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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 8 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoshino [US 2024/0137973] in view of Guo [US 2023/0354364] and Mu [US 2024/0260130].
As claims 8 and 11, Hoshino [US 2024/0137973] discloses a terminal comprising a control unit configured to configure a search space set group and an operation related to skipping of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring [Fig 13, Ref 120 for configuring SSSG and skipping of PDCCH monitoring]; a reception unit configured to receive, from a base station, configuration information indicating that the search space set group is for skipping of PDCCH monitoring via RRC (Radio Resource Control) [Par. 0077, 0096, 0099 discloses RRC message for configuring SSSG for skipping PDCCH monitoring, Par. 0132]; and a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the base station, an SR (Scheduling Request) and a message related to a random access procedure [Fig 15, UE send SR to base station, S105, Fig 22, UE send preamble, S205], wherein the control unit switches the skipping of PDCCH monitoring from enabled to disabled, based on the configuration information, in the search space set group, after transmission of the SR or at a time of execution of the random access procedure [Fig 15 and 22, UE switches PDCCH skipping after UE send SR or send Preamble]. However, Hoshino [US 2024/0137973] fail to disclose the control unit switches the skipping of PDCCH monitoring from enabled to disabled, based on the configuration information, in the search space set group, after transmission of the SR and at a time of execution of the random access procedure and the control unit disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring in a case where DRX (Discontinuous reception) is in an inactive state. In the same field of endeavor, Guo [US 2023/0354364] discloses the control unit switches the skipping of PDCCH monitoring from enabled to disabled, based on the configuration information, in the search space set group, after transmission of the SR or at a time of execution of the random access procedure [Par. 0018-0019, 0025-0026, 0047, 0035 discloses switching the skipping PDCCH monitoring states from one state to another such as enable to disable in the SSSG after transmission SR and while random access procedures, Par. 0325-0334, 0337]. However, Hoshino and Guo fail to disclose the control unit disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring in a case where DRX (Discontinuous reception) is in an inactive state. In the same field of endeavor, Mu [US 2024/0260130] discloses the control unit disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring in a case where DRX (Discontinuous reception) is in an inactive state [Par. 0046, 0119, 0121 discloses when UE in DRX inactivity state, it monitors PDCCH during DRX inactivity state].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for disabling the skipping of PDCCH monitoring in a case where DRX (Discontinuous reception) is in an inactive state as disclosed by Mu into the teaching of Gou such as switching the skipping of PDCCH monitoring from enabled to disabled, based on the configuration information, in the search space set group, after transmission of the SR or at a time of execution of the random access procedure into the teaching of Hoshino. The motivation would have been to reduce the cost of the system.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoshino and Gou as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Hoshino [US 2024/0107428] or Lin [US 2020/0169991].
As claim 10, Hoshino and Gou fail to disclose the control unit disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring when switching BWP (Bandwidth Part). In the same field of endeavor, Hoshino [US 2024/0107428] or Lin [US 2020/0169991] discloses the control unit disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring when switching BWP [Hoshino discloses Par. 0068 discloses DCI signal includes command switching SSSG “BWP” from 0 to 1 and disabling skipping “read on activating monitoring when switch BWP”, Par. 0113, 0121 and Lin discloses at Par. 0110].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to apply a method and system for disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring when switching BWP as disclosed by Hoshino or Lin into the teaching of Gou and Hoshino. The motivation would have been to prevent data loss.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to page 5, the applicant stated that Mu fails to disclose the control unit disables the skipping of PDCCH monitoring in a case where DRX (Discontinuous reception) is in an inactive state. In reply, the examiner disagree with applicant because Mu discloses in Fig 5, the UE is DRX mode which includes ON “active” and OFF “inactive” wherein in active mode “ON duration”, the UE monitors PDCCH, Inactive mode “Off duration”, the UE continues monitoring PDCCH by disabling skipping “not” monitoring PDCCH [Fig 5, Par. 0121 discloses when UE in DRX inactivity state, it monitors PDCCH during DRX inactivity state by disabling no monitoring PDCCH].
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., in a search space set group, switching between the PDCCH-skipping state the non PDCCH-skipping state may be performed in accordance with a state transition of another function. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 7, in the search space set group #1, the state may be a PDCCH-skipping state in a case of a CDRX (Connected Discontinuous reception) state, and the state may be a non PDCCH-skipping state in a case of a non CDRX state.) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hoshino [US 2024/0107518] discloses switching monitoring PDCCH states after SR and random access.
Hoshino [US 2024/0107539] discloses switching monitoring PDCCH states when switching SSSG in the BWP.
Gou [US 2024/0121798] discloses Systems, methods and devices for control channel monitoring may include a wireless communication device receiving, from a wireless communication node, a plurality of parameters. The wireless communication device may perform, responsive to a trigger event, a PDCCH monitoring behavior comprising at least one of PDCCH monitoring according to a search space set (SSS) group from N SSS groups or skipping of PDCCH monitoring according to a skipping period, based on the plurality of parameters.
MOHAMMAD SOLEYMANI [US 2024/0172246] discloses A transceiver configured for communicating in a wireless communication network being operated by at least one base station comprises an antenna unit configured for transceiving wireless signals in the wireless communications network. The transceiver is to monitor a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH to obtain downlink information; and to provide a feature such as a radio measurement in the wireless communication network. The transceiver is to skip monitoring PDCCH by performing no monitoring or by switching a search space of the PDCCH, for a duration of a skipping interval and for aligning the feature with the skipping interval in time.
Lin [US 2020/0389874] discloses A user equipment, a base station, and a method for determining search space sets for PDCCH monitoring. The UE includes a receiver and a processor and is configured to receive a configuration for search space sets. The configuration includes a first group of search space sets, a second group of search space sets, a first group index for the first group of search space sets, and a second group index for the second group of search space sets.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3159. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/STEVEN HIEU D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
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