DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-6 and 15-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/13/2026.
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.
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) 22-24 and 35-37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0254771) in view of Maleki, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2021/0400761)
Regarding claims 22 and 35, Shi discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user
equipment (UE), comprising one or more memories and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to (paragraph 0179) cause the UE to and a method performed by a UE comprising:
operate in a first DRX mode in accordance with a first DRX configuration of the multiple DRX configurations and receive a first indication to switch to a second DRX mode; and (Shi discloses that a UE may operate in a first DRX configuration, a long DRX configuration, until it receives a MAC CE indicating to stop the idle timer/IAT and transitions to a second/short DRX mode [paragraphs 0127-0128].)
operate in the second DRX mode in accordance with a second DRX configuration of the multiple DRX configurations (paragraphs 0127-0128 – see (a), supra).
Shi fails to disclose receiving multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) configurations. In the same field of endeavor, Maleki discloses receiving multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) configurations. In the same field of endeavor, Maleki discloses that the base station may use RRC to configure the second/short and first/long DRX, such as length, period, etc. [paragraph 0042-0044].)
Therefore, since Maleki discloses MAC configured RRC parameters, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the configuration of Maleki with the system of Shi by configurating the second/short and first/long DRX using RRC transmission by the base station. The motive to combine is to reduce overhead by using RRC for seldom changing elements.
Regarding claims 23 and 36, Shi discloses receive a second indication to switch to the first DRX mode and operate in the first DRX mode (Shi discloses that the UE may operate in the second/short DRX mode until UE receives DCP that switches to first DRX mode/long DRX [paragraph 0124-0125 – second DRX mode is short DRX, UE receives DCP that switches to first DRX mode/long DRX; 0044, 0197 – DCP may be stored in DCI].)
Regarding claims 24 and 37, Shi discloses the second indication is included in downlink control information (Shi discloses that a UE may operate in a second DRX configuration, a short DRX configuration util it receives a DCI with a DCP [i.e. second indication] that indicates that no wake-up signal is transmitted, at which time the UE transitions to a long DRX configuration [paragraph 0124-0125 – second DRX mode is short DRX, UE receives DCP that switches to first DRX mode/long DRX; 0044, 0197 – DCP may be stored in DCI].)
Claim(s) 25 and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0254771) and of Maleki, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2021/0400761) as applied to claims 22 and 25 and further in view of Suziki, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 20180/145798)
Regarding claims 25 and 38, Shi discloses starting a DRX switch timer at a start of the second DRX mode, switch back to the first DRX mode upon expiration of the DRX switch timer and operate in the first DRX mode. (Shi discloses short cycle timer is started when the long cycle IAT ends at WUS reception, and times the length of the short cycle/second DRX mode and causes a transition to the long/first DRX mode upon expiration [paragraph 0045-0046, 0117].)
Shi as modified by Maleki fails to disclose receiving a DRX switch timer associated with a DRX switching configuration. In the same field of endeavor, Suzuki discloses receiving a DRX switch timer associated with a DRX switching configuration (Suzuki discloses receiving a DRX short cycle timer used to switch from short to long DRX cycles/modes via RRC from the base station [paragraphs 183-0192].)
Therefore, since Suzuki discloses RRC configuration of the DRX short cycle timer, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the RRC configuration of Suzuki with the system of Shi as modified by Maleki by configuring the drx short cycle timer of Shi using RRC configuration from the base station. The motive to combine is to improve flexibility be allowing the base station to set the length or the timer instead of requiring a fixed or UE determined value.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-14 and 26-34 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 7 and 26, the prior art fails to teach, suggest or disclose
receiving a configuration of an inactivity timer, a long periodicity, a short periodicity, and a short periodicity timer of a first search space (SS) set or SS set group (SSSG);
start or restart, in a first symbol after the inactivity timer for the first SS set or SSSG expires, the short periodicity timer for on durations having the short periodicity that is shorter than the long periodicity used for the first SS set or SSSG;
monitor for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) messages in the first SS set or SSSG during the on durations having the short periodicity; and
monitor, after the short periodicity timer expires, for PDCCH messages in the first SS set or SSSG during on durations having the long periodicity.
As an initial matter it is highlighted that the claims apply what is traditionally DRX type timing such as inactivity timers, short and long periodicities to search space sets directly. This is different from traditional configurations in which the DRX timing and search space sets are kept separate, as often multiple different search space sets are needed to fit within DRX confines and DRX parameters cannot be linked to merely a single search space set.
The closest prior art with regard to claims 7 and 26 is that of Lee, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2022/0132341). Lee discloses that a long and a short periodicity may be associated with a first SS OR SSSG (see paragraphs 0171-0172, 0176 – the search spaces may be associated with a default/first/long periodicity search space and a short/second periodicity, the associated periodicities are then reflected in assigned DRX timers which help the UE achieve power savings by linking search spaces and DRX timer values directly).
However, Lee is deficient in teaching all aspects of the short periodicity timer. That is, at best, Lee discloses that the WTRU reverts back to the first DRX timer/long periodicity when the second search space is deactivated (paragraph 0171). However, it only teaches deactivation as an explicit indication of search space deactivation (paragraph 0106-0107) and not with respect to a short periodicity timer. Furthermore, even if deactivation with respect to a periodicity timer occurred, there is no teaching of such deactivation after a short periodicity timer that is started in a first symbol after the inactivity timer for the first SS set or SSSG expires, as claimed.
Lee is further deficient in teaching an inactivity timer of the a first search space (SS) set or SS set group (SSSG).
With regard to both the aspects of the short periodicity timer and the inactivity timer, they are seen as elements of DRX operation. For example, looking to paragraphs 0078 of Lee, it is seen that an inactivity timer is assigned to DRX, and after the inactivity timer expires a DRX short period is carried out for the period of the short cycle timer. Other art likewise has similar teachings with respect to DRX (see, for example, Suziki as discussed with respect to claim 25, supra). However, this type of DRX cannot be applied to the search space sets of Lee in which explicit DCI signaling is used to activate the short periodicity as a burst transmission (paragraph 0120) there is no teaching of using standard DRX style short period timers to change the periodicity of the search space sets and furthermore, doing so would eliminate all the advantages of Lee in allowing the short cycle only to be entered into when the base station detects a burst and uses DCI to signal use of the short search space set. Furthermore, such a combination would turn the system of Lee on its head by making the DRX drive the periodicity of the SS or SSSG instead of vice versa as taught by Lee. Therefore, it was deemed that the system of Lee could not be modified to teach the aspects of the short periodicity timer and the inactivity timer based on standard art teaching DRX short cycles.
Furthermore, no other art teaching all the claimed limitations could be located. Therefore, the prior art fails to teach, suggest or disclose all elements of the claimed invention.
Regarding dependent claims 8-14 and 27-34, the claims are allowable for at least the reasons stated with respect to independent claims 7 and 16, supra.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Bala, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0180249) – with a similar disclosure to that of Lee (same assignee) in which DCI is used for DRX switching
Ohara, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2023/0337138) – disclosing resetting inactivity timer as a part of search space set switching
Su, et al. (US Pre Grant Publication No. 2019/0281504) – disclosing switching search space sets based on a BWP inactivity timer
R2-2312225 (Author Unknown, Remaining issues on DRX enhancements for XR, Doc. No. R2-2312225, pages 1-2, 17 November 2023) – disclosing UE preference for DRX long and short cycles
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD whose telephone number is (571)270-3989. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faruk Hamza can be reached at (571) 272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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