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 .
Response to Amendment
This action is in response to the amendment filed on 05/11/2026. Claims 1-16 are pending. Claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8-14, and 16 are amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 5, 9, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liang et al. (US 2025/0386226 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 5, 9, and 13, Liang discloses a method performed by a network and a terminal ((comprising a transceiver and at least one processor, (inherent in RAN node 5 and UE3, Fig. 5) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
identifying whether a cell in the network is a network energy savings (NES) cell ([0115] network energy saving (NES) configurations at the base station 5), and the cell allows an access of a terminal (Fig.5-6, [0116] base station 5 configures the NES mode (or updates the NES configuration) and notifies the UE 3 of the of the (updated) NES configuration by using appropriate signalling (e.g., RRC signalling) to signal information elements (IEs) to the UE 3…, [0182]-[0183], [0196]); and
in case that the cell is the NES cell and the cell allows the access of the terminal (Fig.5-6, [0196] NES configuration is activated at the base station 5 and UE 3, NES operations between the base station 5 and the UE 3 commence at S616. In this example, the operations include performing communications between (and possibly measurements of reference signals at) the UE 3 and base station 5 based on the NES time domain patterns indicated in the NES configuration information), transmitting, to the terminal ([0103] system information (e.g., system information block 1, ‘SIB1’) and/or via dedicated (e.g., RRC) signalling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration, RRC resume, or RRC setup message), [0105] receiving the system information (e.g., SIB1)), a system information block (SIB) type 1 (SIB1) message comprising information indicating that the cell allows the access of the terminal (Fig.5-6, [0103], [0105], [0196]),
wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0116] base station 5 and UE 3 are mutually configured to support implementation of an NES mode in the time, frequency, spatial, and/or power domain), wherein the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand (([0020] support of periodic and/or one or more on-demand reference signals from the base station to aid discovery of a cell), [0103], [0105] receiving the system information (e.g., SIB1)), and wherein the information comprises a bit ([0119] single bit may be used to indicate that all semi-statically configured NES configurations (which have not been released) will be activated upon time domain activation of network energy saving).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries 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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. (US 2024/0031896 A1) in view of Liang et al. (US 2025/0386226 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Cheng discloses a method performed by a network in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
identifying whether a cell in the network is a network energy savings (NES) cell and the cell allows an access of a terminal ([0056] NESAI from network apparatus 520, wherein the NESAI may comprise a cell barred field or a cell reservation field for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs); and
in case that the cell is the NES cell and the cell allows an access of a terminal ([0057] the cell barred field or the cell reservation field may indicate whether the NES-capable UEs are allowed camping on the NES cell), transmitting, to the terminal, a message comprising information indicating that the cell allows the access of the terminal ([0063] processor 522 may determine a NESAI, wherein the NESAI comprises a cell barred field or a cell reservation field for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs. Processor 522 may transmit, via transceiver 526, the NESAI to communication apparatus 510),
wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0062] processor 512 may receive, via transceiver 516, a UE capability enquiry from the network node. Processor 512 may transmit, via transceiver 516, a UE capability information to the network node to indicate whether the cell reselection for the NES cell is supported).
Cheng fails to explicitly disclose wherein a system information block (SIB) type 1 (SIB1) message is transmitted on-demand and wherein the information comprises a bit.
In an analogous filed of endeavor, Liang discloses wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0116] base station 5 and UE 3 are mutually configured to support implementation of an NES mode in the time, frequency, spatial, and/or power domain), wherein the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand ([0020] support of periodic and/or one or more on-demand reference signals from the base station to aid discovery of a cell), [0103], [0105] receiving the system information (e.g., SIB1)), and wherein the information comprises a bit ([0119] single bit may be used to indicate that all semi-statically configured NES configurations (which have not been released) will be activated upon time domain activation of network energy saving).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Liang’s use of on-demand transmission and reception of network energy configurations with Cheng’s system in order to ensure optimizing the capacity performance under network energy saving opportunities as taught by Liang [0241].
Regarding claim 2, Cheng further discloses wherein the information comprises cellBarredNES ([0032] in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell and [0058] receiving, via transceiver 516, the NESAI from the network node through a MIB, a SIB, a PEI, a PDCCH in a PO, or a PDSCH in the PO).
Regarding claim 3, Cheng further discloses wherein the information is used for accessing the cell or camping restriction [0032] In some implementations, in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 4, Cheng further discloses in case that the cell is barred to the terminal, transmitting, to the terminal, the SIB1 without the information, wherein a presence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell allows the access of the terminal, and an absence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell is barred to the terminal (Fig. 1, CELLBARREDFOR NWES THROUGH MIB SIB, ([0032] In the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 5, Cheng discloses a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
in case that a cell in a network is a network energy savings (NES) cell and the cell allows an access of the terminal (([0056] NESAI from network apparatus 520, wherein the NESAI may comprise a cell barred field or a cell reservation filed for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs)), receiving, from the network, a message comprising information indicating that the cell allows the access of the terminal ([0056] processor 512 may receive, via transceiver 516, a NESAI from network apparatus 520, wherein the NESAI may comprise a cell barred field or a cell reservation field for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs. Processor 512 may perform a cell reselection for a NES cell based on the NESAI), and
identifying whether the terminal is allowed to access the cell , wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0062] processor 512 may receive, via transceiver 516, a UE capability enquiry from the network node. Processor 512 may transmit, via transceiver 516, a UE capability information to the network node to indicate whether the cell reselection for the NES cell is supported).
Cheng fails to explicitly disclose wherein a system information block (SIB) type 1 (SIB1) message is received from the network and the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand and wherein the information comprises a bit.
In an analogous filed of endeavor, Liang discloses wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0116] base station 5 and UE 3 are mutually configured to support implementation of an NES mode in the time, frequency, spatial, and/or power domain), wherein the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand ([0020] support of periodic and/or one or more on-demand reference signals from the base station to aid discovery of a cell), [0103], [0105] receiving the system information (e.g., SIB1)), and wherein the information comprises a bit ([0119] single bit may be used to indicate that all semi-statically configured NES configurations (which have not been released) will be activated upon time domain activation of network energy saving).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Liang’s use of on-demand transmission and reception of network energy configurations with Cheng’s system in order to ensure optimizing the capacity performance under network energy saving opportunities as taught by Liang [0241].
Regarding claim 6, Cheng further discloses wherein the information comprises a cellBarredNES ([0032], in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell and [0058] receiving, via transceiver 516, the NESAI from the network node through a MIB, a SIB, a PEI, a PDCCH in a PO, or a PDSCH in the PO).
Regarding claim 7, Cheng further discloses wherein the information is used for accessing the cell or camping restriction ([0032], in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 8, Cheng further discloses in case that the cell is barred to the terminal, transmitting, to the terminal, the SIB1 without the information, wherein a presence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell allows the access of the terminal, and an absence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell is barred to the terminal (Fig. 1, CELLBARREDFOR NWES THROUGH MIB SIB, ([0032] In the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 9, Cheng discloses a network (Fig. 5, Network Apparatus, 520) in a wireless communication system, the network comprising a transceiver (526); and at least one processor (522) coupled to the transceiver and configured to:
identify whether a cell in the network is a network energy savings (NES) cell and the cell allowsan access of a terminal ([0056] NESAI from network apparatus 520, wherein the NESAI may comprise a cell barred field or a cell reservation filed for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs); and
in case that the cell is the NES cell and the cell allows access of the terminal ([0057] the cell barred field or the cell reservation field may indicate whether the NES-capable UEs are allowed camping on the NES cell), transmit, to the terminal, a message comprising information indicating that the cell allows the access of the terminal ([0063] processor 522 may determine a NESAI, wherein the NESAI comprises a cell barred field or a cell reservation field for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs. Processor 522 may transmit, via transceiver 526, the NESAI to communication apparatus 510),
wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0062] processor 512 may receive, via transceiver 516, a UE capability enquiry from the network node. Processor 512 may transmit, via transceiver 516, a UE capability information to the network node to indicate whether the cell reselection for the NES cell is supported).
Cheng fails to explicitly disclose wherein a system information block (SIB) type 1 (SIB1) message is transmitted from the network and the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand and wherein the information comprises a bit.
In an analogous filed of endeavor, Liang discloses wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0116] base station 5 and UE 3 are mutually configured to support implementation of an NES mode in the time, frequency, spatial, and/or power domain), wherein the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand ([0020] support of periodic and/or one or more on-demand reference signals from the base station to aid discovery of a cell), [0103], [0105] receiving the system information (e.g., SIB1)), and wherein the information comprises a bit ([0119] single bit may be used to indicate that all semi-statically configured NES configurations (which have not been released) will be activated upon time domain activation of network energy saving).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Liang’s use of on-demand transmission and reception of network energy configurations with Cheng’s system in order to ensure optimizing the capacity performance under network energy saving opportunities as taught by Liang [0241].
Regarding claim 11, Cheng further discloses wherein the information is used for accessing the cell or camping restriction ([0032], in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 12, Cheng further discloses in case that the cell is barred to the terminal, transmitting, to the terminal, the SIB1 without the information, wherein a presence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell allows the access of the terminal, and an absence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell is barred to the terminal (Fig. 1, CELLBARREDFOR NWES THROUGH MIB SIB, ([0032] In the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 13, Cheng discloses a terminal (Fig. 5, Network Apparatus, 510) in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising a transceiver (516); and at least one processor (512) coupled to the transceiver and configured to:
in case that a cell in a network is a network energy savings (NES) cell and the cell allows an access of the terminal (([0056] NESAI from network apparatus 520, wherein the NESAI may comprise a cell barred field or a cell reservation filed for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs)), receiving, from the network, a message comprising information indicating that the cell allows the access of the terminal ([0056] processor 512 may receive, via transceiver 516, a NESAI from network apparatus 520, wherein the NESAI may comprise a cell barred field or a cell reservation field for NWES configured to differentiate between non-NES UEs and NES-capable UEs. Processor 512 may perform a cell reselection for a NES cell based on the NESAI), and
identify whether the terminal is allowed to access the cell , wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0062] processor 512 may receive, via transceiver 516, a UE capability enquiry from the network node. Processor 512 may transmit, via transceiver 516, a UE capability information to the network node to indicate whether the cell reselection for the NES cell is supported).
Cheng fails to explicitly disclose wherein a system information block (SIB) type 1 (SIB1) message is received from the network and the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand and wherein the information comprises a bit.
In an analogous filed of endeavor, Liang discloses wherein the terminal is capable of supporting energy savings ([0116] base station 5 and UE 3 are mutually configured to support implementation of an NES mode in the time, frequency, spatial, and/or power domain), wherein the SIB1 message is transmitted on-demand ([0020] support of periodic and/or one or more on-demand reference signals from the base station to aid discovery of a cell), [0103], [0105] receiving the system information (e.g., SIB1)), and wherein the information comprises a bit ([0119] single bit may be used to indicate that all semi-statically configured NES configurations (which have not been released) will be activated upon time domain activation of network energy saving).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Liang’s use of on-demand transmission and reception of network energy configurations with Cheng’s system in order to ensure optimizing the capacity performance under network energy saving opportunities as taught by Liang [0241].
Regarding claim 14, Cheng further discloses wherein the information comprises cellBarredNES ([0032] in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell and [0058] receiving, via transceiver 516, the NESAI from the network node through a MIB, a SIB, a PEI, a PDCCH in a PO, or a PDSCH in the PO).
Regarding claim 15, Cheng further discloses wherein the information is used for accessing the cell or camping restriction [0032] In some implementations, in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Regarding claim 16, Cheng further discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: in case that the cell is barred to the terminal, receive from the network, the message without the information wherein the presence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates the the cell allows the access of the terminal, and an absence of the information in the SIB1 message indicates that the cell is barred to the temrinal (Fig. 1, CELLBARREDFOR NWES THROUGH MIB SIB, ([0032] In some implementations, in the MIB, the UE may receive cellBarredforNWES (i.e., the cell barred field or the cell reservation field) with information element (IE) types of barred or not barred. The cellBarredforNWES with the value “barred” may mean that a cell is barred, and the UE is not allowed to camp on the barred cell).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nader et al. (WO 2024/068531 A1) discloses a method for handling of non-network energy savings capable user equipment mobility in network energy savings capable cells including information indicating whether a cell is barred or allowed.
Myung et al. (EP 4572421 A1) discloses the use and obtaining of information from on-demand system information such as SIB1.
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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/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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