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
a. Claims 1-27 in the present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA :
- claims 1 and 8 are amended
- claims 2-7 and 9-18 are canceled
- claims 19-27 are new
b. This is a final action on the merits based on Applicant’s claims submitted on 06/30/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/21/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Regarding claims 1-14 previously rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102, Applicant's arguments, see Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment, filed on 06/30/2026, with respect to Martin et al. Foreign Patent WO2023055700A1 (hereinafter “Martin”), have been fully considered but are moot, over the limitations of “alternative cell”, ”wake-up receiver”, etc. Said limitations are newly added to the amended Claims 1 and 8 and have been addressed in instant office action, as shown in section 35 USC 102 rejection below, with newly identified disclosures in previously applied reference Martin, thus rendering said Applicant’s arguments moot.
Claim Objections
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: inconsistent claim language. Claim 21 recites the limitation “serving-cell” which is not consistent with the rest of the claims set. The Examiner suggests that it be modified as such “serving cell”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1, 8, and 19-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Martin et al. US Pub 2024/0397422 (hereinafter “Martin”).
Regarding claim 1 (Currently Amended)
Martin discloses an apparatus (“WTRU 102” in Fig. 1B; [0037]) comprising:
at least one processor (“processor 118” in Fig. 1B; [0037]); and
at least one memory (“non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132” in Fig. 1B; [0037]) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
while the apparatus is in an idle mode and performing idle-mode radio resource management measurements (“In Idle mode, serving cell and neighbor cell measurements may be important for ensuring the WTRU mobility (i.e. to ensure a WTRU remains in coverage of the best cell and is always reachable (i.e. may be paged) by the network and may initiate a call).” [0103]), perform a first determination that a mobility of the apparatus (“serving cell and neighbor cell measurements may be important for ensuring the WTRU mobility (i.e. to ensure a WTRU remains in coverage of the best cell and is always reachable (i.e. may be paged) by the network and may initiate a call).” [0103]) is below a mobility threshold (“Conditions for unreliability may include: a WUS quality is below a threshold (e.g. over a period) or a WUS cannot be detected (e.g. over a period).” [0115]) based on at least one of radio resource management measurements or sensor measurements (“RRM requirements may be determined, used, or defined based on the mode of operation for RRM measurement. A first RRM requirements may be used for a first mode of operation and a second RRM requirements may be used for a second mode of operation. The second RRM requirements may be relaxed as compared with the first RRM requirements (e.g., higher accuracy or more frequent measurements may be required for a first mode of operation of RRM measurement than a second mode of operation of RRM measurement).” [0212]);
perform a second determination (“This allows a WTRU to perform measurements (e.g. reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements) on the serving cell and, when needed, neighbor cells using reference symbols transmitted by the cell(s) during the times when the main receiver is required to monitor for paging on a PDCCH.” [0104]) that the apparatus is in Wake Up Signal coverage of a serving cell and at least one alternative cell based on Wake Up Signal beacon quality of the serving cell and the at least one alternative cell (“RRC signaling: whether the WTRU performs RRM measurements on the serving cell and/or neighbor cells; the accuracy of RRM measurements; DRX configuration (e.g. for paging), including whether the WTRU uses a first or second DRX cycle; paging configuration, including whether PDCCH and/or PDSCH repetition is configured; search space; whether monitoring a paging occasion is conditional to the reception of a wake-up signal;” [0202]);
send, to the serving cell using connected radio resource control signaling or small data transmission (“The WTRU may determine in coverage vs. not in coverage based on a measurement performed by the WTRU. The measurement may be of a WUS or other signal. The measurement may be made in one or more resources configured or indicated as configured for a WUS or other signal. The configuration of the resources and/or other parameters the WTRU may use for making the measurement may be received by the WTRU is system information or other signaling such as RRC signaling.” [0135]), and when the first determination and second determination have been performed, a message comprising: a radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request (“If WUS operation is denied or the WUS is indicated as not transmitted, the WTRU may use or return to normal DRX operation without considering WUS/WUR activity. For example, if WUS operation is denied or the WUS is indicated as not transmitted, the WTRU may use its DRX cycle (e.g. without monitoring for the WUS) to determine when to monitor for a PDCCH. For example, if the WUS operation conditions are all accepted, the WTRU may use the WUS to determine when to monitor for a PDCCH.” [0159]) comprising (i) an indication that the apparatus is suspending radio resource management measurements (“perform radio resource management measurements… in a sleep mode when the WUR is monitoring for the WUS.” [0003-0004] and also “when … signal quality (e.g. measurement) is under a certain threshold or a certain number of WUS samples were not detected … the WTRU may fall back to … normal RRM measurements” [0171]) and (ii) a set of alternative cells, including the at least one alternative cell, estimated by the apparatus to provide Wake Up Signal coverage (“This allows a WTRU to perform measurements (e.g. reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements) on the serving cell and, when needed, neighbor cells using reference symbols transmitted by the cell(s) during the times when the main receiver is required to monitor for paging on a PDCCH.” [0104]);
receive, from the serving cell (e.g. “cell or gNB”) in response to the radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request (“A WTRU may receive a response from a cell or gNB. The response may be included in a RAR. The response may be provided in another message. The response may be provided in a MAC-CE. The response may acknowledge an indication or request from the WTRU.” [0154]), a confirmation message (“FIG. 13 shows an example method of wake-up signal (WUS) configuration. A WTRU may send or transmit WTRU WUS/WUR information via a (e.g. any) message or indication (1310).” [0132]) identifying a set of cells to monitor, Wake Up Signal beacon locations in time and frequency for the set of cells to monitor, and Wake Up Signal wakeup occasions for the set of cells to monitor (“The response may indicate one or more of the following: WUS indication or request from the WTRU is acknowledged; WUS operation is accepted, meaning for example that a WUS is or will be transmitted; a WUS is or will be transmitted and the WTRU indicated parameters/capabilities were accepted (e.g. the WUS is or will be transmitted based on, according to, or in a way that satisfies, the WTRU indicated parameters/capabilities); WUS and rapid sync operation are accepted; WUS and rapid sync signal(s) are or will be transmitted; WUS operation is accepted without rapid sync; WUS is or will be transmitted and rapid sync signal(s) are not transmitted; WUS operation denied; and WUS is not being transmitted.” [0155]);
in response to receiving the confirmation message, stop performing the radio resource management measurements (“If WUS operation is denied or the WUS is indicated as not transmitted, the WTRU may use or return to normal DRX operation without considering WUS/WUR activity. For example, if WUS operation is denied or the WUS is indicated as not transmitted, the WTRU may use its DRX cycle (e.g. without monitoring for the WUS) to determine when to monitor for a PDCCH. For example, if the WUS operation conditions are all accepted, the WTRU may use the WUS to determine when to monitor for a PDCCH.” [0159]) and enter a Wake Up Signal mode in which a main radio of the apparatus is in a sleep mode and a wake-up receiver (“A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may comprise a low power wake-up receiver (WUR) and a main transceiver.” [0004]) of the apparatus monitors a beacon or synchronization signal and a Wake Up Signal wakeup occasion of a primary cell of the set of cells to monitor (“It is important that some means of performing serving cell measurements using the main receiver is defined even while a WTRU is saving power by monitoring a low power wake-up signal using a low power receiver, in order to maintain a reasonable level of reliability in Idle mode serving cell monitoring and cell reselection.” [0106] and furthermore “In response to receiving the WUS, the WTRU may monitor for a paging indication using the first periodicity (840). In other words, the main receiver switches from the second periodicity to the first periodicity for monitoring for a paging indication. The WTRU may receive the paging indication (850). The WTRU may respond to the paging indication, for example by performing a RACH procedure and transmitting data over a physical random access channel (PRACH) (860)” [0117]);
while a beacon quality of the primary cell is above a threshold (“the WTRU measures a signal strength or quality (e.g. reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), signal to interference noise ratio (SINR)) above a threshold in the time occasion. The WTRU may receive the value of a threshold by RRC signaling.” [0198]), omit monitoring of Wake Up Signal wakeup occasions of one or more alternative cells of the set of cells to monitor (“The WTRU may monitor for the paging indication using the first periodicity on a condition that a measurement of the WUS is less than the threshold value for WUS detection (i.e. if the beacon qaulity is above threshold, this step can be omitted) for the N consecutive monitoring occasions.” [0120]);
when the beacon quality of the primary cell is below the threshold, monitor both the beacon or synchronization signal and the Wake Up Signal wakeup occasions from all cells of the set of cells to monitor (“A WTRU may detect or determine that a WUS is low quality. The WTRU may detect or determine that the WUS is low quality when for a time interval determined from a WUS periodicity or for a number of WUS occasions the signal quality (e.g. measurement) is under a certain threshold or a certain number of WUS samples were not detected. When the WTRU determines the WUS is low quality, the WTRU may fall back to a regular DRX cycle using the main receiver. The WTRU may wake up its main receiver based on a regular configured DRX and start normal RRM measurements on the cell's synchronization signal blocks (SSBs).” [0171]); and
when none of the cells of the set of cells to monitor has sufficient beacon quality, send, to the serving cell, a radio resource control resume radio resource management measurements indication (“information on the following may be recorded and reported to the network: timing information related to when the WTRU is successfully monitoring a WUS and when it switches to regular PDCCH monitoring; neighbor cell measurements and/or location information recorded upon switching on the main receiver due to a WUS (successful WUS and/or WUS failures); and WUS quality information, for example, signal quality, number of failures, and associated location and cell quality information if available.” [0221]) and resume the radio resource management measurements (“If a WUS is detected to be unreliable, the WTRU may switch to normal operation of the main receiver. Conditions for unreliability may include: a WUS quality is below a threshold (e.g. over a period) or a WUS cannot be detected (e.g. over a period). For example, the WUS may be undetectable for a number of occasions (N) which may be configurable or predefined.” [0115]).
Regarding claim 8 (Currently Amended)
A method performed by a user equipment, the method comprising:
while the apparatus is in an idle mode and performing idle-mode radio resource management measurements, performing a first determination that a mobility of an apparatus is below a mobility threshold based on at least one of radio resource management measurements or sensor measurements;
performing a second determination that the apparatus is in Wake Up Signal coverage of a serving cell and at least one alternative cell based on Wake Up Signal beacon quality of the serving cell and the at least one alternative cell;
sending, to the serving cell using connected radio resource control signaling or small data transmission, and when the first determination and second determination have been performed, a message comprising: a radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request comprising (i) an indication that the apparatus is suspending radio resource management measurements and (ii) a set of alternative cells, including the at least one alternative cell, estimated by the apparatus to provide Wake Up Signal coverage;
receiving, from the serving cell in response to the radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request, a confirmation message identifying a set of cells to monitor, Wake Up Signal beacon locations in time and frequency for the set of cells to monitor, and Wake Up Signal wakeup occasions for the set of cells to monitor;
in response to receiving the confirmation message, stopping performing the radio resource management measurements and enter a Wake Up Signal mode in which a main radio of the apparatus is in a sleep mode and a wake-up receiver of the apparatus monitors a beacon or synchronization signal and a Wake Up Signal wakeup occasion of a primary cell of the set of cells to monitor;
while a beacon quality of the primary cell is above a threshold, omitting monitoring of Wake Up Signal wakeup occasions of one or more alternative cells of the set of cells to monitor;
when the beacon quality of the primary cell is below the threshold, monitoring both the beacon or synchronization signal and the Wake Up Signal wakeup occasions from all cells of the set of cells to monitor; and
when none of the cells of the set of cells to monitor has sufficient beacon quality, sending, to the serving cell, a radio resource control resume radio resource management measurements indication and resume the radio resource management measurements.
The scope and subject matter of method claim 8 is drawn to the method of using the corresponding apparatus claimed in claim 1. Therefore method claim 8 corresponds to apparatus claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used in claim 1 rejection above.
Regarding claim 19 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 8,
Martin further discloses wherein performing the first determination comprises determining that the user equipment is stationary or semi-stationary based on a mobility measurement derived from reference signal received power values or reference signal received quality values (“In an embodiment, the WUS coverage threshold may be a SSB RSRP based threshold. In this example, the WTRU may determine that the WUS signal is lost or out of coverage when the WTRU determines the WUS signal strength is below a threshold for a certain period of time, or the WUS signal is undetected for a certain number of consecutive WUS occasions. The WUS coverage may be determined by comparing the measurements of the main cell signal, performed by the main receiver while active according to the second DRX cycle, to a threshold corresponding to the WUS coverage.” [0180-0181]).
Regarding claim 20 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 19,
Martin further discloses wherein performing the second determination comprises determining that a last predetermined number of Wake Up Signal beacons from each of the serving cell and the at least one alternative cell has been correctly received (“The WTRU may, for example, send the WTRU WUS/WUR when the WTRU detects (e.g. successfully receives) a WUS from the cell or when the WTRU does not detect or does not successfully receive the WUS from the cell. The WTRU may determine detection or successful reception based on one or more measurements for example measurements in a time window or over a time period. The time window or period over which to make the measurements for the determination may be configured or received (e.g. from the cell such as in SI).” [0146]).
Regarding claim 21 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 19,
Martin further discloses wherein performing the second determination comprises measuring all neighbor cells independent of a serving-cell synchronization signal reference signal received power level or synchronization signal reference signal received quality level to evaluate whether the user equipment is within Wake Up Signal coverage of multiple cells (“DRX operation and WUS operation is designed to work using a main radio transceiver. This allows a WTRU to perform measurements (e.g. reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements) on the serving cell and, when needed, neighbor cells using reference symbols transmitted by the cell(s) during the times when the main receiver is required to monitor for paging on a PDCCH.” [0104]).
Regarding claim 22 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 21,
Martin further discloses wherein the set of alternative cells included in the radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request comprises cells in a same registration area as the serving cell (“At least the following aspects may be a function of a coverage state and a WTRU may receive parameters related to these aspects for each coverage state from, for example RRC signaling: whether the WTRU performs RRM measurements on the serving cell and/or neighbor cells; the accuracy of RRM measurements; DRX configuration (e.g. for paging), including whether the WTRU uses a first or second DRX cycle; paging configuration (i.e. same registration area), including whether PDCCH and/or PDSCH repetition is configured; search space; whether monitoring a paging occasion is conditional to the reception of a wake-up signal; whether the WTRU performs updates of positioning estimates or transmit/receive signals in support of positioning and the periodicity thereof.” [0202]).
Regarding claim 23 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 22,
Martin further discloses wherein the set of cells to monitor identified by the confirmation message is a subset of the set of alternative cells included in the radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request (“A number of cells for RRM measurement may be smaller for the second mode of operation. In an example, a subset of cells for the first mode of operation may be used, determined, or configured for the second mode of operation. In another example, a WTRU may perform neighbor cell measurements when the WTRU determines a first mode of operation while the WTRU may not perform neighbor cell measurements when the WTRU determines a second mode of operation. A number of frequencies or frequency layers for inter-frequency measurement may be smaller for the second mode of operation. In an example, a subset of frequencies for the first mode of operation may be used, determined, or configured for the second mode of operation. A number of SSB beams may be smaller for the second mode of operation. For example, a subset of beams for the first mode of operation may be used, determined, or configured for the second mode of operation.” [0213]).
Regarding claim 24 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 23,
Martin further discloses wherein the confirmation message indicates a monitoring periodicity for each alternative cell of the set of cells to monitor (“The WTRU may monitor for a wake-up signal (WUS) according to the first periodicity (920). The WUS may be a low power WUS. The WTRU may monitor for the WUS using a low power wake-up receiver (WUR). The WUS may have a first waveform type. For example, the WUS may have a non-OFDM waveform. The WTRU may monitor for a paging indication according to the second periodicity (930). The WTRU may monitor for a paging indication using a main receiver. The paging indication may be in a downlink control information (DCI). The DCI may be sent over a PDCCH.” [0118]), and wherein at least one monitoring periodicity for an alternative cell is longer than a monitoring periodicity for the primary cell (“A cell update may be performed if the WTRU does not see the signal it is expecting. For example, the WTRU does not observe a rate/periodicity of the WUS. A cell update or WUS quality report may be sent in-band or out-of-band. A WUS capability may be sent in the SIB. The WTRU may inform a gNB that it is out of WUS coverage.” [0169]).
Regarding claim 25 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 24,
Martin further discloses wherein, while the beacon quality of the primary cell is above the threshold, the user equipment monitors a beacon or synchronization signal of at least one alternative cell of the set of cells to monitor with a longer periodicity than the primary cell (“The WTRU may monitor for a wake-up signal (WUS) according to the first periodicity (920). The WUS may be a low power WUS. The WTRU may monitor for the WUS using a low power wake-up receiver (WUR). The WUS may have a first waveform type. For example, the WUS may have a non-OFDM waveform. The WTRU may monitor for a paging indication according to the second periodicity (930). The WTRU may monitor for a paging indication using a main receiver. The paging indication may be in a downlink control information (DCI). The DCI may be sent over a PDCCH.” [0118] and furthermore “A cell update may be performed if the WTRU does not see the signal it is expecting. For example, the WTRU does not observe a rate/periodicity of the WUS. A cell update or WUS quality report may be sent in-band or out-of-band. A WUS capability may be sent in the SIB. The WTRU may inform a gNB that it is out of WUS coverage.” [0169]).
Regarding claim 26 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 25,
Martin further discloses wherein determining that the beacon quality of the primary cell is below the threshold comprises determining that the primary cell has a threshold number of consecutive packet errors or has a packet error rate greater than a packet error rate threshold (“The data may have varying quality of service (QOS) requirements, such as differing throughput requirements, latency requirements, error tolerance requirements, reliability requirements, data throughput requirements, mobility requirements, and the like.” [0034]).
Regarding claim 27 (New)
Martin previously discloses the method of claim 26,
Martin further discloses wherein, after sending the radio resource control resume radio resource management measurements indication, the user equipment performs new radio resource management measurements to select a new set of cells estimated to provide Wake Up Signal coverage (“A WUS/WUR capable WTRU may perform cell reselection, for example based on its main receiver RRM measurements. If the new cell is WUS capable and the WTRU does not detect a WUS signal, for example for more than an amount of time, the WTRU may initiate a procedure such as a cell update procedure in the new cell and/or send WTRU WUS/WUR information to or in the new cell.” [0172]) and sends a further radio resource control suspend radio resource management measurements request including the new set of cells (“A WTRU may send WUS/WUR information in a new serving cell, for example, after cell reselection. The new serving cell may be the second cell. The WTRU may perform a cell update procedure in the new or second cell. The WTRU may indicate the cell change in a message to the second cell. This may enable the network (e.g. RAN) to know a certain WTRU left a previous serving cell, which enabled WUS reception for the WTRU and so the network may utilize the WUS resource used by cell-updated WTRU for the other WTRU.” [0163]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 CHUONG M NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8184. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00am - 6:30pm.
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/CHUONG M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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