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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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.
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 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 10, 11, 12, 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (US 2022/0345920) (see applicant’s IDS).
For claim 10, Liu teaches: A PDCCH monitoring method (see at least Abstract, fig. 8-9, UE and BS may comprise processor/memory for communications including PDCCH monitoring), comprising:
sending, by a network-side device, first information, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following: a search space configuration and a PDCCH monitoring capability configuration (see at least 0121, “A UE may receive, from a base station, a RRC message including one or more RRC parameters related to search space configuration”. See at least 0163, “The UE 102 may indicate an increased PDCCH monitoring capability to a base station 160. The base station 160 may configure the UE 102 or schedule the UE 102 according to the signaled UE capability. After receiving the capability information from the UE 102, the base station 160 may configure the UE 102 to use the increased PDCCH monitoring capability.”).
For claim 11, Liu teaches claim 10, Liu further teaches: wherein before the sending, by a network-side device, first information, the method further comprises: receiving, by the network-side device, second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate PDCCH monitoring capability information corresponding to R search space groups (see at least 0163, “The UE 102 may indicate an increased PDCCH monitoring capability to a base station 160. The base station 160 may configure the UE 102 or schedule the UE 102 according to the signaled UE capability. After receiving the capability information from the UE 102, the base station 160 may configure the UE 102 to use the increased PDCCH monitoring capability.”).
For claim 12, Liu teaches claim 11, Liu further teaches: wherein PDCCH monitoring capability information of a target search space group comprises at least one of the following: first sub-information, used to indicate whether the target search space group supports a PDCCH monitoring capability based on a slot group (see at least 0192, “A UE 102 may indicate a capability to support that, search space sets which have identical PDCCH monitoring occasions within a slot may be counted as one”, thus supporting PDCCH monitoring for given search space sets sharing a given slot); second sub-information, used to indicate whether the target search space group supports a PDCCH monitoring capability based on a slot level span; third sub-information, used to indicate at least one of the following: a quantity of cells in which the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group and a quantity of cells in which the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span; and fourth sub-information, used to indicate whether a target cell supports any one of the following: the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group, the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, and a PDCCH monitoring capability corresponding to a first version, wherein the PDCCH monitoring capability corresponding to the first version is the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group or the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, and the target cell is any cell in a cell set, wherein the target search space group is one of the R search space groups (see at least Abstract, 0153, UE may indicate capability including combinations (X, Y) with corresponding limits C and/or B; “The limit C refers to a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for channel estimation per PDCCH monitoring span per SCS configuration μ. The limit B refers to a maximum number of monitored PDCCH candidates per PDCCH monitoring span per SCS configuration μ”).
Claim 20 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 10 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
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.
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 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 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2022/0345920) (see applicant’s IDS) in view of Papasakellariou et al. (US 2020/0092073).
For claim 1, Liu teaches: A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring method (see at least Abstract, fig. 8-9, UE and BS may comprise processor/memory for communications including PDCCH monitoring), comprising:
receiving, by a terminal, first information, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following: a search space configuration and a PDCCH monitoring capability configuration (see at least 0121, “A UE may receive, from a base station, a RRC message including one or more RRC parameters related to search space configuration”. See at least 0163, “The UE 102 may indicate an increased PDCCH monitoring capability to a base station 160. The base station 160 may configure the UE 102 or schedule the UE 102 according to the signaled UE capability. After receiving the capability information from the UE 102, the base station 160 may configure the UE 102 to use the increased PDCCH monitoring capability.”);
determining, by the terminal based on the first information, PDCCH monitoring capabilities corresponding to R search space groups of the terminal, wherein R is a positive integer (see at least 0152, “…UE may be configured with more than 1 search space set by the base station via RRC parameter(s)”, thus multiple search space sets may be configured. See at least 0170-0171, “The UE 102 may perform 506 to determine PDCCH candidates to allocated for monitoring based on in a first duration. The first duration may be a slot or a monitoring span according to whether the UE is configured with the increased PDCCH monitoring capability. The UE 102 may determine PDCCH candidates for which search space set(s) to be allocated for monitoring per slot or per monitoring span.” Also see 0192).
Liu further teaches multiple cell groups (see at least 0038, “A UE may be configured multiple groups of serving cells”) but not explicitly: monitoring, by the terminal, PDCCHs of N cell groups of the terminal based on the PDCCH monitoring capabilities corresponding to the R search space groups. Papasakellariou from an analogous art teaches (see at least 0212, search space sets may be allocated to each of multiple cell groups e.g. MCG, SCG). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Papasakellariou to the system of Liu, so the UE may allocate search space sets to each of the multiple cell groups for monitoring e.g. MCG and SCG, as suggested by Papasakellariou. The motivation would have been to enhance PDCCH monitoring by allocating search space sets for each cell group to be monitored (Papasakellariou, 0212).
For claim 2, Liu, Papasakellariou teach claim 1, Liu further teaches: wherein search spaces comprise P common search space types and Q UE-specific search space types, wherein P and Q are both integers greater than 1; and the R search space groups comprise at least one of the following: a first search space group, wherein the first search space group corresponds to the P common search space types and the Q UE-UE-specific search space types; a second search space group, wherein the second search space group corresponds to all or part of the P common search space types; a third search space group, wherein the third search space group corresponds to all or part of the Q UE-specific search space types; and a fourth search space group, wherein the fourth search space group corresponds to all or part of the P common search space types and all or part of the Q UE-specific search space types (see at least 0139, 0164, search space sets may be common (CSS) or UE-specific (USS); PDCCH monitoring may cover both CSS and USS).
For claim 3, Liu, Papasakellariou teach claim 1, Liu further teaches: wherein before the receiving, by a terminal, first information, the method further comprises: sending, by the terminal, second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate PDCCH monitoring capability information corresponding to the R search space groups (see at least 0163, “The UE 102 may indicate an increased PDCCH monitoring capability to a base station 160. The base station 160 may configure the UE 102 or schedule the UE 102 according to the signaled UE capability. After receiving the capability information from the UE 102, the base station 160 may configure the UE 102 to use the increased PDCCH monitoring capability.”).
For claim 4, Liu, Papasakellariou teach claim 3, Liu further teaches: wherein PDCCH monitoring capability information of a target search space group comprises at least one of the following: first sub-information, used to indicate whether the target search space group supports a PDCCH monitoring capability based on a slot group (see at least 0192, “A UE 102 may indicate a capability to support that, search space sets which have identical PDCCH monitoring occasions within a slot may be counted as one”, thus supporting PDCCH monitoring for given search space sets sharing a given slot); second sub-information, used to indicate whether the target search space group supports a PDCCH monitoring capability based on a slot level span; third sub-information, used to indicate at least one of the following: a quantity of cells in which the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group and a quantity of cells in which the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span; and fourth sub-information, used to indicate whether a target cell supports any one of the following: the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group, the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, and a PDCCH monitoring capability corresponding to a first version, wherein the PDCCH monitoring capability corresponding to the first version is the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group or the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, and the target cell is any cell in a cell set, wherein the target search space group is one of the R search space groups (see at least Abstract, 0153, UE may indicate capability including combinations (X, Y) with corresponding limits C and/or B; “The limit C refers to a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for channel estimation per PDCCH monitoring span per SCS configuration μ. The limit B refers to a maximum number of monitored PDCCH candidates per PDCCH monitoring span per SCS configuration μ”).
Claim 14 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 1 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
Claim 15 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 2 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
Claim 16 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 3 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
Claim 17 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 4 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
Claim 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2022/0345920) (see applicant’s IDS) in view of Papasakellariou et al. (US 2020/0092073) in view of Chatterjee et al. (US 2024/0155636).
For claim 5, Liu, Papasakellariou teach claim 4, but not explicitly: wherein in a case that the first sub-information indicates that the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot group, the PDCCH monitoring capability information of the target search space group further comprises at least one of the following: a quantity X1 of slots comprised in the slot group; a time offset O1 of a start slot of the slot group; and a quantity Y1 of configurable PDCCH monitoring occasions in the slot group. Chatterjee from an analogous art teaches (see at least 0071, “In a first option, in a PDCCH monitoring capability, the PDCCH MOs can only be configured in Y slots, e.g. the first Y consecutive slots within every group of X consecutive slots, Y<X.”). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Chatterjee to the system of claim 4, so the reported combination (X, Y) comprises X defining the quantity of slots per group and Y being configurable PDCCH MOs within the X slots, as suggested by Chatterjee. The motivation would have been to enhance PDCCH capability configuration by defining slot group parameters for PDCCH monitoring (Chatterjee, 0070).
For claim 6, Liu, Papasakellariou teach claim 4, but not explicitly: wherein in a case that the second sub-information indicates that the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, the PDCCH monitoring capability information of the target search space group further comprises at least one of the following: a minimum quantity X2 of slots between consecutive slot level spans; a maximum quantity Y2 of consecutive slots in the slot level span; a quantity M of slots comprised in a unit time corresponding to the slot level span; and a time offset O1 of the unit time corresponding to the slot level span. Chatterjee from an analogous art teaches (see at least 0072, “In a second option, a PDCCH monitoring capability is defined by combination (X, Y), where the PDCCH MOs are configured in each slot in a span of up to Y consecutive slots and the distance between the start slots of two adjacent spans is at least X slots, Y<X”). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Chatterjee to the system of claim 4, so the reported combination (X, Y) comprises X defining the distance between spans in units of slots, and Y the quantity of slots per span, as suggested by Chatterjee. The motivation would have been to enhance PDCCH capability configuration by defining slot group parameters for PDCCH monitoring (Chatterjee, 0070).
For claim 7, Liu, Papasakellariou teach claim 1, but not explicitly: wherein in a case that a target search space group corresponds to a PDCCH monitoring capability based on a slot level span and that a pattern of the slot level span is determined based on a first rule, a slot in which a monitoring occasion of the target search space group is located satisfies a third condition, and the third condition comprises: a distance between start slots of consecutive slot level spans is not less than X2 slots, wherein the target search space group is one of the R search space groups, and X2 is a minimum quantity of slots between consecutive slot level spans. Chatterjee from an analogous art teaches (see at least 0072, “In a second option, a PDCCH monitoring capability is defined by combination (X, Y), where the PDCCH MOs are configured in each slot in a span of up to Y consecutive slots and the distance between the start slots of two adjacent spans is at least X slots, Y<X”). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Chatterjee to the system of claim 1, so the reported combination (X, Y) comprises a pattern/rule for the spans, with X defining the distance between start slots of consecutive spans in units of slots, and Y the quantity of slots containing PDCCH MOs per span, as suggested by Chatterjee. The motivation would have been to enhance PDCCH capability configuration by defining slot group parameters and structures for PDCCH monitoring (Chatterjee, 0070).
For claim 8, Liu, Papasakellariou, Chatterjee teach claim 7, Liu further teaches: wherein in a case that the R search space groups comprise at least two search space groups corresponding to the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, slots in which monitoring occasions of the at least two search space groups are located satisfy a same third condition or different third conditions (see at least 0192, “A UE 102 may indicate a capability to support that, search space sets which have identical PDCCH monitoring occasions within a slot may be counted as one”, thus supporting PDCCH monitoring for multiple search space sets sharing a slot; the slot/span pattern (third condition) is not disclosed to differ in this case).
For claim 9, Liu, Papasakellariou, Chatterjee teach claim 7, Chatterjee further teaches: wherein in a case that the slot level span corresponds to Q unit times and that Q is an integer greater than 1, the first rule comprises at least one of the following: within a first unit time, a start position of a first slot level span is a first slot within the first unit time, the first slot is a first slot configured with a PDCCH monitoring occasion within the first unit time, a start position of an (i+1)-th slot level span is a second slot, the second slot is configured with a PDCCH monitoring occasion and is different from a first slot of an i-th slot level span, and a maximum length of the slot level span is Y slots (see at least 0072, “In a second option, a PDCCH monitoring capability is defined by combination (X, Y), where the PDCCH MOs are configured in each slot in a span of up to Y consecutive slots and the distance between the start slots of two adjacent spans is at least X slots, Y<X”; thus a starting slot of each span may contain PDCCH MOs, and a starting slot of an i-th span (claimed “first slot”) would be different (e.g. in time domain) than a starting slot of an i+1-th span (claimed “second slot”)); and within the first unit time, the start position of the first slot level span is a third slot within the first unit time, an index of the third slot is the same as an index of a fourth slot, the fourth slot is a slot with a smallest index among slots configured with PDCCH monitoring occasions within the Q unit times, the start position of the (i+1)-th slot level span is the second slot, the second slot is configured with a PDCCH monitoring occasion and is different from the first slot of the i-th slot level, and the maximum length of the slot level span is Y slots, wherein the first unit time is any one of the Q unit times, and i is a positive integer. Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Chatterjee to the system of claim 7, so PDCCH MOs are comprised in multiple adjacent spans of Y slots each, with the starting slots in each span containing PDCCH MOs, as suggested by Chatterjee. The motivation would have been to enhance PDCCH capability configuration by defining slot group parameters and structures for PDCCH monitoring (Chatterjee, 0070).
Claim 18 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 5 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
Claim 19 recites an apparatus substantially similar to the method of claim 6 and is rejected under similar reasoning.
Claim 13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2022/0345920) (see applicant’s IDS) in view of Chatterjee et al. (US 2024/0155636).
For claim 13, Liu teaches claim 12, but not explicitly: wherein in a case that the second sub-information indicates that the target search space group supports the PDCCH monitoring capability based on the slot level span, the PDCCH monitoring capability information of the target search space group further comprises at least one of the following: a minimum quantity X2 of slots between consecutive slot level spans; a maximum quantity Y2 of consecutive slots in the slot level span; a quantity M of slots comprised in a unit time corresponding to the slot level span; and a time offset O1 of the unit time corresponding to the slot level span. Chatterjee from an analogous art teaches (see at least 0072, “In a second option, a PDCCH monitoring capability is defined by combination (X, Y), where the PDCCH MOs are configured in each slot in a span of up to Y consecutive slots and the distance between the start slots of two adjacent spans is at least X slots, Y<X”). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate Chatterjee to the system of claim 4, so the reported combination (X, Y) comprises X defining the distance between spans in units of slots, and Y the quantity of slots per span, as suggested by Chatterjee. The motivation would have been to enhance PDCCH capability configuration by defining slot group parameters for PDCCH monitoring (Chatterjee, 0070).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hosseini et al. (US 2020/0329389) discloses control channel monitoring capability for low latency communications.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIREN WEI whose telephone number is (571)272-0687. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday 7-4. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hassan Phillips can be reached on 571-272-3940. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Siren Wei/
Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2467
Prosecution Insights