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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/24/2023, 12/07/2023 and 05/20/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-2, 6-7, 9, 11-13, 16-17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. US 2020/0100179.
Claim 1, Zhou discloses a method performed by an apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving a message indicating that the apparatus is to transition to a first operating state of at least one operating state ([0308] wireless device 2804 may receive the activation/deactivation command indicating the activation of the power saving operation configuration of the at least one power saving operation configuration. The wireless device 2804 may switch from the normal access mode to a power saving mode);
receiving an indication of at least one frequency resource for a control channel ([0308] wireless device 2804 may monitor a power saving signal/channel corresponding to the power saving operation configuration),
wherein the at least one frequency resource is associated with the first operating state ([0310] receive the power saving signal based on the monitoring of the channel (e.g., in a time window associated with the power saving operation configuration, in a frequency resource associated with the power saving operation configuration, and/or in a control resource set and/or a search space associated with the power saving operation configuration, etc.));
monitoring for a downlink notification, in the first operating state ([0309] wireless device 2804 may monitor the power saving signal/channel in a frequency resource associated with the power saving operation configuration of the at least one power saving operation configuration), on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource ([0309] wireless device 2804 may monitor the power saving signal/channel in a frequency resource associated with the power saving operation configuration of the at least one power saving operation configuration).
Claim 2, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first operating state is a power saving state ([0308] wireless device 2804 may receive the activation/deactivation command indicating the activation of the power saving operation configuration of the at least one power saving operation configuration).
Claim 6, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the downlink notification is an indication included in a downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a notification message to receive, or is a notification message included in a DCI ([0299] A base station may transmit a command (e.g., DCI or a MAC CE) indicating a power saving operation configuration of a plurality of power saving operation configurations that will be activated).
Claim 7, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the at least one frequency resource is received along with or by receiving an indication of at least one of:
a bandwidth ([0309] wireless device 2804 may monitor the power saving signal/channel on a BWP of a cell, wherein the BWP and/or the cell may be indicated in the activation/deactivation command and/or the power saving operation configuration of the at least one power saving operation configuration);
a control resource set (CORESET) within the bandwidth; or
a search space within the CORESET.
Claim 9, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the at least one frequency resource is received when the apparatus is in an active state ([0308] wireless device 2804 may monitor at most one power saving signal/channel for the power saving operation, for example, if at most one power saving operation configuration is comprised in the one or more RRC messages), and
wherein the message indicates that the apparatus is to transition from the active state to an inactive or idle state ([0308] wireless device 2804 may switch from the normal access mode to a power saving mode by applying parameters of the power saving operation configuration).
Claim 11, see claim 1 for the rejection, Zhou discloses (fig 3) an apparatus comprising:
at least one processor (fig 3 processor 314); and
a memory (fig 3 memory 315) storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
receive a message indicating that the apparatus is to transition to a first operating state of at least one operating state;
receive an indication of at least one frequency resource for a control channel,
wherein the at least one frequency resource is associated with the first operating state;
monitor for a downlink notification, in the first operating state, on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource.
Claim 12, see claim 1 for the rejection, Zhou discloses a method performed by a device, the method comprising:
transmitting a message indicating that an apparatus is to transition to a first operating state of at least one operating state;
transmitting an indication of at least one frequency resource for a control channel,
wherein the at least one frequency resource is associated with the first operating state;
communicating with the apparatus in the first operating state by at least transmitting a downlink notification on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource.
Claim 13, see claim 2 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the first operating state is a power saving state.
Claim 16, see claim 6 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the downlink notification is an indication included in a downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a notification message, or is a notification message included in a DCI.
Claim 17, see claim 7 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the indication of the at least one frequency resource is transmitted along with or by transmitting an indication of at least one of: a bandwidth; a control resource set (CORESET) within the bandwidth; or a search space within the CORESET.
Claim 19, see claim 9 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim12, wherein the indication of the at least one frequency resource is transmitted when the apparatus is in an active state, and
wherein the message indicates that the apparatus is to transition from the active state to an inactive or idle state.
Claim 20, see claim 1 for the rejection, Zhou discloses (fig 3) a device comprising:
at least one processor (fig 3 processor 321); and
a memory (fig 3 memory 322) storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
output, for transmission, a message indicating that an apparatus is to transition to a first operating state of at least one operating state;
output, for transmission, an indication of at least one frequency resource for a control channel,
wherein the at least one frequency resource is associated with the first operating state;
output a downlink notification for transmission on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource.
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) 3 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. US 2020/0100179 in view of Feng WO 2020020180 A1.
Claim 3, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one frequency resource is associated with at least one of:
but is silent on,
apparatus type,
apparatus capability,
a service type, or
time of 24-hour day.
However, as Feng discloses apparatus capability ([0125]) at least one frequency band based on the capability information of the terminal device, so that even in a scenario in which two or more frequency bands are configured for the terminal device in the CA scenario or the MR-DC, the network device may determine, for each frequency band, how to schedule the terminal device, so that scheduling and control of frequent processing resources of the terminal device may be reduced, complexity of implementation of the terminal device is reduced, and power saving of the terminal device is also facilitated.
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the Zhou invention with Feng invention to include the claimed limitation(s) so as to allow the network to determine processing capability configuration information of the at least one frequency band based on the capability information of the terminal device in order to reduce the processing time of the terminal device facilitate power saving.
Claim 14, see claim 3 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the at least one frequency resource is associated with at least one of:
apparatus type,
apparatus capability,
service type, or
time of 24-hour day.
Claim(s) 4, 10 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. US 2020/0100179 in view of Kusashima US 2021/0120615.
Claim 4, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1,
but is silent on,
wherein a bandwidth of the at least one frequency resource is different from a bandwidth of at least one other frequency resource in a control channel used by another apparatus in the first operating state to monitor for a different downlink notification.
However, as Kusashima discloses wherein a bandwidth of the at least one frequency resource is different from a bandwidth of at least one other frequency resource in a control channel used by another apparatus in the first operating state to monitor for a different downlink notification ([0230] central frequencies of reception bandwidths differ between the plurality of terminal devices. Examples of the central frequencies of the reception bandwidths of the plurality of terminal devices include a central frequency of an NR-PSS/NR-SSS transmitted individually to each terminal device, a frequency position based on frequency offset information of which each terminal device is notified individually from the central frequency).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the Zhou invention with Kusashima invention to include the claimed limitation(s) so as to allow the network to allocate different frequency of the bandwidth in order to notify the UEs individually and differently.
Claim 10, see claim 4 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of the at least one frequency resource is different from a bandwidth of at least one other frequency resource in a control channel used by another apparatus in a second operating state to monitor for a different downlink notification.
Claim 15, see claim 4 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 12, wherein a bandwidth of the at least one frequency resource is different from a bandwidth of at least one other frequency resource in a control channel used to transmit a different downlink notification to another apparatus in the first operating state.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. US 2020/0100179 in view of Yang et al. US 2023/0021951 (cont. appl. PCT/CN2019/116187 filed on Nov. 7, 2019).
Claim 5, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for the downlink notification on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource comprises:
but is silent on,
at a configured time occasion, performing blind detection on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource to determine whether the downlink notification is present.
However, as Yang discloses at a configured time occasion, performing blind detection on the control channel at the at least one frequency resource to determine whether the downlink notification is present ([0004] terminal monitors the PDCCH at a corresponding paging occasion (PO), to determine whether a paging message is carried on the PDSCH indicated by the PDCCH. If the terminal does not detect the PDCCH at the corresponding PO, it means that no paging message is at the corresponding PO. That is, the terminal needs to perform blind detection of the PDCCH at each PO).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the Zhou invention with Yang invention to include the claimed limitation(s) so as to allow the network to send a paging occasion on a downlink control channel in order for the UE to perform blind detection to determine whether a message is at the corresponding paging occasion.
Claim(s) 8 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. US 2020/0100179 in view of Gault et al. US 2010/0061334.
Claim 8, Zhou discloses the method of claim 1,
but is silent on,
wherein the message indicating that the apparatus is to transition to the first operating state is received subsequent to receiving the indication of the at least one frequency resource.
However, as Gault discloses wherein the message indicating that the apparatus is to transition to the first operating state is received subsequent to receiving the indication of the at least one frequency resource ([0012] broadcasting at least a first message indicating that the access point switches from the first access mode to the second access mode, the first message comprising a resource information specifying resource blocks allocated to the plurality of remote stations).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the Zhou invention with Gault invention to include the claimed limitation(s) so as to allow the network to configure different modes of operating for the UE in order for the UE to perform switching of operating modes according to the allocated resource.
Claim 18, see claim 8 for the rejection, Zhou discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the message indicating that the apparatus is to transition to the first operating state is transmitted subsequent to transmitting the indication of the at least one frequency resource.
Conclusion
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/DINH NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
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