explicitly stated, since the wireless device configures at least one TRS in accordance with the compact TRS IE, the wireless device must determine/identify contents (such as the above parameters) of compact TRS IE/configuration which are for idle/inactive mode (which has operations/actions) and connected mode (which has operations/actions)). By modifying the combination’s teachings of receiving, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information and determining, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations based on the RS configuration information and connected mode operations with Maleki’s teachings of receive, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations and determine, by the UE in the connected mode, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations, the modification results in receiving, by a user equipment (UE) in a connected mode, RS configuration information for connected mode operations and determining, by the UE, reference signal (RS) configuration settings for unconnected mode operations and the connected mode operations based on the RS configuration information for the connected mode operations.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Maleki’s above teachings. The motivation is significantly reducing network overhead (Maleki ¶ 67). Known work in one field of endeavor (Maleki prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one (Laselva prior art) based on design incentives (significantly reducing network overhead) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 36, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine, the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes to: determine, by the UE, the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode based on RS configuration information for the connected mode operations (Laselva fig. 3, at step 1 UE 110, operating in RRC CONNECTED, receiving, in an RRC Release, both TRS/CSI-RS configuration and an additional RSs presence indication for at least reception and storage by the UE in RRC CONNECTED; ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity. Although not explicitly stated, since the UE performs monitoring based on received RS configuration, the UE must determine/identify the RS configuration).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although Laselva teaches RS configuration information for the connected mode operations, Laselva does not explicitly disclose RS SCS configuration information for the connected mode operations.
Jung in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches RS configuration information include SCS information to have RS SCS configuration information (¶ 50, configuration parameters of a BWP may include numerology (e.g., subcarrier spacing)…the BWP may contain an SS block; ¶ 66, SCS of an SS block). By modifying Laselva’s teachings of RS configuration information for the connected mode operations with Jung’s teachings of RS configuration information include SCS information to have RS SCS configuration information, the modification results in RS SCS configuration information for the connected mode operations.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laselva’s teachings with Jung’s above teachings. The motivation is a UE to efficiently measure reference signal(s) (Jung ¶ 52).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20230084343 by Berggren et al. (hereinafter Berggren).
Regarding claim 5, the combination teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the RS transmission is a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or a tracking reference signal (TRS) (Laselva fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE), and further comprising: receiving, by the UE, a paging message based on the RS transmission (Laselva ¶ 41, before monitoring for paging in the POs, the UE has to perform tracking and downlink synchronization with the serving cell in time/frequency; ¶ 108, using by the user equipment the additional reference signals to synchronize with at least one of the one or more cells in order to be ready to monitor for a paging indication and/or a paging message in a paging occasion for the at least one cell; ¶ 120, the sending by the serving cell additional reference signals toward the user equipment is performed prior to transmission by the serving cell of a paging occasion toward the user equipment; ¶ 47, Among the many functions of TRS/CSI-RS in NR, in this context, these RSs support synchronization, time/frequency tracking for demodulation; ¶ 4, The UE has to synchronize with the cell in order to be able to receive the PO; fig. 3, shows serving gNB/cell 170 sending TRS/CSI-RS at step 5; ¶ 85, In step 5, the serving cell 170 sends additional TRS/CSI-RS, in accordance with the configuration previously sent).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although the combination teaches the UE, the unconnected mode and the paging message, the combination does not explicitly disclose switching, by the UE, from the unconnected mode to a connected mode based on the paging message.
Berggren in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches switching, by the UE, from the unconnected mode to a connected mode based on the paging message (¶ 68, transition 309 from the idle mode 302 or the inactive mode 303 to the connected mode 301 includes a RACH procedure. The RACH procedure may be triggered by paging signals, e.g., a paging indicator on PDCCH and a paging message on PDSCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Berggren’s above teachings. The motivation is providing a need for advanced techniques of re-acquiring synchronization with a communications network (Berggren ¶ 7).
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20230283427 by Fu.
Regarding claim 6, the combination teaches the method of claim 1, wherein determining the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes: receiving a message from a network entity (Laselva fig. 3, UE 110 receiving a message containing TRS/CSI-RS config from serving gNB/cell at #1); and determining the RS configuration settings based on the message (Laselva ¶ 66, TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity. Although not explicitly stated, since the UE performs monitoring based on received RS configuration, the UE must determine/identify the received RS configuration from the received message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although the combination teaches receiving a message from a network entity and determining the RS configuration settings based on the message and the unconnected mode, the combination does not explicitly disclose receiving a broadcast message from a network entity while operating in the unconnected mode or while connected to a second network entity; and determining the RS configuration settings based on the broadcast message.
Fu in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches receiving a broadcast message from a network entity while operating in an unconnected mode or while connected to a second network entity and determining RS configuration based on the broadcast message (¶ 60, When the base station sends the first parameter to the UE, it may send the first parameter to the UE by sending the system information to the UE. The system information includes the first parameter, i.e., the base station may send the system information carrying the first parameter to the UE. For example, the base station may broadcast the first parameter in the system information. Correspondingly, the UE in the RRC idle state receives the system information sent by the base station, in which the system information includes the first parameter. For example, the UE receives the first parameter sent by the base station by broadcasting the system information when the UE is in the idle state; ¶ 63, The first parameter obtained by the UE in the idle state can be used by the UE in the idle state to monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence). By modifying the combination’s teachings of receiving a message from a network entity and determining the RS configuration settings based on the message and the unconnected mode with Fu’s teachings of receiving a broadcast message from a network entity while operating in an unconnected mode or while connected to a second network entity and determining RS configuration based on the broadcast message, the modification results in receiving a broadcast message from a network entity while operating in the unconnected mode or while connected to a second network entity; and determining the RS configuration settings based on the broadcast message.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Fu’s above teachings. The motivation is unnecessary PO monitoring can be avoided and the effect of energy saving of the UE can be achieved and the UE can quickly perform a downlink synchronization with the base station, to better receive the paging DCI and its corresponding PDSCH (Fu ¶ 26).
Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches the method of claim 1,
wherein the RS configuration settings corresponds to a RS configuration provided to the UE in a connected mode (Laselva fig. 3, shows UE 110 receiving RRC Release while in RRC_CONNECTED; ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity),
and the method further comprising, prior to operating in the unconnected mode: receiving, by the UE, a RS configuration while in the connected mode from a network entity (Laselva fig. 3, shows UE 110 receiving RRC Release while in RRC_CONNECTED from serving gNB/cell and prior to going to RRC_INACTIVE; ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity);
and receiving, by the UE, the RRC release message from the network entity (Laselva fig. 3, shows UE 110 receiving RRC Release while in RRC_CONNECTED from serving gNB/cell and prior to going to RRC_INACTIVE).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although the combination teaches the UE, the connected mode, and the network entity and the UE operating in the connected mode prior to operating in the unconnected mode (see above), the combination does not explicitly disclose receiving, by the UE, a RS transmission while in the connected mode from the network entity.
Fu in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches receiving, by a UE, a RS transmission while in a connected mode from a network entity (¶ 64, TRS sequence and/or CSI-RS sequence sent by the base station to the UE for the channel estimation or time-frequency tracking when the UE is in the RRC connected state). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the UE, the connected mode, and the network entity with Fu’s teachings of receiving, by a UE, a RS transmission while in a connected mode from a network entity, the modification results in receiving, by the UE, a RS transmission while in the connected mode from the network entity.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Fu’s above teachings. The motivation is unnecessary PO monitoring can be avoided and the effect of energy saving of the UE can be achieved and the UE can quickly perform a downlink synchronization with the base station, to better receive the paging DCI and its corresponding PDSCH (Fu ¶ 26).
Regarding claim 8, the combination teaches the method of claim 7, wherein determining the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes: determining the RS configuration settings based on received RS settings information for the connected mode (Laselva fig. 3, shows UE 110 receiving RRC Release while in RRC_CONNECTED; ¶ 66, UE 110 receives the RRC Release with Suspend Indication that moves the UE to the RRC Inactive state 220. The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity. Although not explicitly stated, since the UE performs monitoring based on received RS configuration, the UE must determine/identify the RS configuration).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and Fu and in further view of US 20220322231 by Sun et al. (hereinafter Sun).
Regarding claim 9, the combination teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode (Laselva ¶ 66, The RRC Release with Suspend Indication message includes in this example TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state; ¶ 65, any of the following elements related to the TRS/CSI-RS configuration: density, number of ports, number of OFDM symbols, frequency domain allocation, and/or periodicity).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
Although the combination teaches the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode, the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode has a limited duration.
Sun in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches RS configuration settings for an unconnected mode has a limited duration (¶ 50, TRS configuration may include a TRS validity window. The TRS validity window may represent a time window; ¶ 44, TRS configuration information may indicate to the UE 110 that TRS may be configured for the UE 110 in RRC idle and/or RRC inactive state). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode with Sun’s teachings of RS configuration for an unconnected mode has a limited duration, the modification results in the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode has a limited duration.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Sun’s above teachings. The motivation is providing performance benefits with regard to the processing of subsequent control information (Sun ¶ 20).
Claim(s) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and Fu and in further view of US 20230254081 by He.
Regarding claim 10, the combination teaches the method of claim 7.
Although the combination teaches the UE, the RRC release message, and determining the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes: determining the RS configuration settings, the combination does not explicitly disclose receiving, by the UE, RS availability information in a message that is separate from the RRC release message, wherein determining the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes: determining the RS configuration settings based on the RS availability information.
He in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches receiving, by a UE, RS availability information in a message that is separate from a RRC release message and determining RS configuration settings based on the RS availability information (abstract, a terminal device receiving a public PDCCH…target information borne in the public PDCCH is used for indicating at least one of the following: resource information of a reference signal and monitoring occasion information of the reference signal; ¶ 131, the resources of CSI-RS and TRS…are shared with the terminal device in the RRC-Connected state; ¶ 132, in a case where the target information is at least used for indicating the resource information of the reference signals, the target information is specifically used for indicating that one or more resources in a first reference signal resource set are resources of the reference signal, or the target information is specifically used for indicating that one or more reference signal resource sets in a reference signal resource configuration are resources of the reference signal; ¶ 140, the terminal device detects the common PDCCH in the monitoring occasion of the common PDCCH and acquires the resource information of the reference signal based on the target information carried by the common PDCCH). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the UE, the RRC release message, and determining the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes: determining the RS configuration settings with He’s teachings of receiving, by a UE, RS availability information in a message that is separate from a RRC release message and determining RS configuration settings based on the RS availability information, the modification results in receiving, by the UE, RS availability information in a message that is separate from the RRC release message, wherein determining the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode includes: determining the RS configuration settings based on the RS availability information.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with He’s above teachings. The motivation is reducing system overhead and providing good backward compatibility (He ¶ 87).
Regarding claim 11, the combination teaches the method of claim 10, wherein the message that is separate from the RRC release message comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message (He abstract, a terminal device receiving a public PDCCH…target information borne in the public PDCCH; Laselva fig. 3, shows RRC Release).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with He’s teachings of the message that is separate from a RRC release message comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message. The motivation is reducing system overhead and providing good backward compatibility (He ¶ 87).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and Fu and He and in further view of US 20220131584 by Dalsgaard et al. (hereinafter Dalsgaard).
Regarding claim 12, the combination teaches the method of claim 10.
Although the combination teaches the RS availability information and the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode (Laselva ¶ 66, TRS/CSI-RS configuration for use in RRC Inactive and optionally an additional RSs presence indication; ¶ 73, the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state), the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS availability information indicates a particular RS resource from among a plurality of RS resources for the connected mode UEs, a particular RS resource set from among a plurality of RS resource sets for connected mode UEs, an expiration time for the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode, or a combination thereof.
Dalsgaard in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches RS availability information indicates an expiration time for RS configuration settings for an unconnected mode (¶ 134, NW can be configured to limit the time during which the CSI-RS configuration(s) is/are valid once the UE has entered INACTIVE state. These limits may be one of the following; ¶ 135, a fixed time; ¶ 136, a configured time (e.g. a value within the configuration that also provides the measured CSI-RS resources to UE); ¶ 137, a variable time depending on serving or other cell measurement results (e.g. serving cell measurement result being smaller than a threshold could cause the validity timer to expire or be shortened)). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS availability information and the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode with Dalsgaard’s teachings of RS availability information indicates an expiration time for RS configuration for an unconnected mode, the modification results in the RS availability information indicates a particular RS resource from among a plurality of RS resources for the connected mode UEs, a particular RS resource set from among a plurality of RS resource sets for connected mode UEs, an expiration time for the RS configuration settings for the unconnected mode, or a combination thereof.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Dalsgaard’s above teachings. The motivation is assisting a user equipment transition from a first radio resource control mode to a second radio resource control mode (Dalsgaard ¶ 19).
Claim(s) 14-15, 24-25, 27, and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20230019909 by Zhang et al. (hereinafter Zhang).
Regarding claim 14, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13.
Although the combination teaches the processor is further configured to and the UE in a connected mode (Laselva fig. 3), the combination does not explicitly disclose the processor is further configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates which RS resource is available when multiple RS resources have been configured for the UE in a connected mode.
Zhang in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a processor is configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates which RS resource is available when multiple RS resources have been configured for a UE in a connected mode (¶ 362, a processor 32, configured to invoke and execute the program instructions in the memory 31, to implement steps corresponding to the terminal device or a chip in the terminal device in the communication method in FIG. 1 to FIG. 17; abstract, receiving a second message from the network device. The second message indicates an availability of at least one second reference signal; ¶ 167, if the network device indicates availability of only some reference signals in the at least one configured second reference signal by using the second message; ¶ 210, a first information bit in the second message…first information bit may indicate availability of the q+r+1 second reference signals; ¶ 306, availability of all configured second reference signals can be indicated by using a small quantity of bits; ¶ 103, reference signal may be a reference signal resource that has been configured for a terminal device in the RRC connected mode; ¶ 156, the reference signal is a CSI-RS configured for the terminal device in the RRC connected mode is used…the CSI-RS is an existing resource configured by a cell for the terminal device in the RRC connected mode; ¶ 178, the terminal device may use the reference signal configured for the terminal device in the RRC connected mode; ¶ 110, a type of the second reference signal configured by the network device for the terminal device may include: at least one of a TRS, a CSI-RS, an SSB, or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS)). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the processor is further configured to and the UE in a connected mode with Zhang’s teachings of a processor is configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates which RS resource is available when multiple RS resources have been configured for a UE in a connected mode, the modification results in the processor is further configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates which RS resource is available when multiple RS resources have been configured for the UE in a connected mode.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Zhang’s above teachings. The motivation is reducing power consumption when a terminal device in an RRC idle mode or an RRC inactive mode or help improve processing performance of the terminal device or reduce configuration signaling overheads for the RRC idle/inactive mode (Zhang ¶ 5).
Regarding claim 15, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 14, wherein the multiple RS resources are indicated by a list of identifiers for the configured multiple RS resources (Zhang ¶ 230, network device configures four CSI-RS s as second reference signals indexed a CSI-RS 0, a CSI-RS 1, a CSI-RS 2, and a CSI-RS 3 respectively).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Zhang’s teachings of the multiple RS resources are indicated by a list of identifiers for the configured multiple RS resources. The motivation is reducing power consumption when a terminal device in an RRC idle mode or an RRC inactive mode or help improve processing performance of the terminal device or reduce configuration signaling overheads for the RRC idle/inactive mode (Zhang ¶ 5).
Regarding claim 24, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 23.
Although the combination teaches the RS transmission and each unconnected mode RS resource of multiple unconnected mode RS resources configured by the RS configuration settings (Laselva ¶ 66, 73, 97, and 65), the combination does not explicitly disclose quasi-colocation information for the RS transmission is indicated by TCI state information, and wherein each unconnected mode RS resource of multiple unconnected mode RS resources configured by the RS configuration settings is quasi-colocated with one synchronization signal block (SSB).
Zhang in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches quasi-colocation information for a RS transmission is indicated by TCI state information, and wherein each unconnected mode RS resource of multiple unconnected mode RS resources configured by RS configuration settings is quasi-colocated with one synchronization signal block (SSB) (¶ 187, QCL relationship may be generally configured by using a TCI state; ¶ 190, configure the QCL relationship between the at least one second reference signal and the SSB; ¶ 94, network device configures more reference signals for the terminal device…terminal devices in…the RRC inactive mode; ¶ 96, network device sends reference signals; ¶ 103, the terminal device may receive, from reference signals, a reference signal that is available in the beam/beam direction corresponding to the at least one SSB; ¶ 130, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle/inactive mode…second reference signals configured for the terminal device; ¶ 193, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle mode or the RRC inactive mode, the network device may configure a QCL source reference signal of the at least one second reference signal as an SSB. When the at least one second reference signal is associated with only one QCL source reference signal, the QCL source reference signal is an SSB. When the at least one second reference signal is associated with two QCL source reference signals, at least one QCL source reference signal is an SSB). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS transmission and each unconnected mode RS resource of multiple unconnected mode RS resources configured by the RS configuration settings with Zhang’s teachings of quasi-colocation information for a RS transmission is indicated by TCI state information, and wherein each unconnected mode RS resource of multiple unconnected mode RS resources configured by RS configuration settings is quasi-colocated with one synchronization signal block (SSB), the modification results in quasi-colocation information for the RS transmission is indicated by TCI state information, and wherein each unconnected mode RS resource of multiple unconnected mode RS resources configured by the RS configuration settings is quasi-colocated with one synchronization signal block (SSB).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Zhang’s above teachings. The motivation is reducing power consumption when a terminal device in an RRC idle mode or an RRC inactive mode or help improve processing performance of the terminal device or reduce configuration signaling overheads for the RRC idle/inactive mode (Zhang ¶ 5).
Regarding claim 25, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 24, wherein a particular RS resource quasi-colocated with one SSB has the same beam direction, beam width or both as the one SSB, and wherein the particular RS resource corresponds to the RS transmission (Zhang ¶ 203, the at least one second reference signal has a QCL relationship with the SSB… using the correspondence between the SSB and the beam/beam direction described in the foregoing content, the availability of the at least one second reference signal in the beam/beam direction corresponding to the at least one SSB; ¶ 7, at least one second reference signal in the beam/beam direction corresponding to the at least one SSB; ¶ 169, terminal device may receive the SSB and the CSI-RS in at least one beam/beam direction; Laselva fig. 3 and ¶ 73 and 85).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Zhang’s teachings of a particular RS resource quasi-colocated with one SSB has the same beam direction, beam width or both as the one SSB, and wherein the particular RS resource corresponds to a RS transmission. The motivation is reducing power consumption when a terminal device in an RRC idle mode or an RRC inactive mode or help improve processing performance of the terminal device or reduce configuration signaling overheads for the RRC idle/inactive mode (Zhang ¶ 5).
Regarding claim 27, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 24, wherein the multiple unconnected mode RS resources are configured for multiple SSBs, each unconnected mode RS resource corresponding to a different SSB (Zhang ¶ 227, Different second reference signals may have QCL relationships with different SSBs; ¶ 230, network device configures four CSI-RS s as second reference signals indexed a CSI-RS 0, a CSI-RS 1, a CSI-RS 2, and a CSI-RS 3 respectively. The CSI-RS 0 has a QCL relationship with the SSB 0, the CSI-RS 1 has a QCL relationship with the SSB 1, the CSI-RS 2 has a QCL relationship with the SSB 2, and the CSI-RS 3 has a QCL relationship with the SSB 3; ¶ 94, network device configures more reference signals for the terminal device…terminal devices in…the RRC inactive mode; ¶ 103, the terminal device may receive, from reference signals, a reference signal that is available in the beam/beam direction corresponding to the at least one SSB; ¶ 130, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle/inactive mode…second reference signals configured for the terminal device; ¶ 193, when the terminal device is in the RRC idle mode or the RRC inactive mode, the network device may configure a QCL source reference signal of the at least one second reference signal as an SSB. When the at least one second reference signal is associated with only one QCL source reference signal, the QCL source reference signal is an SSB. When the at least one second reference signal is associated with two QCL source reference signals, at least one QCL source reference signal is an SSB).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Zhang’s above teachings. The motivation is reducing power consumption when a terminal device in an RRC idle mode or an RRC inactive mode or help improve processing performance of the terminal device or reduce configuration signaling overheads for the RRC idle/inactive mode (Zhang ¶ 5).
Regarding claim 29, the combination teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein multiple RS transmissions are received by the UE (Laselva ¶ 73, In step 3, the UE in the RRC Inactive state 220 monitors for additional RSs, e.g., based on the received additional RSs configuration and (possible) presence indication; ¶ 97, receiving, in response to the sending, information of additional reference signal configuration to be used in the idle state or inactive state. In block 450, the user equipment 110 performs monitoring by the user equipment for additional reference signals according to the additional reference signal configuration; fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE; ¶ 85, In step 5, the serving cell 170 sends additional TRS/CSI-RS).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Laselva’s one or more other embodiments’ teachings. The motivation is providing flexibility and power saving for performing tracking and DL synchronization in time/frequency before paging monitoring (Laselva ¶ 48).
The combination does not explicitly disclose but Zhang in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches each RS transmission that is quasi-colocated with the same synchronization signal block (SSB) has the same beam (¶ 276, a plurality of second reference signals have QCL relationships with a same SSB; ¶ 203, the at least one second reference signal has a QCL relationship with the SSB… using the correspondence between the SSB and the beam/beam direction described in the foregoing content, the availability of the at least one second reference signal in the beam/beam direction corresponding to the at least one SSB; ¶ 7, at least one second reference signal in the beam/beam direction corresponding to the at least one SSB; ¶ 169, terminal device may receive the SSB and the CSI-RS in at least one beam/beam direction).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Zhang’s above teachings. The motivation is reducing power consumption when a terminal device in an RRC idle mode or an RRC inactive mode or help improve processing performance of the terminal device or reduce configuration signaling overheads for the RRC idle/inactive mode (Zhang ¶ 5).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20230336298 by Wagner.
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13.
Although the combination teaches the processor is further configured to and when the UE enters a RRC inactive or idle mode, the combination does not explicitly disclose the processor is further configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates an expiration time in paging cycles during which RS resource of multiple RS resources is available when the UE enters a RRC inactive or idle mode.
Wagner in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a processor is configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates an expiration time in paging cycles during which RS resource of multiple RS resources is available when a UE enters a radio resource control (RRC) inactive or idle mode (¶ 8, a UE is in idle mode; ¶ 75, Although not shown in detail any of the devices or apparatus that form part of the network may include at least a processor, a storage unit and a communications interface, wherein the processor unit, storage unit, and communications interface are configured to perform the method of any aspect of the present invention; ¶ 43, UEs…waking up for paging occasions, will be in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode, for which TRS are not currently available. The following disclosure sets out processes to make TRS available in those RRC modes such that they can be utilised by a UE waking up for a paging occasion; ¶ 44, TRS are a UE-specific configuration of a CSI-RS and are configured via NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet with the parameter trs-Info set to true. The configuration is referred to below as TRS-ResourceSet. Each UE may be configured with multiple TRS-ResourceSets; ¶ 51, The configuration of TRS for use in RRC_IDLE/INACTIVE may be communicated using higher layer (RRC) signalling, for example as part of the SIB transmission; ¶ 53, A window is therefore defined during which the base station might transmit TRS. The window is associated with a PO for which the UEs may wake up, and hence align with the period during which TRS may be useful for that PO…Only TRS occasions falling inside the TRS window are utilised by the base station, hence removing transmissions at times that are not considered useful for assisting the UEs; ¶ 56, the base station transmits TRS in one or more TRS occasions within the TRS window, and the base station does not transmit TRS in TRS occasions falling outside of that window. The TRS occasions may be defined by TRS-ResourceSets defined RRC_CONNECTED mode and shared with RRC_IDLE/INACTIVE mode; ¶ 59, a TRS window may be provided at a period of a defined number of DRX/paging cycles if no relevant UEs are paged within a defined period…TRS windows may be configured by RRC signalling). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the processor is further configured to and when the UE enters a RRC inactive or idle mode with Wagner’s teachings of a processor is configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates an expiration time in paging cycles during which RS resource of multiple RS resources is available when a UE enters a radio resource control (RRC) inactive or idle mode, the modification results in the processor is further configured to: receive RS availability information, wherein the RS availability information indicates an expiration time in paging cycles during which RS resource of multiple RS resources is available when the UE enters a RRC inactive or idle mode.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Wagner’s above teachings. The motivation is reducing power consumption when UEs wake up to receive paging messages (Wagner ¶ 43).
Claim(s) 20-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20230283427 by Fu and in further view of US 20220255680 by Moon et al. (hereinafter Moon).
Regarding claim 20, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13.
Although the combination teaches the RS transmission is a CSI-RS or a TRS (Laselva fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE), the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS transmission is a CSI-RS or a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE, wherein a starting resource block (RB) of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4, and wherein bandwidth of associated BWP of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4.
Fu in the same or similar field of endeavor a RS transmission is a CSI-RS or a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE (¶ 62, monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter includes at least one of: monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter when in the idle state; or monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter when in a connected state; ¶ 63, UE in the idle state to monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence, or can be used by the UE in the connected state to monitor the IRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence; ¶ 64, the UE, in the idle state, may monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter obtained when the UE is in the idle state, and the UE, in the connected state, may also monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter obtained when the UE is in the idle state). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS transmission is a CSI-RS or a TRS with Fu’s teachings of a RS transmission is a CSI-RS or a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE, the modification results in the RS transmission is a CSI-RS or a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Fu’s above teachings. The motivation is unnecessary PO monitoring can be avoided and the effect of energy saving of the UE can be achieved and the UE can quickly perform a downlink synchronization with the base station, to better receive the paging DCI and its corresponding PDSCH (Fu ¶ 26).
Although the combination teaches the connected mode UE, the combination does not explicitly disclose a starting resource block (RB) of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4, and wherein bandwidth of associated BWP of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4.
Moon in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a starting resource block (RB) of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of a connected mode UE is not in steps of 4, and wherein bandwidth of associated BWP of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4 (¶ 56, A terminal operating in an RRC connected state may acquire configuration information of a bandwidth part from the base station through terminal-specific higher layer signaling…the configuration information of the bandwidth part may include information indicating a position of a start PRB of the bandwidth part and information indicating the number of PRBs constituting the bandwidth part. At least one bandwidth part among bandwidth part(s) configured in the terminal may be activated). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the connected mode UE with Moon’s teachings of a starting resource block (RB) of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of a connected mode UE is not in steps of 4, and wherein bandwidth of associated BWP of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4, the modification results in a starting resource block (RB) of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4, and wherein bandwidth of associated BWP of the connected mode UE is not in steps of 4.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Moon’s above teachings. The motivation is providing efficient signal transmission/reception (Moon ¶ 3-4).
Regarding claim 21, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13.
Although the combination teaches the RS transmission is a CSI-RS (Laselva fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE), the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS transmission is a CSI-RS monitored by a connected mode UE, and wherein a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is less than 24 resource blocks (RBs).
Fu in the same or similar field of endeavor a RS transmission is a CSI-RS monitored by a connected mode UE (¶ 62, monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter includes at least one of: monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter when in the idle state; or monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter when in a connected state; ¶ 63, UE in the idle state to monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence, or can be used by the UE in the connected state to monitor the IRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence; ¶ 64, the UE, in the idle state, may monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter obtained when the UE is in the idle state, and the UE, in the connected state, may also monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter obtained when the UE is in the idle state). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS transmission is a CSI-RS with Fu’s teachings of a RS transmission is a CSI-RS monitored by a connected mode UE, the modification results in the RS transmission is a CSI-RS monitored by a connected mode UE.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Fu’s above teachings. The motivation is unnecessary PO monitoring can be avoided and the effect of energy saving of the UE can be achieved and the UE can quickly perform a downlink synchronization with the base station, to better receive the paging DCI and its corresponding PDSCH (Fu ¶ 26).
Although the combination teaches the connected mode UE, the combination does not explicitly disclose a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is less than 24 resource blocks (RBs).
Moon in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of a connected mode UE is less than 24 resource blocks (RBs) (¶ 56, A terminal operating in an RRC connected state may acquire configuration information of a bandwidth part from the base station through terminal-specific higher layer signaling…the configuration information of the bandwidth part may include information indicating a position of a start PRB of the bandwidth part and information indicating the number of PRBs constituting the bandwidth part. At least one bandwidth part among bandwidth part(s) configured in the terminal may be activated; ¶ 49, a bandwidth occupied by one RB; ¶ 50, the RB may mean a physical RB (PRB)…the RB constituting the bandwidth part may be referred to as a PRB). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the connected mode UE with Moon’s teachings of a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of a connected mode UE is less than 24 resource blocks (RBs), the modification results in a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is less than 24 resource blocks (RBs).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Moon’s above teachings. The motivation is providing efficient signal transmission/reception (Moon ¶ 3-4).
Regarding claim 22, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13.
Although the combination teaches the RS transmission is a TRS (Laselva fig. 3, shows at step 5, the UE 110 receiving TRS/CSI-RS while still in RRC_INACTIVE), the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS transmission is a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE, and wherein a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is less than 52 resource blocks (RBs).
Fu in the same or similar field of endeavor a RS transmission is a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE (¶ 62, monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter includes at least one of: monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter when in the idle state; or monitoring the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter when in a connected state; ¶ 63, UE in the idle state to monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence, or can be used by the UE in the connected state to monitor the IRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence; ¶ 64, the UE, in the idle state, may monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter obtained when the UE is in the idle state, and the UE, in the connected state, may also monitor the TRS sequence and/or the CSI-RS sequence based on the first parameter obtained when the UE is in the idle state). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS transmission is a TRS with Fu’s teachings of a RS transmission is a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE, the modification results in the RS transmission is a TRS monitored by a connected mode UE.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laselva’s teachings with Fu’s above teachings. The motivation is unnecessary PO monitoring can be avoided and the effect of energy saving of the UE can be achieved and the UE can quickly perform a downlink synchronization with the base station, to better receive the paging DCI and its corresponding PDSCH (Fu ¶ 26).
Although the combination teaches the connected mode UE, the combination does not explicitly disclose a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is less than 52 resource blocks (RBs).
Moon in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of a connected mode UE is less than 52 resource blocks (RBs) (¶ 56, A terminal operating in an RRC connected state may acquire configuration information of a bandwidth part from the base station through terminal-specific higher layer signaling…the configuration information of the bandwidth part may include information indicating a position of a start PRB of the bandwidth part and information indicating the number of PRBs constituting the bandwidth part. At least one bandwidth part among bandwidth part(s) configured in the terminal may be activated; ¶ 49, a bandwidth occupied by one RB; ¶ 50, the RB may mean a physical RB (PRB)…the RB constituting the bandwidth part may be referred to as a PRB). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the connected mode UE with Moon’s teachings of a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of a connected mode UE is less than 52 resource blocks (RBs), the modification results in a bandwidth of an associated bandwidth part (BWP) of the connected mode UE is less than 52 resource blocks (RBs).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Moon’s above teachings. The motivation is providing efficient signal transmission/reception (Moon ¶ 3-4).
Claim(s) 30-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20220095268 by Oh et al. (hereinafter Oh).
Regarding claim 30, the combination teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28.
Although the combination teaches the RS configuration settings, the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS configuration settings include a periodicity setting, a power control offset setting, or both.
Oh in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches RS configuration settings include a periodicity setting, a power control offset setting, or both (¶ 412, a reference signal used in the idle/inactive mode is named an IRS. The IRS may be configured on the basis of a TRS, a CSI-RS, or a predetermined RS, or a TRS or a CSI-RS transmitted in the idle/inactive mode may be named an IRS; ¶ 426, BS may provide configuration information for the IRS for terminals in the idle mode through higher-layer signaling. The configuration information for the IRS may include various pieces of configuration information required to monitor the corresponding IRS by the terminal. For example, the following information may be included; ¶ 432, periodicityAndOffset). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS configuration settings with Oh’s teachings of RS configuration settings include a periodicity setting, a power control offset setting, or both, the modification results in the RS configuration settings include a periodicity setting, a power control offset setting, or both.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Oh’s above teachings. The motivation is effectively transmitting and receiving a reference signal in idle and inactive modes (Oh ¶ 388).
Regarding claim 31, the combination teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the RS configuration settings include the periodicity setting, and wherein the periodicity setting comprises a periodicityAndOffset resource (Laselva ¶ 66, TRS/CSI-RS configuration; Oh ¶ 426, BS may provide configuration information for the IRS for terminals in the idle mode through higher-layer signaling. The configuration information for the IRS may include various pieces of configuration information required to monitor the corresponding IRS by the terminal. For example, the following information may be included; ¶ 432, periodicityAndOffset).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Oh’s teachings of RS configuration settings include the periodicity setting, and wherein the periodicity setting comprises a periodicityAndOffset resource. The motivation is effectively transmitting and receiving a reference signal in idle and inactive modes (Oh ¶ 388).
Claim(s) 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and Oh and in further view of US 20230142355 by Xu et al. (hereinafter Xu).
Regarding claim 32, the combination teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30.
Although the combination teaches the RS configuration settings (Laselva ¶ 66, TRS/CSI-RS configuration) and the RS transmission and a quasi-colocated synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission (Oh ¶ 375, TRS may be QCLed with an SSB) and that a SSB comprise SSS (Oh ¶ 90, An SS/PBCH block may be a physical layer channel block including…a Secondary SS (SSS)), the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS configuration settings include the power control offset setting, wherein the power control offset setting comprises a powerControlOffset resource, and wherein the powerControlOffset resource indicates a power difference between the RS transmission and associated paging PDCCH and paging PDSCH messages or a power difference between the RS transmission and a quasi-colocated synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission.
Xu in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches RS configuration settings include power control offset setting, wherein the power control offset setting comprises a powerControlOffset resource, and wherein the powerControlOffset resource indicates a power difference between a RS transmission and a SSS (¶ 127, NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE IE may comprise the following parameters…powerControlOffsetSS (i.e., a field that specifies the power difference between CSI-RS and Secondary Synchronization Signal (SS); abstract, transmitting the CSI-RS). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS configuration settings and the RS transmission and a quasi-colocated synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission and knowing that a SSB comprise SSS with Xu’s teachings of RS configuration settings include power control offset setting, wherein the power control offset setting comprises a powerControlOffset resource, and wherein the powerControlOffset resource indicates a power difference between a RS transmission and a SSS, the modification results in the RS configuration settings include the power control offset setting, wherein the power control offset setting comprises a powerControlOffset resource, and wherein the powerControlOffset resource indicates a power difference between the RS transmission and associated paging PDCCH and paging PDSCH messages or a power difference between the RS transmission and a quasi-colocated synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Xu’s above teachings. The motivation is improving paging procedures (Xu ¶ 1).
Claim(s) 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laselva and Jung and Maleki and in further view of US 20230142355 by Xu et al. (hereinafter Xu).
Regarding claim 37, the combination teaches the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first SCS of the RS transmission is the same as the second SCS of the active BWP of the connected mode UEs (see rejection of claim 13).
Although the combination teaches the RS transmission, the combination does not explicitly disclose the RS transmission is a NZP CSI-RS.
Xu in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches a RS transmission is a NZP CSI-RS (¶ 117, types of CSI-RS that may be also be used for UEs in a reduced power state, such as the RRC_INACTIVE or RRC_IDLE states include: the NZP CSI-RS (which could be used, if configured)). By modifying the combination’s teachings of the RS transmission with Xu’s teachings of a RS transmission is a NZP CSI-RS, the modification results in the RS transmission is a NZP CSI-RS.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Xu’s above teachings. The motivation is improving paging procedures (Xu ¶ 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 33 would be allowable if Applicant persuasively provides support within the specification for this claim that overcome 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.
Claims 19, 26 and 35 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph and if Applicant persuasively provides support within the specification for these claims that overcome 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the amendments made to independent claim 33 and not Applicant’s arguments (which are unpersuasive) with respect to claim 33 indicates the reason(s) claim 33 is patentable over the prior arts of record.
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.
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/PETER P CHAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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