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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/03/2025 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Claim(s) 1-4, 7-12 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2020/0351784 A1 by Tsai et al. (hereafter referred to as Tsai).
Regarding claim 1, Tsai teaches a monitoring method, comprising:
obtaining, by a terminal, wake-up signal configuration information (see at least ¶ [0057] – [0058]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”);
performing, by the terminal, detection for a wake-up signal within a first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information, wherein the first duration belongs to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring period configured by a network-side device (see at least ¶ [0057]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”); and
determining, by the terminal, a monitoring behavior for a target channel based on the detection of the wake-up signal (see at least ¶ [0057]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”), wherein the target channel comprises at least one of the following:
physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see at least ¶ [0057]; PDCCH).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein during the detecting for the wake-up signal, the terminal does not perform monitoring for a first channel, the first channel comprising at least one of PDCCH, PDSCH, and PUSCH (see at least ¶ [0057]; “For another example, if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission). If the drx-InactivityTimer is running on a second WUS occasion, the UE may not monitor the WUS on the second WUS occasion (since the UE is in DRX active time). In addition, the UE may go to sleep when the drx-InactivityTimer expires.”).
Regarding claim 3, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the determining, by the terminal, a monitoring behavior for a target channel based on the detection of the wake-up signal comprises:
in a case that the terminal detects the wake-up signal or in a case that the terminal detects the wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates monitoring the target channel, performing, by the terminal, monitoring for the target channel; or,
in a case that the terminal does not detect the wake-up signal or in a case that the terminal detects the wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates not monitoring the target channel, skipping, by the terminal, the monitoring for the target channel (see at least ¶ [0058]; “In other words, the purpose of the WUS may be to wake up the UE (e.g., when the UE receives the WUS), so that the UE may wake up to stay in DRX active time for monitoring the PDCCH (on next on duration time). However, if the UE is already in the DRX active time, it is unnecessary to monitor the WUS. Thus, the UE may not need to monitor the WUS when the UE is in DRX active time, so as to reduce the power consumption.” And at least ¶ [0060]; “In one implementation, the UE may not monitor the WUS on the WUS occasion (or ignore monitoring the WUS on the WUS occasion) when the UE is in DRX active time (e.g., duration of drx-InactivityTimer). On the contrary, the UE may monitor the WUS on the WUS occasion when the UE is not in DRX active time.” ).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 3. In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the terminal does not perform detection for the wake-up signal during the monitoring for the target channel (see at least ¶ [0057]; “If the drx-InactivityTimer is running on a second WUS occasion, the UE may not monitor the WUS on the second WUS occasion (since the UE is in DRX active time).” ).
Regarding claim 7, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the method further comprises: in a case that the terminal receives a second-channel skipping indication, performing, by the terminal, detection for the wake-up signal within the second-channel skipping duration indicated by the second-channel skipping indication (see at least ¶ [0057]; “If the drx-InactivityTimer is running on a second WUS occasion, the UE may not monitor the WUS on the second WUS occasion (since the UE is in DRX active time). In addition, the UE may go to sleep when the drx-InactivityTimer expires.”).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the method further comprises:
in a case that the terminal detects the wake-up signal or in a case that the terminal detects the wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates monitoring the target channel, starting or restarting, by the terminal, a discontinuous reception (DRX) inactivity timer; or adjusting, by the terminal, the starting time of a DRX on duration timer to be the ending time of a time unit in which the wake-up signal is detected (see at least ¶ [0050]-[0052]; “In one implementation, the UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or in active time). The UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE does not receive the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or DRX inactive time). Alternatively, the UE may skip triggering drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or inactive time).”).
Regarding claim 9, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the method further comprises:
in a case that the terminal detects the wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates a second time interval, starting or restarting, by the terminal, a DRX inactivity timer when or after the ending of the second time interval; or
adjusting, by the terminal, the starting time of a DRX on duration timer to be the ending time of the second time interval;
wherein the terminal performs monitoring for the target channel when or after the ending of the second time interval, and/or the terminal skips the monitoring for the target channel within the second time interval (see at least ¶ [0050]-[0052]; In one implementation, the UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or in active time). The UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE does not receive the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or DRX inactive time). Alternatively, the UE may skip triggering drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or inactive time). ).
Regarding claim 10, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the wake-up signal configuration information comprises at least one of the following:
a wake-up signal monitoring occasion; the first duration; a first timer, wherein a length of the first timer is equal to a length of the first duration, and the terminal performs a behavior of monitoring for the wake-up signal and the monitoring behavior for the target channel during the running of the first timer; a wake-up signal monitoring period; a period of the first duration; a time-frequency domain resource occupied by a wake-up signal; a frequency hopping format of a wake-up signal; and sequence information of a wake-up signal (see at least ¶ [0057]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”).
Regarding claim 11, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 10.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the performing, by the terminal, detection for a wake-up signal within a first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information comprises: performing, by the terminal, detection for the wake-up signal on the wake-up signal monitoring occasion within the first duration, according to the wake-up signal configuration information (see at least Fig. 6 and ¶ [0057]; “For another example, if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission). If the drx-InactivityTimer is running on a second WUS occasion, the UE may not monitor the WUS on the second WUS occasion (since the UE is in DRX active time). In addition, the UE may go to sleep when the drx-InactivityTimer expires.”).
Regarding claim 12, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the first duration is a discontinuous reception (DRX) onduration or part of the DRX onduration; wherein the first duration being part of the DRX onduration comprises: a start time of the first duration is a start time of the DRX onduration and an end time of the first duration is earlier than an end time of the DRX onduration; or the end time of the first duration is the end time of the DRX onduration and the start time of the first duration is later than the start time of the DRX onduration (see at least ¶ [0050]; “In one implementation, the UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or in active time). The UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE does not receive the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or DRX inactive time).”).
Regarding claim 14, Tsai teaches a wake-up signal transmission method, comprising:
configuring, by a network-side device, wake-up signal configuration information for a terminal (see at least ¶ [0057] – [0058]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”); and
transmitting, by the network-side device, a wake-up signal within a first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information, wherein the first duration belongs to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring time period configured by the network-side device (see at least ¶ [0057] – [0058]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”).
Regarding claim 15, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 14.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the wake-up signal configuration information comprises at least one of the following:
a wake-up signal monitoring occasion; the first duration; a first timer, wherein a length of the first timer is equal to a length of the first duration, and the terminal performs a behavior of monitoring for the wake-up signal and monitoring on a target channel during running of the first timer; a wake-up signal monitoring period; a period of the first duration; a time-frequency domain resource occupied by a wake-up signal; a frequency hopping format of a wake-up signal; and sequence information of a wake-up signal (see at least ¶ [0057]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”).
Regarding claim 16, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 14.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the method further comprises:
in a case that the network-side device transmits the wake-up signal, or in a case that the network-side device transmits the wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates monitoring on a target channel, starting or restarting, by the network-side device, a DRX inactivity timer, or adjusting, by the network-side device, the starting time of a DRX onduration timer to be the ending time of a time unit in which the wake-up signal is transmitted (see at least ¶ [0050]-[0052]; “In one implementation, the UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or in active time). The UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE does not receive the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or DRX inactive time). Alternatively, the UE may skip triggering drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or inactive time).”).
Regarding claim 17, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 14.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the method further comprises:
in a case that the network-side device transmits the wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates a third time interval, starting or restarting, by the network-side device, a DRX inactivity timer when or after the third time interval elapses;
or adjusting, by the network-side device, the starting time of a DRX onduration timer to be the ending time of the third time interval transmitted;
wherein the terminal performs monitoring on a target channel when or after the third time interval elapses, and/or the terminal skips the monitoring for the target channel within the third time interval (see at least ¶ [0050]-[0052]; In one implementation, the UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or in active time). The UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE does not receive the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or DRX inactive time). Alternatively, the UE may skip triggering drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or inactive time). ).
Regarding claim 18, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 14.
In addition, Tsai teaches wherein the first duration is a discontinuous reception (DRX) onduration or part of the DRX onduration;
wherein the first duration being part of the DRX onduration comprises:
a start time of the first duration is a start time of the DRX onduration and an end time of the first duration is earlier than an end time of the DRX onduration, or the end time of the first duration is the end time of the DRX onduration and the start time of the first duration is later than the start time of the DRX onduration (see at least ¶ [0050]-[0052]; In one implementation, the UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or in active time). The UE may stop the drx-onDurationTimer when the UE does not receive the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or DRX inactive time). Alternatively, the UE may skip triggering drx-onDurationTimer when the UE receives the WUS on the WUS occasion (in DRX active time or inactive time). ).
Regarding claim 19, Tsai teaches a communication device (see at least Fig. 8), comprising a processor (see at least Fig. 8 (826)), a memory (see at least Fig. 8 (828)), and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor (see at least ¶ [0104]-[0150]), wherein the program or the instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform:
obtaining wake-up signal configuration information (see at least ¶ [0057] – [0058]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”);
performing detection for a wake-up signal within a first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information, wherein the first duration belongs to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring period configured by a network-side device (see at least ¶ [0057] – [0058]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”); and
determining a monitoring behavior for a target channel based on the detection of the wake-up signal (see at least ¶ [0057] – [0058]; “if the UE receives the WUS on a first WUS occasion, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH and start/restart a drx-InactivityTimer when the UE receives a PDCCH for scheduling (e.g., PDCCH for UL/DL data transmission).”), wherein the target channel comprises at least one of the following:
physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (see at least ¶ [0057]; PDCCH).
Regarding claim 20, Tsai teaches a communication device (see at least Fig. 8), comprising a processor (see at least Fig. 8 (826)), a memory (see at least Fig. 8 (828)) and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor (see at least ¶ [0104]-[0105] ), wherein the program or the instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the steps of the monitoring method according to claim 14 (see rejection above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
10. Claim(s) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai as applied to claim 1 above, in view of US 2004/0229659 A1 by Boos et al. (hereafter referred to as Boos).
Regarding claim 5, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
Tsai does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the determining, by the terminal, a monitoring behavior for a target channel based on the detection of wake-up signal comprises: in a case that the terminal detects a wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates a first time interval, performing, by the terminal, monitoring for the target channel when or after the ending of the first time interval, and/or skipping, by the terminal, the monitoring for the target channel within the first time interval.
In the same field of endeavor, Boos teaches wherein the determining, by the terminal, a monitoring behavior for a target channel based on the detection of wake-up signal comprises: in a case that the terminal detects a wake-up signal and the wake-up signal indicates a first time interval, performing, by the terminal, monitoring for the target channel when or after the ending of the first time interval, and/or skipping, by the terminal, the monitoring for the target channel within the first time interval (see at least ¶ [0022]-[0025]; “Along these lines, the control circuit is operable to determine whether the skipping of monitoring for a subsequent wakeup period would exceed the wakeup period interval required to retain at least five signal strength measurements in memory. In this case, the control circuit would not direct the receiver to skip (Rx enabled) the monitoring of the received signal strength of the at least one neighboring channel for at least one subsequent wakeup period.”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsai with Boos in order to reduce current drain in a communication device (Boos ¶ [0001]).
Regarding claim 6, Tsai in view of Boos teaches the method according to claim 5.
In the obvious combination, Boos teaches wherein the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, detection for the wake-up signal within the first time interval (see at least ¶ [0022]; “Along these lines, the control circuit is operable to determine whether the skipping of monitoring for a subsequent wakeup period would exceed the wakeup period interval required to retain at least five signal strength measurements in memory.”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsai with Boos in order to reduce current drain in a communication device (Boos ¶ [0001]).
11. Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai as applied to claim 1 above, in view of US 9,460,321 B1 by Brocato.
Regarding claim 13, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1.
Tsai does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the performing, by the terminal, detection for a wake-up signal within a first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information comprises: performing, by the terminal, detection for the wake-up signal within the first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information by using a near-zero power receiver.
In the same field of endeavor, Brocato teaches wherein the performing, by the terminal, detection for a wake-up signal within a first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information comprises: performing, by the terminal, detection for the wake-up signal within the first duration according to the wake-up signal configuration information by using a near-zero power receiver (see at least col. 13 lines 18-26; For the purpose of a zero-power receiver to perform a wake-up task).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsai with Brocato in order to extend battery life in wireless mobile applications.
Conclusion
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATASHA W COSME whose telephone number is (571)270-7225. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached at 571-270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATASHA W COSME/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465