DETAILED ACTION
Claim(s) 1-18 have been examined and are pending.
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 Remarks
Status of Claims
The status of the claim(s) as of the Non-Final Rejection mailed October 3, 2025 was as follows:
Claim(s) 1-16 were 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. Claim 18 was 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. Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 16, 18, were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1). Claim(s) 3 was rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of LIN (US 20200029315 A1). Claim(s) 13 and 17 was rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of WU (US 20220312543 A1). Claim(s) 15 was rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of TSAI (“US 20220150946 A1”). Claim(s) 7-11 were indicated as being allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in the Non-Final Rejection and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Responsive to the Non-Final Rejection, Applicants have amended claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 15, 16, and 18, in order to address the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-16 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite. The amendments are effective with respect to the indefiniteness issues raised in the Non-Final Rejection accordingly. The rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-16 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite are withdrawn. It is noted that in regards to these amendments, claim 1 has now added a limitation where the UE, now comprises at least “…one or more antennas or an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements and a transceiver”. Responsive to this amendment, a new ground of rejection has been made in view of HORN (US 20100272013 A1) to address this limitation, this rejection being necessitated by amendments made to the claim. The rejection can be read further below.
Further responsive to the Non-Final Rejection, Applicants have presented arguments in response to the prior art rejection(s) of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, under 35 USC 102 and/or 35 USC 103. The arguments have been considered but have been found to be unpersuasive. The arguments focus on the limitation(s) found in independent claim 1, thus the response to the arguments will focus on the same. The arguments are addressed below.
Prior Art Rejections
Applicants argue that the prior art of record, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) fails to teach certain features recited in independent claim 1. Applicants specifically point to the limitation of claim 1, which recites,
“…wherein the UE is configured or preconfigured with one or more rules for determining a MO as an exceptional MO, and/or wherein the one or more rules for determining a MO as an exceptional MO are fixed in a specification, and wherein the one or more rules may comprise one or more of the following:
the MO is associated with an ongoing transmission or retransmission,
the MO is associated with ongoing periodic transmissions, e.g., SPS,
the MO is associated with a previous transmission of a packet for which a reply is expected,
the MO comprises a pre-emption signaling, e.g., when a plurality of transmissions are planned,
the MO comprises one or more CSI reports, e.g., for the SL,
the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling”
Applicants argue that ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) is silent on wherein the UE is (1) configured or preconfigured with one or more rules for determining a MO as an exceptional MO, and/or wherein the one or more rules for determining a MO as an exceptional MO are fixed in a specification. Furthermore, with respect to claim 1, Applicants argue that ZHANG is silent on where the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling as recited with the remaining elements of claim 1.
In the Non-Final rejection, ZHANG with respect to feature (1) was understood to teach receiving by a user equipment (UE), configuration information, downlink control information (DCI), the DCI including a field indicating a power saving operation. Based upon the indication of the power saving operation included in the DCI, the UE applies a PDCCH skipping scheme and/or SSSG switching scheme, either of which resulting in the skipping of PDCCH Monitoring Occasions, PDCCH MOs. The remaining PDCCH MOs, the PDCCHs MOs which are not skipped being regarded as exceptional PDCCH MOs, as they are an exception to the PDCCH skipping indicated by the DCI’s power saving indication. Refer to ZHANG where it recites,
“[0018] In some embodiments, the power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring includes a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme. [0019] In an embodiment, the DCI detected in an SSS determined from the set of SSSs includes the field for indicating the PDCCH skipping scheme.
[0020] In another embodiment, the DCI detected in an SSS determined from an SSSG includes the field for indicating the SSSG switching scheme. [0021] In yet another embodiment, whether the DCI detected in the determined SSS indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme or the SSSG switching scheme is configured by a base station (BS). [0022] In yet another embodiment, in the case that the field indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme, a number of bits in the field is determined by a number of candidate PDCCH skipping durations. [0023] In yet another embodiment, in the case that the field indicates the SSSG switching scheme, a number of bits in the field is determined by a number of the at least one SSSG.”
Also refer to ZHANG, [Fig. 3], [Fig. 4] and [Fig. 7] which illustrate the remaining PDCCH monitoring occasions as a result of PDCCH skipping and/or SSSG switching. Applicants appear to generally agree with this understanding of ZHANG, see where it recites on [Remarks, Page 13]
“Thus, Zhang is quite clear in his teachings with regard to the implementation of the skipping scheme, namely that the UE receives information on the skipping of certain monitoring occasions from the DCI which is detected in a certain search space which has been determined by the UE to be used when receiving the DCI. Thus, dependent on the information in the DCI received at the UE, the UE applies a skipping scheme for skipping a certain number of monitoring occasions. When applying a broad interpretation, one might understand Zhang to use the DCI information so as to determine among the monitoring occasions those not to be skipped, i.e., those monitoring occasions following for example the PDCCH skipping duration.”
Applicants however, disagree with the conclusion that with respect to claim 1, that ZHANG teaches where the UE is configured or preconfigured with one or more rules, for determining an MO as an exceptional MO and/or wherein the one or more rules for determining the MO as the exceptional MO are fixed in a specification. See [Remarks, Page 13]
“However, as mentioned above, in Zhang, the information is obtained from the DCI received at the UE, whereas the claimed invention calls for the UE to be configured or preconfigured with one or more rules for determining a monitoring occasion as an exceptional monitoring occasion which is not to be skipped. Thus, Zhang does not disclose that the UE is to apply certain rules for determining an exceptional MO that is not to be skipped”
More specifically, applicants appear to disagree that with respect to ZHANG, that the configuration, the DCI, received by UE containing the indication for either PDCCH skipping and/or SSSG switching, resulting in skipped PDCCH MOs and the remaining (i.e. non-skipped/exceptional) PDCCH MOs, qualifies as configuring the UE with one or more rules. The Applicant does not further elaborate upon why, the reception of DCI by the UE, which indicates a skipping of PDCCH MOs and leaving a remaining set of non-skipped/exceptional PDCCH MO’s does not qualify as a rule. There also is no additional explanation and/or guidance provided by the Applicants as to what the Applicants understand as a rule with respect to claim 1. The specification does not provide an explicit definition as to what a rule is. Accordingly, the term was provided its ordinary dictionary meaning, which according to, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule, the term rule can be understood as “a prescribed guide for conduct or action”. Thus, in accordance with this understanding of the term rule, the DCI of ZHANG, which provides a guide for the conduct and/or action of skipping PDCCH MOs, thereby resulting in non-skipped/remaining PDCCH MOs, is regarded as qualifying as a rule. Therefore, the argument that ZHANG does not teach where the UE is configured or preconfigured with one or more rules, for determining an MO as an exceptional MO and/or wherein the one or more rules for determining the MO as the exceptional MO are fixed in a specification, as arranged with the remaining elements of claim 1 is not persuasive.
Regarding feature (2), where the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling, in the Non-Final Rejection, ZHANG’s teaching of search space set group (SSSG) switching and/or PDCCH skipping with respect to a high/low priority search space set groups (SSSG) was regarded as being analogous to feature (2). See where ZHANG recites,
“[0012] In yet another embodiment, an SSS with a lower PDCCH monitoring periodicity in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of an SSS with a higher PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the SSSG; and/or an SSS with a lower PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of an SSS with a higher PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the set of SSSs…“[0124] In some embodiments, determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG (e.g., in case 2 or case 3) may include determining an SSS with a highest priority in the SSSG. Determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs outside any SSSG (e.g., in case 1 or case 2) may include determining an SSS with a highest priority in the set of SSSs. In these embodiments, the BS may use the same rule as that used by the UE in the embodiments described with respect to FIG. 5 to determine the at least one SSS and perform the same operations to determine the at least one SSS as those performed by the UE in the embodiments described with respect to FIG. 5. In some other embodiments, the BS may determine the at least one SSS according to other rules instead of based on priorities of SSSs… [0130] After determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG (e.g., in case 2 or case 3) and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs outside of any SSSG (e.g., in case 1 or case 2), in step 806, the BS may determine a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring. In some embodiments, the power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring may include a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme.”
Applicants disagree with this characterization of ZHANG, arguing that the low/high priorities of ZHANG are associated with a search space set/search space set group and not with a certain monitoring occasion. Applicants then conclude based on this argument that in ZHANG that the entire search space is associated with a certain priority, that according to ZHANG’s PDCCH skipping scheme and/or the SSSG switching scheme that PDCCH monitoring occasions of high priority are actually skipped, which is a contradiction to the features of claim 1. See [Remarks, Page(s) 13-14]
“However, as is clear, for example, from paragraphs 8 through 12 of the reference, and also from the other parts referring to the priority, this priority is not associated with a certain monitoring occasion, rather, it is associated with an SSS, i.e., a search space set. Zhang instead teaches that among the plurality of search space sets, at least one may be selected dependent on a priority, and within this selected search space set, the DCI including the skipping scheme is detected. Thus, Zhang fails to teach or suggest that a monitoring occasion is to be maintained, i.e., not skipped, when it uses a certain resource for a high priority or emergency signaling. Applicant respectfully asserts that in Zhang, the entire search space is associated with a certain priority and is selected and within this high priority search space, and when the DCI received on one of the high priority monitoring occasions indicates a skipping scheme, a number of following monitoring occasions of high priority are actually skipped, which is in contradiction to the features of the claim.”
In response to Applicants argument that since high priority PDCCH monitoring occasions are skipped due to the PDCCH monitoring occasions being associated with a high priority search space set and/or high priority search space set group, that ZHANG contradicts what is required by feature (2), “…the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling”, the Examiner disagrees with this conclusion. The claim language simple requires that the MO (i.e. the exceptional MO) uses certain resources for high priority or emergency signaling. The claim language does not forbid or otherwise exclude those certain resources being amongst those allotted to use for the skipped PDCCH MOs. Applicants, are reminded that although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Thus, the argument that ZHANG fails to teach and/or otherwise contradicts a teaching of where the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling, as arranged with the remaining elements of claim 1, is not persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1).
In regards to claim 18, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) teaches a method for operating a user device, UE, for a wireless communication system, wherein the UE is to skip a certain number of control channel monitoring occasions, MOs, the method comprising:
determining which are not to be skipped one or more exceptional control channel MOs which are not to be skipped, and
not skipping the one or more exceptional control channel MOs,
wherein the UE is configured or preconfigured, e.g., with one or more rules for determining an MO as an exceptional MO, and/or wherein the one or more rules for determining a MO as an exceptional MO are fixed in a specification, and
wherein the one or more rules include one or more of the following(In regards to the skipping a certain number of control channel MOs, a switch between one SSS to another SSS, where some SSS’s have more MO’s than other SSS’s is regarded as skipping a certain number of control channel monitoring occasions. Furthermore with regards to the exceptional control channel MO’s, exceptional control channel MO’s are regarded as control channel MO’s which are not skipped, as recited in the claim, and those MO’s are the remaining MO’s in a switch between one SSS to another SSS, “[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method may include: receiving configuration information for a plurality of search space sets (SSSs); in the case that one or more SSSs of the plurality of SSSs are associated with at least one SSS group (SSSG), determining at least one SSS from each SSSG; in the case that the plurality of SSSs include a set of SSSs outside any SSSG, determining at least one SSS from the set of SSSs; and detecting downlink control information (DCI) in a determined SSS, wherein the DCI includes a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring…[0018] In some embodiments, the power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring includes a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme…[0020] In another embodiment, the DCI detected in an SSS determined from an SSSG includes the field for indicating the SSSG switching scheme. [0021] In yet another embodiment, whether the DCI detected in the determined SSS indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme or the SSSG switching scheme is configured by a base station (BS)... [0077] In the SSSG switching scheme, one SSSG with high PDCCH monitoring effort (e.g., with low PDCCH monitoring periodicity) may be activated when there are high data volumes, while the UE may switch to another SSSG with low PDCCH monitoring effort (e.g., with high PDCCH monitoring periodicity) when there is no data volume or low data volume for power saving.”, also with respect to the claimed UE, “[0082] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary procedure of a method for DRX according to some embodiments of the present application. The method may be performed by a UE, for example, the UE 102 as shown in FIG. 1. [0083] In the exemplary method shown in FIG. 5, in step 502, the UE may receive configuration information for a plurality of SSSs from a BS (e.g., the BS 101 as shown in FIG. 1)… [0103] After determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG (e.g., in case 2 or case 3) and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs outside of any SSSG (e.g., in case 1 or case 2), the UE may monitor all the configured SSS(s) outside of any SSSG and the configured SSS(s) in activated SSSG(s). In step 506, the UE may detect DCI in an SSS determined in step 504. The DCI may include a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring. The power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring may include a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme.”):
the MO is associated with an ongoing transmission or retransmission,
the MO is associated with ongoing periodic transmissions,
the MO is associated with a previous transmission of a packet for which a reply is expected,
the MO comprises a pre-emption signaling,
the MO comprises one or more CSI reports,
the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling (“[0008] In some embodiments, determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG includes determining an SSS with a highest priority in the SSSG; and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs includes determining an SSS with a highest priority in the set of SSSs. [0009] In an embodiment, the priority of each SSS is determined based on a DCI format associated with the SSS. [0010] In another embodiment, a UE specific search space set (USS) with a lower index in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of a USS with a higher index in the SSSG; and/or a USS with a lower index in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of a USS with a higher index in the set of SSSs. [0011] In yet another embodiment, a UE specific USS in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of a common search space set (CSS) in the SSSG; and/or a USS in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of a CSS in the set of SSSs.[0012] In yet another embodiment, an SSS with a lower PDCCH monitoring periodicity in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of an SSS with a higher PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the SSSG; and/or an SSS with a lower PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of an SSS with a higher PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the set of SSSs.”), the MO is associated with pre-reserved transmissions or the MO comprises a common search space.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 16, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (US 20100272013 A1).
In regards to claim 1, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) teaches a user device, UE, for a wireless communication system comprising:
(“[0138] FIG. 9 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an exemplary apparatus for DRX according to some embodiments of the present application. The apparatus 900 may include a UE or a BS as shown in FIG. 1… [0139] Referring to FIG. 9, the apparatus 900 may include at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 902, at least one receiving circuitry 904, at least one transmitting circuitry 906, and at least one processor 908…”),
wherein the UE is to skip a certain number of control channel monitoring occasions, MOs,
wherein, among the channel MOs to be skipped, the UE is to determine one or more exceptional control channel MOs which are not to be skipped, and the UE is not to skip the one or more exceptional control channel MOs,
wherein the UE is configured or preconfigured, , with one or more rules for determining an MO as an exceptional MO, and/or wherein the one or more rules for determining the MO as the exceptional MO are fixed in a specification, and wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more of the following (In regards to the skipping a certain number of control channel MOs, a switch between one SSS to another SSS, where some SSS’s have more MO’s than other SSS’s is regarded as skipping a certain number of control channel monitoring occasions. Furthermore with regards to the exceptional control channel MO’s, exceptional control channel MO’s are regarded as control channel MO’s which are not skipped, as recited in the claim, and those MO’s are the remaining MO’s in a switch between one SSS to another SSS, “[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method may include: receiving configuration information for a plurality of search space sets (SSSs); in the case that one or more SSSs of the plurality of SSSs are associated with at least one SSS group (SSSG), determining at least one SSS from each SSSG; in the case that the plurality of SSSs include a set of SSSs outside any SSSG, determining at least one SSS from the set of SSSs; and detecting downlink control information (DCI) in a determined SSS, wherein the DCI includes a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring…[0018] In some embodiments, the power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring includes a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme…[0020] In another embodiment, the DCI detected in an SSS determined from an SSSG includes the field for indicating the SSSG switching scheme. [0021] In yet another embodiment, whether the DCI detected in the determined SSS indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme or the SSSG switching scheme is configured by a base station (BS)... [0077] In the SSSG switching scheme, one SSSG with high PDCCH monitoring effort (e.g., with low PDCCH monitoring periodicity) may be activated when there are high data volumes, while the UE may switch to another SSSG with low PDCCH monitoring effort (e.g., with high PDCCH monitoring periodicity) when there is no data volume or low data volume for power saving.”, also with respect to the claimed UE, “[0082] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary procedure of a method for DRX according to some embodiments of the present application. The method may be performed by a UE, for example, the UE 102 as shown in FIG. 1. [0083] In the exemplary method shown in FIG. 5, in step 502, the UE may receive configuration information for a plurality of SSSs from a BS (e.g., the BS 101 as shown in FIG. 1)… [0103] After determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG (e.g., in case 2 or case 3) and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs outside of any SSSG (e.g., in case 1 or case 2), the UE may monitor all the configured SSS(s) outside of any SSSG and the configured SSS(s) in activated SSSG(s). In step 506, the UE may detect DCI in an SSS determined in step 504. The DCI may include a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring. The power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring may include a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme.”):
the MO is associated with an ongoing transmission or retransmission,
the MO is associated with ongoing periodic transmissions,
the MO is associated with a previous transmission of a packet for which a reply is expected,
the MO comprises a pre-emption signaling,
the MO comprises one or more CSI reports,
the MO uses certain resources for a high priority or emergency signaling (“[0008] In some embodiments, determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG includes determining an SSS with a highest priority in the SSSG; and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs includes determining an SSS with a highest priority in the set of SSSs. [0009] In an embodiment, the priority of each SSS is determined based on a DCI format associated with the SSS. [0010] In another embodiment, a UE specific search space set (USS) with a lower index in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of a USS with a higher index in the SSSG; and/or a USS with a lower index in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of a USS with a higher index in the set of SSSs. [0011] In yet another embodiment, a UE specific USS in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of a common search space set (CSS) in the SSSG; and/or a USS in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of a CSS in the set of SSSs.[0012] In yet another embodiment, an SSS with a lower PDCCH monitoring periodicity in an SSSG has a higher priority than that of an SSS with a higher PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the SSSG; and/or an SSS with a lower PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the set of SSSs has a higher priority than that of an SSS with a higher PDCCH monitoring periodicity in the set of SSSs.”),
the MO is associated with pre-reserved transmissions, or the MO comprises a common search space. The UE of ZHANG differs from the UE of claim 1, in that ZHANG is silent on the UE comprising one or more antennas or an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art, involving user devices/equipment (UE) for wireless communication.
HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teaches where a UE comprises antennas, that are used to facilitate wireless transmission and reception (“[0069] UE 502 includes at least one antenna 506 (e.g., comprising one or more input/output interfaces) that receives a signal and receiver(s) 508, which performs typical actions (e.g., filters, amplifies, down-converts, etc.) on the received signal. In general, antenna 506 and a transmitter 524 (collectively referred to as a transceiver) can be configured to facilitate wireless data exchange with home BS(s) 504. Further, antenna 506, transmitter 524, receiver 508, demodulator 510 and modulator 522 can be employed as a wireless communication interface by various components of UE 502, including data processor 512 and a LIPA initiation apparatus 516.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of HORN it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the UE of ZHANG such that the UE comprises one or more antennas or an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements, to thus arrive at the UE of claim 1. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification in order to facilitate the wireless communication performed by the UEs of ZHANG.
In regards to claim 2, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is to skip the certain number of control channel MOs responsive to a signaling or responsive to a certain criterion (See ZHANG where, “[0021] In yet another embodiment, whether the DCI detected in the determined SSS indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme or the SSSG switching scheme is configured by a base station (BS)...”).
In regards to claim 14, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein, for causing the UE to skip the one or more upcoming control channel MOs, the UE is to receive a control message, indicating to skip next k PDCCH MOs or PSCCH MOs (See ZHANG where, “[0021] In yet another embodiment, whether the DCI detected in the determined SSS indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme or the SSSG switching scheme is configured by a base station (BS)...”).
In regards to claim 4, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein, when skipping k control channel MOs, the UE is not to count the one or more exceptional control channel MOs so that k control channel MOs are skipped, or to count the one or more exceptional control channel MOs not skipped so that less than k control channel MOs are skipped (See ZHANG, and Refer to [Fig. 7] which illustrates a search space set, SSS#3. Relative to SSS #3, every other search space set, SSS#1, SSS#2, and SSS#4, can be regarded as SSS sets skipping k control channel MO’s, where the MO’s that are monitored are regarded as exceptional control channel MO’s, that are not counted as amongst the skipped MO’s).
In regards to claim 5, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is to determine a control channel MO to be an exceptional control channel MO, dependent on a type or format of Downlink Control Information, DCI, or dependent on a type of format of Sidelink Control Information, SCI, associated to a search space that is part of the control channel MO (See ZHANG where, “[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, for each SSSG and/or the set of SSSs outside any SSSG, the priority of each SSS can be determined based on a DCI format associated with the SSS. That is, the priority of an SSS with a specific DCI format is higher than that of another SSS with another specific DCI formats. For example, the priority of an SSS with DCI format 1_1 or 0_1 is higher than the priority of an SSS with DCI format 1_2 or 0_2, which is higher than the priority of an SSS with DC format 1_0 or 0_0.”).
In regards to claim 16, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE comprise one or more of a power-limited UE, or a hand-held UE, or a Vulnerable Road User, VRU, or a Pedestrian UE, P-UE, or an on-body or hand-held UE used by public safety personnel and first responders, and referred to as Public safety UE, PS-UE, or an IoT UE, or a UE provided in a campus network to carry out repetitive tasks and needing input from a gateway node at periodic intervals, or a mobile terminal, or a stationary terminal, or a cellular IoT-UE, or a vehicular UE, or a vehicular group leader (GL) UE, or an IoT or narrowband IoT, NB-IoT, device, or a ground based vehicle, or an aerial vehicle, or a drone, or a moving base station, or road side unit (RSU), or a building, or any other item or device provided with network connectivity enabling the any other item or device to communicate using a wireless communication network, or the any other item or device provided with network connectivity enabling the any other item or device to communicate using a sidelink the wireless communication network or any sidelink capable network entity (See ZANG where “[0082] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary procedure of a method for DRX according to some embodiments of the present application. The method may be performed by a UE, for example, the UE 102 as shown in FIG. 1. [0083] In the exemplary method shown in FIG. 5, in step 502, the UE may receive configuration information for a plurality of SSSs from a BS (e.g., the BS 101 as shown in FIG. 1)… [0103] After determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG (e.g., in case 2 or case 3) and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs outside of any SSSG (e.g., in case 1 or case 2), the UE may monitor all the configured SSS(s) outside of any SSSG and the configured SSS(s) in activated SSSG(s). In step 506, the UE may detect DCI in an SSS determined in step 504. The DCI may include a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring. The power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring may include a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme.”)
In regards to claim(s) 6, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 5, wherein one or more of following types or formats of DCIs cause the control channel MO to be determined as the exceptional control channel MO: a DCI comprising a Downlink Feedback Indicator, DFI, a DCI comprising a Slot Format Indicator, SFI, a DCI comprising a Preemption Indication or Cancelation Indication, a DCI comprising an Availability Indicator, a wake-up DCI, a DCI for an activation or deactivation of a ConfiguredGrant, CG, a DCI for an activation or deactivation of a Semi-Persistent Scheduling, SPS. (See ZHANG where “[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, for each SSSG and/or the set of SSSs outside any SSSG, the priority of each SSS can be determined based on a DCI format associated with the SSS. That is, the priority of an SSS with a specific DCI format is higher than that of another SSS with another specific DCI formats. For example, the priority of an SSS with DCI format 1_1 or 0_1 is higher than the priority of an SSS with DCI format 1_2 or 0_2, which is higher than the priority of an SSS with DC format 1_0 or 0_0.”).
In regards to claim 12, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) teach the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is to monitor the exceptional MO all search spaces, or only common search spaces, or only the search spaces or DCI types or SCI types or formats that caused the UE to determine this MO as an exceptional control channel MO (See ZHANG where “[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, for each SSSG and/or the set of SSSs outside any SSSG, the priority of each SSS can be determined based on a DCI format associated with the SSS. That is, the priority of an SSS with a specific DCI format is higher than that of another SSS with another specific DCI formats. For example, the priority of an SSS with DCI format 1_1 or 0_1 is higher than the priority of an SSS with DCI format 1_2 or 0_2, which is higher than the priority of an SSS with DC format 1_0 or 0_0.”).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) in view of LIN (US 20200029315 A1).
In regards to claim 3, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) is silent on the user device, UE, of claim 2, wherein the certain criterion comprises one or more of the following: a battery status of the UE, a state of the user device, a channel occupancy or a channel busy ratio, CBR, a geo location or zone within which the UE is located, a physical speed of a UE, whether the UE is located indoors or outdoors, whether the UE is connected to the wireless communication system directly or via a relay, a pathloss, on a communication link, a type or capability of the UE, detecting that no control is transmitted. Despite these differences similar features have been seen in other prior art involving PDCCH skipping for power saving in cellular communications. LIN (US 20200029315 A1) teaches where certain criterion, assistance information such as a battery status of a UE, is used in order to control a power-saving, PDCCH skipping state, of the UE (“[0298] In one approach of UE assistance information, UE assistance information can be an implicit adaptation request for preferred adaptations by the UE as discussed in the first embodiment of this disclosure. This type of UE assistance information can be transmitted through power saving signal/channel as defined in the Embodiment 4 of this disclosure… [0301] In a fourth approach of UE assistance information, UE assistance information can be associated with UE power status/UE mobility status/channel condition status/link quality status/traffic load status. [0302] For UE battery/power status, multiple UE battery/power status states associated with different battery levels can be either defined in the specification of the system operation or provided to UE through higher layer signaling. For example, UE power/battery status0/UE power/battery status 1/UE power/battery status 2 can be predefined with respect to battery level of (0-33%]/(33%-66%]/(66%-100%], respectively...[0411] For another example, each of the first and second states is associated with PDCCH monitoring for a DCI format, wherein the first state is skipping of PDCCH monitoring for the first DCI format, and the second state is PDCCH monitoring for the second DCI format. In one option, skipping of PDCCH monitoring is for a number of discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles. [0412] For another example, the UE may further transmit assistance information. The assistance information includes one or more configurations for the first state, and the assistance information is provided by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). [0413] The UE 116 then configure the transceiver to operate in a first state associated with a reception of a first DCI format in a first search space set in response to an AR reception outcome in step 3203.)
Thus based upon the teachings of LIN, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the PDCCH skipping feature of ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”), by relying on use of a battery status of a UE to control a power-saving state, to thus arrive at the user device, UE, of claim 2, wherein the certain criterion comprises one or more of the following: a battery status of the UE, a state of the user device, a channel occupancy or a channel busy ratio, CBR, a geo location or zone within which the UE is located, a physical speed of a UE, whether the UE is located indoors or outdoors, whether the UE is connected to the wireless communication system directly or via a relay, a pathloss, on a communication link, a type or capability of the UE, detecting that no control is transmitted, to provide a benefit of adapting a power saving PDCCH skipping feature to a battery status of a UE.
Claim(s) 13 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) in view of WU (US 20220312543 A1).
In regards to claim 13, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) is silent on the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is to support a communication with one or more further UEs of a wireless communication network over a sidelink, SL, and wherein the UE is to skip only SL-related control channel MOs, or only Uu-related control channel MOs, or both the SL-related control channel MOs and the Uu-related control channel MOs. However, ZHANG does teach a feature to support skipping Uu-related control channel MOs ( See “[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method may include: receiving configuration information for a plurality of search space sets (SSSs); in the case that one or more SSSs of the plurality of SSSs are associated with at least one SSS group (SSSG), determining at least one SSS from each SSSG; in the case that the plurality of SSSs include a set of SSSs outside any SSSG, determining at least one SSS from the set of SSSs; and detecting downlink control information (DCI) in a determined SSS, wherein the DCI includes a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring”, where monitoring or not monitoring certain PDCCH monitoring occasions is regarded as being equivalent to skipping Uu-related (i.e. PDCCH) control channels).
Furthermore in regards to sidelink (SL) communications and skipping SL-related control channel MO’s. WU (US 20220312543 A1) teaches where a UE supports a communication with one or more further UE’s of a cellular communication network over a sidelink (“[0024]…the UE 122 and UE 120 may directly exchange communication data via a ProSe interface 110. The ProSe interface 110 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface 110 and may comprise one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a PSCCH, a PS SCH, a PSDCH, and a PSBCH”). WU further suggests where a UE skips SL-related control channel MOs (“[0054] In some embodiments, a gNB makes a decision for UE for power-savings, based on information provided by UE regarding its SL engagements. If possible, the gNB will align Uu-DRX, with common and/or link-specific SL-DRX, If alignment is not feasible, gNB can still keep the DRX configurations separate. SL-DRX alignment with Uu-DRX is an optional feature. Skipping monitoring of PDCCH and skipping monitoring of PSCCH can be independently configured. A gNB is able to enable/disable the support of this feature.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of WU (US 20220312543 A1), it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wireless communication feature of ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) , to provide additional support for sidelink (SL) communications and to further support skipping only SL-related control channel MOs, to thus arrive at the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is to support a communication with one or more further UEs of a wireless communication network over a sidelink, SL, and wherein the UE is to skip only SL-related control channel MOs, or only Uu-related control channel MOs, or both the SL-related control channel MOs and the Uu-related control channel MOs, in order to take advantage of sidelink communications in general, and power-saving on sidelink communications.
In regards to claim 17, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) is silent on a wireless communication system, comprising one or more user devices, UEs, of claim 1, and a base station, BS, for serving the one or more UEs, wherein the base station is to support a communication of the UEs over a Uu interface and over a sidelink, SL, and wherein the BS is to configure or preconfigure a UE to skip only SL-related control channel MOs, or only Uu-related control channel MOs, or both the SL-related control channel MOs and the Uu-related control channel MOs. However, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) does teach a wireless communication system, comprising one or more user devices, UEs, of claim 1, and a base station for serving the one or more UE,s wherein the base station is to support a communication of the UEs over the Uu interface and where the BS is to configure or preconfigure a UE to skip only Uu-related control channel MOs (See [Fig. 1] which illustrates a wireless communication system 100, comprising one or more UEs 102, and a base station (BS) 101 for serving the one or more UEs, where the base station is to support a communication of the UEs over the Uu interface, the bidirectional link between the BS 101 and UE 102 illustrated in Fig. 1. ZHANG also teaches where the BS configures or preconfigures a UE to skip only Uu-related control channels, as ZHANG doesn’t disclose a feature for sidelink communications. For example in regards to the skipping a certain number of control channel MOs, a switch between one SSS to another SSS, where some SSS’s have more MO’s than other SSS’s is regarded as skipping a certain number of control channel monitoring occasions. Furthermore with regards to the exceptional control channel MO’s, exceptional control channel MO’s are regarded as control channel MO’s which are not skipped, as recited in the claim, and those MO’s are the remaining MO’s in a switch between one SSS to another SSS, “[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method may include: receiving configuration information for a plurality of search space sets (SSSs); in the case that one or more SSSs of the plurality of SSSs are associated with at least one SSS group (SSSG), determining at least one SSS from each SSSG; in the case that the plurality of SSSs include a set of SSSs outside any SSSG, determining at least one SSS from the set of SSSs; and detecting downlink control information (DCI) in a determined SSS, wherein the DCI includes a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring…[0018] In some embodiments, the power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring includes a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme…[0020] In another embodiment, the DCI detected in an SSS determined from an SSSG includes the field for indicating the SSSG switching scheme. [0021] In yet another embodiment, whether the DCI detected in the determined SSS indicates the PDCCH skipping scheme or the SSSG switching scheme is configured by a base station (BS)... [0077] In the SSSG switching scheme, one SSSG with high PDCCH monitoring effort (e.g., with low PDCCH monitoring periodicity) may be activated when there are high data volumes, while the UE may switch to another SSSG with low PDCCH monitoring effort (e.g., with high PDCCH monitoring periodicity) when there is no data volume or low data volume for power saving.”, also with respect to the claimed UE, “[0082] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary procedure of a method for DRX according to some embodiments of the present application. The method may be performed by a UE, for example, the UE 102 as shown in FIG. 1. [0083] In the exemplary method shown in FIG. 5, in step 502, the UE may receive configuration information for a plurality of SSSs from a BS (e.g., the BS 101 as shown in FIG. 1)… [0103] After determining the at least one SSS from each SSSG (e.g., in case 2 or case 3) and/or determining the at least one SSS from the set of SSSs outside of any SSSG (e.g., in case 1 or case 2), the UE may monitor all the configured SSS(s) outside of any SSSG and the configured SSS(s) in activated SSSG(s). In step 506, the UE may detect DCI in an SSS determined in step 504. The DCI may include a field indicating a power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring. The power saving operation for PDCCH monitoring may include a PDCCH skipping scheme or an SSSG switching scheme.”).
Additionally in regards to sidelink (SL) communications and skipping SL-related control channel MO’s. WU (US 20220312543 A1) teaches a wireless communication system, comprising one or more user devices, UEs and a base station for serving the one or more, UEs, wherein the base station is to support a communication of the UEs over the Uu interface and over a sidelink, SL, and wherein the BS is to configure or preconfigure a UE to skip only SL-related control channel MOs, (Refer to [Fig.2] which illustrates a wireless communication system 200, comprising one or more user devices, UE1, UE2, UE3, UE4, and UE5, and a base station, gNB 202, wherein gNB 202 is to support a communication of the UEs over the Uu interface, such as communication links 214 and 218, and over a sidelink, such as communication links, 216, 222, and 224. WU also teaches a sidelink feature in [Par. 24] “[0024]…the UE 122 and UE 120 may directly exchange communication data via a ProSe interface 110. The ProSe interface 110 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface 110 and may comprise one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a PSCCH, a PS SCH, a PSDCH, and a PSBCH”). WU further suggests where a UE skips SL-related control channel MOs (“[0054] In some embodiments, a gNB makes a decision for UE for power-savings, based on information provided by UE regarding its SL engagements. If possible, the gNB will align Uu-DRX, with common and/or link-specific SL-DRX, If alignment is not feasible, gNB can still keep the DRX configurations separate. SL-DRX alignment with Uu-DRX is an optional feature. Skipping monitoring of PDCCH and skipping monitoring of PSCCH can be independently configured. A gNB is able to enable/disable the support of this feature.”).
Thus, based upon the teachings of WU (US 20220312543 A1), it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wireless communication feature suggested by ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”), to provide additional support for sidelink (SL) communications and to further support skipping only SL-related control channel MOs, to thus arrive at a wireless communication system, comprising one or more user devices, UEs, of claim 1, and a base station, BS, for serving the one or more UEs, wherein the base station is to support a communication of the UEs over a Uu interface and over a sidelink, SL, and wherein the BS is to configure or preconfigure a UE to skip only SL-related control channel MOs, or only Uu-related control channel MOs, or both the SL-related control channel MOs and the Uu-related control channel MOs, in order to take advantage of sidelink communications in general, and power-saving on sidelink communications.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) in view of TSAI (“US 20220150946 A1”).
In regards to claim 15, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”) is silent on the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured with one or more default Search Space Groups, SSGs, carrying control information and with one or more empty SSGs, and wherein, for causing the UE to skip one or more upcoming control channel MOs, the UE is to receive a signaling to switch to an empty SSG, and, after a certain time period, the UE is to switch back to a default SSG.
However, ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) teaches the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured with one or more default Search Space Groups, SSGs, carrying control information and where the UE is receives signaling from a base station causing the UE to skip one or more upcoming control channel MOs and after a certain time period, the UE switches back to the default SSG (“[0026] In yet another embodiment, the one SSSG is a default SSSG. [0027] In yet another embodiment, in the case that the detected DCI indicates PDCCH skipping for a duration, each SSSG that is activated before the PDCCH skipping becomes activated after an end of the duration or at least one default SSSG becomes activated after the end of the duration.”).
Furthermore in regards to the feature of an empty search space group (SSG), similar features have been seen in other prior art involving PDCCH skipping for the power saving. TSAI (“US 20220150946 A1”) teaches use of an empty search space group for the purpose of skipping control channel MOs in order to save power. TSAI also teaches use of a timer to switch between different SSGs (“[0066] In some implementations, dynamic SS adaptation may include SS group (SSG) switching in which a UE may be configured to switch between two different types of PDCCH monitoring (e.g., sparse/frequent PDCCH monitoring occasions). In some implementations, the SSG switching may be implemented by other mechanisms, such as an explicit indication, an implicit indication, an implicit condition, and/or by a timer… [0079]…In some implementations, one of the first SSG and the second SSG may be an SSG specified for power saving purpose (e.g., a power saving SSG, a dormant SSG, and/or an empty SSG). In some implementations, one of the first SSG and the second SSG may be an SSG specified not for power saving (e.g., a default SSG, a normal SSG, a non-dormant SSG, and/or a non-empty SSG)…”).
Thus based upon the teachings of TSAI it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the PDCCH skipping feature of ZHANG (US 20240155493 A1) in view of HORN (“US 20100272013 A1”), by adopting use of an empty SSG to skip PDCCHs for power saving, to thus arrive at the user device, UE, of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured with one or more default Search Space Groups, SSGs, carrying control information and with one or more empty SSGs, and wherein, for causing the UE to skip one or more upcoming control channel MOs, the UE is to receive a signaling to switch to an empty SSG, and, after a certain time period, the UE is to switch back to a default SSG, in order to provide a benefit of realizing the desired power saving functionality taught by ZHANG.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 7-11 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
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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/TARELL A HAMPTON/Examiner, Art Unit 2476 /AYAZ R SHEIKH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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