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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on September 28, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-7, 10-16, and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang, Zhixun (WO 2025/170522 A1) in view of Yue et al (US 2025/0247909 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Tang discloses an apparatus configured for wireless communications (Fig. 9), comprising:
one or more antennas (Fig. 9, antenna 2222);
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:
wirelessly receive, via a first cell, a first configuration for communications via a second cell, one or more first parameters for communication of a first set of one or more synchronization signals via a second cell in a first mode and one or more second parameters for communication of a second set of one or more synchronization signals via the second cell in a second mode (57th - 58th paragraphs, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated. Herein, deactivated SCell is a first mode. NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command. Herein, activated Scell is the second mode), wherein:
the one or more first parameters include an indication of a first periodicity for the first set of one or more synchronization signals and the one or more second parameters include an indication of a second periodicity for the second set of one or more synchronization signals (57th - 58th paragraphs, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated. Herein, deactivated SCell is a first mode. NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command. Herein, activated Scell is the second mode);
the first periodicity is different than the second periodicity (57th – 58th paragraphs, low rate SSB periodicity and high rate SSB periodicity);
wirelessly receive an indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode for synchronization signal communications via the second cell (Fig. 6, block 720),
wirelessly receive, 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
wirelessly 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).
Tang does not disclose an indication that each synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the first set of one or more synchronization signals occupies a first number of symbols and an indication that each SSB associated with the second set of one or more synchronization signals occupies a second number of symbols and the first number of symbols is different than the second number of symbols. Yue discloses that a cell in energy saving mode, SSBs occupy fewer symbols vs SSBs in a cell in normal mode (54th paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include SSBs having fewer symbols in energy saving mode in Tang’s system, as suggested by Yue, to reduce power.
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 indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode comprises an indication of a selection of a subset of SSBs in the first set of one or more synchronization signals (70th paragraph, on demand SSB configuration includes a subset of SSBs).
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 wirelessly receive 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 to wirelessly receive the one or more first parameters and the one or more second parameters, the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to wirelessly receive: a second configuration that indicates the 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 the 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 wirelessly receive 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 wirelessly receive 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 wirelessly receive the at least one synchronization signal, the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to wirelessly receive, 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 claim 10, Tang discloses an apparatus configured for wireless communications (Fig. 10), comprising:
one or more antennas (Fig. 10, antenna 3310);
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:
wirelessly receive, via a first cell, a first configuration for communications via a second cell, one or more first parameters for communication of a first set of one or more synchronization signals via a second cell in a first mode and one or more second parameters for communication of a second set of one or more synchronization signals via the second cell in a second mode (57th - 58th paragraphs, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated. Herein, deactivated SCell is a first mode. NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command. Herein, activated Scell is the second mode), wherein:
the one or more first parameters include an indication of a first periodicity for the first set of one or more synchronization signals and the one or more second parameters include an indication of a second periodicity for the second set of one or more synchronization signals (57th - 58th paragraphs, NW configures a UE of SSB configuration with a low rate SSB periodicity when SCell is deactivated. Herein, deactivated SCell is a first mode. NW may indicate SSB configuration with high rate SSB periodicity with or after SCell activation command. Herein, activated Scell is the second mode);
the first periodicity is different than the second periodicity (57th – 58th paragraphs, low rate SSB periodicity and high rate SSB periodicity);
wirelessly receive an indication to switch from the first mode to the second mode for synchronization signal communications via the second cell (Fig. 6, block 720), wherein the first periodicity of the first mode is different than the second periodicity of the second mode (57th – 58th paragraphs), 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);
wirelessly receive, 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
wirelessly communicate with a user equipment 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).
Tang does not disclose an indication that each synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the first set of one or more synchronization signals occupies a first number of symbols and an indication that each SSB associated with the second set of one or more synchronization signals occupies a second number of symbols and the first number of symbols is different than the second number of symbols. Yue discloses that a cell in energy saving mode, SSBs occupy fewer symbols vs SSBs in a cell in normal mode (54th paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include SSBs having fewer symbols in energy saving mode in Tang’s system, as suggested by Yue, to reduce power.
Regarding claims 20 and 21, Tang discloses configuration of different periodicities for SCell in deactivated state and activated state (57th – 58th paragraphs). Tang does not disclose that wherein: the one or more first parameters include an indication of one or more first component signals associated with the first mode, the one or more second parameters include an indication of one or more second component signals associated with the second mode, and a first total number of the one or more first component signals is different than a second total number of the one or more second component signals. Yue discloses
Yue discloses that a cell in energy saving mode, transmission and reception of SSBs are reduced and/or TRP off as comparison to a cell in a normal mode (54th paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include fewer transmissions and receptions in energy saving mode in Tang’s system, as suggested by Yue, to reduce power.
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 1-7, 9-16, and 18-21 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
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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