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
This communication is in response to the amendment filed 2/6/2026. The amendment has been entered and considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 7-13 and 17-24 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 claims require a base station to reduce the periodicity of control signals, and in response, the system indicates, to the UEs, a structure of wireless frames transmit by a base station to the UE after reducing the periodicity of the control signals. The specification appears to lack support for the notion of a base station reducing the periodicity of control signals, and indicating frame structure to the UE after reducing periodicity of one or more control signals. This set of claims was not originally presented in either application 14510864 or 16148441, thus there is not support by original presentation either. There is only one mention of the reduction of control signals in specification paragraph 24. The specification lacks support to be able to state what happens before/and or after the specific operation of reducing periodicity of control signals. Further, the specification does not support the notion that the absence of traffic has to be present in order for the reduction in periodicity to occur.
Further, the claim states “absence of data traffic”; however, the specification does not support such a broad limitation. The specification does not support any data traffic, it only supports the absence of “LTE data traffic”.
Appropriate correction required.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 7-13 and 17-24 have been considered but are moot because 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.
The prior 112a was overcome by removing the mention of the threshold. A New 112a is presented in this rejection. The specification does not support the broader scope of “data traffic”. The specification only supports the absence of LTE data traffic. Further, the specification only mentions the absence of data traffic and reduction in periodicity in paragraphs 24. Thus, to claim this reduction in periodicity happens at a specific point in time (i.e. before the frame structure is sent to the UE) is not supported as the specification does not link the reduction in periodicity to the frame structure transmission in that detail. Further, the specification does not make it clear if the reduction of periodicity is occurring when there is no LTE data traffic present. The specification only mentions the absence of LTE data traffic as a result. In other words, the specification does not support the idea that absence of data traffic has anything to do with the actual reduction in control signal periodicity.
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 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 BRANDON M RENNER whose telephone number is (571)270-3621. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached at (571)-272-3123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRANDON M RENNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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