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 .
This Office Action is in response to claim amendment filed on December 16, 2025 and wherein claims 1, 4, 6-7, 10 and 17-20 being currently amended, claims 13-16 being cancelled, and claims 21-24 being new added.
In virtue of this communication, claims 1-12, 17-24 are currently pending in this Office Action.
The Office appreciates the explanation of the amendment and analyses of the prior arts, and however, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993) and MPEP 2145.
Response to Arguments
With respect to the rejection of claims 17, 18 under 35 USC §112(b), as set forth in the previous Office Action, the claims amendment, and argument, see page 7 in Remarks filed on December 16, 2025, have been fully considered and the argument is persuasive. Therefore, the rejection of claims 17 and 18 under 35 USC § 112(b), as set forth in the previous Office Action, has been withdrawn.
Applicant argue “AKKARA fail to disclose "limit unicast receiving or sending" or "limit broadcast or multicast receiving or sending related to the first terminal," as recited in amended claim 1” (Remarks, pages 7-8) have been fully considered and the argument is not persuasive.
AKKARA disclose configured monitoring duration time is corresponding to link type, see paragraph [0079], “the SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542, the configured duration of the SL inactivity timer 552 may be specific for a direction of transmission, a link with a second UE, a link type, a traffic type…A new duration of the inactivity timer 550 or the inactivity timer 432 may depend on the link for the received grant”. AKKARA further disclose link type to identify unicast, groupcast, or broadcast, see paragraph [0077], “ The monitoring component 146 may be configured with a SL RTT timer 540 and a SL ReTx timer 542 for monitoring retransmissions for a HARQ process …The SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a link type (e.g., unicast, groupcast, broadcast), a traffic type
(e.g., QoS class)”. Wherein link type is serving the similar function as identify whether the link is unicast or broadcast.
Based on the aforementioned reasoning, therefore, the Applicant’s argument is not
persuasive. Further, the new ground(s) of rejection is necessitated by the applicant amendment. The Office has thoroughly reviewed Applicants' arguments but firmly believes that the cited references to reasonably and properly meet the claimed limitations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1- 12, 18, 20-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.102(a)(2) as being anticipated by AKKARA et al. (US 20240073992 A1, hereinafter AKKARA).
Claim 1: AKKARA teaches A processing method, performed by a first terminal (Fig. 1, Fig. 5, element 104-a, Fig. 10, element 104-a. [0032-0033]), wherein the method comprises: obtaining a first configuration (Fig.5 elements 520, Fig. 10, elements 1020), wherein the first configuration comprises one or more active times ([0129], “receiving, from a base station, a first sidelink grant for a transmission between the first UE and a second UE”, [0134-0143], disclose the configuration include configured duration for the sidelink inactivity timer, a configured duration for an inactivity timer for a link between the first UE and the base station, duration of the sidelink round trip time timer, the configured duration of the sidelink retransmission timer RxT, on duration in which the first UE monitors for grants, an off duration in which the first UE does not monitor for grants, a short cycle duration and a short cycle timer that are specific for a sidelink and etc. [0219], “receive, from a base station, a sidelink resource configuration indicating physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)/physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) occasions on which to monitor a PSCCH for a grant from a second UE”, [0242], “wherein the active time for monitoring the PSCCH includes the PSCCH/PSSCH occasions”. Fig. 7, 8, illustrating
sidelink DRX timing diagram. Fig. 4, illustrating timing diagram of an example of DRX operation for a link between a base station and a UE).
wherein a type of the first configuration comprises at least one of a first type or a second type, wherein the first configuration of the first type is used to limit unicast receiving or sending corresponding to the first configuration of the first type, and wherein the first configuration of the second type is used to limit broadcast or multicast receiving or sending related to the first terminal ([0077], “The monitoring component 146 may be configured with a SL RTT timer 540 and a SL ReTx timer 542 for monitoring retransmissions for a HARQ process …The SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a link type (e.g., unicast, groupcast, broadcast), a traffic type (e.g., QoS class)”, [0079], “the SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542, the configured duration of the SL inactivity timer 552 may be specific for a direction of transmission, a link with a second UE, a link type, a traffic type…A new duration of the inactivity timer 550 or the inactivity timer 432 may depend on the link for the received grant”).
Claim 20 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1, and AKKARA further teaches A terminal (Fig. 3, element 350, Fig. 1, Fig. 5, element 104-a, Fig. 10, element 104a), comprising: a memory storing computer-readable instructions (Fig. 3, element 360,[0065], “a memory 360 that stores program codes and data. The memory 360 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium”); and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor (Fig. 3, element 359,[0065-0066], [0113-0126] wherein The controller/processor 359 can be associated with a memory 360 to perform the operations).
Claim 22 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1, and AKKARA further teaches a network side device (Fig. 1, Fig. 5, element 102, Fig. 10, element 102. [0032], “A first UE may receive, from a base station, a first sidelink grant for a transmission between the first UE and a second UE”).
Claim 2: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a second configuration based on the first configuration, wherein the second configuration comprises a sensing time or a selection time ([0032], “if the UE is no longer in DRX active time during the SL RTT timer, the UE may not monitor for another grant. After the RTT timer, the UE may monitor a configured duration of a sidelink retransmission (ReTX) timer from an end of the sidelink RTT timer. The UE may allow start of a DRX mode after the duration of the sidelink ReTX timer if a second grant is not received during the sidelink ReTX timer”, wherein determining start of a DRX mode based on configured RTT timer and/or ReTX timer is reading as “determining a selection time”. [0034], “A first UE may receive, from a base station, a sidelink resource
configuration indicating PSCCH/PSSCH occasions on which to monitor the PSCCH for a grant from a second UE. The first UE may identify an active time for monitoring the PSCCH based on a DRX mode for a link with the base station … the first UE may notify the second UE when the first UE is the active state either via an awake indication or a response to a ping from the second UE. In another aspect, the first UE may start a sidelink specific HARQ round trip timer in response to a sidelink transmission to determine whether to monitor the PSCCH for a retransmission grant”. Wherein “identify an active time for monitoring the PSCCH” is reading as “determining a sensing time”).
Claim 3: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein a periodicity of the first configuration is a common multiple or a common divisor of a first periodicity ([0139], “wherein the configured duration of the sidelink round trip time timer and the configured duration of the sidelink retransmission timer are specific for a link with the second UE”, wherein RTT and ReTx are common for first and second UE ); a periodicity of the first configuration corresponds to a first periodicity ([0072], “The UE 104 may be configured with a long DRX cycle 410 and a short DRX cycle 420”, [0143], “the DRX mode is defined by
a set of parameters including a short cycle duration and a short cycle timer that are specific for a sidelink”); or a periodicity of the first configuration corresponds to a first periodicity range, wherein the first periodicity comprises at least one of the following: a reservation periodicity (alternative); a sensing periodicity ([0072], “may include an on duration 412 during which the UE 104 monitors a PDCCH for grants and an off portion 414 during which the UE 104 may not monitor the PDCCH for grants”) or step size (alternative); or a feedback resource periodicity (alternative).
Claim 4: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more active times comprise at least a first active time and a second active time, and wherein the first active time is used for receiving or sending (Fig. 4, [0072], “The long DRX cycle 410 may include an on duration 412 during which the UE 104 monitors a PDCCH for grants and an off portion 414 during which the UE 104 may not monitor the PDCCH for grants. When the UE 104 receives a grant for a new transmission (e.g., grant 430), the UE 104 may start an inactivity timer 432”, [0073], “If the transmission is an uplink transmission, the RTT timer 440 may start at the end of the transmission. If the transmission is a downlink transmission, the RTT timer 440 may start at the end of an ACK/NACK for the transmission”), or the second active time is used for receiving or sending (alternative).
Claim 5: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the second active time is not longer than the first active time; a ratio of a length of the first active time to a length of the second active time is an integer (Fig. 4, [0072], “the UE 104 may start the short DRX cycle 420 including the on duration 422, which may be different than the on duration 412 of the long DRX cycle, and the off portion 424, which may be different than the off portion 414 of the long DRX cycle”, giving both longer and shot DRX is configurable, the ratio can be any configured value, including the integer); or the first active time overlaps at least partially with the second active time (alternative).
Claim 6: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the one or more active times comprise the first active time at least used for receiving (Fig. 4, [0072], “The long DRX cycle 410 may include an on duration 412 during which the UE 104 monitors a PDCCH for grants and an off portion 414 during which the UE 104 may not monitor the PDCCH for grants”) and the second active time at least used for sending (Fig. 5, Fig. 9, [0092], “the sidelink DRX component 140 and/or the communication component 144 to communicate the transmission according to the sidelink grant 520, 522. For example, the communication component 144 may transmit the PSCCH 530 and the PSSCH 532 in response to a SL Tx grant 520. As another example, the communication component 144 may receive the PSCCH 530 and the PSSCH 532 in response to the SL Rx grant 522 and transmit the PSFCH 534 or PUCCH 536 in response to the PSSCH 532.”, [0143], “the DRX mode is defined by a set of parameters including a short cycle duration and a short cycle timer that are specific for a sidelink”, wherein the short cycle duration for sidelink is reading as second active time); wherein the first active time corresponds to or comprises at least a part of resources of the sensing time (Fig. 4, [0072], “The long DRX cycle 410 may include an on duration 412 during which the UE 104 monitors a PDCCH for grants and an off portion 414 during which the UE 104 may not monitor the PDCCH for grants”, [0035], “the resources for transmitting on the PSCCH may be considered active time for the DRX mode. In another aspect, the first UE may select resources for transmitting on the PSCCH that are within the active time of the DRX mode”, [0033], “the base station (e.g., gNB) may configure PSCCH/PSSCH occasions on which the UE is to monitor a PSCCH for a sidelink grant from a second UE for receiving the PSSCH … The time-domain resources may be defined as a number of slots or number of symbols”); or wherein the second active time corresponds to or comprises at least a part of resources of the selection time (alternative).
Claim 7: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the active time comprises the first active time at least used for receiving and the second active time at least used for sending, and the method further comprises: determining a resource within the second active time based on a sensing result within the first active time (Fig. 4, Fig. 12, [0110], “The activity component 124 may start the inactivity timer 432 in response to the grant 430. When the inactivity timer 432 stops, the activity component 124 may enter a short DRX
cycle 420 including an on duration 422”, [0111], “Although a portion of the ReTx timer 442 is within the off portion of the short DRX cycle 420, the UE 104 may monitor for the retransmission during the ReTx timer 442, so that portion may be considered active state 450. The UE 104 may be in inactive state 452 for a remaining portion of the short DRX cycle 420 and resume active state 450 during the next on duration 422”. Combining [0110] and [0111], Wherein determining the active state based on the long DRX cycle (the first active time). [0112], disclose determining PSCCH monitor based on PSCCH/PSSCH occasions and active state).
Claim 8: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the first configuration is a specific first configuration, and one or more of the following pieces of information are received or sent within the second active time: a data packet of a second terminal, wherein the second terminal and the first terminal are not in a same group; that no connection has been established between the second terminal and the first terminal (Fig. 5, element 530, 532,534, [0076], “the communication component 144 of the first UE 104-a may transmit the sidelink transmission via the transmitter component 512 as a PSSCH 532 according to the SL Tx grant 520 and the PSCCH 530”, [0078], “The monitoring component 146 may begin monitoring the SL RTT timer 540 for a HARQ process of a sidelink transmission from the UE 104-a in a symbol after the transmission (e.g., the PSSCH 532)”. Fig. 10, element 1030, 1032, [0102], “The transmitter component 512 of the first UE 104-a may transmit the PSCCH 1030 using configured Tx resources 1054 … At the second UE 104-b, the activity component 124 may identify an active time 1062 based on the DRX mode for the Uu link with the base station 102”) ; or the second terminal is another terminal other than a peer terminal of the first terminal; a broadcast message; and a message about a specific service (alternative).
Claim 9: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the second active time is an active time other than the first active time (Fig. 5, [0080], “The DRX controller 148
may be configured with a DRX SL on duration 560 and a SL short DRX cycle 562, which may be different than either the long DRX cycle 410, the short DRX cycle 420, the
long DRX on duration 412, or the short DRX on duration 422 for the Uu link”), or is an extension of the first active time (alternative).
Claim 10: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 2, wherein determining the second configuration based on the first configuration comprises at least one of the following: determining, based on one or more active time, a sensing periodicity, or step size, and the sensing time (Fig. 4, Fig. 11, Fig. 13, element 1320, [0115], “identifying an active time for monitoring the PSCCH based on a DRX mode for a link with the base station … the activity component 124 may identify the active time 1062 as discussed above regarding FIG. 4 and FIG. 11”, [0072-0074], disclose the method of determining active and /or inactive timer for monitoring, transmission, [0102], “At the second UE 104-b, the activity component 124 may identify an active time 1062 based on the DRX mode for the Uu link with the base station 102”, [0076], “the communication component 144 of the first UE 104-a may transmit the sidelink transmission via the transmitter component 512 as a PSSCH 532 according to the SL Tx grant 520 and the PSCCH 530”), or the selection time in the second configuration (alternative), or when an arrival time of a data packet, Transport Block (TB), Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) (alternative), or message is not within the active time of the first configuration, adjusting a time for sending or a time for determining a resource for the data packet, TB, MAC PDU (alternative), or message, such that the time for sending or the time for determining the resource for the data packet, TB, MAC PDU (alternative), or message overlaps at least partially with the active time (alternative).
Claim 11: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: obtaining a sensing result of at least a part of or all the first configuration (Fig. 5, element 534, [0076], “The communication component 144 of the second UE 104-b may determine whether the PSCCH 530 was correctly received and transmit an ACK/NACK. For example, the second UE 104-b may transmit the ACK/NACK via either the PSFCH 534 to the first UE 104-a or a PUCCH 536 to the base station 102”); and determining a resource based on the sensing result (alternative), or at least the part of or all the first configuration ([0078], “the UE 104-a may monitor for either the PSFCH 534 and/or a SL Tx grant 520 indicating a retransmission during the SL ReTx timer 542 …. If a retransmission is scheduled, the transmitting UE 104-a may transmit a second PSSCH 572”, wherein retransmission is determined based on PSFCH 534 and/or new SL grant. [0035], “the resources for transmitting on the PSCCH may be considered active time for the DRX mode. In another aspect, the first UE may select resources for transmitting on the PSCCH that are within the active time of the DRX mode”, [0033], “the base station (e.g., gNB) may configure PSCCH/PSSCH occasions on which the UE is to monitor a PSCCH for a sidelink grant from a second UE for receiving the PSSCH … The time-domain resources may be defined as a number of slots or number of symbols”).
Claim 12: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: when determining a resource for initial transmission of one data packet, Transport Block (TB), Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), or message, determining, within a third active time of the first configuration, the resource for initial transmission of the data packet, TB, MAC PDU, or message (alternative); or
when determining a resource for retransmission of one data packet, TB, MAC PDU, or message, determining, within a fourth active time of the first configuration, the resource for retransmission of the data packet, TB, MAC PDU, or message (Fig. 5, [0078], “the UE 104-a may monitor for either the PSFCH 534 and/or a SL Tx grant 520 indicating a retransmission during the SL ReTx timer 542. Similarly, the UE 104-b may monitor for a second PSCCH 570 and/or another SL Rx grant 522 for a retransmission during the SL ReTx timer 542. If a retransmission is scheduled, the transmitting UE 104-a may transmit a second PSSCH 572 and the UEs 104-a, 104-b may monitor the SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 again”, [0035], “the resources for transmitting on the PSCCH may be considered active time for the DRX mode. In another aspect, the first UE may select resources for transmitting on the PSCCH that are within the active time of the DRX mode”, [0033], “the base station (e.g., gNB) may configure PSCCH/PSSCH occasions on which the UE is to monitor a PSCCH for a sidelink grant from a second UE for receiving the PSSCH … The time-domain resources may be defined as a number of slots or number of symbols”).
Claim 18: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein a type of an active time from one or more active times in the first configuration is a logical time; and a quantity of resource pools of the first terminal that are configured with the first configuration is N, wherein N is greater than or equal to 1, and the first terminal performs transmission in one resource pool configured with the first configuration ([0040], “The start of a DRX mode may refer to following a configured DRX ON/OFF pattern. For mode 2 scheduling, the sidelink DRX component 140 may include a configuration component 122 configured to receive, from the base station 102, a sidelink resource configuration indicating PSCCH/PSSCH occasions on which to monitor a PSCCH for a grant from a second UE”, [0033], “the base station (e.g., gNB) may configure PSCCH/PSSCH occasions on which the UE is to monitor a PSCCH for a sidelink grant from a second UE for receiving the PSSCH … The time-domain resources may be defined as a number of slots or number of symbols”, [0035], “the resources for transmitting on the PSCCH may be considered active time for the DRX mode. In another aspect, the first UE may select resources for transmitting on the PSCCH that are within the active time of the DRX mode”).
Claim 21: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration of the first type comprises one or more of dedicated sidelink (SL) discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration, connection-based SL DRX configuration, SL DRX configuration with associated terminal information, SL DRX configuration used for at least one of unicast or multicast ([0077], “The monitoring component 146 may be configured with various timers or durations of time for determining whether the UE 104 is in a DRX mode and whether the UE 104 should monitor for a grant … the SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a direction of the transmission (e.g. transmit and receive). The SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a link with the second UE 104-b (and different for a link with a third UE). The SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a link type (e.g., unicast, groupcast, broadcast), a traffic type (e.g., QoS class)”), or dynamic SL DRX configuration (alternative), and the first configuration of the second type comprises one or more of common SL DRX configuration (alternative), no-connection SL DRX configuration ([0077], “The monitoring component
146 may be configured with various timers or durations of time for determining whether the UE 104 is in a DRX mode and whether the UE 104 should monitor for a grant … The SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a link with the second UE 104-b (and different for a link with a third UE). The SL RTT timer 540 and the SL ReTx timer 542 may be specific for a link type (e.g., unicast, groupcast, broadcast), a traffic type (e.g., QoS class)”), SL DRX configuration without associated terminal information (alternative), SL DRX configuration used for at least one of broadcast or multicast (alternative), or periodic SL DRX configuration (alternative).
Claim 23 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 22 and claim 21.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 17, 19 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AKKARA et al. (US 20240073992 A1, hereinafter AKKARA) in view of Huang et al. (US 20210227604 A1, hereinafter Huang).
Claim 17: AKKARA teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein a type of the active time in the first configuration is a physical time ([0040], “The sidelink DRX component
140 may include a monitoring component 146 configured to monitor a configured duration of a sidelink round trip time timer from the transmission and monitors a configured duration of a sidelink retransmission timer from an end of the sidelink round trip time timer”);
However, AKKARA does not explicitly teach an offset of the active time is an offset relative to a preset direct frame number or a preset system frame number.
Huang, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches an offset of the active time is an offset relative to a preset direct frame number or a preset system frame number ([0257], “drx-LongCycleStartOffset: the Long DRX cycle and drx-StartOffset which defines the subframe where the Long and Short DRX Cycle starts”.[0290], “1> if the Short DRX Cycle is used, and [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset) modulo (drx-ShortCycle)”. [0291], “1> if the Long DRX Cycle is used, and [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset”).
AKKARA and Huang are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of wireless communication. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the PSSCH/PSCCH occasions configuration of AKKARA with the features of adding frame related offset as taught by Huang, for the benefit of more straightforward and easily to select resource among resource pool based on relative position.
Claim 24 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 22 and claim 17.
Claim 19: AKKARA does not explicitly teach the method according to claim 1, wherein an offset of an active time from the one or more active times is any one of the following: an offset of relative to a sidelink resource, in a resource pool corresponding to the first configuration, closest to a preset direct frame number or a preset system frame number;an offset relative to the sidelink resource, in a resource pool corresponding to the first configuration, after the direct frame number or the system frame number is preset; or an offset relative to the preset direct frame number or the preset system frame number.
Huang, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein an offset of the active time is any one of the following: an offset of relative to a sidelink resource, in a resource pool corresponding to the first configuration, closest to a preset direct frame number or a preset system frame number;an offset relative to the first sidelink resource, in a resource pool corresponding to the first configuration, after the direct frame number or the system frame number is preset; or an offset relative to the preset direct frame number or the preset system frame number ([0257], “drx-LongCycleStartOffset: the Long DRX cycle and drx-StartOffset which defines the subframe where the Long and Short DRX Cycle starts”.[0290], “1> if the Short DRX Cycle is used, and [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset) modulo (drx-ShortCycle)”. [0291], “1> if the Long DRX Cycle is used, and [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset”, [0292], “2> start drx-onDurationTimer after drx-SlotOffset from the beginning of the subframe”).
The motivation for combining AKKARA and Huang regarding to the claim 17 is also applied to claim 19.
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 YONGHONG ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)272-4089. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 9:00 am - 5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NICHOLAS JENSEN can be reached on (571) 270-5443. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Y.Z./Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/NICHOLAS A JENSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472
Prosecution Insights