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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 January 20, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This is in response to an amendment/response filed on September 25, 2025.
Claims 1,3-6,10,14, and 16-29 have been amended.
Claims 2,13, and 15 have been cancelled.
No Claims have been added.
Claims 1,3-12,14, and 16-20 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on January 20, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues on pages 8-9 of the applicant’s remarks/arguments that Ma fails to disclose “at least one of the following: a state of a Bandwidth Part (BWP) inactivity timer after receiving the first DCI, comprising suspending or stopping the BWP inactivity timer after receiving the first DCI; a PDCCH monitoring behavior if a BWP switching indication is obtained during a PDCCH skipping monitoring period, wherein the PDCCH monitoring behavior comprises stopping or suspending the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a BWP before switching; or a PDCCH monitoring behavior and a BWP switching behavior in a case of a conflict between the PDCCH skipping monitoring and BWP switching, wherein the PDCCH monitoring behavior comprises performing one of the PDCCH skipping monitoring and the BWP switching according to the first DCI, and performing the remaining one of the PDCCH skipping monitoring and the BWP switching thereafter.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Ma discloses a UE can trigger a PDCCH skipping by a DCI. If a DCI indicating a PDCCH skipping indication information also indicates a DL BWP switch, a field in the DCI can indicate a PDCCH skipping indication information of the new activated DL BWP. In some embodiments, the new activated DL BWP can be the active DL BWP after a BWP switch. If a DCI indicating a PDCCH skipping indication information also indicates only a UL BWP switch, a field in the DCI can indicate a PDCCH skipping indication information of the original activated DL BWP. The original activated DL BWP can be the active DL BWP receiving the DCI. The DCI indicates the UE to do a PDCCH skipping, the UE may do a PDCCH skipping after finishing the BWP switch. In some embodiments, the UE may do a PDCCH skipping after receiving a PDSCH or transmitting a PUSCH ([0086]-[0088]).
Ma further discloses the UE is triggered a PDCCH skipping in an active DL BWP, and the expiration of the bwp-inactivitytimer (where the expiration of bwp-inactivitytimer is considered as stopping) the timer will occur during the PDCCH skipping period, then the UE may stop PDCCH skipping and monitor PDCCH at the last X3 slots/ms in the DL BWP([0214], [0298]).
Based on the above disclosures and others Ma suggests at least a state of a Bandwidth Part (BWP) inactivity timer after receiving the first DCI, comprising suspending or stopping the BWP inactivity timer after receiving the first DCI; a PDCCH monitoring behavior if a BWP switching indication is obtained during a PDCCH skipping monitoring period, wherein the PDCCH monitoring behavior comprises stopping or suspending the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a BWP before switching; or a PDCCH monitoring behavior and a BWP switching behavior in a case of a conflict between the PDCCH skipping monitoring and BWP switching, wherein the PDCCH monitoring behavior comprises performing one of the PDCCH skipping monitoring and the BWP switching according to the first DCI, and performing the remaining one of the PDCCH skipping monitoring and the BWP switching thereafter as claimed by the instant application.
For at least the reasons provided above, the applicant arguments regarding independent claims are not persuasive. The applicant argues that independent claims are patentable for similar reasons and are also not persuasive. The applicant further argues that since dependent claims depend on the argued independent claim; they are patentable at least by virtue of their dependencies. Since the applicant's arguments regarding independent claims are not persuasive, the applicant's arguments regarding dependent claims are also not persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1,3-12,14, and 16-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ma et al. (US Application 2023/0098013, hereinafter Ma).
Regarding claims 1, and 14, Ma discloses a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring method(Figs. 1,3-12), performed by a terminal, a network device comprising:
a processor(910); a memory having a computer program or an instruction stored thereon, wherein the computer program or the instruction, when executed by the processor, ([0313], which recites an apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the processor reads code from the memory and implements a method ) causes the processor to implement a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring method, comprising:
receiving first Downlink Control Information (DCI), wherein the first DCI is used to indicate PDCCH skipping monitoring([0053]-[0069],[0086]-[0089], [0179]-[0180], which recites the predefined information can be a DCI. A field in a DCI can be used to indicate a PDCCH skipping indication information to one or more UEs); and
determining a first behavior according to the first DCI, wherein the first behavior ([0038],[0053]-[0069],[0086]-[0089], [0179]-[0180], which recites behavior according to DCI); comprises at least one of the following:
suspending or stopping the BWP inactivity timer at one of the following moments after receiving the first DCI ([0086]-[0091], and [00297]- [0298], which recites, wherein the wireless device decrements a value of the timer by one when at least one of the following conditions are satisfied: after each slot in an active time; after one millisecond in the active time; after each slot in an active downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) of a serving cell where the wireless device monitors the control channel for detection of a DCI; after each slot where the wireless device monitors the control channel for detection of a DCI; after each monitoring occasion; after each control channel monitoring duration of a search space; after each span; after a sub-frame; or after each slot where the wireless device decodes a DCI and does not indicate a control channel skipping.
The method of any of solutions 1 and 3-5, wherein the wireless device stops a control channel skipping in at least one of the following situations: after a discontinuous reception (DRX)-on duration timer or DRX-inactivity timer expires; the wireless device is outside of an active time; or after a BWP-inactivity timer expires);
a moment at which the first DCI is received, or a target moment after receiving the first DCI, wherein the target moment is before a start moment of a PDCCH skipping monitoring period; or a PDCCH monitoring behavior if when a BWP switching indication is obtained during a within the PDCCH skipping monitoring period, performing BWP switching from a current BWP to a target BWP based on the obtained BWP switching indication and stopping the PDCCH skipping monitoring in the current BWP, wherein the stopped PDCCH skipping monitoring is not resumed in the target BWP after the BWP switching([0086]-[0091], and [00297]- [0298], which recites, a UE can trigger a PDCCH skipping by a DCI. If a DCI indicating a PDCCH skipping indication information also indicates a DL BWP switch, a field in the DCI can indicate a PDCCH skipping indication information of the new activated DL BWP. In some embodiments, the new activated DL BWP can be the active DL BWP after a BWP switch).
Regarding claims 3, 16,Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 2, wherein the suspending or stopping the BWP inactivity timer comprises: suspending or stopping the BWP inactivity timer at one of the following moments([0026],[0212]-[0214], [0298]): a moment at which the first DCI is received; a target moment after receiving the first DCI, wherein the target moment is before a start moment of the PDCCH skipping monitoring period([0026],[0212]-[0214], [0298]); or the start moment of the PDCCH skipping monitoring period([0026],[0031],[0212]-[0214], [0298]).
Regarding claims 4, 17,Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 2, wherein when suspending the BWP inactivity timer, the method further comprises: performing the PDCCH skipping monitoring according to the first DCI, and restoring the BWP inactivity timer in when the PDCCH skipping monitoring period ends([0026],[0031],[0212]-[0214], [0298]).
Regarding claims 5, 18, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the PDCCH monitoring behavior in a case of obtaining a BWP switching indication during a PDCCH skipping monitoring period comprises: if the BWP switching indication is obtained in the PDCCH skipping monitoring period, stopping the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a BWP before switching, and no longer performing the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a target BWP after switching([0053]-[0069],[0086]-[0089], [0179]-[0180]).
Regarding claims 6,19, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein if the BWP switching indication is obtained during the PDCCH skipping monitoring period, the PDCCH monitoring behavior comprise suspending the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a BWP before switching, and continuing to perform the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a target BWP after switching([0053]-[0069],[0086]-[0089], [0179]-[0180]).
Regarding claims 7, 20, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 6, wherein duration of the PDCCH skipping monitoring period in the target BWP is obtained according to a quantity of remaining time units and duration of each time unit, wherein: the quantity of remaining time units is obtained according to at least one of the following: a quantity of total time units occupied by the PDCCH skipping monitoring, a quantity of time units occupied by the PDCCH skipping monitoring in a BWP before switching, or a quantity of time units occupied by a BWP switching delay, or the duration of each time unit is obtained according to one of the following: a SubCarrier Spacing (SCS) of the BWP before switching, or an SCS of the target BWP([0026],[0031],[0212]-[0214], [0298]).
Regarding claim 8, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the first DCI is not used to indicate at least one of the following: BWP switching, secondary cell dormancy, or search space group switching([0032],[0040],[0051]).
Regarding claim 9, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving second DCI, wherein the second DCI is used to indicate at least one of the following: BWP switching, secondary cell dormancy, or search space group switching, wherein the second DCI is not used to indicate PDCCH skipping monitoring([0086]-[0087]).
Regarding claim 10, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the first DCI comprises first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the PDCCH skipping monitoring, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: BWP switching, secondary cell dormancy, or search space group switching, wherein: in a case that the first indication information takes effect, the second indication information does not take effect, or in a case that the second indication information takes effect, the first indication information does not take effect([0086]-[0087]).
Regarding claim 11, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the PDCCH monitoring behavior and the BWP switching behavior in the case of a conflict between the PDCCH skipping monitoring and BWP switching comprise: performing the BWP switching, and performing the PDCCH skipping monitoring according to the first DCI within a switched target BWP([0086]-[0087]); or performing the PDCCH skipping monitoring according to the first DCI, and performing the BWP switching after the PDCCH skipping monitoring period ends([0086]-[0087]).
Regarding claim 12, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 11, wherein the first DCI further comprises duration information of the PDCCH skipping monitoring period([0026],[0031],[0212]-[0214], [0298]).
Regarding claim 21, Ma discloses the PDCCH monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein the BWP switching indication is obtained: from a network device, or in response to that the BWP inactivity timer expires([0086]-[0091], and [00297]- [0298]).
Regarding claim 22, Ma discloses the terminal according to claim 14, wherein the BWP switching indication is obtained: from a network device, or in response to that the BWP inactivity timer expires([0086]-[0091], and [00297]- [0298]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DADY CHERY whose telephone number is (571)270-1207. The examiner can normally be reached M to T, 8 am to 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Moo Jeong can be reached at 571-272-9617. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DADY CHERY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461