DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to Applicant's amendment and request for
reconsideration filed on April 17, 2026.
Claims 1-4, 6, 8-15, 17, and 19-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection based on Applicant’s amended claims.
Nevertheless, with regard to Applicant’s argument: “…without a disclosure of the relationship between cell 161 or at least one cell 162-168 and the last serving cell, Mazloum cannot logically disclose or suggest that the UE monitors WUS in a case that the cell 161 or at least one cell 162-168 is the last serving cell. Moreover, although Fig. 10 of Mazloum relates to a scenario without UE mobility, it does not mean that the current camping cell of the UE is a last serving cell, it is also possible that disclosure of Mazloum means UE does not move during the transmission and/or communication of the WUS as described in Fig. 10. Therefore, Mazloum fails to disclose that the UE monitors power-saving signal in a case that the current camping cell is the last serving cell as defined in amended claim 1” (see pp.11-13).
First, in Mazloum the UE will monitor for a power-saving signal (i.e., WUS transmission) when the UE determines, based on the configuration information (i.e., configuration data 4001), that the UE is connected/camping on any of the cells (i.e., cells 161-168, 661, and 662, see Fig. 2) in the tracking area/cell list (see for example ¶0081 and ¶0192-0194), which necessarily includes the UE determining a first cell (i.e., the last serving cell/currently camping cell) in the tracking area/cell list, which reads on the limitation “monitoring, by the UE, a power-saving signal in a case that the UE determines that a last serving cell is a first cell based on the indication information”.
Secondly, Applicant’s remarks on UE mobility are also not reflected in the claimed invention. The claim is vague as to what is meant by “last serving cell” and whether that requires mobility. Therefore, the Examiner is reading last serving cell, as the last serving cell to which the UE was in an active state with, prior to transitioning to an inactive state. Then, after transitioning to an active state, the last serving cell is the current camping cell for the UE (i.e., “the network-side device is a network-side device corresponding to the first cell, and the first cell is a current camping cell”), which does not require mobility, and to which the Applicant appears to agree with the Examiner is taught by Fig. 10 of Malzoum.
To distinguish from Malzoum, Applicant may want to consider adding operations addressing when the last serving/current camping cell is not the first cell and/or further clarify “the relationship between cells” aspect that Applicant’s remarks allude to, and/or further clarify the mobility aspect Applicant’s remarks allude to with respect to the “last serving cell”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-4, 6, 12-15, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
As per claims 1 and 12, the limitation “monitoring, by the UE, a power saving signal in a case that the UE does not receive the indication information transmitted by the network-side device…” is not further limiting on the positively recited step of “receiving, by a user equipment (UE), indication information transmitted by a network-side device” as reflected in the first limitation of the claim. For the purpose of this office action the Examiner is interpreting the claim to read:
“…receiving, by a user equipment (UE), indication information transmitted by a network-side device; and monitoring, by the UE, a power-saving signal in a case that the UE determines that a last serving cell is a first cell based on the indication information; wherein the network-side device is a network-side device corresponding to the first cell, and the first cell is a current camping cell; and the power-saving signal comprises a paging early indication (PEI);
Claims 2-4, 6, 13-15, and 17 incorporate the deficiencies of claims 1 or 12, through dependency, and are thus rejected under 35 U.S.C. §112(b) for the same reasons as noted.
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 of this title, 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, 8-14, 17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Mazloum et al. (US 2021/0022077)(“Mazloum”), in further view of He et al. (US 2022/0264516)(“He”).
As per claim 1, Mazloum teaches a power-saving signal monitoring method, comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment (UE) (see Fig. 10, ref. 101), indication information (i.e., configuration data, see Fig. 10, ref. 4001) transmitted by a network-side device (i.e., BS 112)(see ¶0012); and
monitoring, by the UE, a power-saving signal in a case that the UE determines that a last serving cell is a first cell based on the indication information (i.e., monitoring a wake-up signal, see Fig. 10, ref. 3004, also see ¶0124, wherein BS 112 is of the serving cell 161);
wherein the network-side device is a network-side device corresponding to the first cell, and the first cell is a current camping cell (see ¶0124, wherein BS 112 is of the service cell 161, in which the UE 101 is currently camping on).
As per claim 1, although Mazloum teaches the power-saving or wake-up signal is for purposes of receiving subsequent paging messages (see Fig. 10 for example), Mazloum does not expressly describe the power-saving/wake-up signal necessarily being a paging early indication (PEI), as currently claimed.
Nevertheless, in the same art of network paging, He teaches the use of a PEI to wake up a UE prior to a paging occasion (see for example, ¶0003, ¶0016, and ¶0054).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, prior to the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention, to replace or modify the wake-up signal in Mazloum (i.e., ¶0124) with a paging early indication (PEI) signal. The obvious motivation for doing so would have been to expressly indicate to the UE a subsequent paging occasion with less power than paging downlink control information (DCI) or a paging message (see He, ¶0054).
As per claim 2, Mazloum further teaches wherein the method further comprises:
skipping monitoring, by the UE, the power-saving signal in a case that the UE determines that the last serving cell is not the first cell based on the indication information (see ¶0057, which anticipates other cells (i.e., not the first cell / cell 116) of the cellular network not supporting WUS transmission, where impliedly the UE would therefore skip monitoring of WUS transmission on cells that lack such support).
As per claim 3, Mazloum further teaches wherein before the receiving, by a user equipment (UE), indication information transmitted by a network-side device, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the UE, a target message transmitted by the network-side device, wherein the target message carries the indication information and the target message comprises at least one of: a broadcast message (see ¶0047).
As per claim 6, Mazloum further teaches wherein the default cell range comprises at least one of: a cell corresponding to a tracking area list of the UE (see ¶0081, i.e., “cells 161-168, 661, 662, define a tracking area 160”, read as a default cell range).
Claims 8-10, 12-14, 17, 19-20 are rejected under the same rationale as claims 1-3 and 6 since they recite substantially identical subject matter. Any differences between the claims do not result in patentably distinct claims and all of the limitations are taught by the above cited art.
As per claim 11, Mazloum further teaches wherein the transmitting, by a network-side device, indication information to a user equipment (UE) comprises:
determining, by the network-side device, to transmit the indication information to the user equipment UE based on target information; wherein the target information comprises at least one of: … geographical location of a cell (i.e., based on a sub-area and/or tracking area, see abstract and ¶0081, respectively).
Claims 4 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mazloum and He, in further view of Wang et al. (US 2023/0038417)(“Wang”).
As per claims 4 and 15, Mazloum does not expressly teach wherein before the receiving, by the UE, a target message transmitted by the network-side device, the method further comprises: reporting, by the UE to the network-side device, an active area of the UE and/or preference information of the UE about cell(s) from which the UE expects to receive the indication information.
Nevertheless, in the same art of UE tracking, Wang teaches a UE sending to a network-side device, a registration request or a tracking area update request, including, inter alia, an active area of the UE (e.g., “last visited registered TAI”, see ¶0430).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, prior to the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the UE in Mazloum to send a registration request or a tracking area update request to the network-side device, including information on an active area of the UE (e.g., “last visited registered TAI”, see ¶0430, i.e., active areas). The obvious motivation for doing so would have been for UE tracking purposes.
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 Brendan Higa whose telephone number is (571)272-5823. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Hwang can be reached at 571-272-4036. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRENDAN Y HIGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2441
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