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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8, 10-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tang, Zhixun (WO 2025/170522 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Tang discloses an apparatus configured for wireless communications (Fig. 9), comprising:
one or more memories (Fig. 9, memory 2210); and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories (Fig. 9, processor 2202), the one or more processors being configured to cause the apparatus (Fig. 9) to:
obtain, via a first cell, a first configuration for communications via a second cell (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command), an indication of a first periodicity associated with a first mode for synchronization signal communications via the second cell (57th paragraph, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated. Herein, deactivated SCell is a first mode), and an indication of a second periodicity associated with a second mode for the synchronization signal communications via the second cell (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command. Herein, activated SCell is second mode);
obtain an indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode for synchronization signal communications via the second cell, wherein the first mode is different than the second mode (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command); wherein the first periodicity of the first mode is different than the second periodicity of the second mode (57th and 58th paragraphs, low rate SSB periodicity and high rate SSB periodicity);
obtain, via the second cell, at least one synchronization signal in accordance with the second mode (Fig. 3, block 530, UE receives SSBs from SCell); and
communicate one or more signals via the second cell based at least in part on the at least one synchronization signal (Fig. 3, block 540 and Fig. 5, UE performs SSB measurement of SCell after receiving on demand SSB configuration and transmits measurement report).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Tang discloses that wherein the first cell is a primary cell in a cell group and the second cell is a secondary cell in the cell group (Fig. 8, PCell and SCell belong to an access network).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Tang discloses that wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to obtain a second configuration that indicates one or more parameters for the synchronization signal communications via the second cell in one or more of: the first mode or the second mode (53rd paragraph, UE is configured with information about SMTC, e.g., SMTC periodicity, length, time or duration, offset, etc…).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Tang discloses that wherein the indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode comprises an indication to activate the first configuration for communications via the second cell (43rd paragraph, UE receives SCell activation command).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Tang discloses that wherein to obtain the indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode, the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to obtain signaling that indicates to switch from the first mode to the second mode (43rd paragraph, UE receives SCell activation command), wherein the signaling includes one or more of medium access control signaling or downlink control signaling (4th paragraph and Fig. 1, SCell activation command MAC CE).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Tang discloses that wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to obtain: a second configuration that indicates one or more first parameters for the synchronization signal communications via the second cell in the first mode (57th paragraph, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated), and a third configuration that indicates one or more second parameters for the synchronization signal communications via the second cell in the second mode (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command); and to obtain the indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command), the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to obtain an indication to activate the third configuration and deactivate the second configuration (Fig. 5, UE stops receiving low rate SSB periodicity when SCell activated and starts receiving high rate SSB periodicity upon SCell activation).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Tang discloses that wherein to obtain the at least one synchronization signal, the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to obtain, via the second cell, the at least one synchronization signal in a transmission occasion offset in time (47th paragraph, on demand SSB or high rate SSB includes an offset) based at least in part on the indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode (58th paragraph, SCell activation command).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Tang discloses that wherein the indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode comprises an indication of a selection of a subset of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in a set of SSBs (70th paragraph, on demand SSB configuration includes a subset of SSBs).
Regarding claim 10, Tang discloses an apparatus configured for wireless communications (Fig. 10), comprising:
one or more memories (Fig. 10, memory 3304); and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories (Fig. 10, processor 3302), the one or more processors being configured to cause the apparatus (Fig. 10) to:
send, via a first cell, a first configuration for communications via a second cell (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command), an indication of a first periodicity associated with a first mode for synchronization signal communications via the second cell (57th paragraph, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated. Herein, deactivated SCell is a first mode), and an indication of a second periodicity associated with a second mode for the synchronization signal communications via the second cell (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command. Herein, activated SCell is second mode);
send an indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode for synchronization signal communications via the second cell, wherein the first mode is different than the second mode (58th paragraph, NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command); wherein the first periodicity of the first mode is different than the second periodicity of the second mode (57th and 58th paragraphs, low rate SSB periodicity and high rate SSB periodicity);
send, via the second cell, at least one synchronization signal in accordance with the second mode (Fig. 3, block 530, UE receives SSBs from SCell); and
communicate one or more signals via the second cell based at least in part on the at least one synchronization signal (Fig. 3, block 540 and Fig. 5, UE performs SSB measurement of SCell after receiving on demand SSB configuration and transmits measurement report).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-19 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.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH VU H LY whose telephone number is (571)272-3175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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ANH VU H. LY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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