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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/27/2026 has been entered.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: par.[0092] recites, in part, “The UE 204 performs the MBS measurements on the unicast BWP during an active time and/or during a timer duration indicated by a DRX ON-duration timer outside the active time”. It is unclear what is meant by the underlined portion, as the active time is a time period wherein the UE is in an active state which includes an OnDuration, and other durations. It is unclear how the UE can be in an OnDuration outside of an active time. The office requests that the applicant state clearly on the record what is meant by the above phrase.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 36, 38, 39-41, 43-48, and 50-54, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With regard to the independent claims 36, 41, 46, and 54, are amended to recite, in part:
“identify not to perform, with the UE, a measurement-related operation associated with a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) based on (i) the configuration being transmitted to the UE, (ii) the UE not being in a first DRX active time of the first DRX configuration, and (iii) the UE not being in a second DRX active time of the second DRX configuration”
With regard to the above amended language, the (i) the configuration being transmitted to the UE, is unclear. It is unclear because it does not specify which configuration has been transmitted to the UE, as the UE comprises at least a first DRX configuration, and second DRX configuration, and a configuration to monitor downlink control information (DCI) correspond to a wake-up signal (WUS). It is unclear which configuration the applicant is referring to.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim(s) 36, 38-41, 43-48, and 50-54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The independent claims 36, 41, 46, and 54 have been amended to recite, in part:
“identifying not to perform a measurement-related operation associated with a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) based on (i) the configuration being received, (ii) the UE not being in a first DRX active time of the first DRX configuration, and (iii) the UE not being in a second DRX active time of the second DRX configuration and, thus the UE being not in a DRX active time”.
As discussed above, the “the configuration” is indefinite, in addition, the specification states nothing about “the configuration being received” for determining whether or not the UE should perform CSI-RS measurement in an active time of the DRX configuration. Additionally, the disclosure does not disclose when it would be appropriate not to perform CSI-RS measurement, and does not disclose that the determination is made based on the DRX configurations not being in the active time, as well as based on receiving a “the configuration”.
For example, fig.14 and the associated disclosure teaches that when the UE is configured to monitor DCI for reception of the WUS, performing the MBS measurements (i.e. the CSI-RS measurements) during the active time of the unicast BWP, (i.e. unicast DRX). Thus, it would appear that when the UE is configured to receive the WUS with DCI, the UE is configured to perform the measurement using CSI-RS on the unicast BWP, which contrasts with the amended claims.
Fig.15 is directed CSI-RS measurements on the multicast BWP but does not concern the “the configuration” as a parameter in determining whether or not the UE should or shouldn’t perform the MBS measurements.
The claims stand rejected. Additionally, each of the independent claims respective dependent claims are rejected for their dependency thereon and for failing to cure the deficiencies therein.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s 36, 38-41, 43-48, and 50-54 have been considered but are moot because the claims have been cancelled, and the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Kim et al. (US 2018/0206289 A1) “Method and Device for Terminal Performing PDCCH Monitoring on SC-PTM” par.[0053 – 0054] describes the multicast and unicast traffic channels for PTM and PTP respectively. Describes reception of DRX for unicast and DRX for multicast par.[0007, 0014]. Also describes the PDCCH being addressed to a G-RNTI or a C-RNTI par.[0015, 0126-0127].
Lin et al. (US 2023/0093727 A1) “User Equipment and Method for Multicast/Broadcast Service”
Liu (US 2023/0254749 A1) “Multicast Service Transmission Method and Apparatus, and Communications Device”
Navratil et al. (WO 2021/043403 A1) “Data Transmission” teaches two different DRX configurations for unicast and multicast pg.13 lines 27-28. Also teaches PTP and PTM transmission for MBS as discussed in the previous rejection of the claims.
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JAMAAL HENSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2411
/JAMAAL HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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