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 .
Response to Amendment
Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s submission of amendment with remarks/arguments, dated October 27, 2025. Claims 1-6 have been canceled and claims 7-12 are new.
Upon entering the amendment, claims 7-12 are pending. This communication is considered fully responsive and sets forth below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office Action.
4. Claims 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bala et al. (US 2023/0180249).
Regarding claim 7, Bala et al. teach the terminal (paragraphs [0017] lines 1-15 & [0029] lines 1-11; Examiner’s Notes: UE/WTRU, e.g., 102a depicted in FIG. 1A and 102 depicted in FIG. 1B in the prior art teaches the limitation of “terminal” in the instant application) comprising:
a receiver (paragraph [0029] lines 1-11; Examiner’s Notes: receiving element 122 in UE/WTRU 102 depicted in FIG. 1B in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a receiver” in the instant application) that
receives, from a base station, downlink control information that indicates both switching of a search space set or a search space set group and skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring for a predetermined period (paragraph [0069] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: base station 114a depicted in FIG. 1A in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a base station;”
the Search Spaces (SS) switching in the prior art teaches the limitation of “switching of a search space set;”
the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping in the prior art teaches the limitation of “skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring;”
in fact, receiving, from base station 114a, a DCI indicating both SS switching and the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping for a scheduled period, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives, from a base station, downlink control information that indicates both switching of a search space set or a search space set group and skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring for a predetermined period” in the instant application); and
a processor (paragraph [0029] lines 1-11; Examiner’s Notes: processor 118 in UE/WTRU 102 depicted in FIG. 1B in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a processor” in the instant application) that
performs, based on the downlink control information, at least one of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group, or the skipping of PDCCH monitoring for the predetermined period (paragraph [0069] lines 9-12; Examiner’s Notes: performing the SS switching and the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping for the scheduled period based on the DCI, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “performs, based on the downlink control information, at least one of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group, or the skipping of PDCCH monitoring for the predetermined period” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 8, Bala et al. further teach the terminal, wherein the receiver further receives, from the base station, delay information indicating a time to delay a start of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group (paragraph [0146] lines 1-16; Examiner’s Notes: the specific time delay in the prior art teaches the limitation of “delay information indicating a time to delay;”
in fact, receiving, from base station 114a, the information, e.g., a specific time delay, to start the Search Spaces (SS) switching, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives, from the base station, delay information indicating a time to delay a start of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group” in the instant application), and
the processor performs the switching of the search space set or the search space set group after the time indicated by the delay information has elapsed from reception of the downlink control information (paragraph [0146] lines 16-29; Examiner’s Notes: performing the SS switching after the specific time delay indicated in the DCI in the prior art teaches the limitation of “performs the switching of the search space set or the search space set group after the time indicated by the delay information has elapsed from reception of the downlink control information” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 9, Bala et al. further teach the terminal, wherein a time from reception of the downlink control information to a start of the skipping of the PDCCH monitoring is different from a time from the reception of the downlink control information to a start of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group (paragraph [0146] lines 1-16; Examiner’s Notes: the specific time delay between the time from reception of the DCI to a start of the PDCCH skipping and the time from the reception of the DCI to a start of the Search Spaces (SS) switching in the prior art teaches the limitation of “wherein a time from reception of the downlink control information to a start of the skipping of the PDCCH monitoring is different from a time from the reception of the downlink control information to a start of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 10, Bala et al. further teach the terminal, wherein the downlink control information includes a parameter that indicates the switching of the search space set or the search space set group and the skipping of the PDCCH monitoring for the predetermined period (paragraph [0146] lines 1-16; Examiner’s Notes: the 1-bit indication in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a parameter;”
in fact, the DCI including the 1-bit indication indicating the Search Spaces (SS) switching and the PDCCH monitoring skipping for the scheduled period in the prior art teaches the limitation of “wherein the downlink control information includes a parameter that indicates the switching of the search space set or the search space set group and the skipping of the PDCCH monitoring for the predetermined period” in the instant application), and
the predetermined period is different depending on a value of the parameter (paragraph [0146] lines 6-16; Examiner’s Notes: the bit value of the 1-bit indication, e.g., 0 or 1, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a value of the parameter;”
in fact, the scheduled period is different depending on the bit value of the 1-bit indication, e.g., 0 or 1, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “the predetermined period is different depending on a value of the parameter” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 11, Bala et al. further teach the terminal, wherein:
the receiver further receives, from the base station, information indicating a duration for which the PDCCH monitoring is skipped (paragraph [0069] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: receiving, from base station 114a, information indicating the scheduled period/time regards to the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives, from the base station, information indicating a duration for which the PDCCH monitoring is skipped” in the instant application), and
the processor determines the predetermined period based on the duration indicated by the information and a value of a parameter included in the downlink control information (paragraph [0146] lines 6-16; Examiner’s Notes: the bit value of the 1-bit indication, e.g., 0 or 1, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a value of the parameter;”
in fact, determining the time based on the scheduled period and the bit value of the 1-bit indication, e.g., 0 or 1, included in the DCI in the prior art teaches the limitation of “the processor determines the predetermined period based on the duration indicated by the information and a value of a parameter included in the downlink control information” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 12, Bala et al. teach the communication method performed by a terminal (paragraphs [0017] lines 1-15 & [0029] lines 1-11; Examiner’s Notes: UE/WTRU, e.g., 102a depicted in FIG. 1A and 102 depicted in FIG. 1B in the prior art teaches the limitation of “terminal” in the instant application), the communication method comprising:
receiving, from a base station, downlink control information that indicates both switching of a search space set or a search space set group and skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring for a predetermined period (paragraph [0069] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: base station 114a depicted in FIG. 1A in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a base station;”
the Search Spaces (SS) switching in the prior art teaches the limitation of “switching of a search space set;”
the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping in the prior art teaches the limitation of “skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring;”
in fact, receiving, from base station 114a, a DCI indicating both SS switching and the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping for a scheduled period, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receiving, from a base station, downlink control information that indicates both switching of a search space set or a search space set group and skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring for a predetermined period” in the instant application); and
performing, based on the downlink control information, at least one of switching of the search space set or the search space set group, or skipping of PDCCH monitoring for the predetermined period (paragraph [0069] lines 9-12; Examiner’s Notes: performing the SS switching and the PDCCH monitoring reduction/skipping for the scheduled period based on the DCI, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “performing, based on the downlink control information, at least one of the switching of the search space set or the search space set group, or the skipping of PDCCH monitoring for the predetermined period” in the instant application).
Response to Remarks/Arguments
5. Objection to Specification: in the Response, filed October 27, 2025, Applicants amended the specification to render the objection to the specification moot. The previous objection to the specification is withdrawn.
6. Claims Art Rejections: Applicants’ amendment with arguments filed October 27, 2025 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
7. 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 extension fee 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 WEI ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)270-5672. The examiner can normally be reached from 8:00AM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor JAE Y. LEE can be reached on 571-270-3936. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WEI ZHAO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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