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 .
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.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
(a)Claim 15, recites the limitations of “wherein the first information is carried in the third information”, however there is no mention of “third information” on previous claims that the claim depends on, i.e., claim 13 and 11. It appears that claim 15 should depend on claim 14, which recites “wherein the processor is configured to transmit, through the transceiver, third information”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 11-13, 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by TSAI et al. (US 2023/0051117).
Regarding claim 1, Tsai discloses a communication method, comprising:
determining, by a terminal device, a first paging occasion (PO) for a paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying first information (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE may be configured with DRX cycle(s) and several parameters for the determination of a PO (i.e., paging occasion), the UE receives a paging DCI including a TRS/CSI-RS availability indication (i.e., first information) on the PO, the paging DCI is received via the PDCCH – p. [0062]), wherein the first information indicates a first transmission occasion set for an available tracking reference signal (TRS) or an available channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (p. [0163], [0165], [0167]; the paging DCI includes an indication regarding the availability of TRS/CSI-RS at the configured TRS/CSI-RS occasion(s)); and
receiving, by the terminal device, the first information according to the first PO (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE receives the paging DCI on the determined PO).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai discloses the method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the terminal device, the first PO for the paging PDCCH carrying the first information, comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, second information, the second information indicating a transmission occasion set for the paging PDCCH carrying the first information; and determining, by the terminal device, the first PO according to the second information (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE may be configured with DRX cycle(s) and several parameters (i.e., second information) for the determination of a PO (i.e., paging occasion)).
Regarding claim 3, Tsai discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the second information comprises a transmission cycle and a time offset parameter of the paging PDCCH carrying the first information (p. [0061]; the UE is configured with DRX cycles and other parameters (i.e., second information) for determining POs).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a valid time of the first transmission occasion set (p. [0236]-[0237], [0240], [0256]-[0257]).
Regarding claim 5, Tsai discloses the method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the terminal device, the first information according to the first PO comprises:
receiving, by the terminal device, on the first PO, downlink control information (DCI) carried in the paging PDCCH, the first information being carried in the DCI (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE receives the paging DCI carrying the TRS/CSI-RS availability indication (i.e., first information) on the determined PO, the paging DCI is received via the PDCCH);
wherein the DCI comprises a short-message indication information field and a short- message information field (Fig. 2; p. [0062]; when the UE receives the paging DCI, the UE checks a short message indicator field, figure 2 shows the paging DCI including a short message indicator filed and a short message field); and
wherein the first information is represented by the short-message information field (p. [0169]; the TRS/CSI-RS availability indication may be indicated in a short message of the paging DCI); or is represented by an information field in the DCI other than the short-message indication information field and the short-message information field.
Regarding claim 6, Tsai discloses a terminal device (Fig. 12; p. [0584]-[0585]), comprising a transceiver (p. [0586]) and a processor (p. [0591]), the processor is configured to call and run a program from a memory to:
determine a first paging occasion (PO) for a paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying first information (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE may be configured with DRX cycle(s) and several parameters for the determination of a PO (i.e., paging occasion), the UE receives a paging DCI including a TRS/CSI-RS availability indication (i.e., first information) on the PO, the paging DCI is received via the PDCCH – p. [0062]), wherein the first information indicates a first transmission occasion set for an available tracking reference signal (TRS) or an available channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (p. [0163], [0165], [0167]; the paging DCI includes an indication regarding the availability of TRS/CSI-RS at the configured TRS/CSI-RS occasion(s)); and
receive, through the transceiver, the first information according to the first PO (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE receives the paging DCI on the determined PO).
Regarding claim 11, Tsai discloses a network device (Fig. 12; p. [0584]-[0585]; i.e., network node/BS), comprising a transceiver (p. [0586]) and a processor (p. [0591)), the processor is configured to call and run a program from a memory to:
transmit, through the transceiver, on a first paging occasion (PO), a paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to a terminal device (p. [0062], [0165]; UE monitors the PDCCH to receive paging DCI transmitted by the NW/BS, the UE receives the paging DCI on a PO), wherein first information is carried in the paging PDCCH (p. [0062], [0165]; UE monitors the PDCCH to receive paging DCI including a TRS/CSI-RS availability indication (i.e., first information)), and the first information indicates a first transmission occasion set for an available tracking reference signal (TRS) or an available channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (p. [0163], [0165], [0167]; the paging DCI includes an indication (i.e., first information) regarding the availability of TRS/CSI-RS at the configured TRS/CSI-RS occasion(s)).
Regarding claim 12, Tsai discloses the network device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, through the transceiver, second information, the second information indicating a transmission occasion set for the paging PDCCH carrying the first information (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE may be configured with DRX cycle(s) and several parameters (i.e., second information) for the determination of a PO)
Regarding claim 13, Tsai discloses the network device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, through the transceiver, the available TRS or the available CSI-RS (Fig. 6 shows where the available TRS/CSI-RSI is transmitted by the network).
Regarding claim 15, Tsai discloses the network device of claim 13, wherein the first information is carried in the third information (p. [0163], [0165], [0167]; the paging DCI includes an indication (i.e., first information) regarding the availability of TRS/CSI-RS at the configured TRS/CSI-RS occasion(s)).
Regarding claim 16, Tsai discloses a chip comprising a processor (p.[0591]), the processor is configured to call and run a program from a memory (p. [0590]) to enable a terminal device installed with the chip to implement a communication method comprising:
determining a first paging occasion (PO) for a paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying first information (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE may be configured with DRX cycle(s) and several parameters for the determination of a PO (i.e., paging occasion), the UE receives a paging DCI including a TRS/CSI-RS availability indication (i.e., first information) on the PO, the paging DCI is received via the PDCCH – p. [0062]), wherein the first information indicates a first transmission occasion set for an available tracking reference signal (TRS) or an available channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (p. [0163], [0165], [0167]; the paging DCI includes an indication regarding the availability of TRS/CSI-RS at the configured TRS/CSI-RS occasion(s)); and
receiving the first information according to the first PO (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE receives the paging DCI on the determined PO).
Regarding claim 17, Tsai discloses the chip of claim 16, wherein determining the first PO for the paging PDCCH carrying the first information, comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, second information, the second information indicating a transmission occasion set for the paging PDCCH carrying the first information; and determining, by the terminal device, the first PO according to the second information (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE may be configured with DRX cycle(s) and several parameters (i.e., second information) for the determination of a PO (i.e., paging occasion)).
Regarding claim 18, Tsai discloses the chip of claim 16, wherein the first information comprises a valid time of the first transmission occasion set (p. [0236]-[0237], [0240], [0256]-[0257]).
Regarding claim 19, Tsai discloses the chip of claim 16, wherein receiving, by the terminal device, the first information according to the first PO comprises:
receiving on the first PO, downlink control information (DCI) carried in the paging PDCCH, the first information being carried in the DCI (p. [0061], lines 6-end; p. [0062]; p. [0165]; the UE receives the paging DCI carrying the TRS/CSI-RS availability indication (i.e., first information) on the determined PO, the paging DCI is received via the PDCCH);
wherein the DCI comprises a short-message indication information field and a short- message information field (Fig. 2; p. [0062]; when the UE receives the paging DCI, the UE checks a short message indicator field, figure 2 shows the paging DCI including a short message indicator filed and a short message field); and
wherein the first information is represented by the short-message information field (p. [0169]; the TRS/CSI-RS availability indication may be indicated in a short message of the paging DCI); or is represented by an information field in the DCI other than the short-message indication information field and the short-message information field.
Regarding claim 20, Tsai discloses the chip of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises: determining, according to a state of the terminal device, whether the first information is carried in DCI in the paging PDCCH (p. [0163], [0165], [0166]); and determining that the first information is carried in the DCI in the paging PDCCH, in a case that the terminal device is in an idle state or an inactive state (p. [0165]-[0166]); or determining that the first information is not comprised in the DCI in the paging PDCCH, in a case that the terminal device is in a connected state.
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TSAI et al. in view of LIAO et al. (US 2022/0303089).
Regarding claim 9, Tsai discloses the terminal device of claim 6, but does not particularly disclose wherein the processor is further configured to determine, according to the first information, the first transmission occasion set; and receive, through the transceiver, the available TRS or the available CSI-RS according to the first transmission occasion set.
However, Liao teaches wherein the processor is further configured to determine, according to the first information, the first transmission occasion set; and receive, through the transceiver, the available TRS or the available CSI-RS according to the first transmission occasion set (p. [0008], [0044]; TRS availability information (i.e., first information) is signaled from the network via a paging downlink control information (DCI), the availability information indicates whether a TRS is present on the configured TRS occasions, the idle/inactive UE receives the TRS on the configured occasions until the PO of the next I-DRX cycle). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Tsai with the teachings of Liao, since such a modification would allow the terminal to receive the TRS on the TRS occasions that indicate that the TRS is available/present based on the availability information (i.e., first information), thus providing power savings for the terminal.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8, 10, and 14 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARISOL FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-7840. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8:00am-4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jinsong Hu can be reached at 571-272-3965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARISOL FIGUEROA/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2643