DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Status
This office action is in response to the communication(s) filed on 06/18/2026.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-8, 14-15, and 21-23 is/are currently presenting for examination.
Claim(s) 1 and 14 is/are independent claim(s).
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-8, 14-15, and 21-23 is/are rejected.
This action has been made FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 06/18/2026 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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 teachd 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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) 1-2, 6-8, 14-15, and 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US_20230328840_A1_Cheng in view of US_20200337110_A1_Kim (Hereinafter, “Kim-10”), US_20150105062_A1_Quan, and US_20230269820_A1_Kang.
Regarding claim 1, Cheng teaches a discontinuous reception (DRX) processing method, performed by a terminal (Cheng figures 3, 16-17) and comprising: sending DRX configuration preference information to a network-side device (Cheng figure 3 step 305, figure 16 step 1605, paragraph 153, “At 305, the UE 115-e may transmit sidelink DRX information to the base station 105-b, for example, via a Uu interface. The UE 115-e may transmit the sidelink DRX information in UE-assistance information (UAI). The sidelink DRX information may indicate a DRX preference, which may include a DRX cycle, an active duration of a DRX cycle, an offset period prior to the active duration of the DRX cycle, a DRX inactivity timer, a DRX retransmission timer, etc. …”); wherein the DRX configuration preference information is used to assist the network-side device in configuring at least one of sidelink (SL) DRX or Uu DRX for the terminal (Cheng figure 3 step 310, figure 16 step 1610, paragraph 154, “At 310, the base station 105-b may determine a sidelink DRX configuration, for example, based on the received sidelink DRX information from the UE 115-e…”),
but does not teaches wherein before sending the DRX configuration preference information to the network-side device, the method further comprises: determining whether a first condition for sending the DRX configuration preference information is satisfied; and in a case that the first condition is satisfied, sending the DRX configuration preference information to the network-side device; wherein the first condition comprises DRX assistance information having changed; wherein the DRX assistance information comprises at least the DRX configuration preference information, and wherein the DRX configuration preference information comprises at least one of following: Uu DRX being preferentially guaranteed or SL DRX being preferentially guaranteed; whether switching of SL resource allocation mode is allowed; quality of service (QoS) being preferentially guaranteed; or whether wake-up of SL DRX is allowed.
Kim-10 from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein before sending the DRX configuration preference information to the network-side device, the method further comprises: determining whether a first condition for sending the DRX configuration preference information is satisfied (Kim-10 paragraph 24, “…transmitting preference information of the terminal to the base station when a predetermined condition is satisfied…”); and in a case that the first condition is satisfied, sending the DRX configuration preference information to the network-side device (Kim-10 paragraph 24, “…transmitting preference information of the terminal to the base station when a predetermined condition is satisfied…”); wherein the DRX assistance information comprises at least the DRX configuration preference information (Kim-10 paragraph 228, “… in the operation of the step S702-1, when at least one condition (or selectively combined conditions) among the conditions listed below is satisfied, the terminal may request transition of the DRX operation (e.g., transition between the non-DRX operation and the DRX operation) or change of the DRX configuration parameters to the base station, or transmit to the base station a connection reconfiguration request message for requesting to stop (or deactivate) the measurement/measurement reporting operation or change the configuration parameters for the measurement/measurement reporting operation (S703). In addition, the terminal may generate the above-described preference information (e.g., UE preference information or UE assist information), and may transmit the preference information to the base station 702 by including it in the connection reconfiguration request message or together with the connection reconfiguration request message”).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Kim-10 into Cheng, since Cheng suggests a technique for the UE transmitting the sidelink DRX information indicate a DRX preference to the base station, and Kim-10 suggests the beneficial way of transmitting preference information of the terminal to the base station when a predetermined condition is satisfied so that/thus the terminal can reduce power consumption (Kim-10 paragraph 24) in the analogous art of communication.
Cheng and Kim-10 do not teach wherein the first condition comprises DRX assistance information having changed; and wherein the DRX configuration preference information comprises at least one of following: Uu DRX being preferentially guaranteed or SL DRX being preferentially guaranteed; whether switching of SL resource allocation mode is allowed; quality of service (QoS) being preferentially guaranteed; or whether wake-up of SL DRX is allowed.
Quan from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the first condition comprises DRX assistance information having changed (Quan paragraph 76, “In this embodiment, before the second condition is met, the UE is not allowed to send the UE assistance information to a base station”, paragraph 79, “In addition, the second condition may further be that only when content of the UE assistance information is changed, the UE can again send the UE assistance information, for example, a power saving preference of the UE is changed.…”).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Quan into Cheng and Kim-10, since Cheng and Kim-10 suggest a technique for the UE transmitting the sidelink DRX information indicate a DRX preference to the base station, and Quan suggests the beneficial way of the UE can again send the UE assistance information when a power saving preference of the UE is changed so that/thus reducing the signaling overhead (Quan paragraph 73) in the analogous art of communication.
Cheng, Kim-10 and Quan do not teach wherein the DRX configuration preference information comprises at least one of following: Uu DRX being preferentially guaranteed or SL DRX being preferentially guaranteed; whether switching of SL resource allocation mode is allowed; quality of service (QoS) being preferentially guaranteed; or whether wake-up of SL DRX is allowed.
Kang from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the DRX configuration preference information comprises at least one of following: Uu DRX being preferentially guaranteed or SL DRX being preferentially guaranteed (Kang paragraph 189, “…The SL DRX operation parameter preference information may include at least one or a combination of pieces of information in Table 4 below…”, Table 4, “sl-drx-ul-drx-alignment-Preference (when UE prefers correspondence between SL DRX configuration and Uu DRX configuration…”); whether switching of SL resource allocation mode is allowed; quality of service (QoS) being preferentially guaranteed (Kang paragraph 180, “…The SL DRX operation parameter preference information may include at least one or a combination of pieces of information in Table 3 below…”, Table 3, “SL-QoS-Profile”; and paragraph 189, “…The SL DRX operation parameter preference information may include at least one or a combination of pieces of information in Table 4 below…”, Table 4, “SL-QoS-Profile”); or whether wake-up of SL DRX is allowed.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Kang into Cheng, Kim-10 and Quan, since Cheng, Kim-10 and Quan suggest a technique for the UE transmitting the sidelink DRX information indicate a DRX preference to the base station, and Kang suggests the beneficial way of the SL DRX operation parameter preference information may include SL-QoS-Profile and sl-drx-ul-drx-alignment-Preference so that/thus the base station can determines the DRX parameters according to the UE’s preference information (Kang paragraphs 33, 193) in the analogous art of communication.
Regarding claim 2, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the method according to claim 1, and Cheng further teaches wherein the DRX configuration preference information comprises at least one of following: power saving being preferentially guaranteed; or offset relative to SL DRX on-duration (Cheng paragraph 153, “At 305, the UE 115-e may transmit sidelink DRX information to the base station 105-b, for example, via a Uu interface. The UE 115-e may transmit the sidelink DRX information in UE-assistance information (UAI). The sidelink DRX information may indicate a DRX preference, which may include a DRX cycle, an active duration of a DRX cycle, an offset period prior to the active duration of the DRX cycle, a DRX inactivity timer, a DRX retransmission timer, etc. …The UE 115-e may determine the DRX preference based at least in part on a relay service or QoS requirements of pending data traffic at the UE 115-e, or both”).
Regarding claim 6, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the method according to claim 1, and Cheng further teaches further comprising: receiving configuration information sent by the network-side device (Cheng figure 16, step 1610); and Quan further teaches wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of following: first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to send the DRX assistance information (Quan paragraph 79, “…the base station indicates, in the RRC message or a MAC layer message whether the UE assistance information is allowed to be (again) reported…”); or a time length of the prohibit timer.
Regarding claim 7, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the method according to claim 6, and Cheng further teaches wherein the receiving the configuration information sent by the network-side device comprises: receiving a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message or system information block (SIB) sent by the network-side device; wherein the RRC reconfiguration message or the SIB carries the configuration information (Cheng paragraph 35, “…receiving a system information block (SIB) or an RRC reconfiguration message including the group sidelink DRX configuration”, also see paragraphs 143, 146).
Regarding claim 8, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the method according to claim 1, and Kim-10 further teaches wherein the sending the DRX configuration preference information to the network-side device comprises: if the first condition is satisfied when the terminal is in a current serving cell, sending the DRX configuration preference information in the current serving cell (Kim-10 figure 7 step s703, paragraph 24, and paragraph 186, “The terminal may transmit at least part of the following preference information (i.e., UE preference information) to the serving base station (or cell) in consideration of the low power consumption operation of the terminal”); or if the first condition is not satisfied when the terminal is in the current serving cell, reselecting to or handing over to a cell satisfying the first condition, and sending the DRX configuration preference information.
Regarding claim 14, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the limitations as set forth in claim 1, and Cheng further teaches a terminal, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor (Cheng figure 11).
Regarding claim 15, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the limitations as set forth in claim 2.
Regarding claim 21, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the limitations as set forth in claim 6.
Regarding claim 22, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the limitations as set forth in claim 7.
Regarding claim 23, Cheng, Kim-10, Quan and Kang teach the limitations as set forth in claim 8.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEIBIN HUANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3695. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30AM - 6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sujoy Kundu can be reached at (571)272-8586. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/W.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2471
/SUJOY K KUNDU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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