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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants' amendment received on 04/28/2026.
Claim Status
Claims 1-3, 6-10, 13-20 are currently presenting for examination.
This action has been made FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Applicants' arguments filed 04/28/2026 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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, 7-8, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Babaei, US 20210204309.
For claim 1. Babaei teaches: A communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device, configuration information transmitted by a network device, wherein the configuration information comprises first time information; (Babaei, paragraph 132, “A wireless device may receive one or more messages from a base station. The one or more messages may comprise one or more RRC messages. The one or more messages may comprise configuration parameters of a plurality of cells for the wireless device. The plurality of cells may comprise a primary cell and one or more secondary cells.”; paragraph 227-231, “In an example, a wireless device may receive one or more messages comprising configuration parameters. The one or more messages may comprise one or more RRC messages. The one or more messages may comprise configuration parameters of a plurality of cells. The plurality of cells may comprise a primary cell and one or more secondary cells… In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds.”)
performing, by the terminal device, a first operation according to the first time information, wherein the first time information comprises at least one of: a timeout moment of a timer corresponding to a secondary cell, or a system frame number; (Babaei, paragraph 227-231, “In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds… The wireless device may deactivate a SCell for which a corresponding SCell deactivation timer is expired.”)
the performing, by the terminal device, a first operation according to the first time information, comprises at least one of: performing, by the terminal device, the first operation in response to the timer corresponding to the secondary cell timing out; or performing, by the terminal device, the first operation in response to a received system frame number being equal to the system frame number. (Babaei, paragraph 227-231, “In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds… The wireless device may deactivate a SCell for which a corresponding SCell deactivation timer is expired.”)
For claim 7. Babaei discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and Babaei further teaches: wherein the first operation comprises activating the secondary cell or deactivating the secondary cell. (Babaei, paragraph 227-231, “In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds… The wireless device may deactivate a SCell for which a corresponding SCell deactivation timer is expired.”)
For claim 8. Babaei teaches: A terminal device, comprising a processor and a memory; wherein the memory is configured to store an executable instruction of the processor, and the processor is configured to perform the following by executing the executable instruction: (Babaei, fig 15, paragraph 135-140, 398)
receiving, by the terminal device, configuration information transmitted by a network device, wherein the configuration information comprises first time information; (Babaei, paragraph 132, “A wireless device may receive one or more messages from a base station. The one or more messages may comprise one or more RRC messages. The one or more messages may comprise configuration parameters of a plurality of cells for the wireless device. The plurality of cells may comprise a primary cell and one or more secondary cells.”; paragraph 227-231, “In an example, a wireless device may receive one or more messages comprising configuration parameters. The one or more messages may comprise one or more RRC messages. The one or more messages may comprise configuration parameters of a plurality of cells. The plurality of cells may comprise a primary cell and one or more secondary cells… In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds.”)
performing, by the terminal device, a first operation according to the first time information, wherein the performing, by the terminal device, a first operation according to the first time information, comprises: performing, by the terminal device, the first operation in response to a timer corresponding to a secondary cell timing out; or performing, by the terminal device, the first operation in response to a received system frame number being equal to a system frame number in the first time information. (Babaei, paragraph 227-231, “In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds… The wireless device may deactivate a SCell for which a corresponding SCell deactivation timer is expired.”)
For claim 13. Babaei discloses all the limitations of claim 8, and Babaei further teaches: wherein the first operation comprises adding the secondary cell or deleting the secondary cell; or the first operation comprises activating the secondary cell or deactivating the secondary cell. (Babaei, paragraph 227-231, “In an example, the configuration parameters may comprise a SCell deactivation timer of a secondary cell. For example, configuration of a serving cell may comprise a sCellDeactivationTimer parameter indicating a deactivation timer value for the SCell. The deactivation timer value for the SCell may be in terms of milliseconds… The wireless device may deactivate a SCell for which a corresponding SCell deactivation timer is expired.”)
Claims 14, 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim, US 20190306739.
For claim 14. Kim teaches: A network device, comprising a memory and a processor; wherein the memory is configured to store an executable instruction of the processor, and the processor is configured to perform the following by executing the executable instruction: (Kim, fig 19, paragraph 545-553, 564-567)
determining configuration information, wherein the configuration information comprises first time information according to which a terminal device performs a first operation on a secondary cell; transmitting the configuration information to the terminal device, wherein the first time information comprises at least one of: a timeout moment of a timer corresponding to the secondary cell, or a system frame number; (Kim, paragraph 353, “The eNB may configure a timer value in the RRC message, and when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the dormant state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state, thereby saving battery power and reduce signaling overhead. The configuration of the SCells may be performed in initial connection configuration or in handover or performed as the eNB transmits the RRC message to the UE in the RRC-connected mode.”)
the first time information is used for the terminal device to perform the first operation in response to at least one of following: the timer corresponding to the secondary cell timing out; or a received system frame number being equal to the system frame number. (Kim, paragraph 353, “The eNB may configure a timer value in the RRC message, and when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the dormant state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state, thereby saving battery power and reduce signaling overhead. The configuration of the SCells may be performed in initial connection configuration or in handover or performed as the eNB transmits the RRC message to the UE in the RRC-connected mode.”)
For claim 16. Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 14, and Kim further teaches: wherein the timer corresponding to the secondary cell is started in response to the terminal device receiving the configuration information, and stopped in response to the timeout moment in the configuration information being reached. (Kim, paragraph 353, “The eNB may configure a timer value in the RRC message, and when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the dormant state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state, thereby saving battery power and reduce signaling overhead. The configuration of the SCells may be performed in initial connection configuration or in handover or performed as the eNB transmits the RRC message to the UE in the RRC-connected mode.”)
For claim 17. Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 14, and Kim is not required to teach: wherein the system frame number is one received on a primary cell or received on a special secondary cell. (Kim, paragraph 542-543, “In serving cells of which the initial state is the activated state, the UE may perform operation 1 after operation 1-1. In serving cells of which the initial state is the deactivated state, the UE may perform operation 3. A time point at which operation 1-1 is applied may be a subframe n+x. A subframe n may be a subframe in which an RRC message for configuring the initial state as the activated state is received, and x may be a predetermined integer or an integer configured through an RRC message. Operation 1-1 includes at least one of power headroom (PHR) trigger and SCellDeactivationTimer start. Operation 1 includes at least one of PDCCH monitoring, CSI report, SRS transmission, SCellDeactivationTimer driving, type 1 CG transmission, serving cell measurement in every DRX cycle. Operation 3 includes serving cell measurement in every greater value among the DRX cycle and sCellMeasCycle, that is, every Max [DRX cycle, sCellMeasCycle]. The sCellMeasCycle is a parameter for determining an SCell measurement interval.”; please notes the prior art is not required to teach this limitation since “system frame number” is not required in the claim(s) which this claim depends on)
For claim 18. Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 17, and Kim is not required to teach: wherein the processor is further configured to transmit indication information to the terminal device, and the indication information is configured to indicate that the system frame number is received on the primary cell, or indicate an identifier of the special secondary cell receiving the system frame number. (Kim, paragraph 542-543, “In serving cells of which the initial state is the activated state, the UE may perform operation 1 after operation 1-1. In serving cells of which the initial state is the deactivated state, the UE may perform operation 3. A time point at which operation 1-1 is applied may be a subframe n+x. A subframe n may be a subframe in which an RRC message for configuring the initial state as the activated state is received, and x may be a predetermined integer or an integer configured through an RRC message. Operation 1-1 includes at least one of power headroom (PHR) trigger and SCellDeactivationTimer start. Operation 1 includes at least one of PDCCH monitoring, CSI report, SRS transmission, SCellDeactivationTimer driving, type 1 CG transmission, serving cell measurement in every DRX cycle. Operation 3 includes serving cell measurement in every greater value among the DRX cycle and sCellMeasCycle, that is, every Max [DRX cycle, sCellMeasCycle]. The sCellMeasCycle is a parameter for determining an SCell measurement interval.”; please notes the prior art is not required to teach this limitation since “system frame number” is not required in the claim(s) which this claim depends on)
For claim 19. Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 14, and Kim further teaches: wherein the first operation comprises activating the secondary cell, (Kim, paragraph 353, “The eNB may configure a timer value in the RRC message, and when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the dormant state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state, thereby saving battery power and reduce signaling overhead. The configuration of the SCells may be performed in initial connection configuration or in handover or performed as the eNB transmits the RRC message to the UE in the RRC-connected mode.”; paragraph 331-332, “In step 907, the UE may switch the state of the SCell. The UE may switch the state of the SCell based on the transition information, for example, the MAC CE received in step 905. For example, the UE may switch a first SCell from the activated state to the dormant state. For example, the UE may switch the first SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state. For example, the UE may switch a second SCell from the deactivated state to the dormant state. For example, the UE may switch the second SCell from the deactivated state to the activated state. For example, the UE may switch a third SCell from the dormant state to the activated state. For example, the UE may switch the third SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state.”) comprising at least one of: monitoring a physical downlink control channel on the secondary cell, transmitting a channel detection reference signal, a physical uplink shared channel, or a physical uplink control channel on the secondary cell, and performing a channel state information measurement and a beam management on the secondary cell. (Kim, paragraph 331-332, “In step 909, the UE may operate according to the transitioned state. The UE may measure the corresponding SCell based on the transitioned state of the SCell. For example, when the SCell transitions to the activated state, the UE may measure the SCell in every DRX period. For example, when the SCell transitions to the deactivated state, the UE may measure the SCell in every DRX period or every SCell measurement period separated configured. For example, when the SCell transitions to the dormant state, the UE may measurement the SCell and report the measurement result.”; paragraph 352, “When the state of each SCell is configured as the activated state or the dormant state through the RRC message, the UE may be configured according to configuration information including an integer indicating when physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring is started and when report of the frequency (channel or cell) measurement result is started. For example, the UE may start PDCCH monitoring or the measurement result report after time units (for example, subframes, time slots, or TTIs) corresponding to the indicated integer.”)
For claim 20. Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 14, and Kim further teaches: wherein the first operation comprises deactivating the secondary cell, (Kim, paragraph 353, “The eNB may configure a timer value in the RRC message, and when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the dormant state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state, or when the timer value expires, configure the UE to automatically switch the state of the SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state, thereby saving battery power and reduce signaling overhead. The configuration of the SCells may be performed in initial connection configuration or in handover or performed as the eNB transmits the RRC message to the UE in the RRC-connected mode.”) comprising at least one of: stopping monitoring a physical downlink control channel on the secondary cell, stopping transmitting a channel detection reference signal, a physical uplink shared channel, or a physical uplink control channel on the secondary cell, and stopping performing a channel state information measurement and a beam management on the secondary cell. (Kim, paragraph 369, “the state of the SCells may transition to the deactivated state in order to prevent unnecessary PDCCH monitoring and frequency measurement.”; paragraph 373, “For the SCell configured as the deactivated state, the UE may not monitor the signal of the eNB. That is, not monitor the PDCCH and perform frequency measurement (RRM), but not report the measurement result to the eNB.”)
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 2-3, 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Babaei, US 20210204309 in view of Deenoo, US 20210377825.
For claim 2. Babaei discloses all the limitations of claim 1, however Babaei doesn’t teach: wherein the first time information comprises: a Coordinated Universal Time.
Deenoo from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the first time information comprises: a Coordinated Universal Time. (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, “A WTRU may be configured to receive an indication of a time instance associated with satellite mobility. Such time instance may be signaled using one or more mechanisms, including, for example, via signaling parameters including: a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a time indication using a counter or a pre-configured hyper frame number (HFN) value. Regarding a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a WTRU may receive the time instance indication as a value of UTC. The UTC value may correspond to a number of seconds elapsed since a fixed point in the past. For example, the WTRU may receive a current UTC broadcast in a system information message. For example, the WTRU may receive the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event, for example, when the satellite mobility may be triggered, in a broadcast message. The WTRU may be configured to perform a reconfiguration when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event. In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a UTC associated with a satellite mobility event in dedicated RRC signaling which may be signaling as part of a conditional reconfiguration.”; paragraph 126, “In embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to apply special RACH configurations during execution of a mobility event. The mobility event may be triggered based on network signaling or based on location and/or time based triggered. In a further embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to apply the special RACH configuration for specific target cells, for example, towards an incoming satellite or aircraft and may exclude a RACH configuration towards certain other target cells, for example, towards a terrestrial cell.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Deenoo into Babaei, since Babaei suggests a technique for communicating time information for secondary cell configuration, reconfiguration, and Deenoo suggests the beneficial way of including a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) into such time information so that the configuration, reconfiguration can be performed at a specific time when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with an event (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, 126) to improve time accuracy of cell configuration, reconfiguration in the analogous art of communication.
For claim 3. Babaei and Deenoo disclose all the limitations of claim 2, however Babaei doesn’t teach: wherein the performing, by the terminal device, a first operation according to the first time information, comprises: performing, by the terminal device, the first operation on the secondary cell in response to the Coordinated Universal Time being reached.
Deenoo from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the performing, by the terminal device, a first operation according to the first time information, comprises: performing, by the terminal device, the first operation on the secondary cell in response to the Coordinated Universal Time being reached. (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, “A WTRU may be configured to receive an indication of a time instance associated with satellite mobility. Such time instance may be signaled using one or more mechanisms, including, for example, via signaling parameters including: a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a time indication using a counter or a pre-configured hyper frame number (HFN) value. Regarding a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a WTRU may receive the time instance indication as a value of UTC. The UTC value may correspond to a number of seconds elapsed since a fixed point in the past. For example, the WTRU may receive a current UTC broadcast in a system information message. For example, the WTRU may receive the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event, for example, when the satellite mobility may be triggered, in a broadcast message. The WTRU may be configured to perform a reconfiguration when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event. In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a UTC associated with a satellite mobility event in dedicated RRC signaling which may be signaling as part of a conditional reconfiguration.”; paragraph 126, “In embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to apply special RACH configurations during execution of a mobility event. The mobility event may be triggered based on network signaling or based on location and/or time based triggered. In a further embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to apply the special RACH configuration for specific target cells, for example, towards an incoming satellite or aircraft and may exclude a RACH configuration towards certain other target cells, for example, towards a terrestrial cell.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Deenoo into Babaei, since Babaei suggests a technique for communicating time information for secondary cell configuration, reconfiguration, and Deenoo suggests the beneficial way of including a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) into such time information so that the configuration, reconfiguration can be performed at a specific time when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with an event (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, 126) to improve time accuracy of cell configuration, reconfiguration in the analogous art of communication.
For claim 9. Babaei discloses all the limitations of claim 8, however Babaei doesn’t teach: wherein the first time information comprises a Coordinated Universal Time.
Deenoo from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the first time information comprises a Coordinated Universal Time. (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, “A WTRU may be configured to receive an indication of a time instance associated with satellite mobility. Such time instance may be signaled using one or more mechanisms, including, for example, via signaling parameters including: a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a time indication using a counter or a pre-configured hyper frame number (HFN) value. Regarding a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a WTRU may receive the time instance indication as a value of UTC. The UTC value may correspond to a number of seconds elapsed since a fixed point in the past. For example, the WTRU may receive a current UTC broadcast in a system information message. For example, the WTRU may receive the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event, for example, when the satellite mobility may be triggered, in a broadcast message. The WTRU may be configured to perform a reconfiguration when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event. In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a UTC associated with a satellite mobility event in dedicated RRC signaling which may be signaling as part of a conditional reconfiguration.”; paragraph 126, “In embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to apply special RACH configurations during execution of a mobility event. The mobility event may be triggered based on network signaling or based on location and/or time based triggered. In a further embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to apply the special RACH configuration for specific target cells, for example, towards an incoming satellite or aircraft and may exclude a RACH configuration towards certain other target cells, for example, towards a terrestrial cell.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Deenoo into Babaei, since Babaei suggests a technique for communicating time information for secondary cell configuration, reconfiguration, and Deenoo suggests the beneficial way of including a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) into such time information so that the configuration, reconfiguration can be performed at a specific time when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with an event (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, 126) to improve time accuracy of cell configuration, reconfiguration in the analogous art of communication.
For claim 10. Babaei and Deenoo disclose all the limitations of claim 9, however Babaei doesn’t teach: wherein the performing a first operation according to the first time information, comprises: performing the first operation on the secondary cell in response to the Coordinated Universal Time being reached.
Deenoo from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the performing a first operation according to the first time information, comprises: performing the first operation on the secondary cell in response to the Coordinated Universal Time being reached. (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, “A WTRU may be configured to receive an indication of a time instance associated with satellite mobility. Such time instance may be signaled using one or more mechanisms, including, for example, via signaling parameters including: a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a time indication using a counter or a pre-configured hyper frame number (HFN) value. Regarding a time indication using coordinated universal time (UTC), a WTRU may receive the time instance indication as a value of UTC. The UTC value may correspond to a number of seconds elapsed since a fixed point in the past. For example, the WTRU may receive a current UTC broadcast in a system information message. For example, the WTRU may receive the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event, for example, when the satellite mobility may be triggered, in a broadcast message. The WTRU may be configured to perform a reconfiguration when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with the satellite mobility event. In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a UTC associated with a satellite mobility event in dedicated RRC signaling which may be signaling as part of a conditional reconfiguration.”; paragraph 126, “In embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to apply special RACH configurations during execution of a mobility event. The mobility event may be triggered based on network signaling or based on location and/or time based triggered. In a further embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to apply the special RACH configuration for specific target cells, for example, towards an incoming satellite or aircraft and may exclude a RACH configuration towards certain other target cells, for example, towards a terrestrial cell.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Deenoo into Babaei, since Babaei suggests a technique for communicating time information for secondary cell configuration, reconfiguration, and Deenoo suggests the beneficial way of including a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) into such time information so that the configuration, reconfiguration can be performed at a specific time when the current UTC becomes equal to the UTC associated with an event (Deeno, paragraph 100-101, 126) to improve time accuracy of cell configuration, reconfiguration in the analogous art of communication.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Babaei, US 20210204309 in view of Sasaki, JP 2016076889 A.
For claim 6. Babaei discloses all the limitations of claim 1, however Babaei doesn’t teach: wherein the first operation comprises adding the secondary cell or deleting the secondary cell.
Sasaki from the same or similar fields of endeavor teaches: wherein the first operation comprises adding the secondary cell or deleting the secondary cell. (Sasaki, translation, page 3, second paragraph to fifth paragraph, “The user equipment has a deactivation timer for SCell. If there is no uplink or downlink communication resource allocation (uplink grant or downlink assignment) using PDCCH for the user equipment, and the deactivation timer expires, the user equipment autonomously removes the SCell.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Sasaki into Babaei, since Babaei suggests a technique for performing action when SCell deactivation timer expires, and Sasaki suggests the beneficial way of including into such technique removing the SCell when such SCell deactivation timer expires (Sasaki, translation, page 3, second paragraph to fifth paragraph) to save power in the analogous art of communication.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 is 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
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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/KHOA HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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