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 .
Priorities and Examiner Remarks
This application claims priority from provisional application 63369390 (filed 07/26/2022).
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/14/2026 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, 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.
Claims 1, 5-6, 14, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZOU et al. (US 20220256468, hereinafter ZOU), in view of ELSHAFIE et al. (US 20230370968, hereinafter ELSHAFIE).
Regarding claim 1,
ZOU teaches a method, comprising (in general, see section including, but not limited to, paragraphs 5-14 in view of fig. 4 and its paragraphs):
receiving, by a processor of an apparatus, a minimum broadcast reference signal (RS) from a network node (ZOU, see at least para. 7 along with para. 57, “...The wireless device may be a user equipment device configured to operate in a cellular communications network, and in this case the periodic reference signal may be a signal broadcast by the cellular communications network...”);
performing, by the processor, basic downlink (DL) measurement based on the minimum broadcast RS (ZOU, see at least para. 11, for one non-limiting example, “...The auxiliary receiver may further comprise a spectrum sensing circuit, configured for measuring a power of signals across a wider bandwidth than said periodic reference signal...”);
receiving or transmitting, by the processor, an on-demand RS from or to the network node (ZOU, see at least para. 12 along with para. 55, for one example, “...The main receiver may be configured to wake up for paging and/or measurement opportunities...”, note that for another example, receiver wakes up to receive and decode Synchronization Signal Block (SSB));
and
performing, by the processor, additional DL or uplink (UL) measurement based on the on-demand RS (ZOU, see at least para. 12 along with para. 52, for one example, “...The main receiver may be configured to wake up for paging and/or measurement opportunities...”, note that for another example, “...the main receiver wakes up, for example for receiving paging signals and/or for making neighbouring cell measurements...”),
wherein the minimum broadcast RS is received via a low-power receiver, and the on-demand RS is received via a high-power receiver (ZOU, see at least para. 11-12 in view of para. 6, “...The auxiliary receiver may further comprise a spectrum sensing circuit, configured for measuring a power of signals across a wider bandwidth than said periodic reference signal, ... The main receiver may be configured to wake up for paging and/or measurement opportunities, and not to wake up when said periodic reference signal is broadcast...”, note that “...The auxiliary receiver may have lower power consumption than the main receiver...”).
ZOU does not specifically teach receiving or transmitting, by the processor, an on-demand RS from or to the network node in a case that a triggering condition is fulfilled.
ELSHAFIE teaches receiving or transmitting, by the processor, an on-demand RS from or to the network node in a case that a triggering condition is fulfilled (ELSHAFIE, in general, see fig. 7 and corresponding paragraphs; in particular, see at least para. 121, for one non-limiting example, “...In some aspects, the WUS or reference signal (for example, received by the UE 120 in the second operation 720) may include an indication that the UE 120 is to monitor a synchronization signal, such as an SSB...”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate ZOU into ELSHAFIE to increase the efficiency and power-saving of DRX operation by reducing the quantity of times that the UE 120 transitions to the active state.
Regarding claim 5,
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE teaches claim 1.
ZOU does not teach reporting, by the processor, capability information indicating whether the apparatus supports the on-demand RS to the network node; receiving, by the processor, configuration of time and frequency resources for the on-demand RS from the network node; and receiving, by the processor, configuration of the triggering condition from the network node.
ELSHAFIE teaches
reporting, by the processor, capability information indicating whether the apparatus supports the on-demand RS to the network node (ELSHAFIE, see at least para. 103, “...the UE 120 may transmit (for example, to the network node 110 or to another network node) a capability report intended for the network node 110. ... For example, the capability report may indicate that the UE 120 is capable of monitoring or receiving wakeup signaling or other signaling via a low power receiver component (for example, the first receiver component 705), such as when the wakeup signaling or the other signaling includes enhanced information (for example, cell barring information, downlink buffer status report information, or an indication to monitor a synchronization signal, among other examples), as described in more detail elsewhere herein...”);
receiving, by the processor, configuration of time and frequency resources for the on-demand RS from the network node (ELSHAFIE, see at least para. 101, “...For example, the configuration information may indicate that the WUS or the reference signal is to carry information associated with cell barring information, downlink buffer status report information, or an indication to monitor a synchronization signal (for example, an SSB)...”, note that monitoring occasions refers to, for example, time-frequency resources to be monitored); and
receiving, by the processor, configuration of the triggering condition from the network node (ELSHAFIE, see at least para. 101 along with para. 121, “...For example, the configuration information may indicate that the WUS or the reference signal is to carry information associated with cell barring information, downlink buffer status report information, or an indication to monitor a synchronization signal (for example, an SSB)...”, note that “...In some aspects, the WUS or reference signal (for example, received by the UE 120 in the second operation 720) may include an indication that the UE 120 is to monitor a synchronization signal, such as an SSB...”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate ZOU into ELSHAFIE to increase the efficiency and power-saving of DRX operation by reducing the quantity of times that the UE 120 transitions to the active state.
Regarding claim 6,
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE teaches claim 1.
ZOU does not teach transmitting, by the processor, a request triggering the on-demand RS to the network node in the case that the triggering condition is fulfilled; or receiving, by the processor, an indication of triggering the on-demand RS from the network node.
ELSHAFIE teaches transmitting, by the processor, a request triggering the on-demand RS to the network node in the case that the triggering condition is fulfilled; or receiving, by the processor, an indication of triggering the on-demand RS from the network node (ELSHAFIE, see at least para. 101 along with para. 121, “...For example, the configuration information may indicate that the WUS or the reference signal is to carry information associated with cell barring information, downlink buffer status report information, or an indication to monitor a synchronization signal (for example, an SSB)...”, note that “...In some aspects, the WUS or reference signal (for example, received by the UE 120 in the second operation 720) may include an indication that the UE 120 is to monitor a synchronization signal, such as an SSB...”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate ZOU into ELSHAFIE to increase the efficiency and power-saving of DRX operation by reducing the quantity of times that the UE 120 transitions to the active state.
Regarding claims 14, 18, and 19, these claims are rejected for the same reasoning as claims 1, 5, and 6, respectively, except each of these claims is in apparatus claim format.
To be more specific, ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE also teaches a same or similar apparatus comprising processor, transceiver, and memory (ZOU, see at least fig. 1), which are well known in the art and commonly used for providing and enabling robust and reliable data communication hardware and software.
Claims 2-3, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE, and further in view of REIAL et al. (US 20220369137, hereinafter REIAL).
Regarding claim 2,
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE teaches claim 1.
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE does not teach wherein the triggering condition indicates at least one of the following: a signal quality of a serving cell is less than or equal to a first threshold; and a mobility of the apparatus is greater than a second threshold.
REIAL teaches wherein the triggering condition indicates at least one of the following: a signal quality of a serving cell is less than or equal to a first threshold; and a mobility of the apparatus is greater than a second threshold. (REIAL, see at least para. 31, for one non-limiting example, “...In particular embodiments, the SSS receiver may be gated to the current best SSB (e.g., highest signal quality) in the cell or perform measurements on all SSBs in the burst. The criterion for movement detection may be e.g. a change exceeding a threshold in best SSB signal strength, or a change in relative strengths of multiple SSBs in the burst...”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate REIAL into ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE to improve the data rate, latency, and/or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, relaxed restriction on file size, better responsiveness, extended battery lifetime, etc.
Regarding claim 3,
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE teaches claim 1.
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE does not teach wherein the basic DL measurement is performed for at least one of the following: an initial cell search; a time or frequency synchronization; a beam management; a radio link monitoring (RLM); and a radio resource management (RRM); and wherein the additional DL or UL measurement is performed for at least one of the following: a link or beam recovery; a handover procedure; and a radio resource management (RRM).
REIAL teaches
wherein the basic DL measurement is performed for at least one of the following: an initial cell search; a time or frequency synchronization; a beam management; a radio link monitoring (RLM); and a radio resource management (RRM) (REIAL, see at least para. 12-14, for one non-limiting example, “...performing a link characterization measurement in the low-power mode using a low-power radio...”); and
wherein the additional DL or UL measurement is performed for at least one of the following: a link or beam recovery; a handover procedure; and a radio resource management (RRM). (REIAL, see at least para. 2 and 29, for one non-limiting example, “...RRM measurement can be relaxed during the stationary period, i.e. allowing a UE to perform RRM measurement less frequently or even to skip a particular number of measurements. This reduces UE energy consumption for RRM measurements and increases UE battery life. On the other hand, when a stationary UE leaves a stationary state, i.e. transitions into a mobility state, the UE should scale up its RRM frequency to preserve RRM robustness...”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate REIAL into ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE to improve the data rate, latency, and/or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, relaxed restriction on file size, better responsiveness, extended battery lifetime, etc.
Regarding claims 15 and 16, these claims are rejected for the same reasoning as claims 2 and 3, respectively, except each of these claims is in apparatus claim format.
Claims 7 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE, and further in view of ZOU et al. (US 20240163813, hereinafter ZOU_813).
Regarding claim 7,
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE teaches claim 1.
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE further teaches the minimum broadcast RS and the on-demand RS (ZOU, see at least fig. 4, e.g. SSBs; ELSHAFIE, see at least para. 129-130, e.g. the one or more signals may be associated with an SSB).
ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE does not teach wherein each of the minimum broadcast RS and the on-demand RS comprises at least one of the following: a cell identification (ID); and a beam index.
ZOU_813 teaches wherein each of the minimum broadcast RS and the on-demand RS comprises at least one of the following: a cell identification (ID); and a beam index. (ZOU_813, see at least para. 114 and 116, for one non-limiting example, “...Some embodiments may be particularly applicable for SSB reception on (serving and/or neighboring) cells that the UE has previously identified (i.e., the cell ID information is known to the UE). Then, the UE may use the entire PSS symbol for fast AGC and the fourth step may comprise using the SSS symbol for time-frequency synchronization. This is possible since the SSS is a function only of the cell ID...”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate ZOU_813 into ZOU in view of ELSHAFIE to improve power efficiency or otherwise decrease power consumption.
Regarding claim 20, this claim is rejected for the same reasoning as claim 7, except this claim is in apparatus claim format.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/14/2026 have been fully considered. Regarding independent claims 1 and 14, since applicant's amendment necessitated new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action, previous Office action's rejections are moot. Accordingly, corresponding dependent claims have also been rejected in this Office action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEE F LAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7577. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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, Ayman Abaza can be reached on 571-270-0422. 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.
/YEE F LAM/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
Prosecution Insights