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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/04/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant asserts:
That Yi discusses on-demand SSB as a concept for energy saving coordination between base stations. Yi, paragraphs [0247]-[0249]. However, Yi's on-demand SSB discussion is in the context of inter base-station coordination for energy saving, not a UE-initiated request- response procedure that results in SSB transmission to that UE. The Office Action's combination grafts Yi's on-demand SSB concept onto Shi's periodic SSB procedure, but the combination does not establish the claimed causal relationship where the SSB is received "in response to the request."
The Examiner respectfully disagrees and points out that Yi clearly discloses a causal relationship. For instance Yi discloses (0247-0249) that the base station may configure configuration information related to an energy saving operation of transmitting on-demand SSB/SIB1 according to an activation request from the UE (emphasis added). In other words, the SSB/SIB1 is transmitted in response to an activation request from the UE.
That the combination fails to teach "selectively transmit/monitor "based on SSB reception/transmission.”
The Examiner notes that Applicant appears to argue functionality performed by the UE and that the Office Action fails to address the functionality performed by the network entity of claim 14. However, Shi discloses (Fig. 6) functionality performed by the UE and the network entity. Shi discloses (Fig. 6 – S601) that terminal device receives a target synchronization signal block in a synchronization signal block period from the network device. This would mean that the network device is transmitting an SSB to the UE. Shi further discloses (Fig. 6 – S604) that the terminal device sends a preamble to the network device on one random access occasion in the random access occasion associated with the target synchronization signal block. This would mean that the network device is receiving (i.e. monitoring) a preamble in a RACH occasion associated with the same SSB indicated in S601. In other words, the network entity is selecting the RO corresponding the SSB, which would read on selective monitoring.
Applicant further asserts that the "selectively" language requires conditionality tied to on-demand SSBs. The specification explains that "selectively performing an action (e.g., selectively transmitting or selectively monitoring for) based on one or more factors is to be understood as meaning that whether or not the action is performed is based on (e.g., depends on) the one or more factors." In response to Applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies are not recited in the rejected claim(s). 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).
That the configuration information of Yi does not teach or disclose the UE selectively transmitting in an RO based on SSB reception, nor the network entity selectively monitoring an RO based on SSB transmission.
The Examiner points out that Yi clearly discloses (Fig. 6) that a UE receives an SSB in S601, determines an RO based on the SSB in S603, and transmits in the RO in S604. In other words, S604 is based upon S603, which is in turn based upon S601 (i.e. reception of an SSB). Likewise, the network device receives/monitors for a preamble in an RO (S604) that is determined (S603) based upon the SSB transmission (S601).
Thus, the limitations of the claims have been met and the action herein is made FINAL. Examiner encourages Applicant to reconsider the allowable subject matter previously indicated (an reiterated below).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 3-6, 16-19, 29 is/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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The closest prior art relating to Applicant' s claimed invention is:
US 20250212261 A1 Shi; Meng et al.
US 20240244521 A1 Yi; Junyung et al.
US 20250112715 A1 Cheng; Chien-Chun
US 20210112602 A1 Li; Jingya et al.
Shi discloses receiving a target synchronization signal block and first configuration information from a network device, where the first configuration information includes a first offset value, and the first offset value indicates interval duration between a start time domain position of a first association period and a start time domain position of a reference system frame; then, determining, based on the first configuration information and the target synchronization signal block, a random access occasion that is associated with the target synchronization signal block and that is in one or more association periods; and finally, sending a preamble to the network device on one random access occasion associated with the target synchronization signal block.
Yi discloses receiving first configuration information related to an energy saving of at least one ambient base station from the at least one ambient base station, configuring the energy saving of the base station based on the first configuration information, and transmitting second configuration information related to the energy saving of the base station from the at least one ambient base station.
Cheng discloses using on-demand reference signal (RS) or system information block (SIB) for network energy saving with respect to user equipment and network apparatus in mobile communications. An apparatus may determine whether to trigger an on-demand RS/SIB or SIB request according to a trigger condition. The apparatus may transmit the on-demand RS/SIB or SIB request to a network node in an event that the trigger condition is satisfied. The apparatus may receive a response of the on-demand RS/SIB or SIB request from the network node. The apparatus may perform an on-demand RS/SIB or SIB measurement according to the response.
Li discloses receiving a Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH, order from the network node. The PDCCH order may include an identification for a Random Access CHannel RACH occasion to be used for a RACH message 1 preamble transmission. Moreover, the identification may include a first index that indicates a set of RACH occasions and a second index that indicates the RACH occasion associated with the set. The method may also include transmitting a Message 1 preamble to the network node using the RACH occasion responsive to the PDCCH order.
With respect to the claim(s), the prior art of record fails to disclose singly or in combination or render obvious all the limitations of the claim(s). Specifically, the prior art of record does not appear to disclose or suggest the conditional transmission schemes as disclosed by claims 3-6. Similar rationale applies to claims 16-19 and 29.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 8, 13-15, 21, 26-28, 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20250212261 A1 to Shi; Meng et al. in view of US 20240244521 A1 to Yi; Junyung et al.
Re: Claim(s) 1, 14, 27, 30
Shi discloses a user equipment (UE) (Fig. 1 – Terminal device),
comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code (Fig. 4 – 402);
and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: (Fig. 4 – 401 coupled to 402)
receive, from the network entity
and selectively transmit, to the network entity and based at least in part on reception of the synchronization signal block, a message in a random access channel occasion, wherein the random access channel occasion is associated with the synchronization signal block (Fig. 6 – S602-S604. 0141 - The terminal device receives first configuration information from the network device based on the target synchronization signal block. 0145 - an RO needs to be associated with an SSB based on an SSB-RO mapping rule, for ease of intuitive understanding, a number that is the same as an index of the SSB may be marked for the RO corresponding to the SSB. For example, for an RO associated with an SSB whose index is n, a number of the RO is n, and the RO may be represented as an RO n. The number of the RO is determined based on a mapping relationship between the RO and the SSB. 0142 - The terminal device determines, based on the first configuration information and the target synchronization signal block, a random access occasion that is associated with the target synchronization signal block and that is in the one or more association periods. 0143 - The terminal device sends a preamble to the network device on one random access occasion in the random access occasion associated with the target synchronization signal block).
Shi does/do not appear to explicitly disclose that the UE transmits a request to a network entity for a synchronization signal block or that the reception of said synchronization signal block is in response to the request.
However, attention is directed to Yi which discloses said limitation (0247-0249 – ON-Demand SSB is disclosed. The base station may configure configuration information related to an energy saving operation of transmitting on-demand SSB/SIB1 according to an activation request from the UE. 0250-0252 - Also is disclosed is a method of a UE transmitting a wake up signal for triggering a base station to transition from an energy saving operation to mode for on-demand SSB transmission. The Examiner notes that the UE transmits and activation request which results in the base station transmitting an SSB).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Shi invention by employing the teaching as taught by Yi to provide the ability for a UE to perform an on-demand SSB procedure wherein the UE requests the SSB from a network entity. The motivation for the combination is given by Yi (Abstract).
Shi further discloses:
A corresponding network entity, comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors (Fig. 4 – Network device comprises 301 and 302) as required by claim 14;
A method corresponding to the UE of claim 1 (see at least Figs. 6 and 11), as required by claim 27; and
A method corresponding to the network entity of claim 14 (see at least Figs. 6 and 11), as required by claim 30.
Re: Claim(s) 2, 15, 28
Shi view of Yi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Shi further discloses receiv[ing], from the network entity, control signaling indicating a first mapping between a first set of synchronization signal blocks and a first set of random access channel occasions, wherein the first set of synchronization signal blocks includes the synchronization signal block, wherein the first set of random access channel occasions includes the random access channel occasion, and wherein the first mapping indicates that the random access channel occasion is associated with the synchronization signal block (Fig. 6 – S602-S604. 0141 - The terminal device receives first configuration information from the network device based on the target synchronization signal block. 0145 - an RO needs to be associated with an SSB based on an SSB-RO mapping rule, for ease of intuitive understanding, a number that is the same as an index of the SSB may be marked for the RO corresponding to the SSB. For example, for an RO associated with an SSB whose index is n, a number of the RO is n, and the RO may be represented as an RO n. The number of the RO is determined based on a mapping relationship between the RO and the SSB. 0142 - The terminal device determines, based on the first configuration information and the target synchronization signal block, a random access occasion that is associated with the target synchronization signal block and that is in the one or more association periods. 0143 - The terminal device sends a preamble to the network device on one random access occasion in the random access occasion associated with the target synchronization signal block).
Re: Claim(s) 8, 21
Shi view of Yi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Shi further discloses receiv[ing] the control signaling via system information (0092 - the network device may indicate the SSB-RO mapping rule by using an ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB field in random access related configuration information in a system message).
Re: Claim(s) 13, 26
Shi view of Yi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Shi does/do not appear to explicitly disclose transmit[ting] an uplink wake-up signal to the network entity.
However, further attention is directed to Yi which discloses said limitation (0247-0249 – ON-Demand SSB is disclosed. The base station may configure configuration information related to an energy saving operation of transmitting on-demand SSB/SIB1 according to an activation request from the UE. 0250-0252 - Also is disclosed is a method of a UE transmitting a wake up signal for triggering a base station to transition from an energy saving operation to mode for on-demand SSB transmission. The Examiner notes that the UE transmits and activation request which results in the base station transmitting an SSB).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Shi invention by employing the teaching as taught by Yi to provide the ability for a UE to perform an on-demand SSB procedure wherein the UE requests the SSB from a network entity. The motivation for the combination is given by Yi (Abstract).
Claim(s) 7, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi view of Yi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 20250112715 A1 to Cheng; Chien-Chun
Re: Claim(s) 7, 20
Shi view of Yi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Shi view of Yi does/do not appear to explicitly disclose receiv[ing] the control signaling via a radio resource control message while in a radio resource control connected mode with the network entity
However, attention is directed to Cheng which discloses said limitation (Abstract and 0071 - Various solutions for using on-demand reference signal (RS) or system information block (SIB) for network energy saving with respect to user equipment and network apparatus in mobile communications are described … A UE capable of providing on-demand SSB assistance information in RRC_CONNECTED may initiate the procedure if configured to do so …).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Shi view of Yi invention by employing the teaching as taught by Cheng to provide the ability for a UE in an RRC_connected mode to be capable of transmitting a request for an SSB. When taken in combination with Shi, the resultant combination would be that the UE in RRC_connected mode would initiate a request for an SSB, receive the SSB, map to an RO, and transmit a preamble. The motivation for the combination is given by Cheng (0002).
Claim(s) 9, 10, 22, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi view of Yi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of “Discussion on RA Procedure for msg1-based on-demand SI Request” (R2-1810002) to Huawei.
Re: Claim(s) 9, 22
Shi view of Yi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Shi view of Yi does/do not appear to explicitly disclose receiv[ing], from the network entity in response to the request, control signaling indicating the random access channel occasion associated with the synchronization signal block. Although Shi discloses said control signaling, and Yi discloses a request mechanism, the combination does not disclose that the control signaling is in response to the request.
However, attention is directed to Huawei which discloses said limitation (Section 1 – Parameters for RACH-ConfigGeneric and ssb-perRACH-Occasion are signalled for dedicated PRACH resources for Msg1 based SI request. The Examiner notes that the SI request from the UE results in system information being transmitted to the UE which includes control information pertaining to SSB and PRACH configuration).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Shi view of Yi invention by employing the teaching as taught by Huawei to provide the ability for control signaling pertaining to SSB configuration to be sent in response to a request. When taken in combination with Shi, the resultant combination would be that the control signaling transmitted in response to the request would include the SSB configuration and RO mapping. The motivation for the combination is given by Huawei (Introduction).
Re: Claim(s) 10, 23
Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 9 above.
Shi view of Yi does/do not appear to explicitly disclose receiv[ing], with the control signaling, an indication of a set of preambles associated with the random access channel occasion, wherein transmitting the message comprises transmitting one of the set of preambles.
However, further attention is directed to Huawei which discloses said limitation (Section 2.1 – preamble range is configured for on-demand SSB).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei invention by employing the teaching as taught by Huawei to provide the ability to receive a preamble configuration in control signaling based upon a request for an SSB. The motivation for the combination is given by Huawei (Introduction).
Claim(s) 11, 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of US 20210112602 A1 to Li; Jingya et al.
Re: Claim(s) 11, 24
Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 9 above.
Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei does/do not appear to explicitly disclose receiv[ing] a downlink control information via a downlink control channel monitoring occasion associated with the synchronization signal block.
However, attention is directed to Li which discloses said limitation (0046-0047 - a signaling mechanism may be provided that uses a RACH Occasion (RO) index field in the DCI to identify the RO(s) for a PRACH transmission initiated using a PDCCH order … The RO index field can be used to directly indicate the RO index number within a RACH configuration, or it can be used to indicate the RO index number associated to an SSB index. 0065 - the RO index field in the DCI may be used to indicate the RO number associated to an SSB index. The RO for PRACH transmission is identified by the RO index together with an SSB index).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei invention by employing the teaching as taught by Li to provide the ability to receive a DCI which indicates an association for a SSB). The motivation for the combination is given by Li (0001).
Claim(s) 12, 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of US 20220167427 A1 to Ko; Hyunsoo et al.
Re: Claim(s) 12, 25
Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 9 above.
Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei does/do not appear to explicitly disclose receiv[ing] a downlink control information via a downlink control channel monitoring occasion associated with scheduling a downlink shared channel transmission from the network entity.
However, attention is directed to Ko which discloses said limitation (0117 – disclosed is a related method pertaining to RACH configuration that includes information on association between SSBs and RACH (time-frequency) resources. The UE transmits the random access preamble on a RACH time-frequency resource associated with a detected or selected SSB. 0006 - there is provided a method of receiving a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. The method may include: transmitting a physical random access channel (PRACH); monitoring downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling a PDSCH related to the PRACH; and receiving the PDSCH based on the DCI, based on the DCI being detected based on a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI)).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Shi view of Yi in view of Huawei invention by employing the teaching as taught by Ko to provide the ability to monitor for and receive a DCI for scheduling a downlink shared channel transmission. The motivation for the combination is given by Ko (Abstract and 0002).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 KASHIF SIDDIQUI whose telephone number is (571)270-3188. The examiner can normally be reached on M-R 6:00 EST to 16:00 EST.
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/KASHIF SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415