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 .
Status of Claims
The following is a non-final, first action on the merits, in response to application filed January 26, 2024. The preliminary amended claims 1-20, are currently pending.
Priority
Certified copy of priority documents: CN2021114282272, dated November 27, 2021, CN202110931978, dated August 13, 2021, CN2021111652494, dated September 30, 2021, CN2021108574381, dated July 28, 2021, is acknowledged which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 12/09/2024, 01/02/2025, are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 11-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shi et al (hereinafter Shi) (US 2022/0174644).
Regarding claims 1, 11, 16, Shi discloses a method (apparatus), comprising:
obtaining a grouping manner supported by a first access network device;
determining, based on the grouping manner supported by the first access network device and a grouping manner supported by a first terminal device, a first manner to be used by the first terminal device to receive paging of the first access network device (receives paging messages on paging occasion (PO) UE monitors paging occasion in POs in response to the UE receiving a wake up signal. Instead of sending at least a part of the “parameters on service information” to the eNB, the CN node may alternatively choose to send to the eNB an indication on what grouping methods are supported by the particular UE. ……..the grouping rule information is determined by the eNB and/or the CN node, ……. the grouping rule information may be determined in a time-specific manner. That is, in different time periods, the grouping rule information may be determined differently. That is, the method for mapping UEs into group sets and/or the method for mapping UEs into groups may be different in different time periods) (paras. 0004, 0005, 0097, 0129); and
receiving a paging message of the first access network device in the first manner (based on the grouping manner supported by the access network device 120 and the grouping manner supported by the terminal device 110, a first target manner for receiving paging of the access network device 120. The access network device may obtain a group number of each terminal device after calculating an identifier of each terminal device) (paras. 0229, 0240);
wherein the grouping manner supported by the first access network device comprises at least one of a first grouping manner or a second grouping manner (the grouping rule information is determined by the eNB and/or the CN node. Alternatively, the grouping rule information may be determined in a time-specific manner) (para. 0129);
wherein the grouping manner supported by the first terminal device comprises at least one of the first grouping manner or the second grouping manner (multiple groups and grouping manner, the grouping rule information may be determined in a time-specific manner. That is, in different time periods, the grouping rule information may be determined differently, para. 0129; fig. 8);
wherein the first grouping manner is a grouping manner controlled by a core network device (multiple groupings, such as, a first group, second group, and so on, a first grouping manner may be a grouping manner controlled by the core network device, or the first grouping manner is a manner in which the core network device controls grouping) (paras. 0012, 0129); and
wherein the second grouping manner is a grouping manner based on an identifier of a terminal device (The grouping methods may include but not limited to: one-level groping method (e.g. UE_ID based grouping method and/or paging probability based grouping method), two-level grouping method (e.g. first by one grouping method and then by another grouping method), three-level grouping method, or any specific grouping method. Here, the one-level grouping method, the two-level grouping method, the three-level grouping method or a specific UE grouping method means the UE grouping method that UE will apply. For example, the one-level grouping method means that UE will only choose one grouping method from UE_ID based method, paging probability-based method, mobility-based grouping method, or any other grouping method. The two-level method or three-level method means that UE will be grouped by the combination of these grouping methods and choose one grouping method on each level. In each level, UE will apply the grouping method as in the one-level grouping method. In addition, CN node could send parameters on service information to eNB. The service information could be at least one of paging probability information and mobility information. CN node could send an indication that the mobility information for a particular UE is mobile or stationary to the eNB. Then eNB could send the Wake up Signal (WUS) associated to UE based on the latest UE mobility information for this eNB. This means the eNB can switch the UE from UE group with stationary attribution to UE group with mobile attribution based on the parameters on service information updated by CN node. The CN node may send UE-specific mobility information to eNB) (paras. 0097, 0080). Shi discloses apparatus further includes at least one processor (202), a memory (204) and computer readable medium as part of the embodiment that may be used for the UE grouping (paras. 0055, 0056, 0057).
Regarding claims 2, 12, 17, Shi discloses wherein the first manner is the first grouping manner, the second grouping manner, or a non-grouping manner (the first grouping and second grouping is inclusive of manner of grouping of a number of groups such as N groups having a number of groups arranged in a manner of UE IDs) (para. 0006).
Regarding claims 3, 13, 18, Shi discloses wherein obtaining the grouping manner supported by the first access network device comprises: receiving a system message broadcast by the first access network device; and obtaining the grouping manner supported by the first access network device (the group ID is computed according to the parameters on service information and the UE grouping method indicated by the grouping rule information received from the base unit) (paras. 0016, 0097).
Regarding claims 4, 14, 19, Shi discloses receiving the paging message of the first access network device based on a first group number in the first manner (mapping UEs into different group sets, the UEs are mapped into two group sets, in which one group set is for UEs with highly wrong paging alarm while another group set is for UEs with lowly wrong paging alarm) (para. 0110);
wherein the first group number falls within a first group number range or a second group number range (para. 0111), wherein the first group number range is a group number range corresponding to the first grouping manner ( ), wherein the second group number range is a group number range corresponding to the second grouping manner ( ), where there being no intersection between the first group number range and the second group number range, and wherein the first manner is the first grouping manner or the second grouping manner ( ) (para. ).
Regarding claims 5, 15, 20, Shi discloses receiving the paging message of the first access network device based on a first group number in the first manner (group set ID may be determined according to the received grouping rule information. The received grouping rule information includes a certain method for mapping the UEs into group sets, e.g. one-level grouping method (e.g. the UE_ID based method and/or the paging probability based method) or two-level grouping method (e.g. by UE_ID based method before by paging probability based method) (para. 0126); and wherein the first group number is obtained based on a first modulo and a group number of a first group, wherein the first modulo is a value based on a modulusing (Mod calculation) calculation and the identifier of the first terminal device (para. 0127).
Regarding claim 6, Shi discloses wherein the method further comprises learning, from the first access network device, that the first terminal device is to receive the paging message (a UE always monitors paging messages on Paging Occasions (Pos). When the WUS mechanism is enabled, the UE only monitors the following possible paging messages in POs in response to the UE receiving a WUS. PDCCH blind detection is used for monitoring the PO) (paras. 0005, 0069).
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 5, 15, 20, 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.
Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp., 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999). The term “Modulusing” in claims 5, 15 and 20, appears to mean “the UE may use a MOD calculation to compute the group ID,” the term “Modulusing” therefore and not clearly defined.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10, 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 QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI whose telephone number is (571)272-3014. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am to 4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571 272 3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI/
Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2632.