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 .
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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 6-7, 11, 13 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al. (US 2022/0174644) in view of Amerga et al. (US 2004/0043798). Examiner notes claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 are rejected herein by Shi in view of Amerga as the foundation for a rejection of claims 3, 7, 13 and 17.
Regarding claim 1, Shi discloses a communication method (fig. 5) applied to a terminal device (UE), comprising: receiving first information from an access network device (eNB) (steps 2-1 and 2-2; para. 116; note: grouping method of a WUS configuration - para. 100 and figs. 6-9); entering a first state (steps 3-4; note: monitoring WUS - para. 131) based on the received first information (step 2-1 and paras. 100 and 116); while in the first state: receiving wake-up information from the access network device (step 4; para. 131), and not monitoring for one or more pieces of the following information from the access network device: a paging message, a synchronization signal, or a system message (steps 4-5 and paras. 131-132; note: monitoring only for a WUS during WUS monitoring); and leaving the first state based on the wake-up information (steps 4-5 and paras. 131-132), and receiving the one or more pieces of information from the access network device (step 5 and para. 132)
Shi discloses a wake up signal related to power savings (para. 3) but fails to disclose entering a low-power state and not performing at least one of intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, cell measurement or cell reselection, and leaving the first state such that the terminal device ensures a normal running of a service. Amerga discloses these features (figs. 3-5 and paras. 39-60 (especially, steps 410-420, 480, 525, 545 and 560; note: a sleep state as a low power state before receiving a wake up signal; note: while sleeping with RF circuitry turned off, no measurements or reselection takes place and may take place after a wake up signal is received; note: RF warmup to have normal cellular service of receiving pages). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have entering a low-power state and not performing at least one of intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, cell measurement or cell reselection, and leaving the first state such that the terminal device ensures a normal running of a service in the invention of Shi. The motivation to have the modification and/or well-known benefits of the modification include, but are not limited to, proving power savings as is well known in the art (Amerga, figs. 3-5 and paras. 39-60; MPEP 2143(I)(A)(B)(C)(D) - note: e.g., applying known techniques having predictable results).
Regarding claim 3, Shi in view of Amerga teaches and makes obvious the method according to claim 1, wherein before the receiving first information from the access network device, the method further comprises: sending a first request message to the access network device (Shi, step 1-1; para. 94; note: ‘parameters on service’ information is related to wake up signal parameters - paras. 67 and 100; fig 1, and para. 95, first sentence, and para. 122, second sentence; note: steps 1-1 and 1-2 are performed between the UE and the CN via the eNB), wherein the first request message is used to request to configure the first state (Shi, step 1-2; para. 67), the first request message comprises the N paging occasions (Shi, para. 94 and para. 67), and the first configuration information is determined by the core network device based on the first request message (Shi, para. 94; note: the same or different parameters on service information in steps 1-1 and 1-2 is determined by the CN).
Regarding claims 6-7, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 1 and 3, respectively, from the perspective of the access network device.
Regarding claims 11 and 13, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 1 and 3, respectively. In addition, Shi discloses an apparatus (fig. 2; fig. 5, UE), comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (paras. 56-58) perform the method of claims 1-3.
Regarding claims 16-17, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 6-7, respectively. In addition, Shi discloses an apparatus (fig. 3; fig. 5, gNB), comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (para. 62) perform the method of claims 1-3.
Claims 1, 4, 6, 8, 10-11, 14, 16, 18 and 20 are rejected as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2020/0092813) in view of Amerga et al. (US 2004/0043798). Examiner notes claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 are rejected herein by Kim in view of Amerga as the foundation for the rejection of claims 5, 9, 15 and 19. Examiner believes claims 5, 9, 15 and 19 cannot reasonably be rejected using the group WUS configuration (“first information”) of Shi.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a communication method (figs. 8B, 8C and 9-10) applied to a terminal device (item 811), comprising: receiving first information (steps 812 or 1001) from an access network device (item 810); entering a low-power first state (fig. 8B, WUS configuration; step 1002; para. 228, especially the second sentence) based on the received first information (para. 204, especially the last two sentences); while in the first state: receiving wake-up information from the access network device (step 832; para. 204, last sentence; step 1003; note: state of monitoring for a WUS), and not monitoring for one or more pieces of the following information from the access network device: a paging message
Kim fails to disclose entering a low-power state and not performing at least one of intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, cell measurement or cell reselection, and leaving the first state such that the terminal device ensures a normal running of a service. Amerga discloses these features (figs. 3-5 and paras. 39-60 (especially, steps 410-420, 480, 525, 545 and 560; note: a sleep state as a low power state before receiving a wake up signal; note: while sleeping with RF circuitry turned off, no measurements or reselection takes place and may take place after a wake up signal is received; note: RF warmup to have normal cellular service of receiving pages). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have entering a low-power state and not performing at least one of intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, cell measurement or cell reselection, and leaving the first state such that the terminal device ensures a normal running of a service in the invention of Kim. The motivation to have the modification and/or well-known benefits of the modification include, but are not limited to, proving power savings as is well known in the art (Amerga, figs. 3-5 and paras. 39-60; MPEP 2143(I)(A)(B)(C)(D) - note: e.g., applying known techniques having predictable results).
Regarding claim 4, Kim in view of Amerga teaches and makes obvious the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the terminal device, second information to the access network device, wherein the second information indicates one or more pieces of the following information:
Regarding claims 6 and 8, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 1 and 4, respectively, from the perspective of the access network device.
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Amerga teaches and makes obvious the method according to claim 6, wherein the wake-up information comprises one or more of the following: the identifier of the terminal device (Kim, para. 157; note: the sequence of the WUS determined by a UE ID)
Regarding claims 11 and 14, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 1 and 4, respectively. In addition, Kim discloses an apparatus (fig. 11), comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (paras. 296-299) perform the method of claims 1 and 4.
Regarding claims 16, 18 and 20, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claims 6, 8 and 10, respectively. In addition, Kim discloses an apparatus (fig. 12), comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (paras. 300-306) perform the method of claims 6, 8 and 10.
Claims 5, 9, 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Amerga as applied to claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 above, and in further view of Zhou et al. (US 2020/0092814).
Regarding claim 5, Kim in view of Amerga teaches and makes obvious sending a WUS configuration from a gNB via RRC (Kim, fig. 8B, step 812; para. 204) but fails to disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the first information further indicates one or more pieces of the following information: a cell identifier, and information about whether a cell determined by the cell identifier supports sending the wake-up information; or a frequency identifier, and information about whether a cell determined by the frequency identifier supports the terminal device in the first state. However, Zhou discloses RRC WUS configuration information from a gNB (fig. 30) comprising a cell identifier (para. 448, cell id) and information about whether a cell determined by the cell identifier supports sending wake-up information (para. 448, indicator of whether WUS is enabled/supported or not); and a frequency identifier (para. 448, frequency resource on which the WUS may be transmitted by the first cell) and information about whether a cell determined by the frequency identifier supports the terminal in the first state (para. 448, indicator of whether WUS is enabled/supported or not; note: the first state in Kim is WUS monitoring - fig. 10, step 1002). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first information further indicate one or more pieces of the following information: a cell identifier, and information about whether a cell determined by the cell identifier supports sending the wake-up information; or a frequency identifier, and information about whether a cell determined by the frequency identifier supports the terminal device in the first state in the invention of Kim in view of Amerga. The motivation to have the modification and/or well-known benefits of the modification include, but are not limited to, provide cell configurations for communication as is known in the art (Zhou, fig. 30 and para. 448; MPEP 2143(I)(A)(B)(C)(D) - note: e.g., applying known techniques having predictable results).
Regarding claims 9, 15 and 19, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claim 5.
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.
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/Kevin C. Harper/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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