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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/06/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, filed on 01/20/2026, have been considered but are moot in view of new ground(s).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the
claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was
commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any
evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to
point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly
owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to
consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2)
prior art against the later invention.
Claims 24-28, 32-34, and 49-52 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al. (WO 2019136676) in view of Li et al. (US 20210168789).
Regarding claim 24, Ji discloses a method for wireless communication, comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a configuration comprising at least one bandwidth part (BWP) group from a base station, wherein each BWP group of the at least one BWP group comprises at least one BWP of at least one cell (when a BWP group is activated for one UE, an area in the DCI is used to indicate an index of a target BWP group that is activated; page 11);
configuring, by the UE, the configuration received from the base station (activation unit for activating a target portion of the bandwidth group; page 23);
receiving, by the UE, a message comprising a BWP group indication field from the base station, the BWP group indication field indicating a target BWP group identifier (ID) (DCI is used to indicate an index of a target BWP group; page 11); and
switching to, by the UE, a target BWP group according to the target BWP group ID (UE may also support one or more target BWP groups to be activated, wherein one target BWP group includes at least one target BWP. the correspondence between each target BWP and the index, or the correspondence between each target BWP group and the index, and the target BWP included in each target BWP group may be preset by the network device and notified to the UE by the upper layer; pages 11-12),
wherein, in response to a cell having an activated BWP and the target BWP group comprising no BWP for the cell, the UE performs at least one of the following:
keeping the activated BWP on the cell, or deactivating the activated BWP on the cell (UE may also support one or more target BWP groups to be activated, wherein one target BWP group includes at least one target BWP. In this case, the method may further include:
Step 303: Activate the target BWP if the at least one target BWP group indicated by the information indicating the change of the activated BWP of the user equipment does not include the currently activated BWP or other BWPs other than the currently activated BWP. All BWPs in the group.
In this embodiment, when supporting multiple BWPs to be activated at the same time, for example, the method may further include:
Step 304: Maintain an activation state of the currently activated BWP; page 12).
Ji does not expressly disclose a BWP of at least one cell in a band combination (BC).
In an analogous art, Li discloses a BWP of at least one cell in a band combination (BC) (network device 110 may configure a plurality of first active BWPs for the terminal device 130, and the terminal device 130 may select one of the plurality of first active BWPs based on active BWPs on other CCs. For example, if only one first active BWP can form an active BWP combination supported by the terminal device 130 with the active BWPs on other CCs, the terminal device 130 uses the first active BWP as the BWP used when the secondary cell is activated; [0113]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Li into the system of Ji in order to optimize switching an active BWP in a carrier aggregation scenario (Li; [0005]).
Regarding claim 25, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses receiving, by the UE, a first active group BWP ID; and switching, by the UE, to a first active BWP group based on the first active group BWP ID (when a BWP group is activated for one UE, an area in the DCI is used to indicate an index of a target BWP group that is activated; page 11).
Regarding claim 26, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses the at least one BWP group comprises a default BWP group (the DL/paired spectrum (or DL/UL in unpaired spectrum) in the paired operating frequency, the timer-based switch from the DL BWP to the default DL is also supported. The mechanism of BWP; page 2).
Regarding claim 27, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses for a BWP group of the at least one BWP group, the base station configures a BWP group identifier (ID) corresponding to the BWP group comprising at least one BWP (the correspondence between each target BWP and the index, or the correspondence between each target BWP group and the index, and the target BWP included in each target BWP group may be preset by the network device and notified to the UE by the upper layer; page 11).
Regarding claim 28, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses for a BWP, the base station configures that the BWP belongs to at least one BWP group ID corresponding to a BWP group of the at least one BWP group (the correspondence between each target BWP and the index, or the correspondence between each target BWP group and the index, and the target BWP included in each target BWP group may be preset by the network device and notified to the UE by the upper layer; page 11).
Regarding claim 32, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses determining, by the UE, the target BWP group according to the configuration and the target BWP group ID (UE may also support one or more target BWP groups to be activated, wherein one target BWP group includes at least one target BWP. the correspondence between each target BWP and the index, or the correspondence between each target BWP group and the index, and the target BWP included in each target BWP group may be preset by the network device and notified to the UE by the upper layer; pages 11-12).
Regarding claim 33, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses the message comprising at least one of the following: downlink control information (DCI), a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or RRC signaling (when a BWP group is activated for one UE, an area in the DCI is used to indicate an index of a target BWP group that is activated; page 11).
Regarding claim 34, the combination of Ji and Li, particularly Ji discloses the DCI comprises a first DCI format comprising at least one BWD group indication group (when a BWP group is activated for one UE, an area in the DCI is used to indicate an index of a target BWP group that is activated; page 11).
Regarding claim 49, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the reasons cited in claim 24.
Regarding claim 50, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the reasons cited in claim 25.
Regarding claim 51, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the reasons cited in claim 24.
Regarding claim 52, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the reasons cited in claim 25.
Claims 29-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al. (WO 2019136676) in view of Li et al. (US 20210168789) and in view of Bai et al. (US 20210045115).
Regarding claim 29, the combination of Ji and Li does not expressly disclose the at least one BWP in the BWP group ID corresponds to a same cell group comprising at least one of a master cell group (MCG) or a secondary cell group (SCG).
In an analogous art, Bai teaches the at least one BWP in the BWP group ID corresponds to a same cell group comprising at least one of a master cell group (MCG) or a secondary cell group (SCG) (a BWP in a BWP group ID in the same cell group can comprise either an MCG or SCG; [0073-0074], [0079]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Bai into the system of Ji and Li in order to enable a UE to communicate on at least one CC/BWP of a CC/BWP group based on one or more communication parameters configured according to the CC/BWP group (Bai; [0007]).
With regards to claim 30, the combination of Ji and Li does not expressly disclose the UE receives at least one cell group configuration; and for each cell group of the at least one cell group, the UE receives at least one BWP group corresponding to the each cell group of the at least one cell group.
In an analogous art, Bai teaches the UE receives at least one cell group configuration; and for each cell group of the at least one cell group, the UE receives at least one BWP group corresponding to the each cell group of the at least one cell group (UE receives implicit BWP grouping that indicates that BWP group is all part of a single cell group; [0073]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Bai into the system of Ji and Li in order to enable a UE to communicate on at least one CC/BWP of a CC/BWP group based on one or more communication parameters configured according to the CC/BWP group (Bai; [0007]).
Regarding claim 31, the combination of Ji and Li does not expressly disclose the UE determines each BWP group implicitly of the at least one BWP group configuration.
In an analogous art, Bai teaches the UE determines each BWP group implicitly of the at least one BWP group configuration (receiving the CC/BWP grouping indication that identifies the at least one CC/BWP group comprises receiving at least one of an implicit CC/BWP grouping or an explicit CC/BWP grouping. For example, the implicit CC/BWP grouping indicates that all configured CCs/BWPs per band belong to one CC/BWP group, or indicates that each band includes only a single one of a cell group; [0073]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Bai into the system of Ji and Li in order to enable a UE to communicate on at least one CC/BWP of a CC/BWP group based on one or more communication parameters configured according to the CC/BWP group (Bai; [0007]).
Claims 42-44 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ji et al. (WO 2019136676) in view of Li et al. (US 20210168789) and in view of Ang et al. (US 20190124558).
Regarding claim 42, the combination of Ji and Li does not expressly disclose in response to a timer expiring, falling back to, by the UE, a default BWP or a default BWP group, wherein the timer is configured by the base station for at least one BWP group.
In an analogous art, Ang discloses in response to a timer expiring, falling back to, by the UE, a default BWP or a default BWP group, wherein the timer is configured by the base station for at least one BWP group (default BWP may be configured to be a non-zero BWP. In some cases, the configuration may include a subset of or all secondary cells of the group configured to switch from a fully activated state to a dormant state based on an expiration of a timer. The dormant state may be associated with a default BWP including a zero-BWP. Base station 105 may also configure to indicate the group of secondary cells based on the BWP DCI. UE 115 may receive the BWP DCI from base station 105 and identify a selection of a primary cell or a state of a group of secondary cells based on at least one bit of a field in the BWP DCI; [0065]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Ang into the system of Ji and Li in order to efficiently manage data transmission capabilities, while decreasing power consumption for UE by providing improved secondary cell activation and deactivation techniques for a base station and the UE (Ang; [0096]).
Regarding claim 43, the combination of Ji, Ang, and Li, particularly Ang discloses the timer is configured for at least one BWP groups (the configuration may include a subset of or all secondary cells of the group configured to switch from a fully activated state to a dormant state based on an expiration of a timer; [0065]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Ang into the system of Ji and Li in order to efficiently manage data transmission capabilities, while decreasing power consumption for UE by providing improved secondary cell activation and deactivation techniques for a base station and the UE (Ang; [0096]).
Regarding claim 44, the combination of Ji, Ang, and Li, particularly Ang discloses the timer is configured for at least one of the following: all of the at least one BWP groups, each of the at least one BWP groups respectively, or a partial set of the at least one BWP groups (State switching component 725 may configure a subset of or all secondary cells of the group to switch from a fully activated state to a partially activated state based on an expiration of a timer; [0154]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Ang into the system of Ji and Li in order to efficiently manage data transmission capabilities, while decreasing power consumption for UE by providing improved secondary cell activation and deactivation techniques for a base station and the UE (Ang; [0096]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 20240039681), “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING DORMANT BANDWIDTH PART IN NEXT-GENERATION MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.”
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/OUSSAMA ROUDANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413