DETAILED ACTION
The following is final office action in response to applicant’s remarks/amendment filed on 11/18/2025 for response of the office action mailed on 08/18/2025. Independent claims 17, 22 and 27 are amended. Claims 1-16 were cancelled previously. Therefore, claims 17-31 are pending and addressed below.
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 .
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.
In 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 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 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 17-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI et al. (2023/0284141 as reported in earlier office action, See PTO-892, mailed on 08/18/2025), LI hereinafter, in view of Alireza Babaei (2021/0307108), Babaei hereinafter.
Re. claims 17 and 22, LI teaches a method (Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0032/¶0041-¶0049) performed by a User Equipment (UE) (Fig. 9) for saving power (¶0006), and a User Equipment (UE) (Fig. 9) for saving power (¶0041-¶0049), the UE comprising: at least one processor (Fig. 9, 910); and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium (Fig. 9, 909) coupled to the at least one processor processors (Fig. 9, 910), and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor (Fig. 9 & ¶0228-¶0229), cause the UE to: receive, a Base Station (BS), control information that includes a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring adaptation field, wherein the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field indicates a PDCCH skipping function that that causes the UE to skip monitoring a PDCCH for a duration; (Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0006: ¶0009 - an energy saving indication method is provided, where the method is performed by a terminal and includes: receiving first downlink control information (Downlink Control Information, DCI), where the first DCI includes: a first indication; determining a PDCCH monitoring behavior based on the first DCI, where the first indication is used to indicate at least one of the following: switching to a target search space group or skipping PDCCH monitoring. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0047 - the first indication includes a 1 bit, where when the 1 bit is a first value, it indicates switching to the target search space group, and when the 1 bit is a second value, it indicates skipping PDCCH monitoring. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0049 - the first indication includes a 1 bit, and bit fields of the 1 bit are: ‘0’ indicates switching to the target search space group, ‘1’ indicates skipping PDCCH monitoring, or vice versa. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0053 - first DCI further includes a second indication, where the second indication is used to indicate a first time interval (for example, duration), and the terminal may determine a PDCCH monitoring behavior within the first time interval and/or after the first time interval based on the first DCI. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0155 - based on the first indication and the second indication in the first DCI, the UE skips PDCCH monitoring of the PDCCH monitoring period with a time length of 5 search space groups 1 after the first indication takes effect. See snapshot below)
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Yet, LI does not expressly teach monitor the PDCCH, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a Scheduling Request (SR) is transmitted on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and is determined to be pending.
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses monitor the PDCCH, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a Scheduling Request (SR) is transmitted on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and is determined to be pending. (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0189 - even if UE has received a DCI-based indication for PDCCH skipping, the UE may keep monitoring the PDCCH while drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer are running; a scheduling request is sent on PUCCH and is pending; Fig. 38-77 & ¶0193 - if the UE sends the SR and the SR is pending when the UE is applying the PDCCH skipping by following the DCI-based indication which was received before sending the SR, the UE may ignore the DCI-based indication and keep the PDCCH monitoring.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Re. Claim 18, LI and Babaei teach claim 17.
LI further teaches wherein the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field is further used to indicate a search space (SS) set group switching function. (Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0006: ¶0009 - an energy saving indication method is provided, where the method is performed by a terminal and includes: receiving first downlink control information (Downlink Control Information, DCI), where the first DCI includes: a first indication; determining a PDCCH monitoring behavior based on the first DCI, where the first indication is used to indicate at least one of the following: switching to a target search space group or skipping PDCCH monitoring. ¶0031 - FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of first DCI indicating search space group switching according to an embodiment of this application; Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0047 - the first indication includes a 1 bit, where when the 1 bit is a first value, it indicates switching to the target search space group, and when the 1 bit is a second value, it indicates skipping PDCCH monitoring. Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0148 - the first indication is used to indicate switching to the first search space group, the second indication is used to indicate that the first time interval may be 10 ms… Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0149 - based on the first indication and the second indication in the first DCI, the UE may use the first search space group to monitor the PDCCH within 10 ms after the first indication takes effect, and switch to the default search space group to continue to monitor the PDCCH after 10 ms.)
Re. claim 27, LI teaches a Base Station (BS) (Fig. 10) for saving power (¶0006/¶0017), the BS comprising: at least one processor (Fig. 10, 1004); and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium (Fig. 10, 1005) coupled to the at least one processor processors (Fig. 10, 1004), and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor (Fig. 10 & ¶0232-¶0235), cause the BS to: transmit, to a User Equipment (UE), control information that includes a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring adaptation field, wherein: the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field indicates a PDCCH skipping function that causes the UE to skip monitoring a PDCCH for a duration (Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0010: ¶0012 - an energy saving indication method is provided, where the method is performed by a network side device and includes: sending first DCI, where the first DCI includes a first indication, and the first DCI is used for a terminal to determine a PDCCH monitoring behavior, where the first indication is used to indicate at least one of the following: switching to a target search space group or skipping PDCCH monitoring. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0047 - the first indication includes a 1 bit, where when the 1 bit is a first value, it indicates switching to the target search space group, and when the 1 bit is a second value, it indicates skipping PDCCH monitoring. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0049 - the first indication includes a 1 bit, and bit fields of the 1 bit are: ‘0’ indicates switching to the target search space group, ‘1’ indicates skipping PDCCH monitoring, or vice versa. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0053 - first DCI further includes a second indication, where the second indication is used to indicate a first time interval (for example, duration), and the terminal may determine a PDCCH monitoring behavior within the first time interval and/or after the first time interval based on the first DCI. Fig.2-3 & Fig.6 & ¶0155 - based on the first indication and the second indication in the first DCI, the UE skips PDCCH monitoring of the PDCCH monitoring period with a time length of 5 search space groups 1 after the first indication takes effect. See snapshot below).
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Yet, LI does not expressly teach the PDCCH is monitored, by the UE, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a Scheduling Request (SR) is received on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and is determined to be pending.
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses the PDCCH is monitored, by the UE, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a Scheduling Request (SR) is received on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and is determined to be pending (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0189 - even if UE has received a DCI-based indication for PDCCH skipping, the UE may keep monitoring the PDCCH while drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer are running; a scheduling request is sent on PUCCH and is pending; Fig. 38-77 & ¶0193 - if the UE sends the SR and the SR is pending when the UE is applying the PDCCH skipping by following the DCI-based indication which was received before sending the SR, the UE may ignore the DCI-based indication and keep the PDCCH monitoring).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Re. Claims 23 and 28, LI and Babaei teach claims 22 and 27.
LI further teaches wherein the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field indicates the PDCCH skipping function and a search space (SS) set group switching function. (Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0006: ¶0009 - an energy saving indication method is provided, where the method is performed by a terminal and includes: receiving first downlink control information (Downlink Control Information, DCI), where the first DCI includes: a first indication; determining a PDCCH monitoring behavior based on the first DCI, where the first indication is used to indicate at least one of the following: switching to a target search space group or skipping PDCCH monitoring. ¶0031 - FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of first DCI indicating search space group switching according to an embodiment of this application; Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0047 - the first indication includes a 1 bit, where when the 1 bit is a first value, it indicates switching to the target search space group, and when the 1 bit is a second value, it indicates skipping PDCCH monitoring. Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0148 - the first indication is used to indicate switching to the first search space group, the second indication is used to indicate that the first time interval may be 10 ms… Fig.2-3 & Fig.5 & ¶0149 - based on the first indication and the second indication in the first DCI, the UE may use the first search space group to monitor the PDCCH within 10 ms after the first indication takes effect, and switch to the default search space group to continue to monitor the PDCCH after 10 ms.).)
Re. Claims 19 and 24, LI and Babaei teach claims 17 and 22.
Yet, LI does not expressly teach forgo applying the PDCCH skipping function in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running.
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses forgo applying the PDCCH skipping function in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running. (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0189 - even if UE has received a DCI-based indication for PDCCH skipping, the UE may keep monitoring the PDCCH while drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer are running; a scheduling request is sent on PUCCH and is pending).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Re. Claims 20 and 25, LI and Babaei teach claims 17 and 22.
Yet, LI does not expressly teach wherein monitoring the PDCCH comprises monitoring the PDCCH, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running.
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses wherein monitoring the PDCCH comprises monitoring the PDCCH, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running. (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0189 - even if UE has received a DCI-based indication for PDCCH skipping, the UE may keep monitoring the PDCCH while drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer are running; a scheduling request is sent on PUCCH and is pending).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Re. Claims 21, 26 and 31, LI and Babaei teach claims 17, 22 and 27.
Yet, LI does not expressly teach wherein the control information is detected in a UE-specific search space (USS).
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses wherein the control information is detected in a UE-specific search space (USS). (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0306 - The parameter searchSpaceType may indicate whether this is a common search space (present) or a UE specific search space as well as DCI formats to monitor for. The parameter ue-Specific may configure this search space as UE specific search space (USS). Fig. 38-77 & ¶0309 - a set of PDCCH candidates for a wireless device to monitor may be defined in terms of PDCCH search space sets. A search space set may be a common search space (CSS) set or a UE-specific search space (USS) set.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Re. Claim 29, LI and Babaei teach claim 27.
Yet, LI does not expressly teach wherein the PDCCH skipping function is not applied in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running.
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses wherein the PDCCH skipping function is not applied in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running. (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0189 - even if UE has received a DCI-based indication for PDCCH skipping, the UE may keep monitoring the PDCCH while drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer are running; a scheduling request is sent on PUCCH and is pending).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Re. Claim 30, LI and Babaei teach claim 27.
Yet, LI does not expressly teach wherein the PDCCH is monitored, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running.
However, in the analogous art, Babaei explicitly discloses wherein the PDCCH is monitored, regardless of the PDCCH skipping function indicated by the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field, in a case that a random access (RA) contention resolution timer is running. (Fig. 38-77 & ¶0189 - even if UE has received a DCI-based indication for PDCCH skipping, the UE may keep monitoring the PDCCH while drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer are running; a scheduling request is sent on PUCCH and is pending).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine LI’s invention of a system and a method for energy saving indication in a 5G/NR(New Radio)/6G wireless communication system to include Babaei’s invention of a system and a method for enhanced power saving in a 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system, because it provides an efficient mechanism in reducing power consumption of wireless devices by control channel monitoring reduction by the wireless devices in the 5G/NR (New Radio) wireless communication system. (¶0082, Babaei)
Response to Arguments
Earlier claim objections for claims 19-20, 24-25 and 29-30 have been withdrawn following amended claim languages.
Applicant's arguments for §103 rejection filed on 11/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding remarks in pages 6-8 for amended independent claim 17, applicant argues that REIAL et al. (2023/0156572 [Wingdings font/0xF3] old reference, not used in the instant office action) fails to teach, “receiving, from a Base Station (BS), control information that includes a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring adaptation field, wherein the PDCCH monitoring adaptation field indicates a PDCCH skipping function that causes the UE to skip monitoring a PDCCH for a duration”.
Examiner agrees, however, in the analogous art, LI (2023/0284141 [Wingdings font/0xF3] a new reference, reported in earlier office action, See PTO-892, mailed on 08/18/2025), discloses the limitations of the amended independent claim 17 as mapped in §103 rejection.
There is NO specific allegations for any other references, hence, moot.
For these reasons, it is maintained that the amended independent claim 17 is unpatentable over LI (2023/0284141 [Wingdings font/0xF3] a new reference), in view of Babaei.
For these reasons, it is maintained that the amended independent claims 22 and 27 are unpatentable over LI (2023/0284141 [Wingdings font/0xF3] a new reference), in view of Babaei.
As all other dependent claims depend either directly or indirectly from the independent claims 17, 22 and 27, similar rationale also applies to all respective dependent claims.
Conclusion
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 date of this final action.
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/MOHAMMED S CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467