DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/13/2025 has been entered.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0023195) in view of He (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0352757)
Referring to Claim 1, Kim discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) (par 179, terminal), comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to (par 179, terminal): receive, from a network entity, control signaling indicating a timer configuration for operation of a timer at the UE associated with a discontinuous transmission pattern at the network entity (par 179, configuration, timer for performing DTX operation), wherein the control signaling further indicates that the network entity will operate in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern for a period of time (pars 179, 186, and 187, DTX, time), and wherein the discontinuous transmission pattern indicates that the network entity cycles between an active transmission mode and an inactive transmission mode during the period of time (pars 179 and 186, DTX cycle, on/inactivity); communicate, with the network entity, a transmission that initiates the timer (par 179, communication, timer); and operate the timer during the period of time in accordance with the timer configuration (par 179, timer form performing DTX operation).
However, Kim does not disclose transmit to network entity a transmission that initiates a timer.
In the same field of endeavor, He discloses transmit to network entity a transmission that initiates a timer (par 29 and 61, transmit and initiate timer).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate transmit to network entity a transmission that initiates a timer, as taught by He, in the apparatus of Kim, for the purpose of effectively conserving power without relying on authorization from the network entity (He, Abstract and par 29).
Referring to Claim 2 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to receive the control signaling are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: receive a first control message indicating the timer configuration (Kim, par 179, timer); and receive a second control message indicating that the network entity will operate in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern for the period of time (Kim, pars 178-180, additional information, e.g. DTX time).
Referring to Claim 3 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to operate the timer in accordance with the timer configuration are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: stop the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the inactive transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern; and reset the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the active transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern (Kim, pars 164, 179, and 229, start time/timer; Also, stop/release).
Referring to Claim 4 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to operate the timer in accordance with the timer configuration are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: pause the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the inactive transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern; and resume the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the active transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern (Kim, pars 164, 179, 186 and 229, start time/timer; Also, inactivity, stop/release).
Referring to Claim 5 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to operate the timer in accordance with the timer configuration are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: operate the timer using a second value for the timer different than a first value for the timer associated with the active transmission mode, the second value indicated in the timer configuration (Kim, par 179, offset indicating a corresponding time point; time).
Referring to Claim 6 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to operate the timer in accordance with the timer configuration are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: implement the timer configuration based at least in part on the network entity being in the inactive transmission mode for at least a threshold duration of a timer duration of the timer (Kim, pars 179 and 186, timer, inactivity).
Referring to Claim 7 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: communicate, with the network entity, a second transmission that initiates a second timer; and run the second timer in accordance with the timer configuration (Kim, pars 179 and 186, inactivity timer; also, offset).
Referring to Claim 8 as applied to Claim 7 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the timer configuration indicates a first configuration for the timer and a second configuration for the second timer (Kim, par 179, configuration).
Referring to Claim 9 as applied to Claim 1 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: communicate a second transmission with the network entity based on an expiration of the timer in accordance with the timer configuration (Kim, pars 179, 186, and 187, communication after DTX time).
Referring to Claim 10, Kim discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a network entity (par 179, network node), comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories coupled with the processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to (par 179, network node): transmit, to a user equipment (UE), control signaling indicating a timer configuration for operation of a timer at the UE associated with a discontinuous transmission pattern at the network entity (par 179, configuration, timer for performing DTX operation), wherein the control signaling further indicates that the network entity will operate in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern for a period of time (pars 179, 186, and 187, DTX, time), and wherein the discontinuous transmission pattern indicates that the network entity cycles between an active transmission mode and an inactive transmission mode during the period of time (pars 179 and 186, DTX cycle, on/inactivity); communicate, with the UE, a transmission that initiates a timer at the UE (par 179, communication, timer); and monitor for a transmission from the UE during the period of time based at least in part on the timer configuration (pars 179, 186, and 187, receiving from terminal).
However, Kim does not disclose receive from UE a transmission that initiates a timer at the UE.
In the same field of endeavor, He discloses receive from UE a transmission that initiates a timer at the UE (par 29 and 61, UE transmits and initiate timer).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate receive from UE a transmission that initiates a timer at the UE, as taught by He, in the apparatus of Kim, for the purpose of effectively conserving power without relying on authorization from the network entity (He, Abstract and par 29).
Referring to Claim 11 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: transmit, to a second network entity, second control signaling indicating the timer configuration (Kim, pars 179 and par 142, configuring parameters to terminal(s); also, par 211).
Referring to Claim 12 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to transmit the control signaling are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: transmit a first control message indicating the timer configuration (Kim, par 179, timer); and transmit a second control message indicating that the network entity will operate in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern for the period of time (Kim, pars 178-180, additional information, e.g. DTX time).
Referring to Claim 13 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to transmit the control signaling are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: transmit the control signaling indicating the timer configuration indicating for the UE to stop the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the inactive transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern and for the UE to reset the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the active transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern (Kim, pars 164, 179, and 229, start time/timer; Also, stop/release).
Referring to Claim 14 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to transmit the control signaling are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: transmit the control signaling indicating the timer configuration indicating for the UE to pause the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the inactive transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern and for the UE to resume the timer based at least in part on the network entity entering the active transmission mode in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern (Kim, pars 164, 179, 186 and 229, start time/timer; Also, inactivity, stop/release).
Referring to Claim 15 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to transmit the control signaling are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: transmit the control signaling indicating the timer configuration indicating for the UE to use a second value for the timer different than a first value for the timer associated with the active transmission mode of the network entity, the second value indicated in the timer configuration (Kim, par 179, offset indicating a corresponding time point; time).
Referring to Claim 16 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions to operate the timer in accordance with the timer configuration are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: transmit the control signaling indicating the timer configuration indicating for the UE to implement the timer configuration based at least in part on the network entity being in the inactive transmission mode for at least a threshold duration of a timer duration of the timer (Kim, pars 179 and 186, timer, inactivity).
Referring to Claim 17 as applied to Claim 10 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: communicating, with the UE, a transmission that initiates a second timer at the UE in accordance with the timer configuration, wherein monitoring for the transmission comprises monitoring for the transmission based at least in part on the timer, the second timer, and the timer configuration (Kim, pars 179 and 186, inactivity timer; also, offset).
Referring to Claim 18 as applied to Claim 17 above, Kim as modified discloses the apparatus, wherein the timer configuration indicates a first configuration for the timer and a second configuration for the second timer (Kim, par 179, configuration).
Referring to Claim 19, Kim discloses a method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) (par 179, terminal), comprising: receiving, from a network entity, control signaling indicating a timer configuration for operation of a timer at the UE associated with a discontinuous transmission pattern at the network entity (par 179, configuration, timer for performing DTX operation), wherein the control signaling further indicates that the network entity will operate in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern for a period of time (pars 179, 186, and 187, DTX, time), and wherein the discontinuous transmission pattern indicates that the network entity cycles between an active transmission mode and an inactive transmission mode during the period of time (pars 179 and 186, DTX cycle, on/inactivity); communicating, with the network entity, a transmission that initiates the timer (par 179, communication, timer); and operating the timer during the period of time in accordance with the timer configuration (par 179, timer form performing DTX operation).
However, Kim does not disclose transmit to network entity a transmission that initiates a timer.
In the same field of endeavor, He discloses transmit to network entity a transmission that initiates a timer (par 29 and 61, transmit and initiate timer).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate transmit to network entity a transmission that initiates a timer, as taught by He, in the method of Kim, for the purpose of effectively conserving power without relying on authorization from the network entity (He, Abstract and par 29).
Referring to Claim 20 as applied to Claim 19 above, Kim as modified discloses the method, wherein receiving the control signaling comprises: receiving a first control message indicating the timer configuration (Kim, par 179, timer); and receiving a second control message indicating that the network entity will operate in accordance with the discontinuous transmission pattern for the period of time (Kim, pars 178-180, additional information, e.g. DTX time).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1, 10, and 19 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by amendment. See the above rejection with cited prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAIL KHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7187. The examiner can normally be reached on M-TH 8:30am-6:30pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached on 5712727915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. 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.
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/Suhail Khan/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642