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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/7/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
As previously indicated in the non-final office action of 4/8/2026, Claim 1 recites a method comprising a step of “determining”. The ‘wherein” clause is noteworthy however is not a step of the claimed method. Further, the claimed method, comprising the step of determining is not concerned with nor affected by how or why or by what the identity of the terminal device is determined. Such is outside the scope of the claim and therefore does not carry patentable weight.
Further, now the preamble states that the terminal be configured with eDRX and supports subgrouping, nothing in the recited step of determining relates to this information and thus no life or meaning has been breathed into such. Thus the preamble is considered to recite an intended use or purpose and carries no patentable weight.
Claim 8 recites a terminal device comprising a processor and a memory, the wherein clause (wherein the terminal device is configured with Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and supports subgrouping paging) does nothing to affect the structure of the processor nor memory and thus fails to structurally limit the terminal device and therefore fails to carry patentable weight. Just like the method of claim 1, the wherein clause concerning the “identity of the terminal device’ being determined based on this or that is outside the scope of the invention patentably defined by the structure of the claimed device as recited.
In claim 15, each of “a terminal device configured with Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and supports subgrouping paging” and “based on which, the terminal device monitors the subgrouping paging” recites an intended use not carrying patentable weight, as it does not affect the structure of the claimed network device.
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 1-7 and 15-20 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.
Claim 1 recites a method “executed by a terminal device configured with Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and supports subgrouping paging…”. It is not clear as to what “supports subgrouping paging” refers: executed, terminal device, configured, eDRX, etc.
Claim 15 recites “to a terminal device configured with Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and supports subgrouping paging”, “supports” does not grammatically fit if it refers to the device. Perhaps “supporting”?
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Agiwal et al (2024/0137908) hereinafter “Agiwal”.
As to claim 1, Agiwal discloses A communication method executed by a terminal device configured with Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and supports subgrouping paging (see [0338]-[0348]: “option 5” / [0083]-[0110],), comprising:
determining, by the terminal device, information of a target paging to be monitored based on an identity of the terminal
device, (“First UE_ID=5G-S-TMSI mod X1… Second_UE_ID=5G-S-TMSI”, [0347]: First_UE_ID is used for PF and PO determination and Second_UE_ID is used for group ID determination”)
wherein the identity of the terminal device is determined based on a preset cycle of the eDRX and a maximum number of subgroupings supported by one paging occasion ([0340]: “First_UE_ID=5G-S-TMSI mod X1,”, [0342]: “…X1 =1024*DRX cycle length/256”, [0343]” “…X1=Max value of N…”). Also see, [0076]-[0079], Fig 2, steps 203, 211, & 215 and [0084]-[0110].
As to claim 2, Agiwal discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the target paging comprises an index of a paging subgrouping in which the terminal device is located. See [0051].
As to claim 3, Agiwal discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the terminal device comprises a first identity, and the first identity is determined based on a maximum number of paging occasions ([0078]:“…Ns is the number of POs per paging frame and P is the number of paging groups or subgroups…”, [0088]: if N*Ns*P is greater than 1024… the UE may determine the UE_ID as follows”) in the preset cycle of the
eDRX and the maximum number of subgroupings supported by one paging occasion. Also [0340]: “First_UE_ID=5G-S-TMSI mod X1,”, [0342]: “…X1 =1024*DRX cycle length/256”, [0343]” “…X1=Max value of N…”),
As to claim 4, Agiwal discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the maximum number of subgroupings comprises a maximum number of subgroupings supported by a cell based on the identity of the terminal device. See [0085]-[0086].
As to claim 5, Agiwal discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the maximum number of subgroupings is indicated (P) by a network device or determined by predefined information. See [0085]-[0086].
As to claim 6, Agiwal discloses The method of claim 1, wherein a cell in which the terminal device is located supports the eDRX and the subgrouping paging. See [0085]-[0086].
As to claim 7, Agiwal discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the subgrouping paging comprises subgrouping paging based on the identity of the terminal device. See [0085]-[0086].
As to claim 8, Agiwal discloses A terminal device (Fig 8), comprising: a processor 810 and a memory 830, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions; and the processor executes the computer
executable instructions stored in the memory to enable the processor to: perform the method of claim 1, as applied above to claim 1.
Claims 9-14 correspond to method claims 2-7, respectively.
As to claim 15, Agiwal discloses A network device (Fig 9), comprising: a processor 910, a memory 930 and a sender 920, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions and the processor executes the computer executable instructions stored in the memory to enable the processor to:
configure (inherent) an index of a paging subgrouping to a terminal device (see [0049]-[0059]);
enable the sender to send (step 201) the index of the paging subgrouping to the terminal device, wherein if the terminal device is configured with Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and supports subgrouping paging, the terminal device monitors subgrouping paging based on the index of the paging subgrouping, see [0084]-[0085], [0100]-[0103]. Also see reciprocal method as applied above to claims 1 and 8.
The examiner notes that the “wherein” clause merely recites an intended use not carrying patentable weight since the instant claim is defined by its structure which is limited to the network device and it relates to the “terminal” device.
Claims 16-17 and 18-19 correspond to claims 3-4 and 6-7 respectively.
As to claim 20, Agiwal discloses The network device of claim 15, wherein the network device is a core network device (eNB/gNB see [0027]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 LESTER KINCAID whose telephone number is (571)272-7922. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuwen Pan can be reached at 571-272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LESTER G KINCAID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
