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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 2, 4-12, 14-19, 21-29, and 31 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection set forth.
In regards to the applicants arguments regarding dependent claim 3 on Pg.’s 9-11 of the remarks, the applicant argues that the teachings of Agiwal does not disclose the amended claim feature in claim 2 of “the duration that a UE is to use an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal”. However the claim feature of “receive system information indicating…a duration the UE is to use an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal” is different in scope from the claim feature recited in previous dependent claim 3. Therefore a new ground(s) of rejection has been set forth for independent claims 2, 12, 19, and 29.
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.
Claims 2, 4-12, 14-19, 21-29, and 31 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.
Regarding Claim 2, lines 5-7 recite the claim limitation, “receive system information indicating a set of monitoring occasions for a tracking reference signal associated with a connected mode and a duration the UE is to use an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal”. However it is unclear how any information regarding an updated set of monitoring occasions can be received with the system information which indicates an initial set of monitoring occasions when lines 10-17 of claim 2 describes that a paging signal includes a system information change indication based on a change to the set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal in which the paging signal indicates the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal which the UE then monitors.
Therefore it is unclear how any information regarding the updated set of monitoring occasions would be received in the first system information message indicating an initial set of monitoring occasions in line 5 of claim 2, when any change to the monitoring occasions such as the updated monitoring occasions is determined after the first system information message indicating the initial set of monitoring occasions is received.
For example, Para [0135] of the applicants specification discloses the UE may monitor for updated system information for identifying an updated set of monitoring occasions which is based on the system information change indication in the paging DCI. However it is unclear how the previous system information (i.e., system information before the updated system information) would include any information (i.e., the duration) of the updated set of monitoring occasions. Clarification is required.
It appears that each system information indicates a duration of which the current or indicated monitoring occasions to be monitored can be assumed (i.e., see Para’s [0138] & [0139] i.e., the reference signal occasion indication 210 may include a duration over which the UE 115-a can assume the TRS and CSI-RS occasions. For example, the reference signal occasion indication 210 may indicate to UE 115-a that the indicated occasions can be assumed for the next N frames). Therefore clarification is required for the claim feature in lines 5-7 of claim 2 of the initial system information indicating a set of initial monitoring occasions for a tracking reference signal can include a duration associated with the updated set of monitoring occasions. Independent claims 12, 19, and 29 which recites the same feature as claim 2 is also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for the same reason as claim 2. The dependent claims 4-11, 14-18, 21-28, and 31 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) based at least on their dependence to independent claims 2, 12, 19, and 29.
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, 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.
3. Claims 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, 26, 29, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. US (2022/0330260) in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496), further in view of Tang US (2021/0051662), and further in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341).
Regarding Claim 2, Wu discloses a user equipment (UE) (see Fig. 1 i.e., UE 12 & Para’s [0036-0038] i.e., the terminal 12 may be denoted as UE 12, and the terminal 12 may communicate (transmit signaling or transmit data) with the network device 11), comprising: at least one processor (see Figures 4 & 6 & Para’s [0021-0022] & [0197-0198]); and at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor (see Fig. 6 & Para’s [0197-0199] & [0200-0201]) and storing instructions executable by the at least one processor (see Para’s [0198], [0200-0201], & [0205-0207]) to cause the UE (see Fig. 1 i.e., UE 12) to:
receive system information indicating a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal associated with a connected mode, (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support a terminal in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0039-0041] i.e., Step 201: receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (1) whether to transmit CSI-RS; (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration; and (3) whether to update system information, wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions”)…the CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, [0054-0056] i.e., the CSI-RS resource set is indicated through the system information, [0065] i.e., CSI-RS in the related network belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support UE in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0070-0081] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information; and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information…For example, SIBx contains CSI-RS configuration information, in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information is acquired from the updated SIBx, [0095-0097] i.e., CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, [0127-0133], & [0174])
wherein each monitoring occasion comprises time and frequency resources for transmission of the reference signal; (see Para’s [0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions”) may be configured through system information, [0082] i.e., CSI-RS resource set of the CSI-RS configuration includes configured resources for each CSI-RS configurations of the set & [0083] i.e., frequency domain resource assignment field and time domain resource assignment field suggests time and frequency resources are allocated resources for the CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions”))
receive, over a control channel (see Para [0041] i.e., paging PDCCH) while operating in an idle mode or an inactive mode (see Para’s [0042] i.e., paging DCI is received in an idle state or inactive state & [0088]), a paging signal including a system information change indication based at least in part on a change to the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal, (see Para’s [0039-0041] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS is transmitted in CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal”) & [0070-0071] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of monitoring occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx)
wherein the paging signal indicates an updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal, (see Para’s [0040] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “indication” of the updated set of monitoring occasions); and (3) whether to update system information (i.e., “system information change indication”), [0060], [0070-0071] i.e., and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of monitoring occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx, [0127] i.e., A network indicates whether to transmit M CSI-RS resources through bits in DCI transmitted by a paging PDCCH, [0128-0133] i.e., The network may configure M CSI-RS resources, and indicate whether to transmit each CSI-RS resource in M CSI-RS resources through paging DCI, & [0135]).
and monitor the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS can be used for radio resource management (RRM), [0023] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration information, so that after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement, [0046] i.e., CSI-RS transmitted in CSI-RS resource set, [0049-0051] i.e., CSI-RS resource set configured in system information, [0067-0074], [0085] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration information, so that after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement, [0095-0097] & [0125]).
based at least in part on the system information change indication in the paging signal, (see Para’s [0040] i.e., the paging DCI indicates whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0071-0071] i.e., In a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information, and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information)
While WU discloses the claim features including the set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal such as CSI-RS (see Para’s [0046-0049] & [0054-0056]), WU does not disclose the reference signal is a tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496).
Park discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, (see Para’s [0208] i.e., the CSI-RS is used for a tracking reference signal (TRS) & [0276] i.e., In the new radio (NR) system, a CSI-RS is used for time/frequency tracking).
(Park suggests to perform one of the above purposes of a CSI-RS, a terminal (e.g., a UE) receives CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS, (see Para’s [0275-0276] & [0280-0281])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the reference signal transmitted in all of the set of monitoring occasions configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of WU to be for a tracking reference signal based on the teachings of Park who discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, which results in the claim features being performed for the transmission of a tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Park that a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking based on a terminal (e.g., a UE) receiving CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to efficiently perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS.
While the combination of Wu in view of Park discloses a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal is received by the UE (Wu, see Para’s [0070-0071], [0127] & Park, see Para’s [0208], [0276], & [0280-0281]), Wu in view of Park does not disclose the claim feature of wherein the paging signal indicates the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Tang US (2021/0051662).
Tang discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (see Fig. 1, Table 1 & Para’s [0059] i.e., It should be understood that a reference signal in the embodiments of the disclosure may also be called a reference channel and the like, which is not limited in the disclosure, [0140-0143] i.e., if the target resource is changed, the method may further include 205. In 205, the base station 10 transmits a paging message to the terminal device 20. The paging message may include information of the changed target resource & [0144] i.e., The paging message may directly contain resource configuration information, i.e., location information of the changed target resource. The terminal device 20, after receiving the paging message, directly receives the reference signal on a resource configuration contained in the paging message, [0087] i.e., the correspondence between the target resource and the resource identifier (i.e., Table 1) & [0094] i.e., The base station 10, responsive to determining the resource identifier of the reference signal, may determine the target resource (i.e., the determine target resource may be the changed target resource) corresponding to the resource identifier one to one, thereby transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device 20 on the target resource (the frequency-domain resource, the time-domain resource), namely transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device on frequency bands Df1 and Df3 (i.e., frequency bands Df1 and Df3 may refer to an “updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal” based on the changed target resource), the time bucket Dt1, and the layer L1 & [0129])
(Tang suggests the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection, (see Para’s [0059], [0129] & [0140-0144])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the configuration of the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal as disclosed in Wu in view of Park to be included in the paging signal based on the teachings of Tang who discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a resource configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal, which results in the paging signal indicating the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Tang that the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection.
The combination of Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang does not disclose the claim features of and a duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal and monitoring the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341).
Nigam discloses receiving system information indicating a duration (see Para [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting (i.e., “system information”) the duration D’) the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (In light of applicants specification in Para’s [0138-0139], the duration over which the UE 115-a can assume the occasions can be assumed for the next N frames as an example) (Nigam discloses and illustrates in Fig. 19 i.e., the first and second monitoring durations which may each refer to a subframe (i.e., “next N frames”) in which the UE will use for monitoring a pattern of a plurality of monitoring reference signals (MRS) over monitoring occasions (see Fig. 18, i.e., pattern of measurement of the reference signal (MRS) occasions configured in each duration), and therefore the first and second monitoring durations (i.e., “next N frames”) may refer to the claimed “duration” as an example, see Para’s [0053] i.e., The eNB 201 can inform the UE 202 to monitor the channel from a specified time for a specific duration based on a pattern of the MRS, [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting the duration D’…the duration D’ can depend on the RS pattern periodicity…the minimum monitoring duration D’ can be 1 sub-frame, [0067-0068] i.e., number of reference signals (RS) in the duration D, [0076] i.e., The RS pattern can be based on subframe numbering. In an example, the RS pattern can be transmitted every 5ms at an indicated subframe number…the eNB can alter the pattern, for every measurement configuration…The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible, [0078], [0081-0083] i.e., The UE 202 can start monitoring CRS/monitoring RS in the first subframe & [0084] i.e., Fig. 19 depicts an eNB 201 sending a pattern of measurement of a reference signal (RS) to the UE 201, using the licensed channel. The pattern of measurement can comprise a first start time, a monitoring duration; and a periodicity of the monitoring duration. The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the eNB 201 sends the RS on the unlicensed channel after the first start time within the monitoring duration. The UE 202 accordingly decodes the RS samples. The UE 202 averages the RS samples).
and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, (see Fig. 19 & Para’s [0076] i.e., The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible & [0083-0084] i.e., The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the UE accordingly decodes the RS samples).
(Nigam suggests the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration, (see Para [0086])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal monitored by the UE as disclosed in Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang to be configured with a duration that the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal based on using the duration configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of Nigam who discloses configuring a duration the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, because the motivation lies in Nigam that the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration.
Regarding Claims 4, 14, 21, and 31 the combination of Wu in view of Pak, and further in view of Tang discloses the UE, network device, and method of claims 2, 12, 19, and 29, but does not disclose wherein the duration comprises a quantity of frames, DRX cycles, or paging occasions. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341).
Nigam discloses wherein the duration comprises a quantity of frames (see Fig. 18 & Fig. 19 i.e., the first and second monitoring durations which may each refer to a subframe (i.e., “quantity of frames”) in which the UE will use for monitoring a pattern of a plurality of monitoring reference signals (MRS) over monitoring occasions & Para’s [0053], [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting the duration D’…the duration D’ can depend on the RS pattern periodicity…the minimum monitoring duration D’ can be 1 sub-frame, [0076] i.e., The RS pattern can be based on subframe numbering. In an example, the RS pattern can be transmitted every 5ms at an indicated subframe number (i.e., “quantity of frames”) …the eNB can alter the pattern, for every measurement configuration & [0081-0084]).
(Nigam suggests the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration, (see Para [0086])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal monitored by the UE as disclosed in Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang to be configured with a duration that the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal based on using the duration configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of Nigam who discloses configuring a duration comprising a quantity of frames the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, because the motivation lies in Nigam that the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration.
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Wu in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the UE of claim 2, wherein the paging signal comprises a paging identifier (WU, see Para [0041] i.e., It may be understood that the paging DCI may also be referred to DCI transmitted by a paging PDCCH, and the paging PDCCH is a PDCCH using a paging-radio network temporary identity (P-RNTI) (i.e., “paging identifier”), a UE group identifier, or both.
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Wu in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the UE of claim 2, wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to: apply a configuration associated with the updated set of monitoring occasions (WU, see Para [0085] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration) until a reception of a reconfiguration for the updated set of monitoring occasions, (WU, see Para’s [0060] & [0089] i.e., current system information updating cycle or also may take effect within the subsequent system information updating cycle suggests a reconfiguration for the updated set of monitoring occasions such as the CSI-RS resource set).
Regarding Claim 12, Wu discloses a network device (see Fig. 1 i.e., base station 11 & Para’s [0036-0037]), comprising: at least one processor (see Fig. 5 i.e., network device comprises a processor & Fig. 6 i.e., processor 601 & Para’s [0197-0200]); and at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor (see Fig. 6 i.e., memory 603 & Para’s [0197-0198]) and storing instructions executable by the at least one processor (see Para [0198] & [0205]) to cause the network device (see Fig. 1 i.e., base station 11 & Para’s [0036-0037]) to: transmit system information indicating a set of transmission occasions for a reference signal associated with a connected mode, (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support a terminal in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0039-0041] i.e., Step 201: receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (1) whether to transmit CSI-RS; (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration; and (3) whether to update system information, wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of transmission occasions”)…the CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, [0054-0056] i.e., the CSI-RS resource set is indicated through the system information, [0065] i.e., CSI-RS in the related network belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support UE in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0070-0081] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information; and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information…For example, SIBx contains CSI-RS configuration information, in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information is acquired from the updated SIBx, [0095-0097] i.e., CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, & [0174])
wherein each transmission occasion comprises time and frequency resources for transmission of the tracking reference signal; (see Para’s [0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of transmission occasions”) may be configured through system information, [0082] i.e., CSI-RS resource set of the CSI-RS configuration includes configured resources for each CSI-RS configurations of the set & [0083] i.e., frequency domain resource assignment field and time domain resource assignment field suggests time and frequency resources are allocated resources for the CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of transmission occasions”))
transmit, over a control channel (see Para [0041] i.e., paging PDCCH) to a user equipment (UE) (see Fig 1 i.e., UE 12) operating in an idle mode or an inactive mode (see Para’s [0042] i.e., paging DCI is received in an idle state or inactive state & [0088]), a paging signal including a system information change indication based at least in part on a change to the set of transmission occasions for the reference signal, (see Para’s [0039-0041] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS is transmitted in CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal”), [0070-0071] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of monitoring occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx & [0087] i.e., sending paging DCI)
wherein the paging signal indicates an updated set of transmission occasions for the reference signal; (see Para’s [0040] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “indication” of the updated set of transmission occasions); and (3) whether to update system information (i.e., “system information change indication”), [0060], [0070-0071] i.e., and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of transmission occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx, & [0127] i.e., A network indicates whether to transmit M CSI-RS resources through bits in DCI transmitted by a paging PDCCH, [0128-0133] i.e., The network may configure M CSI-RS resources, and indicate whether to transmit each CSI-RS resource in M CSI-RS resources through paging DCI, & [0135]).
and transmit the reference signal in the updated set of transmission occasions for the reference signal (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS in the related network belongs to the configuration of a connected state, [0044-0049], [0067], & [0070-0071] i.e., receiving the updated system information…Further CSI-RS is received (i.e., “transmitting the reference signal”) according to the new CSI-RS configuration information, [0080] i.e., CSI-RS resource set, [0085] i.e., receive CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration, & [0127-0133]).
based at least in part on the system information change indication in the paging signal, (see Para’s [0040] i.e., the paging DCI indicates whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0071-0071] i.e., In a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information, and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information)
While WU discloses the claim features including the set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal such as CSI-RS (see Para’s [0046-0049] & [0054-0056]), WU does not disclose the reference signal is a tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496).
Park discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, (see Para’s [0208] i.e., the CSI-RS is used for a tracking reference signal (TRS) & [0276] i.e., In the new radio (NR) system, a CSI-RS is used for time/frequency tracking).
(Park suggests to perform one of the above purposes of a CSI-RS, a terminal (e.g., a UE) receives CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS, (see Para’s [0275-0276] & [0280-0281])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the reference signal transmitted in all of the set of monitoring occasions configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of WU to be for a tracking reference signal based on the teachings of Park who discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, which results in the claim features being performed for the transmission of a tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Park that a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking based on a terminal (e.g., a UE) receiving CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to efficiently perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS.
While the combination of Wu in view of Park discloses a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal is received by the UE (Wu, see Para’s [0070-0071], [0127] & Park, see Para’s [0208], [0276], & [0280-0281]), Wu in view of Park does not disclose the claim feature of wherein the paging signal indicates the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Tang US (2021/0051662).
Tang discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (see Fig. 1, Table 1 & Para’s [0059] i.e., It should be understood that a reference signal in the embodiments of the disclosure may also be called a reference channel and the like, which is not limited in the disclosure, [0140-0143] i.e., if the target resource is changed, the method may further include 205. In 205, the base station 10 transmits a paging message to the terminal device 20. The paging message may include information of the changed target resource & [0144] i.e., The paging message may directly contain resource configuration information, i.e., location information of the changed target resource. The terminal device 20, after receiving the paging message, directly receives the reference signal on a resource configuration contained in the paging message, [0087] i.e., the correspondence between the target resource and the resource identifier (i.e., Table 1) & [0094] i.e., The base station 10, responsive to determining the resource identifier of the reference signal, may determine the target resource (i.e., the determine target resource may be the changed target resource) corresponding to the resource identifier one to one, thereby transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device 20 on the target resource (the frequency-domain resource, the time-domain resource), namely transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device on frequency bands Df1 and Df3 (i.e., frequency bands Df1 and Df3 may refer to an “updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal” based on the changed target resource), the time bucket Dt1, and the layer L1 & [0129])
(Tang suggests the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection, (see Para’s [0059], [0129] & [0140-0144])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the configuration of the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal as disclosed in Wu in view of Park to be included in the paging signal based on the teachings of Tang who discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a resource configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal, which results in the paging signal indicating the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Tang that the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection.
The combination of Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang does not disclose the claim features of and a duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal and monitoring the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341).
Nigam discloses receiving system information indicating a duration (see Para [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting (i.e., “system information”) the duration D’) the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (In light of applicants specification in Para’s [0138-0139], the duration over which the UE 115-a can assume the occasions can be assumed for the next N frames as an example) (Nigam discloses and illustrates in Fig. 19 i.e., the first and second monitoring durations which may each refer to a subframe (i.e., “next N frames”) in which the UE will use for monitoring a pattern of a plurality of monitoring reference signals (MRS) over monitoring occasions (see Fig. 18, i.e., pattern of measurement of the reference signal (MRS) occasions configured in each duration), and therefore the first and second monitoring durations (i.e., “next N frames”) may refer to the claimed “duration” as an example, see Para’s [0053] i.e., The eNB 201 can inform the UE 202 to monitor the channel from a specified time for a specific duration based on a pattern of the MRS [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting the duration D’…the duration D’ can depend on the RS pattern periodicity…the minimum monitoring duration D’ can be 1 sub-frame, [0067-0068] i.e., number of reference signals (RS) in the duration D, [0076] i.e., The RS pattern can be based on subframe numbering. In an example, the RS pattern can be transmitted every 5ms at an indicated subframe number…the eNB can alter the pattern, for every measurement configuration…The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible, [0078], [0081-0083] i.e., The UE 202 can start monitoring CRS/monitoring RS in the first subframe & [0084] i.e., Fig. 19 depicts an eNB 201 sending a pattern of measurement of a reference signal (RS) to the UE 201, using the licensed channel. The pattern of measurement can comprise a first start time, a monitoring duration; and a periodicity of the monitoring duration. The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the eNB 201 sends the RS on the unlicensed channel after the first start time within the monitoring duration. The UE 202 accordingly decodes the RS samples. The UE 202 averages the RS samples).
and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, (see Fig. 19 & Para’s [0076] i.e., The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible & [0083-0084] i.e., The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the UE accordingly decodes the RS samples).
(Nigam suggests the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration, (see Para [0086])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal monitored by the UE as disclosed in Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang to be configured with a duration that the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal based on using the duration configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of Nigam who discloses configuring a duration the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, because the motivation lies in Nigam that the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration.
Regarding Claim 15, the claim is directed towards a network device which performs the same claim features as claim 6. Therefore claim 15 is rejected as obvious over the combination of Wu in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam as in claim 6.
Regarding Claim 19, Wu discloses a method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) (see Fig. 1 i.e., UE 12 & Para’s [0036-0038] i.e., the terminal 12 may be denoted as UE 12, and the terminal 12 may communicate (transmit signaling or transmit data) with the network device 11), comprising: receiving system information indicating a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal associated with a connected mode, (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support a terminal in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0039-0041] i.e., Step 201: receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (1) whether to transmit CSI-RS; (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration; and (3) whether to update system information, wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions”)…the CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, [0054-0056] i.e., the CSI-RS resource set is indicated through the system information, [0065] i.e., CSI-RS in the related network belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support UE in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0070-0081] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information; and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information…For example, SIBx contains CSI-RS configuration information, in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information is acquired from the updated SIBx, [0095-0097] i.e., CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, [0127-0133], & [0174])
wherein each monitoring occasion comprises time and frequency resources for transmission of the reference signal; (see Para’s [0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions”) may be configured through system information, [0082] i.e., CSI-RS resource set of the CSI-RS configuration includes configured resources for each CSI-RS configurations of the set & [0083] i.e., frequency domain resource assignment field and time domain resource assignment field suggests time and frequency resources are allocated resources for the CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions”))
receiving, over a control channel (see Para [0041] i.e., paging PDCCH) while operating in an idle mode or an inactive mode (see Para’s [0042] i.e., paging DCI is received in an idle state or inactive state & [0088]), a paging signal including a system information change indication based at least in part on a change to the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal, (see Para’s [0039-0041] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS is transmitted in CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal”) & [0070-0071] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of monitoring occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx)
wherein the paging signal indicates an updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal, (see Para’s [0040] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “indication” of the updated set of monitoring occasions); and (3) whether to update system information (i.e., “system information change indication”), [0060], [0070-0071] i.e., and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of monitoring occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx, [0127] i.e., A network indicates whether to transmit M CSI-RS resources through bits in DCI transmitted by a paging PDCCH, [0128-0133] i.e., The network may configure M CSI-RS resources, and indicate whether to transmit each CSI-RS resource in M CSI-RS resources through paging DCI, & [0135]).
and monitoring the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS can be used for radio resource management (RRM), [0023] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration information, so that after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement, [0046] i.e., CSI-RS transmitted in CSI-RS resource set, [0049-0051] i.e., CSI-RS resource set configured in system information, [0067-0074], [0085] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration information, so that after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement, [0095-0097] & [0125]).
based at least in part on the system information change indication in the paging signal. (see Para’s [0040] i.e., the paging DCI indicates whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0071-0071] i.e., In a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information, and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information)
While WU discloses the claim features including the set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal such as CSI-RS (see Para’s [0046-0049] & [0054-0056]), WU does not disclose the reference signal is a tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496).
Park discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, (see Para’s [0208] i.e., the CSI-RS is used for a tracking reference signal (TRS) & [0276] i.e., In the new radio (NR) system, a CSI-RS is used for time/frequency tracking).
(Park suggests to perform one of the above purposes of a CSI-RS, a terminal (e.g., a UE) receives CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS, (see Para’s [0275-0276] & [0280-0281])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the reference signal transmitted in all of the set of monitoring occasions configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of WU to be for a tracking reference signal based on the teachings of Park who discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, which results in the claim features being performed for the transmission of a tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Park that a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking based on a terminal (e.g., a UE) receiving CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to efficiently perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS.
While the combination of Wu in view of Park discloses a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal is received by the UE (Wu, see Para’s [0070-0071], [0127] & Park, see Para’s [0208], [0276], & [0280-0281]), Wu in view of Park does not disclose the claim feature of wherein the paging signal indicates the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Tang US (2021/0051662).
Tang discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (see Fig. 1, Table 1 & Para’s [0059] i.e., It should be understood that a reference signal in the embodiments of the disclosure may also be called a reference channel and the like, which is not limited in the disclosure, [0140-0143] i.e., if the target resource is changed, the method may further include 205. In 205, the base station 10 transmits a paging message to the terminal device 20. The paging message may include information of the changed target resource & [0144] i.e., The paging message may directly contain resource configuration information, i.e., location information of the changed target resource. The terminal device 20, after receiving the paging message, directly receives the reference signal on a resource configuration contained in the paging message, [0087] i.e., the correspondence between the target resource and the resource identifier (i.e., Table 1) & [0094] i.e., The base station 10, responsive to determining the resource identifier of the reference signal, may determine the target resource (i.e., the determine target resource may be the changed target resource) corresponding to the resource identifier one to one, thereby transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device 20 on the target resource (the frequency-domain resource, the time-domain resource), namely transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device on frequency bands Df1 and Df3 (i.e., frequency bands Df1 and Df3 may refer to an “updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal” based on the changed target resource), the time bucket Dt1, and the layer L1 & [0129])
(Tang suggests the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection, (see Para’s [0059], [0129] & [0140-0144])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the configuration of the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal as disclosed in Wu in view of Park to be included in the paging signal based on the teachings of Tang who discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a resource configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal, which results in the paging signal indicating the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Tang that the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection.
The combination of Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang does not disclose the claim features of and a duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal and monitoring the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341).
Nigam discloses receiving system information indicating a duration (see Para [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting (i.e., “system information”) the duration D’) the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (In light of applicants specification in Para’s [0138-0139], the duration over which the UE 115-a can assume the occasions can be assumed for the next N frames as an example) (Nigam discloses and illustrates in Fig. 19 i.e., the first and second monitoring durations which may each refer to a subframe (i.e., “next N frames”) in which the UE will use for monitoring a pattern of a plurality of monitoring reference signals (MRS) over monitoring occasions (see Fig. 18, i.e., pattern of measurement of the reference signal (MRS) occasions configured in each duration), and therefore the first and second monitoring durations (i.e., “next N frames”) may refer to the claimed “duration” as an example, see Para’s [0053] i.e., The eNB 201 can inform the UE 202 to monitor the channel from a specified time for a specific duration based on a pattern of the MRS [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting the duration D’…the duration D’ can depend on the RS pattern periodicity…the minimum monitoring duration D’ can be 1 sub-frame, [0067-0068] i.e., number of reference signals (RS) in the duration D, [0076] i.e., The RS pattern can be based on subframe numbering. In an example, the RS pattern can be transmitted every 5ms at an indicated subframe number…the eNB can alter the pattern, for every measurement configuration…The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible, [0078], [0081-0083] i.e., The UE 202 can start monitoring CRS/monitoring RS in the first subframe & [0084] i.e., Fig. 19 depicts an eNB 201 sending a pattern of measurement of a reference signal (RS) to the UE 201, using the licensed channel. The pattern of measurement can comprise a first start time, a monitoring duration; and a periodicity of the monitoring duration. The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the eNB 201 sends the RS on the unlicensed channel after the first start time within the monitoring duration. The UE 202 accordingly decodes the RS samples. The UE 202 averages the RS samples).
and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, (see Fig. 19 & Para’s [0076] i.e., The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible & [0083-0084] i.e., The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the UE accordingly decodes the RS samples).
(Nigam suggests the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration, (see Para [0086])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal monitored by the UE as disclosed in Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang to be configured with a duration that the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal based on using the duration configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of Nigam who discloses configuring a duration the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, because the motivation lies in Nigam that the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration.
Regarding Claim 23, the claim is directed towards a method which performs the same claim features as claim 6. Therefore claim 23 is rejected as obvious over the combination of Wu in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam as in claim 6.
Regarding Claim 26, the combination of Wu in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the method of claim 19, further comprising: applying a configuration associated with the updated set of monitoring occasions (WU, see Para [0085] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration) until a reception of a reconfiguration for the updated set of monitoring occasions, (WU, see Para’s [0060] & [0089] i.e., current system information updating cycle or also may take effect within the subsequent system information updating cycle suggests a reconfiguration for the updated set of monitoring occasions such as the CSI-RS resource set).
Regarding Claim 29, Wu discloses a method for wireless communications at a network device (see Fig. 1 i.e., base station 11 & Para’s [0036-0037]), comprising: transmitting system information indicating a set of transmission occasions for a reference signal associated with a connected mode, (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support a terminal in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0039-0041] i.e., Step 201: receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (1) whether to transmit CSI-RS; (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration; and (3) whether to update system information, wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of transmission occasions”)…the CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, [0054-0056] i.e., the CSI-RS resource set is indicated through the system information, [0065] i.e., CSI-RS in the related network belongs to the configuration of a connected state and only can support UE in the connected state (i.e., “connected mode”), [0070-0081] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information; and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information…For example, SIBx contains CSI-RS configuration information, in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information is acquired from the updated SIBx, [0095-0097] i.e., CSI-RS resource set may be configured through system information, & [0174])
wherein each transmission occasion comprises time and frequency resources for transmission of the tracking reference signal; (see Para’s [0049] i.e., CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of transmission occasions”) may be configured through system information, [0082] i.e., CSI-RS resource set of the CSI-RS configuration includes configured resources for each CSI-RS configurations of the set & [0083] i.e., frequency domain resource assignment field and time domain resource assignment field suggests time and frequency resources are allocated resources for the CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of transmission occasions”))
transmitting, over a control channel (see Para [0041] i.e., paging PDCCH) to a user equipment (UE) (see Fig 1 i.e., UE 12) operating in an idle mode or an inactive mode (see Para’s [0042] i.e., paging DCI is received in an idle state or inactive state & [0088]), a paging signal including a system information change indication based at least in part on a change to the set of transmission occasions for the reference signal, (see Para’s [0039-0041] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0044-0049] i.e., CSI-RS is transmitted in CSI-RS resource set (i.e., “set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal”), [0070-0071] i.e., in a case that the paging DCI indicates to update SIBx, the updated SIBx is received; and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of monitoring occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx & [0087] i.e., sending paging DCI)
wherein the paging signal indicates an updated set of transmission occasions for the reference signal; (see Para’s [0040] i.e., receiving paging DCI, wherein the paging DCI indicates one or more of the following: (2) whether to update CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “indication” of the updated set of transmission occasions); and (3) whether to update system information (i.e., “system information change indication”), [0060], [0070-0071] i.e., and the new CSI-RS configuration information (i.e., “update or change to the set of transmission occasions”) is acquired from the updated SIBx, & [0127] i.e., A network indicates whether to transmit M CSI-RS resources through bits in DCI transmitted by a paging PDCCH, [0128-0133] i.e., The network may configure M CSI-RS resources, and indicate whether to transmit each CSI-RS resource in M CSI-RS resources through paging DCI, & [0135]).
and transmitting the reference signal in the updated set of transmission occasions for the reference signal (see Para’s [0003] i.e., CSI-RS in the related network belongs to the configuration of a connected state, [0044-0049], [0067], & [0070-0071] i.e., receiving the updated system information…Further CSI-RS is received (i.e., “transmitting the reference signal”) according to the new CSI-RS configuration information, [0080] i.e., CSI-RS resource set, [0085] i.e., receive CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration, & [0127-0133]).
based at least in part on the system information change indication in the paging signal, (see Para’s [0040] i.e., the paging DCI indicates whether to update system information (i.e., system information change indication”), wherein the system information includes the CSI-RS configuration information, [0071-0071] i.e., In a case that the paging DCI indicates to update system information, receiving the updated system information, and acquiring new CSI-RS configuration information from the updated system information)
While WU discloses the claim features including the set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal such as CSI-RS (see Para’s [0046-0049] & [0054-0056]), WU does not disclose the reference signal is a tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496).
Park discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, (see Para’s [0208] i.e., the CSI-RS is used for a tracking reference signal (TRS) & [0276] i.e., In the new radio (NR) system, a CSI-RS is used for time/frequency tracking).
(Park suggests to perform one of the above purposes of a CSI-RS, a terminal (e.g., a UE) receives CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS, (see Para’s [0275-0276] & [0280-0281])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the reference signal transmitted in all of the set of monitoring occasions configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of WU to be for a tracking reference signal based on the teachings of Park who discloses a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking, which results in the claim features being performed for the transmission of a tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Park that a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for time/frequency tracking based on a terminal (e.g., a UE) receiving CSI resource related configuration information from a base station in order to efficiently perform time/frequency tracking using the CSI-RS.
While the combination of Wu in view of Park discloses a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal is received by the UE (Wu, see Para’s [0070-0071], [0127] & Park, see Para’s [0208], [0276], & [0280-0281]), Wu in view of Park does not disclose the claim feature of wherein the paging signal indicates the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Tang US (2021/0051662).
Tang discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (see Fig. 1, Table 1 & Para’s [0059] i.e., It should be understood that a reference signal in the embodiments of the disclosure may also be called a reference channel and the like, which is not limited in the disclosure, [0140-0143] i.e., if the target resource is changed, the method may further include 205. In 205, the base station 10 transmits a paging message to the terminal device 20. The paging message may include information of the changed target resource & [0144] i.e., The paging message may directly contain resource configuration information, i.e., location information of the changed target resource. The terminal device 20, after receiving the paging message, directly receives the reference signal on a resource configuration contained in the paging message, [0087] i.e., the correspondence between the target resource and the resource identifier (i.e., Table 1) & [0094] i.e., The base station 10, responsive to determining the resource identifier of the reference signal, may determine the target resource (i.e., the determine target resource may be the changed target resource) corresponding to the resource identifier one to one, thereby transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device 20 on the target resource (the frequency-domain resource, the time-domain resource), namely transmitting the reference signal to the terminal device on frequency bands Df1 and Df3 (i.e., frequency bands Df1 and Df3 may refer to an “updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal” based on the changed target resource), the time bucket Dt1, and the layer L1 & [0129])
(Tang suggests the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection, (see Para’s [0059], [0129] & [0140-0144])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the configuration of the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal as disclosed in Wu in view of Park to be included in the paging signal based on the teachings of Tang who discloses wherein a paging signal indicates a resource configuration for an updated set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal, which results in the paging signal indicating the configuration for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal, because the motivation lies in Tang that the paging message may directly contain resource configuration information such as the location information of the changed target resource in order for the terminal to acquire the resource location of the reference signal in order to properly receive, demodulate, and process the reference signal according to the resource configuration, thereby using the reference signal for channel estimation or channel detection.
The combination of Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang does not disclose the claim features of and a duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal and monitoring the updated set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341).
Nigam discloses receiving system information indicating a duration (see Para [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting (i.e., “system information”) the duration D’) the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal (In light of applicants specification in Para’s [0138-0139], the duration over which the UE 115-a can assume the occasions can be assumed for the next N frames as an example) (Nigam discloses and illustrates in Fig. 19 i.e., the first and second monitoring durations which may each refer to a subframe (i.e., “next N frames”) in which the UE will use for monitoring a pattern of a plurality of monitoring reference signals (MRS) over monitoring occasions (see Fig. 18, i.e., pattern of measurement of the reference signal (MRS) occasions configured in each duration), and therefore the first and second monitoring durations (i.e., “next N frames”) may refer to the claimed “duration” as an example, see Para’s [0053] i.e., The eNB 201 can inform the UE 202 to monitor the channel from a specified time for a specific duration based on a pattern of the MRS [0063] i.e., the eNB 201 can pre-configure the duration D’ using a suitable means such as broadcasting the duration D’…the duration D’ can depend on the RS pattern periodicity…the minimum monitoring duration D’ can be 1 sub-frame, [0067-0068] i.e., number of reference signals (RS) in the duration D, [0076] i.e., The RS pattern can be based on subframe numbering. In an example, the RS pattern can be transmitted every 5ms at an indicated subframe number…the eNB can alter the pattern, for every measurement configuration…The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible, [0078], [0081-0083] i.e., The UE 202 can start monitoring CRS/monitoring RS in the first subframe & [0084] i.e., Fig. 19 depicts an eNB 201 sending a pattern of measurement of a reference signal (RS) to the UE 201, using the licensed channel. The pattern of measurement can comprise a first start time, a monitoring duration; and a periodicity of the monitoring duration. The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the eNB 201 sends the RS on the unlicensed channel after the first start time within the monitoring duration. The UE 202 accordingly decodes the RS samples. The UE 202 averages the RS samples).
and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, (see Fig. 19 & Para’s [0076] i.e., The eNB 201 can also communicate a maximum duration (measurement window) during which the UE 202 can attempt to decode as many RS as possible & [0083-0084] i.e., The UE 202 starts monitoring the unlicensed channel Ci from the first start time for the monitoring duration, as indicated in the pattern of measurement…the UE accordingly decodes the RS samples).
(Nigam suggests the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration, (see Para [0086])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal monitored by the UE as disclosed in Wu in view of Park, and further in view of Tang to be configured with a duration that the UE is to use the updated set of monitoring occasions for the tracking reference signal based on using the duration configured for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of Nigam who discloses configuring a duration the UE is to use for a set of monitoring occasions for a reference signal and monitoring the set of monitoring occasions for the reference signal for the duration the UE is to use the set of monitoring occasions, because the motivation lies in Nigam that the configured duration enables the UE to reduce power consumption else the UE will consume additional power if monitoring is performed for an unspecified duration.
4. Claims 5 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. US (2022/0330260) in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496), and further in view of Tang US (2021/0051662), and further in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341)
as applied to claims 2 and 19 above, and further in view of Lin US (2019/0253906).
Regarding Claims 5 and 22, the combination of WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the UE and method of claims 2 and 19 including monitoring for the tracking reference signal in the updated set of monitoring occasions (WU, see Para’s [0080] & [0085] i.e., the terminal acquires the updated CSI-RS configuration information and receives CSI-RS according to the updated CSI-RS configuration in which radio resource management measurement is performed), but does not disclose the claim features of further comprising: identifying a reference signal occasion window, wherein the UE assumes that the tracking reference signal is transmitted by a network device at reference signal occasions within the reference signal occasion window; and monitoring for the tracking reference signal in the set of monitoring occasions within the reference signal occasion window. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Lin US (2019/0253906).
Lin discloses identifying a reference signal occasion window, (see Fig. 3(d) i.e., CMTC measurement window including a set of CSI-RS monitoring occasions & Para’s [0028], [0029-0030] i.e., the UE measures CSI-RS during the configured CMTC duration, e.g., the UE performs CMTC measurement within the measurement gap 410 e.g., during CMTC measurement window 411 & [0032-0034] i.e., the UE determines time locations of CSI-RS radio resources for CSI-RS measurement based on the CMTC windows)
wherein the UE assumes that the reference signal is transmitted by a network device at reference signal occasions within the reference signal occasion window; (see Fig. 3(d) i.e., CMTC measurement window including a set of CSI-RS monitoring occasions & Para’s [0028], [0029-0030] i.e., the UE measures CSI-RS during the configured CMTC duration, e.g., the UE performs CMTC measurement within the measurement gap 410 e.g., during CMTC measurement window 411 & [0032-0034] i.e., the UE determines time locations of CSI-RS radio resources for CSI-RS measurement based on the CMTC windows)
and monitor for the reference signal in the set of monitoring occasions within the reference signal occasion window (see Fig. 3(d) i.e., CMTC measurement window including a set of CSI-RS monitoring occasions & Para’s [0028], [0029-0030] i.e., the UE measures CSI-RS during the configured CMTC duration, e.g., the UE performs CMTC measurement within the measurement gap 410 e.g., during CMTC measurement window 411 & [0032-0034] i.e., the UE determines time locations of CSI-RS radio resources for CSI-RS measurement based on the CMTC windows…In step 904, the UE performs CSI-RS measurements using the derived time locations of the CSI-RS resources).
(Lin suggests currently NR lacks the concept of measurement window for NR CSI-RS RRM, and it is thus an objective of the current invention to reduce UE power consumption for CSI-RS RRM by confining CSI-RS for RRM measurement within the CSI-RS measurement timing configuration (CMTC) timing window, (see Para [0006])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the monitoring for the tracking reference signal in the updated set of monitoring occasions as disclosed in WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam to be included in the reference signal occasion window disclosed in the teachings of Lin who discloses a UE measures CSI-RS at reference signal occasions within the reference signal occasion window, because the motivation lies in Lin that NR lacks the concept of measurement window for NR CSI-RS RRM, and it is thus an objective of the current invention to reduce UE power consumption for CSI-RS RRM by confining CSI-RS for RRM measurement within the CSI-RS measurement timing configuration (CMTC) timing window.
5. Claims 7-8, 16-17, and 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WU et al. US (2022/0330260) in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496), and further in view of Tang US (2021/0051662), and further in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Takahashi et al. US (2021/0306986).
Regarding Claims 7, 16, and 24 the combination of WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the UE, network device, and method of claims 2, 12, and 19 but does not disclose the claim feature of wherein the paging signal schedules a downlink shared channel. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Takahashi et al. US (2021/0306986).
Takahashi discloses wherein a paging signal schedules a downlink shared channel (see Para’s [0005] i.e., The user terminal in idle mode monitors Downlink Control Information (DCI) (also referred to as, for example, DCI for a paging or paging DCI) for scheduling a downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel) for conveying a paging message (i.e., “paging downlink shared channel”) & [0029]).
(Takahashi suggests the paging DCI is used for scheduling a PDSCH for conveying a paging message to the UE (see Para’s [0005] & [0029])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effecting filing date for the paging signal disclosed in WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam to perform scheduling of a downlink shared channel as performed by the paging DCI disclosed in the teachings of Takahashi, because the motivation lies in Takahashi that the paging DCI is used for scheduling a PDSCH for conveying a paging message to the UE for efficiently receiving the paging information.
Regarding Claims 8 and 25, the combination of WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the UE and method of claims 7 and 24, but does not disclose wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to: receive, over the downlink shared channel, a paging message based at least in part on the paging signal. However the claim feature would be rendered obvious in view of Takahashi et al. US (2021/0306986).
Takahashi discloses receiving, over the downlink shared channel, a paging message based at least in part on the paging signal (see Para’s [0005] i.e., The user terminal in idle mode monitors Downlink Control Information (DCI) (also referred to as, for example, DCI for a paging or paging DCI) (i.e., “paging signal”) for scheduling a downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel) for conveying a paging message & [0029]).
(Takahashi suggests the paging DCI is used for scheduling a PDSCH for conveying a paging message to the UE (see Para’s [0005] & [0029])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effecting filing date for the UE disclosed in WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam to receive, over the downlink shared channel, a paging message based at least in part on receiving a paging signal or paging DCI as disclosed in the teachings of Takahashi, because the motivation lies in Takahashi that the paging DCI is used for scheduling a PDSCH for conveying a paging message to the UE for efficiently receiving the paging information.
Regarding Claim 17, the claim is directed towards a network device which performs the same claim features as claim 8 with respect to a transmission on the network device side. Therefore claim 17 is rejected as obvious over the combination of Wu in view of Park, further in view of Tang, further in view of Nigam, and further in view of Takahashi as in claim 8.
6. Claims 10, 18, and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WU et al. US (2022/0330260) in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496), and further in view of Tang US (2021/0051662), and further in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341), as applied to claims 2 and 12 above, and further in view of Xiong et al. WO (2018/031132).
Regarding Claims 10, 18, and 27 the combination of WU in view of Park, and further in view of Tang discloses the UE, network device, and method of claims 2, 12, and 19 but does not disclose wherein the updated set of monitoring or transmission occasions has a same periodicity as paging occasions for the UE. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Xiong et al. WO (2018/031132).
Xiong discloses wherein a periodicity of updated set of monitoring occasions (see Para’s [0087-0088] i.e., The CSI-RS configuration can include the CSI-RS resource configuration for each partition, [0090] i.e., periodicity of CSI-RS transmission can be configured independently for different partitions within one component carrier (CC). In another example, a common periodicity in terms of TTI may be configured for all partitions of a CC & [0092] i.e., update on the CSI-RS configuration)
is the same as a periodicity of paging occasions for the UE (see Para’s [0068] i.e., The device 200 goes into a very low power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakes up to listen to the network and then powers down again (i.e., “periodicity of paging occasions”) & [0069] i.e., paging interval(i.e., “periodicity of paging occasions”) may be the same or different from periodicity of updated set of monitoring occasions disclosed in Para’s [0090] & [0092]).
(Xiong suggests the CSI-RS transmission configuration is configured to occupy partial system bandwidth so as to avoid/mitigate cross-partition interference (see Para [0085])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the updated set of monitoring occasions configured according to paging signals as disclosed in WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam to configure a periodicity of the updated set of monitoring occasions to be the same as a periodicity of paging occasions for the UE as disclosed in the teachings of Xiong, because the motivation lies in Xiong that the CSI-RS transmission configuration is configured to occupy partial system bandwidth so as to avoid/mitigate cross-partition interference.
7. Claims 11 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WU et al. US (2022/0330260) in view of Park et al. US (2022/0006496), further in view of Tang US (2021/0051662), and further in view of Nigam et al. US (2017/0280341) as applied to claims 2 and 19 above, and further in view of Ohara US (2022/0095223).
Regarding Claims 11 and 28, the combination of WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam discloses the UE and method of claims 2 and 19, further comprising: receiving the tracking reference signal during the updated set of monitoring occasions (WU, see Para’s [0080] i.e., CSI-RS set transmits CSI-RS & [0085] i.e., after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement);
measuring the tracking reference signal; (WU, see Para’s [0080] i.e., CSI-RS set transmits CSI-RS & [0085] i.e., after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement);
and determining a radio resource management measurement based at least in part on the measuring, (WU, see Para’s [0080] i.e., CSI-RS set transmits CSI-RS & [0085] i.e., after the terminal receives the CSI-RS, the CSI-RS may be used to complete CSI measurement, radio resource management measurement);
WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam does not disclose the claim features of measuring a signal characteristic of the tracking reference signal and determining a radio resource management measurement condition based at least in part on the signal characteristic. However the claim features would be rendered obvious in view of Ohara US (2022/0095223).
Ohara discloses measuring a signal characteristic of the reference signal (see Para [0006] i.e., reference signal received power (RSRP))
and determining a radio resource management measurement condition based at least in part on the signal characteristic (see Para [0006] i.e., Further, using RSRP as a type of measurement result used as the RRM measurement relaxing/adapting condition has been discussed).
(Ohara suggests the user equipment to perform RRM measurement relaxing/adapting under appropriate conditions and reduce power consumption without lowering substantial performance in a wireless communication system, (see Para [0008])).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date for the radio resource management measurement using CSI-RS measurement as disclosed in WU in view of Park, further in view of Tang, and further in view of Nigam to perform measuring a signal characteristic of the reference signal such as RSRP and determining a radio resource management measurement condition based at least in part on the signal characteristic such as RRM measurement relaxing condition as disclosed in the teachings of Ohara, because the motivation lies in Ohara that the user equipment performs RRM measurement relaxing/adapting under appropriate conditions for reducing power consumption without lowering substantial performance in a wireless communication system.
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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/ADNAN BAIG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461