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 statements (IDSs), submitted on 20 March 2024 and 19 December 2024, were filed after the mailing date of the patent application on 20 March 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings, received on 20 March 2024, are acceptable for examination.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
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 nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3-5, 6, 8-10, 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agiwal et al. (US 20210314914 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Agiwal”) in view of Li et al. (US 20250008485 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Li”).
Regarding Claim 1, Agiwal discloses a base station comprising:
transmitting circuitry (¶183-185 & Fig. 4, Agiwal discloses a next generation node (gNB) comprising a transceiver 410) configured to transmit, to a terminal, a radio resource control (RRC) release message (¶14 & ¶78, Agiwal discloses transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) by the gNB, a radio resource control (RRC message). ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the extended DRX (eDRX) cycle may be signaled in a RRC Connection Release message) including information indicating an extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) cycle for an RRC inactive state (¶14 & ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the RRC message includes a length of extended DRX cycle for an RRC inactive state) and information indicating a length of a paging time window (PTW) for the RRC inactive state (¶14 & ¶58 & ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the RRC message includes information on hyper frame numbering where the hyper frame numbering indicates paging time window (PTW) for the RRC_Inactive state); and
control circuitry (¶183-185 & Fig. 4, Agiwal discloses a next generation node (gNB) comprising a controller 420) configured to transmit, to the terminal in the RRC inactive state, downlink control information on a physical downlink control channel in a paging occasion in a period of the PTW (¶14, Agiwal discloses transmitting a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in a PDCCH monitoring occasion of the PTW. ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the UE, or terminal, is in RRC Inactive while monitoring for the PDCCH in the PDCCH monitoring occasion), wherein a hyper-system frame number (H-SFN) of a paging hyperframe (PH) is determined based on the information indicating the eDRX cycle, an ending position of the PTW in the PH is determined based on the information indicating the length of the PTW (¶58-60, Agiwal discloses that the hyper system frame number of a paging hyperframe (PH) is determined based on an extended DRX (eDRX) cycle, a starting position within the PH (PTW_start), an ending position (PTW_end) of the PH, and the length of the PTW).
However, Agiwal does not disclose the transmitting circuitry is configured to notify a core network device of the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state.
Li, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches the transmitting circuitry (¶215-218 & Fig. 15, Li discloses a base station (BS) comprising an input/output (I/O) interface) is configured to notify a core network device of the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state (¶44 & Fig. 3 (step b), Li discloses notifying, by the BS via relaying from the terminal, a message indicating a terminal specific DRX parameter and a preferred DRX parameter).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal by requiring that the transmitting circuitry is configured to notify a core network device of the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state as taught by Li because paging monitoring failures are reduced which, in turn, improves power consumption at the terminal when the terminal moves between cells where each cell may or may not support eDRX (Li, ¶4-11).
Regarding Claim 3, Agiwal in view of Li discloses the base station according to claim 1.
Li, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, further teaches wherein the transmitting circuitry is configured to notify another base station of the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state (¶45 & ¶103 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses notifying, by the core network to the terminal via the BS, a message indicating a terminal specific DRX parameter and a preferred DRX parameter when the terminal has just performed a handover).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the transmitting circuitry is configured to notify another base station of the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state as taught by Li because paging monitoring failures are reduced which, in turn, improves power consumption at the terminal when the terminal moves between cells where each cell may or may not support eDRX (Li, ¶4-11).
Regarding Claim 4, Agiwal in view of Li discloses the base station according to claim 1.
Agiwal further discloses the control circuitry (¶183-185 & Fig. 4, Agiwal discloses a next generation node (gNB) comprising a controller 420) is configured to transmit, to the terminal in an RRC idle state, downlink control information on a physical downlink control channel in a paging occasion in a period of a second PTW determined based on the third information and the fourth information (¶45 & ¶14, Agiwal discloses transmitting, to the UE, downlink control information (DCI) in a PDCCH monitoring occasion of the PTW of the PTW indicated by the received DCI).
Li, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the information indicating the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state is first information (¶39 & ¶45 & ¶103 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses the message indicating an eDRX cycle), the information indicating the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state is second information (¶39 & ¶45 & ¶103 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses the message indicating PTW window length), the PTW is a first PTW (¶48 & ¶45 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses a paging time window defined by the PTW information), a Non Access Stratum (NAS) message including third information indicating the eDRX cycle and fourth information indicating the length of the PTW is transmitted from the core network device (¶47 & ¶39 & ¶45 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses the ATTACH ACCEPT message includes a eDRX cycle and PTW information transmitted from a core network device. Examiner correlates the ATTACH ACCEPT message to "a NAS message").
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the information indicating the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state is first information, the information indicating the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state is second information, the PTW is a first PTW, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) message including third information indicating the eDRX cycle and fourth information indicating the length of the PTW is transmitted from the core network device as taught by Li because paging monitoring failures are reduced which, in turn, improves power consumption at the terminal when the terminal moves between cells where each cell may or may not support eDRX (Li, ¶4-11).
Regarding Claim 5, Agiwal discloses the base station according to claim 1.
Li, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the core network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) (¶35, Li discloses that the core network device, which transmitted the message indicating a terminal specific DRX parameter and a preferred DRX parameter, is a mobility management entity (MME)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the core network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) as taught by Li because paging monitoring failures are reduced which, in turn, improves power consumption at the terminal when the terminal moves between cells where each cell may or may not support eDRX (Li, ¶4-11).
Regarding Claim 6, Claim 6 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 8, Claim 8 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 3.
Regarding Claim 9, Claim 9 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 4.
Regarding Claim 10, Claim 10 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 5.
Regarding Claim 11, Agiwal discloses a terminal comprising:
receiving circuitry (¶177-181 & Fig. 3, Agiwal discloses a user equipment (UE) comprising transceiver 310) configured to receive, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) release message (¶14 & ¶78, Agiwal discloses receiving, by the UE from a next generation node (gNB), a radio resource control (RRC) message. ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the extended DRX (eDRX) cycle may be signaled in a RRC Connection Release message) including first information indicating an extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) cycle for an RRC inactive state (¶14 & ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the RRC message includes a length of extended DRX cycle for an RRC inactive state) and second information indicating a length of a PTW for the RRC inactive state (¶14 & ¶58 & ¶78, Agiwal discloses that the RRC message includes information on hyper frame numbering where the hyper frame numbering indicates paging time window (PTW) for the RRC_Inactive state); and
control circuitry (¶177-181 & Fig. 3, Agiwal discloses a user equipment (UE) comprising controller 320) configured to
determine a first hyper-system frame number (H-SFN) of a first paging hyperframe (PH) based on the first information in the RRC inactive state (¶14 & ¶58-59, Agiwal discloses determining the hyper system frame number (H-SFN) from information on the hyper frame numbers of the RRC message),
determine an ending position of a first PTW in the first PH based on the second information (¶14 & ¶58-59, Agiwal discloses determining a starting position of the hyper system frame number (H-SFN) from information on the hyper frame numbers of the the RRC message), and
monitor physical downlink control channel candidates in a paging occasion in a period of the first PTW (¶14, Agiwal discloses monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in a PDCCH monitoring occasion of the PTW),
the control circuitry (¶183-185 & Fig. 4, Agiwal discloses a next generation node (gNB) comprising a controller 420) is configured to determine a second H-SFN of a second PH based on the third information in an RRC idle state (¶14 & ¶58-59, Agiwal discloses determining the hyber system frame number (H-SFN) from information on the hyper frame numbers of the the RRC message), determine an ending position of the second PTW in the second PH based on the fourth information (¶14 & ¶58-59, Agiwal discloses determining a ending position of the hyper system frame number (H-SFN) from information on the hyper frame numbers of the the RRC message), and monitor physical downlink control channel candidates in a paging occasion in a period of the second PTW (¶14, Agiwal discloses monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in a PDCCH monitoring occasion of the PTW).
However, Agiwal does not disclose wherein the receiving circuitry is configured to receive, from a core network device, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) message including third information indicating the eDRX cycle and fourth information indicating the length of the PTW, and the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are notified to the core network device from the base station.
Li, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the receiving circuitry (¶202-214 & Fig. 14, Li discloses a terminal comprising a input/output (I/O) interface 812) is configured to receive, from a core network device, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) message (¶45 & ¶103 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses receiving, by the terminal from a core network device via the BS, a message. ¶47, Li further discloses that the exchange of message may bbe through a non-access stratum (NAS) message) including third information indicating the eDRX cycle (¶39 & ¶45 & ¶103 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses the message indicating an eDRX cycle) and fourth information indicating the length of the PTW (¶39 & ¶45 & ¶103 & Fig. 3 (step c), Li discloses the message indicating PTW window length), and the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are notified to the core network device from the base station (¶44 & Fig. 3 (step b), Li discloses notifying, by the BS via relaying from the terminal, a message indicating a terminal specific DRX parameter and a preferred DRX parameter).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the receiving circuitry is configured to receive, from a core network device, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) message including third information indicating the eDRX cycle and fourth information indicating the length of the PTW, and the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are notified to the core network device from the base station as taught by Li because paging monitoring failures are reduced which, in turn, improves power consumption at the terminal when the terminal moves between cells where each cell may or may not support eDRX (Li, ¶4-11).
Regarding Claim 13, Agiwal in view of Li discloses the terminal according to claim 11.
Li, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the core network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) (¶35, Li discloses that the core network device, which transmitted the message indicating a terminal specific DRX parameter and a preferred DRX parameter, is a mobility management entity (MME)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the core network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) as taught by Li because paging monitoring failures are reduced which, in turn, improves power consumption at the terminal when the terminal moves between cells where each cell may or may not support eDRX (Li, ¶4-11).
Claims 2, 7, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agiwal in view of Li in further view of Kim et al. (US 20220053517 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Kim”).
Regarding Claim 2, Agiwal in view of Li discloses the base station according to claim 1.
However, Agiwal in view of LI does not disclose wherein the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are included in an N2 message.
Kim, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are included in an N2 message (¶73, Kim discloses that the eDRX cycle and paging time window (PTW) information for the RRC inactive radio access state (RRC_INACTIVE) are included in a ATTACH ACCEPT message. Examiner correlates an ATTACH ACCEPT message to an "N2 message").
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are included in an N2 message as taught by Kim because vehicle communication in a next generation communication system is improved by improving the discontinuous reception cycle (DRX) of a device while in an inactive state (Kim, ¶1-11).
Regarding Claim 7, Claim 7 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 12, Agiwal in view of Li discloses the terminal according to claim 11.
However, Agiwal in view of LI does not disclose wherein the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are included in an N2 message.
Kim, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are included in an N2 message (¶73, Kim discloses that the eDRX cycle and paging time window (PTW) information for the RRC inactive radio access state (RRC_INACTIVE) are included in a ATTACH ACCEPT message. Examiner correlates an ATTACH ACCEPT message to an "N2 message").
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Agiwal in view of Li by requiring that the eDRX cycle for the RRC inactive state and the length of the PTW for the RRC inactive state are included in an N2 message as taught by Kim because vehicle communication in a next generation communication system is improved by improving the discontinuous reception cycle (DRX) of a device while in an inactive state (Kim, ¶1-11).
Internet Communications
Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet communications (PTO/SB/439, http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf) in the instant patent application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal mail; (3) EFS WEB; or (4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS web is the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
Conclusion
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/ERIC NOWLIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2474