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 is in response to an amendment/response filed on November 20, 2025.
Claims 1,8, and 14 have been amended.
No Claims have been cancelled.
No Claims have been added.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 11-15, filed on November 20, 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-6,8-12, and 14-19 under 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Yi et al. (US Application 2022/0159567, hereinafter Yi) which teaches wherein an operation state for the cell corresponds to a configuration of parameters in at least one of a time, frequency, spatial, or power domain for receptions on the cell(Title, [0249],[0165]-[0266]).
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6,8-12, and 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US Application 2022/0240288, hereinafter Yang) in view of Yi et al. (US Application 2022/0159567, hereinafter Yi).
Regarding claims 1, 8, 14,Yang discloses a user equipment (UE), a base station, and a method (Figs. 1, 4, 9-12,16,17, 19-21) comprising:
a transceiver (106,108,114,206,208) configured to receive:
first information for a set of operation states for a cell, and second information for a set of resources for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmissions(Abstract, [0005]-[0008],[0034], [0063]-[0078], which recites a UE is powered on or enters a new cell, the UE performs initial cell search (S101). The initial cell search involves acquisition of synchronization to a BS. For this purpose, the UE receives a synchronization signal block (SSB) from the BS. The SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The UE synchronizes its timing to the BS and acquires information such as a cell identifier (ID) based on the PSS/SSS. Further, the UE may acquire information broadcast in the cell by receiving the PBCH from the BS. During the initial cell search, the UE may also monitor a DL channel state by receiving a downlink reference signal (DL RS ). PUCCH resources may be determined via three steps. In the first step 1 from among the three steps, any one of 16 PUCCH resource sets may be configured, as a 4-bit indicator within RMSI, in the UE. In the second step 2, one sub-set in the PUCCH resource set (configured in step 1) may be indicated to the UE as 3-bit information (ARI) included in DCI. In the third step 3, one PUCCH resource from among PUCCH resource sub-sets (indicated in step 2) may be indicated to the UE using implicit 1-bit information based on a CCE); and
a processor (104,120,204), operably coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to determine, at a first time:
first one or more operation states, from the set of operation states, for the cell transmissions(Abstract, [0005]-[0008],[0034], [0063]-[0078], which recites a UE is powered on or enters a new cell, the UE performs initial cell search (S101). The initial cell search involves acquisition of synchronization to a BS. For this purpose, the UE receives a synchronization signal block (SSB) from the BS. The SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The UE synchronizes its timing to the BS and acquires information such as a cell identifier (ID) based on the PSS/SSS. Further, the UE may acquire information broadcast in the cell by receiving the PBCH from the BS. During the initial cell search, the UE may also monitor a DL channel state by receiving a downlink reference signal (DL RS ). PUCCH resources may be determined via three steps. In the first step 1 from among the three steps, any one of 16 PUCCH resource sets may be configured, as a 4-bit indicator within RMSI, in the UE. In the second step 2, one sub-set in the PUCCH resource set (configured in step 1) may be indicated to the UE as 3-bit information (ARI) included in DCI. In the third step 3, one PUCCH resource from among PUCCH resource sub-sets (indicated in step 2) may be indicated to the UE using implicit 1-bit information based on a CCE), and a resource from the set of resources based on the first one or more operation states for the cell, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit, in response to the determination at the first time, a first PUCCH using the resource transmissions(Abstract, [0005]-[0008],[0034], [0063]-[0078], which recites PUCCH resources may be determined via three steps. In the first step 1 from among the three steps, any one of 16 PUCCH resource sets may be configured, as a 4-bit indicator within RMSI, in the UE. In the second step 2, one sub-set in the PUCCH resource set (configured in step 1) may be indicated to the UE as 3-bit information (ARI) included in DCI. In the third step 3, one PUCCH resource from among PUCCH resource sub-sets (indicated in step 2) may be indicated to the UE using implicit 1-bit information based on a CCE).
Yang does not explicitly disclose an operation state for the cell corresponds to a configuration of parameters in at least one of a time, frequency, spatial, or power domain for receptions on the cell.
However, Yi teaches wherein an operation state for the cell corresponds to a configuration of parameters in at least one of a time, frequency, spatial, or power domain for receptions on the cell(Title, [0249],[0165]-[0266]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Yi with the teaching of Yang by using the above features such as an operation state for the cell corresponds to a configuration of parameters in at least one of a time, frequency, spatial, or power domain for receptions on the cell as taught by Yi for the purpose of enabling wake-up procedure and power saving operations of a wireless device and/or one or more of base station(s)([0050]).
Regarding claims 2, 9, 15, Yang discloses the UE of Claim 1, wherein the transmission of the first PUCCH comprises a transmission of an unmodulated sequence([0010], [0053],[0259]).
Regarding claims 3, 16, Yang discloses the UE of Claim 1, wherein: the processor is further configured to determine, at a second time, a second operation state for the cell; the second operation state is same as a current operation state for the cell; and the transceiver is further configured to skip transmission of a second PUCCH in response to the determination at the second time([0080],[0334]).
Regarding claims 4, 10, 17, Yang discloses the UE of Claim 1, wherein elements of the set of operation states for the cell have a one-to-one mapping with elements of the set of resources([0046]-[0050]).
Regarding claims 5,11, 18, Yang discloses the UE of Claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are provided by a system information block (SIB)([0047],[0095]).
Regarding claims 6, 12, 19, Yang discloses the UE of Claim 1, wherein: the transceiver is further configured to receive: third information for search space sets for receiving physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs), and the PDCCHs, the PDCCHs are received in response to the transmission of the first PUCCH, a PDCCH from the PDCCHs provides a downlink control information (DCI) format, the DCI format indicates an index from a set of indexes, and elements of the set of indexes have a one-to-one mapping with elements of the set of operation states for the cell(Abstract, [0005]-[0008],[0034], [0063]-[0078]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7,13, and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art in record fails to anticipate or render obvious sthe following limitations: the transceiver is further configured to receive: third information for a time interval, fourth information for first search space sets for receiving first physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs), and fifth information for second search space sets for receiving second PDCCHs; the processor is further configured to determine: a first earliest reception occasion, after the transmission of the PUCCH, for a reception of the first PDCCHs, and a second earliest reception occasion, after the first earliest reception occasion, for a reception of the second PDCCHs based on the time interval; and the transceiver is further configured to receive: the first PDCCHs at the first earliest reception occasion, wherein a first PDCCH from the first PDCCHs indicates a first operation state from the set of operation states for the cell, and the second PDCCHs at the second earliest reception occasion, wherein a second PDCCH from the second PDCCHs schedules reception of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or transmission of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) based on the first operation state.
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 DADY CHERY whose telephone number is (571)270-1207. The examiner can normally be reached M to T, 8 am to 5pm.
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/DADY CHERY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461