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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
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.
Claims 24 and 33 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.
(1) Regarding claim 24:
Claim 24 recites the limitation "the apparatus" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
(2) Regarding claim 33:
Claim 33 recites the limitation "the apparatus" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 19-22, 24, 28-31, 33, 36-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gonzalez et al. (US 2021/0127355 A1, with priority of PCT/CN2018/082061 filed on 4/5/2018).
(1) Regarding claim 19:
Gonzalez discloses a processor (circuitry 930 of user device as shown in figure 9) configured to:
process, based on signals received from a network component of a network, a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle configuration (Then, a UE-specific paging configuration 1420 may be signaled to the UE via RRC (Radio Resource Control protocol). It may define a UE-specific cycle and other parameters. A minimum number of POs (not necessarily target POs) in a DRX cycle is known by the UE from the system configuration specifying the system paging cycle and PO allocation, para. 0119), wherein the paging DRX cycle configuration is based on all of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in a paging area not monitoring a same paging occasion (PO) (as mentioned in para. 0119, the paging configuration is UE-specific, therefore, not all of a plurality of user equipments in a paging area not monitoring a same paging occasion (PO), para. 0116, 0043); and
monitor POs according to the paging DRX cycle configuration (the base station may also be configured to configure the PO allocation (for example by setting the parameters for determining the PO locations) while the user device may be configured to receive the configuration and determine the relevant PO locations. Based on the PO locations within the paging cycle, the user device may then determine the target PO(s) which the user device then actually monitors, para. 0123).
(2) Regarding claim 28:
Gonzalez discloses a user equipment (UE) (user device 910 as shown in figure 9), comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate with a network (transceiver 920 as shown in figure 9, para. 0077); and
a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver (circuitry 930 as shown in figure 9, para. 0077) and configured to:
process, based on signals received from a network component of a network, a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle configuration (Then, a UE-specific paging configuration 1420 may be signaled to the UE via RRC (Radio Resource Control protocol). It may define a UE-specific cycle and other parameters. A minimum number of POs (not necessarily target POs) in a DRX cycle is known by the UE from the system configuration specifying the system paging cycle and PO allocation, para. 0119), wherein the paging DRX cycle configuration is based on all of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in a paging area not monitoring a same paging occasion (PO) (as mentioned in para. 0119, the paging configuration is UE-specific, therefore, not all of a plurality of user equipments in a paging area not monitoring a same paging occasion (PO), para. 0116, 0043); and
monitor POs according to the paging DRX cycle configuration (the base station may also be configured to configure the PO allocation (for example by setting the parameters for determining the PO locations) while the user device may be configured to receive the configuration and determine the relevant PO locations. Based on the PO locations within the paging cycle, the user device may then determine the target PO(s) which the user device then actually monitors, para. 0123).
(3) Regarding claim 36:
Gonzalez discloses a method, comprising:
receiving, from a network component of the network, a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle configuration (Then, a UE-specific paging configuration 1420 may be signaled to the UE via RRC (Radio Resource Control protocol). It may define a UE-specific cycle and other parameters. A minimum number of POs (not necessarily target POs) in a DRX cycle is known by the UE from the system configuration specifying the system paging cycle and PO allocation, para. 0118-0119), wherein the paging DRX cycle configuration is based on all of a plurality of UEs in a paging area not monitoring a same paging occasion (PO) (as mentioned in para. 0119, the paging configuration is UE-specific, therefore, not all of a plurality of user equipments in a paging area not monitoring a same paging occasion (PO), para. 0116, 0043); and
monitoring POs according to the paging DRX cycle configuration (the base station may also be configured to configure the PO allocation (for example by setting the parameters for determining the PO locations) while the user device may be configured to receive the configuration and determine the relevant PO locations. Based on the PO locations within the paging cycle, the user device may then determine the target PO(s) which the user device then actually monitors, para. 0123).
(4) Regarding claims 20 and 29:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 19 and 28, and further discloses the paging DRX cycle configuration comprises a default paging DRX cycle (PO allocation. This is about the allocation of the different POs within the system's paging cycle. In LTE, system's paging cycle is indicated as system information and it is assumed as default by VEs unless VE-specific configuration (VE-specific DRX cycle) is provided, para. 0029, 0044).
(5) Regarding claims 21 and 30:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 20 and 29, and further discloses the paging DRX cycle configuration comprising the default DRX paging cycle is received in a radio resource control (RRC) process (The configuration information may be carried by the resource control protocol (RRC), para. 0049, 0119).
(6) Regarding claims 22 and 31:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 19 and 28, and further discloses the paging DRX cycle comprises a UE- specific paging DRX cycle (Then, a UE-specific paging configuration 1420 may be signaled to the UE via RRC (Radio Resource Control protocol). It may define a UE-specific cycle and other parameters. A minimum number of POs (not necessarily target POs) in a DRX cycle is known by the UE from the system configuration specifying the system paging cycle and PO allocation, para. 0119).
(7) Regarding claims 24 and 33:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 19 and 28, and further discloses the paging DRX cycle configuration comprises a UE-specific offset to be used by the apparatus to determine the POs and a paging frame (PF) to monitor (The paging occasion configuration may be signaled by the base station within a broadcast channel (PBCH) and includes an offset relatively to a beginning of the paging cycle. The offset may indicate the start of the raster or the location of the first PO in case of the uniform PO distribution. In other words, the offset specifies the start of the predefined time-domain pattern for receiving paging, para. 0117-0118).
(8) Regarding claim 37:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claim 36, and further discloses the paging DRX cycle configuration comprises a default paging DRX cycle (PO allocation. This is about the allocation of the different POs within the system's paging cycle. In LTE, system's paging cycle is indicated as system information and it is assumed as default by VEs unless VE-specific configuration (VE-specific DRX cycle) is provided, para. 0029, 0044), wherein the paging DRX cycle configuration comprising the default DRX paging cycle is received in a radio resource control (RRC) process (Then, a UE-specific paging configuration 1420 may be signaled to the UE via RRC (Radio Resource Control protocol). It may define a UE-specific cycle and other parameters. A minimum number of POs (not necessarily target POs) in a DRX cycle is known by the UE from the system configuration specifying the system paging cycle and PO allocation, para. 0119).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gonzalez et al. (US 2021/0127355 A1, with priority of PCT/CN2018/082061 filed on 4/5/2018).
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claim 19, but fails to explicitly disclose the paging DRX cycle configuration is based on a number of registered UEs in the paging area.
Gonzalez discloses The allocation strategies also allow avoiding collisions among control signals, while maintaining the required common control signaling overhead (system information) acceptable and without need for additional UE-specific signaling, except for cases where UE-specific configuration is required (para. 0034). offset setting may help avoiding SSB collision and there may be some additional constraints to enable employing of this embodiment (para. 0109); therefore the UE specific paging configuration with the offset of the PO is based on a number of registered UEs in the paging area for the benefit of avoiding collision of signal.
Claim 23, 26, 32, 34, and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gonzalez et al. (US 2021/0127355 A1, with priority of PCT/CN2018/082061 filed on 4/5/2018) in view of Jung et al. (US 2023/0189209 A1).
(1) Regarding claims 23, 32, and 38:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 22, 31, and 36, but fails to explicitly disclose the paging DRX cycle configuration comprising the UE-specific paging DRX cycle is received during a non-access stratum (NAS) process.
However, Jung discloses at step 5-65, the UE 5-01 being in the RRC idle mode may perform a DRX operation by applying DRX configuration information contained in the NAS message included in the RRC connection setup complete message of the step 5-40. Alternatively, it is possible to perform the DRX operation by applying the DRX configuration information based on the information received at the step 5-55 (para. 0151).
It is desirable to have the paging DRX cycle configuration comprising the UE-specific paging DRX cycle is received during a non-access stratum (NAS) process because it complete the setup during RRC idle mode and prevent data loss. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching of Jung in the processor and UE of Gonzalez for the benefit of completing the setup during RRC idle mode and prevent data loss.
(2) Regarding claims 26 and 34:
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 19 and 28, and further discloses signaled to UE specific paging configuration to the UE before paging occasion (para. 0119-0121), but fails to disclose the paging DRX cycle configuration is received via non-access stratum (NAS) or access stratum (AS) signaling when a core network (CN) of the network initiates paging.
However, Jung discloses at step 5-65, the UE 5-01 being in the RRC idle mode may perform a DRX operation by applying DRX configuration information contained in the NAS message included in the RRC connection setup complete message of the step 5-40. Alternatively, it is possible to perform the DRX operation by applying the DRX configuration information based on the information received at the step 5-55 (para. 0151), and If it is determined at the step 5-75 that paging adjustment is supported, the UE may perform paging monitoring/short message monitoring at step 5-80, based on the paging occasion adjusted as at the step 5-65 (para. 0154).
It is desirable to have the paging DRX cycle configuration is received via non-access stratum (NAS) or access stratum (AS) signaling when a core network (CN) of the network initiates paging because it complete the setup during RRC idle mode and prevent data loss for upcoming paging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching of Jung in the processor and UE of Gonzalez for the benefit of completing the setup during RRC idle mode and prevent data loss.
Claims 27 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gonzalez et al. (US 2021/0127355 A1, with priority of PCT/CN2018/082061 filed on 4/5/2018) in view of Papasakellariou et al. (US 2015/0208366 A1).
Gonzalez discloses all subject matter of claims 19 and 28, and further discloses signaled to UE specific paging configuration to the UE before paging occasion (para. 0119-0121), but fails to disclose the paging DRX cycle configuration is received via access stratum (AS) signaling when a radio access network (RAN) initiates paging.
However, Papasakellariou discloses a eNB 102 configure a UE 116 with a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle that can be expressed in a number of frames include a UE-specific DRX cycle (informed to UE 116 by network access stratum signaling) before paging occasion (para. 0069).
It is desirable to have the paging DRX cycle configuration is received via access stratum (AS) signaling when a radio access network (RAN) initiates paging because it reduces power consumption of the UE. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching of Papasakellariou in the in the processor and UE of Gonzalez for the benefit of reducing UE power consumption.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shih et al. (US 2022/0159617 A1) discloses method and apparatus for performing paging monitoring in radio access networks.
Fujishiro et al. (US 10,694,492 B2) discloses a radio terminal, base station and method.
Islam et al. (US 12,289,787 B2) discloses beam sweeping during an on-period of a DRX cycle.
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/SIU M LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632 2/21/2026