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 . Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 1-4, 7-8, 10, 12-14, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (US# 2025/0119800 hereinafter referred to as Zhou).
RE Claim 1, Zhou discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (See Zhou FIG 15A), comprising:
one or more memories (See Zhou FIG 15A); and
one or more processors (See Zhou FIG 15A), coupled to the one or more memories, which are configured, individually or in any combination (See Zhou FIG 15A), to cause the UE to:
receive configuration information that includes one or more parameters for a system information block process (See Zhou [0346] – receiving configuration parameter of procedure for requesting SIB1);
transmit, in accordance with the configuration information, an uplink signal that includes a message, the message indicating a request for a system information block (See Zhou [0346] – UE requesting (in response to receiving the configuration for requesting SIB) SIB); and
receive the system information block in accordance with the configuration information and the uplink signal (See Zhou [0346] – receiving SIB1 in response to the request and in accordance with the SIB1 requesting procedure configuration).
RE Claim 2, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the system information block is an on-demand system information block 1 (OD-SIB1) (See Zhou [0346] – on demand SIB).
RE Claim 3, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the message is a Message 1 or a Message 3 (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0159]-[0166] – i.e. message 1 (1311)), and wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE transmit the uplink signal that includes the message (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0159]-[0166], [0346] – UE transmitting UL message), are configured to cause the UE to transmit the uplink signal via an uplink channel that corresponds to a physical random access channel or a physical uplink shared channel (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0159]-[0166] – i.e. via PRACH).
RE Claim 4, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:
receive, during a random-access process, a random access response associated with a Message 2 of the random-access process (See Zhou FIG 13A; [0166] – receiving RAR (msg 2) of random access process) that includes a random access preamble identifier (See Zhou [0172] – RAR including preamble); and
receive the system information block in accordance with the configuration information, the uplink signal, and the random access response (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0158]-[0159], [0166], [0346] – receiving SIB1 in random access process in accordance with the configuration information (Configuration 1310), the uplink signal (Msg 1 – 1311) and RAR msg 2 (1312)).
RE Claim 7, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the configuration information that includes the one or more parameters for system information block monitoring is included in a time-division duplexing uplink downlink configuration frame structure (See Zhou FIG 13A; [0108], [0110]-[0112] – configuration includes UL/DL BWPs).
RE Claim 8, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein the configuration information includes one or more synchronization signal block (SSB) parameters (See Zhou [0261]-[0262] – SSB parameters), one or more uplink bandwidth part (BWP) parameters (See Zhou [0110] – UL BWP parameters), one or more downlink BWP parameters (See Zhou [0110] – DL BWP parameters), one or more downlink frequency information parameters (See Zhou [0144], [0176], [0184] – DL frequency configuration), one or more uplink frequency information parameters (See Zhou [0146], [0176], [0184] – UL frequency configuration), and one or more random access channel (RACH) parameters (See Zhou [0160] – RACH parameters).
RE Claim 10, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the configuration information includes one or more synchronization signal block (SSB) parameters(See Zhou [0261]-[0262] – SSB parameters), one or more uplink bandwidth part (BWP) parameters (See Zhou [0110] – UL BWP parameters), one or more downlink BWP parameters (See Zhou [0110] – DL BWP parameters), one or more downlink frequency information parameters (See Zhou [0144], [0176], [0184] – DL frequency configuration), one or more uplink frequency information parameters (See Zhou [0146], [0176], [0184] – UL frequency configuration), and one or more random access channel (RACH) parameters (See Zhou [0160] – RACH parameters), one or more physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) parameters (See Zhou [0113]), one or more physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) parameters (See Zhou [0113]), and one or more physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) parameters (See Zhou [0113]).
RE Claim 12, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to receive timing information that indicates a time duration during which the UE is to receive the system information block (See Zhou [0273] – configuring PDCCH monitoring occasion for SIB1).
RE Claim 13, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 12 above, wherein the time duration is indicated in accordance with a quantity of system information block physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions or in accordance with a time duration (See Zhou [0273] – i.e. monitoring occasion).
RE Claim 14, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 13 above, wherein the UE configured to monitor for a system information block PDCCH transmission in a subset of system information block PDCCH monitoring occasions of the quantity of system information block PDCCH monitoring occasions (See Zhou [0308], [0312] – checking PDCCH occasions associated with search space #0).
RE Claim 17, Zhou discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a network node (See Zhou FIG 15A), comprising:
one or more memories (See Zhou FIG 15A); and
one or more processors (See Zhou FIG 15A), coupled to the one or more memories, which are configured, individually or in any combination (See Zhou FIG 15A), to cause the network node to:
receive an uplink signal that includes a message, the message indicating a request for a system information block, wherein the uplink signal is in accordance with one or more parameters for a system information block process (See Zhou [0346] – network node receiving request (in response to UE receiving the configuration for requesting SIB) for SIB); and
transmit the system information block in accordance with the uplink signal (See Zhou [0346] – transmitting SIB1 in response to the request and in accordance with the SIB1 requesting procedure configuration).
RE Claim 18, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 17 above, wherein the system information block is an on-demand system information block 1 (OD-SIB1) (See Zhou [0346] – on demand SIB).
RE Claim 19, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 17 above, wherein the message is a Message 1 or a Message 3 (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0159]-[0166] – i.e. message 1 (1311)), and wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to receive the uplink signal that includes the message (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0159]-[0166], [0346] – UE transmitting UL message), are configured to cause the UE to transmit the uplink signal via an uplink channel that corresponds to a physical random access channel or a physical uplink shared channel (See Zhou FIG 13A, [0159]-[0166] – i.e. via PRACH).
RE Claim 20, Zhou discloses a method for wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) (See Zhou FIG 15A), comprising:
receiving configuration information that includes one or more parameters for a system information block process (See Zhou [0346] – receiving configuration parameter of procedure for requesting SIB1);
transmitting, in accordance with the configuration information, an uplink signal that includes a message, the message indicating a request for a system information block (See Zhou [0346] – UE requesting (in response to receiving the configuration for requesting SIB) SIB); and
receiving the system information block in accordance with the configuration information and the uplink signal (See Zhou [0346] – receiving SIB1 in response to the request and in accordance with the SIB1 requesting procedure configuration).
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.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US# 2025/0119800 hereinafter referred to as Zhou) in view of Basu Mallick et al. (US# 2018/0343572 hereinafter referred to as Basu).
RE Claim 5, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above. Zhou does not specifically disclose wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:
transmit, during a random-access process, a Message 3 that includes a radio resource control connection request; and
receive the system information block in accordance with the configuration information, the uplink signal, and the radio resource control connection request.
However, Basu teaches of
transmitting, during a random-access process, a Message 3 that includes a radio resource control connection request (See Basu [0061] – msg 3 has RRC connection request); and
receive the system information block in accordance with the configuration information, the uplink signal, and the radio resource control connection request (See Basu [0058], [0060] – SIBs transmitted in msg 4 (i.e. in response to previous messages)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to implement the wireless communication system, as disclosed in Zhou, comprising transmitting, during a random-access process, a Message 3 that includes a radio resource control connection request; and
receive the system information block in accordance with the configuration information, the uplink signal, and the radio resource control connection request, as taught in Basu. One is motivated as such in order to reduce latency for SI provisioning (See Basu Background; Summary).
RE Claim 6, Zhou, modified by Basu, discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 5 above, wherein the system information block is unicast to the UE via dedicated signaling (See Basu [0004] – SI/SIB can be unicast).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US# 2025/0119800 hereinafter referred to as Zhou) in view of Lei et al. (US# 2021/0352692 hereinafter referred to as Lei).
RE Claim 15, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above. Zhou does not specifically disclose wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to transmit, during a random-access process, a Message 3 that includes a synchronization signal block (SSB) measurement report.
However, Lei teaches of wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to transmit, during a random-access process, a Message 3 that includes a synchronization signal block (SSB) measurement report (See Lei [0112] – msg 3 includes SSB-based RSRP measurement).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to implement the wireless communication system, as disclosed in Zhou, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to transmit, during a random-access process, a Message 3 that includes a synchronization signal block (SSB) measurement report, as taught in Lei. One is motivated as such in order to help reduce power consumption and signaling overhead (See Lei [0110]-[0112]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US# 2025/0119800 hereinafter referred to as Zhou) in view of Shih et al. (US# 2021/0105852 hereinafter referred to as Shih).
RE Claim 16, Zhou discloses an apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 above. Zhou does not specifically disclose wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to transmit a radio resource control (RRC) message having a first format or a second format, wherein the first format indicates a request for the system information block only and the second format indicates both a request for the system information block and a request for an RRC connection.
However, Shih teaches of wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to transmit a radio resource control (RRC) message having a first format or a second format (See Shih [0087] – UE transmitting RRC message with list of requested SIB with enumerated format), wherein the first format indicates a request for the system information block only (See Shih [0087] – RRC message with list of requested SIB with enumerated format; RRC message is only for on-demand SI request) and the second format indicates both a request for the system information block and a request for an RRC connection.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to implement the wireless communication system, as disclosed in Zhou, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to transmit a radio resource control (RRC) message having a first format or a second format, wherein the first format indicates a request for the system information block only and the second format indicates both a request for the system information block and a request for an RRC connection, as taught in Shih. One is motivated as such in order to better acquire system information in a wireless system (See Shih Background; Summary).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 11 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Steve R Young whose telephone number is (571)270-7518. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chirag G Shah can be reached at (571) 272-3144. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STEVE R YOUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477