Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. This communication is in response to the Application No. 18/538,853 filed on 12/12/23. Claims 22 – 29, 46, 49 – 50 has been examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
5. Claims 22, 28, 50 is/are 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.
Regarding claim 22, the scope of the claim cannot be determined because of at least the following reasons:
The claim does not recite any transitional phrases which would “define the scope of a claim with respect to what unrecited additional components or steps, if any, are excluded from the scope of the claim.” See MPEP section 2111.03. Additionally, one skilled in the art cannot determine, without a transition word clearly delineating between the preamble and the body, which limitations are not a part of the preamble, and therefore, are necessarily part of the body of the claim and limiting in nature.
The claim is directed to “a user device, UE”, but the “UE”, as recited, does not include any “parts” or “devices” for performing the claimed functions. A machine or an apparatus, as defined in the MPEP, section 2106.03, is a "concrete thing, consisting of parts, or of certain devices and combination of devices” or “every mechanical device or combination of mechanical powers and devices to perform some function and produce a certain effect or result."
Regarding claim 28 and 50, same reason applies.
Dependent claims 23 – 27, 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph as well since it depends on rejected independent claims 22 and 28 respectively.
Regarding claim 27, The claim is further rejected under USC 112 (b) 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph as Regarding claim 27, the phrase "e .g." renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 46, 49 are allowed.
7. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 46, Closest prior art(s) (See A, PTO-892) teaches Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. Generally, the described techniques provide for a user equipment (UE) to determine a time gap between receiving a paging early indication (PEI) and receiving a paging message based on a link quality of the UE. The UE may determine the time gap based on a number of reference signals the UE may measure after receiving the PEI to obtain channel information for accurately decoding a forthcoming paging message and a periodicity of the reference signals. The UE may transmit UE assistance information (UAI) to the base station during an active state to indicate the time gap. The UE may receive a configuration message from the base station indicating a configured time gap for the UE based on the UAI. The UE may receive the PEI and monitor a paging occasion for the paging message according to the configured time gap.
Regarding claim 46, Closest prior art(s) (See N, PTO-892) teaches A method for reducing energy consumption of mobile devices using a phase-continuous early paging indicator (EPI) is provided. For each of at least one paging occasion either A) an EPI indicative that a page is present in the paging occasion is transmitted during an EPI occasion in advance of the paging occasion, the EPI comprising at least one phase-continuous tone for the EPI occasion, and a page is transmitted during the paging occasion, or B) an EPI indicative that a page is not present in the paging occasion is transmitted during an EPI occasion in advance of the paging occasion, the EPI comprising at least one phase-continuous tone for the EPI occasion. A mobile device is configured to monitor for an EPI that comprises at least one phase-continuous tone for an EPI occasion in advance of its paging occasion in order to determine if a page is potentially present.
Regarding claim 46, Closest prior art(s) (See O, PTO-892) teaches The present disclosure relates to a user equipment, UE, comprising the following. A processor of the UE operates a paging function that includes monitoring of a downlink control channel for receiving, from a radio base station, a paging downlink control information, DCI, at a paging occasion based on whether a paging early indication, PEI, is detected at a preceding PEI resource monitored by the UE. In case the receiver does not detect the PEI at the monitored paging early indication resource, the processor determines to monitor for receiving the paging DCI at the paging occasion subsequent to the monitored PEI resource, in case a PEI detection is not reliable, the processor determines that monitoring for receiving the paging DCI at the paging occasion subsequent to the monitored PEI resource is not required, in case a PEI detection is reliable.
Regarding claim 46, Closest prior art(s) (See P, PTO-892) a first device receives a configuration of a paging indication from a second device. The configuration indicates how to monitor the paging indication and mapping between the paging indication and a set of paging occasions. The first device monitors a paging message in a paging occasion associated with the first device. In this way, it can reduce latency and save power at the first device. Further, it also saves signaling for paging.
Regarding claim 49, A method for operating a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a user device, one or more paging occasions, POs, for a paging signal directed to the UE by a base station of the wireless communication network,
receiving, by the UE, ahead of an upcoming PO, a paging early indication, PEI, the PEI indicating whether the UE is to expect a paging signal in the upcoming PO.
However, does not specifically teach and/or suggest wherein the UE is to operate in accordance with a first behavior or a second behavior, wherein in accordance with the first behavior the UE is to monitor one or more POs regardless if the PEI is received or not, and in accordance with the second behavior, the UE is to monitor one or more POs if the PEI indicates that the UE is to expect a paging signal in the upcoming PO, and
when operating in accordance with the second behavior, switching to the first behavior responsive to a certain event.
It would have not been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art at the time of the filling to teach and/or suggest above limitation(s) alone and/or in combination with any other reference(s).
Regarding claim 49, A wireless communication system substantially has same limitations as claim 22, thus the same reasons apply.
8. 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.”
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TANMAY K SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3624. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri - 8:00 - 5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TANMAY K SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632
TANMAY K. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2632