DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to the application filed 5 March 2024 as a national stage entry of PCT/CN2022/118585 filed 14 September 2022 and claiming foreign benefit of 202111089764.9 filed 17 September 2021, wherein claims 1-4,9-13, 18-20, 22-26, and 28-30 are pending and ready for examination.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of 1-4, 9-13, and 18 in the reply filed on 15 June 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground that the “unity of invention” standard was not applied. This is not found persuasive because the groups of inventions listed in the restriction requirement of 15 May 2026 do not relate to a single general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1 because, under PCT Rule 13.2, they lack the same or corresponding special technical features for the following reasons:
The groups of 1-4, 9-13, and 18 and 19-20, 22-26, and 28-30 lack unity of invention because even though the inventions of these groups require the technical feature of “communication of DCI indicating one or more SSSs to be monitored”, this technical feature is not a special technical feature as it does not make a contribution over the prior art in view of Guo et al. (US 2023/0319845 A1), hereafter referred Guo. Guo teaches the communication of DCI indicating one or more SSSs to be monitored (Guo, [0042] and [0067]; an identification of the first group of search sets is determined based on at least one of the search set group information indicated by a DCI, where the downlink control information (DCI) is sent by the base station to the UE).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-4, 9-13, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo in view of Jang et al. (US 2022/0295457 A1), hereafter referred Jang, further in view of Gordaychik (US 2019/0363843 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Guo teaches an electronic device for a control device side of a wireless communication system, comprising:
a processing circuitry (Guo, Fig. 3, [0192]; the wireless network node may include a processor) configured to perform Search Space Set, SSS switching based on monitoring capability of a terminal device (Guo, [0151]-[0160]; if the UE supports search space set group switching capability, the UE may be indicated by a DCI to perform search space set group switching, where switching search space set group means switching the PDCCH monitoring according to a group of search space sets among search space set groups used for per DL BWP) by:
transmitting, to the terminal device, Downlink Control Information, DCI so as to indicate one or more SSSs to be monitored by the terminal device (Guo, [0042] and [0067]; an identification of the first group of search sets is determined based on at least one of the search set group information indicated by a DCI, where the downlink control information (DCI) is sent by the base station to the UE).
Guo does not expressly teach receiving, from the terminal device, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the terminal device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability;
associating one or more SSSs associated with each of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability; and
transmitting, to the terminal device SSS configuration information.
However, Jang teaches receiving, from the terminal device, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the terminal device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability (Jang, [0154]-[0159]; the UE may report to the base station whether UE capability 2 and/or UE capability 3 is reported and related parameters, where the base station may perform time axis resource allocation for the common search space and the UE-specific search space based on the reported UE capabilities, where UE capability 2 refers to the capability to monitor the corresponding MO regardless of the start symbol location of the corresponding MO and UE capability 3 indicates a pattern of MO that the UE may monitor);
associating one or more SSSs associated with each of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability (Jang, [0154]-[0159]; the UE may report to the base station whether UE capability 2 and/or UE capability 3 is reported and related parameters, where the base station may perform time axis resource allocation for the common search space and the UE-specific search space based on the reported UE capabilities, where UE capability 2 refers to the capability to monitor the corresponding MO regardless of the start symbol location of the corresponding MO and UE capability 3 indicates a pattern of MO that the UE may monitor); and
transmitting, to the terminal device SSS configuration information (Jang, [0014]; terminal receiving from a base station, a radio resource control message including configuration information on a plurality of search spaces).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo to include the above recited limitations as taught by Jang in order to effectively provide services in a mobile communication system (Jang, [0012]).
Guo in view of Jang does not expressly teach wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier.
However, Gordaychik teaches wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0019] and [0052]-[0054]; in next generation radio technologies, a user equipment capability identifier may specify or indicate capabilities of various devices, where the base station may provide the capability indicator via DCI or other methods).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo in view of Jang to include the above recited limitations as taught by Gordaychik in order to optimize the communication system performance based on identified capabilities of the devices (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0017]).
Regarding claim 9, Guo teaches a method for a control device side of a wireless communication system, comprising:
performing Search Space Set, SSS switching based on monitoring capability of a terminal device (Guo, [0151]-[0160]; if the UE supports search space set group switching capability, the UE may be indicated by a DCI to perform search space set group switching, where switching search space set group means switching the PDCCH monitoring according to a group of search space sets among search space set groups used for per DL BWP) by:
transmitting, to the terminal device, Downlink Control Information, DCI so as to indicate the one or more SSSs to be monitored by the terminal device (Guo, [0042] and [0067]; an identification of the first group of search sets is determined based on at least one of the search set group information indicated by a DCI, where the downlink control information (DCI) is sent by the base station to the UE).
Guo does not expressly teach receiving, from the terminal device, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the terminal device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability;
associating one or more SSSs associated with each of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability; and
transmitting, to the terminal device SSS configuration information.
However, Jang teaches receiving, from the terminal device, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the terminal device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability (Jang, [0154]-[0159]; the UE may report to the base station whether UE capability 2 and/or UE capability 3 is reported and related parameters, where the base station may perform time axis resource allocation for the common search space and the UE-specific search space based on the reported UE capabilities, where UE capability 2 refers to the capability to monitor the corresponding MO regardless of the start symbol location of the corresponding MO and UE capability 3 indicates a pattern of MO that the UE may monitor);
associating one or more SSSs associated with each of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability (Jang, [0154]-[0159]; the UE may report to the base station whether UE capability 2 and/or UE capability 3 is reported and related parameters, where the base station may perform time axis resource allocation for the common search space and the UE-specific search space based on the reported UE capabilities, where UE capability 2 refers to the capability to monitor the corresponding MO regardless of the start symbol location of the corresponding MO and UE capability 3 indicates a pattern of MO that the UE may monitor); and
transmitting, to the terminal device SSS configuration information (Jang, [0014]; terminal receiving from a base station, a radio resource control message including configuration information on a plurality of search spaces).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo to include the above recited limitations as taught by Jang in order to effectively provide services in a mobile communication system (Jang, [0012]).
Guo in view of Jang does not expressly teach wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier.
However, Gordaychik teaches wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0019] and [0052]-[0054]; in next generation radio technologies, a user equipment capability identifier may specify or indicate capabilities of various devices, where the base station may provide the capability indicator via DCI or other methods).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo in view of Jang to include the above recited limitations as taught by Gordaychik in order to optimize the communication system performance based on identified capabilities of the devices (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0017]).
Regarding claim 10, Guo teaches an electronic device for a terminal device side of a wireless communication system, comprising:
a processing circuitry (Guo, Fig. 2, [0177]; wireless terminal may include a processor) configured to perform Search Space Set, SSS switching based on monitoring capability of the electronic device (Guo, [0151]-[0160]; if the UE supports search space set group switching capability, the UE may be indicated by a DCI to perform search space set group switching, where switching search space set group means switching the PDCCH monitoring according to a group of search space sets among search space set groups used for per DL BWP) by:
receiving, from the base station, Downlink Control Information, the DCI indicating one or more SSSs to be monitored by the electronic device (Guo, [0042] and [0067]; an identification of the first group of search sets is determined based on at least one of the search set group information indicated by a DCI, where the downlink control information (DCI) is sent by the base station to the UE).
Guo does not expressly teach transmitting, to a base station, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the electronic device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability, such that the base station is able to associate one or more SSSs associated with each monitoring capability of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability; and
receiving, from the base station, SSS configuration information.
However, Jang teaches transmitting, to a base station, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the electronic device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability, such that the base station is able to associate one or more SSSs associated with each monitoring capability of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability (Jang, [0154]-[0159]; the UE may report to the base station whether UE capability 2 and/or UE capability 3 is reported and related parameters, where the base station may perform time axis resource allocation for the common search space and the UE-specific search space based on the reported UE capabilities, where UE capability 2 refers to the capability to monitor the corresponding MO regardless of the start symbol location of the corresponding MO and UE capability 3 indicates a pattern of MO that the UE may monitor); and
receiving, from the base station, SSS configuration information (Jang, [0014]; terminal receiving from a base station, a radio resource control message including configuration information on a plurality of search spaces).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo to include the above recited limitations as taught by Jang in order to effectively provide services in a mobile communication system (Jang, [0012]).
Guo in view of Jang does not expressly teach wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier.
However, Gordaychik teaches wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0019] and [0052]-[0054]; in next generation radio technologies, a user equipment capability identifier may specify or indicate capabilities of various devices, where the base station may provide the capability indicator via DCI or other methods).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo in view of Jang to include the above recited limitations as taught by Gordaychik in order to optimize the communication system performance based on identified capabilities of the devices (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0017]).
Regarding claim 18, Guo teaches a method for a terminal device side of a wireless communication system, comprising:
performing Search Space Set, SSS switching based on monitoring capability of the terminal device (Guo, [0151]-[0160]; if the UE supports search space set group switching capability, the UE may be indicated by a DCI to perform search space set group switching, where switching search space set group means switching the PDCCH monitoring according to a group of search space sets among search space set groups used for per DL BWP) by:
receiving, from the base station, Downlink control information, the DCI indicating one or more SSSs to be monitored by the terminal device (Guo, [0042] and [0067]; an identification of the first group of search sets is determined based on at least one of the search set group information indicated by a DCI, where the downlink control information (DCI) is sent by the base station to the UE).
Guo does not expressly teach transmitting, to a base station, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the terminal device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability, such that the base station is able to associating one or more SSSs associated with each of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability; and
receiving SSS configuration information from the base station.
However, Jang teaches transmitting, to a base station, capability information indicating one or more monitoring capabilities supported by the terminal device and monitoring capability identifiers, each associated with each monitoring capability, such that the base station is able to associating one or more SSSs associated with each of the one or more monitoring capabilities with a monitoring capability identifier associated with the monitoring capability (Jang, [0154]-[0159]; the UE may report to the base station whether UE capability 2 and/or UE capability 3 is reported and related parameters, where the base station may perform time axis resource allocation for the common search space and the UE-specific search space based on the reported UE capabilities, where UE capability 2 refers to the capability to monitor the corresponding MO regardless of the start symbol location of the corresponding MO and UE capability 3 indicates a pattern of MO that the UE may monitor); and
receiving SSS configuration information from the base station (Jang, [0014]; terminal receiving from a base station, a radio resource control message including configuration information on a plurality of search spaces).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo to include the above recited limitations as taught by Jang in order to effectively provide services in a mobile communication system (Jang, [0012]).
Guo in view of Jang does not expressly teach wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier.
However, Gordaychik teaches wherein, the SSS configuration information at least indicates a monitoring capability identifier associated with each SSS; and the DCI comprising a first monitoring capability identifier (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0019] and [0052]-[0054]; in next generation radio technologies, a user equipment capability identifier may specify or indicate capabilities of various devices, where the base station may provide the capability indicator via DCI or other methods).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo in view of Jang to include the above recited limitations as taught by Gordaychik in order to optimize the communication system performance based on identified capabilities of the devices (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0017]).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Guo in view of Jang further in view of Gordaychik teaches the electronic device of claim 1 and the electronic device of claim 10 above. Further, Guo teaches wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the terminal device the DCI in response to receiving an indication of a Search Space Set Bundle, SSSB consisting of one or more SSSs associated with the second monitoring capability identifier to which the terminal device expects to switch (Guo, [0038]-[0042] and [0067]; the type of the first group of search space sets is determined based on information indicated by a DCI when at least one of the type of a switching search space group is configured for the wireless terminal, where the downlink control information (DCI) is sent by the base station to the UE).
Guo in view of Jang does not expressly teach the DCI comprising the first monitoring capability identifier in response to receiving a second monitoring capability identifier from the terminal device.
However, Gordavchik teaches the DCI comprising the first monitoring capability identifier in response to receiving a second monitoring capability identifier from the terminal device (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0019] and [0052]-[0054]; in next generation radio technologies, a user equipment capability identifier may specify or indicate capabilities of various devices, where the base station may provide the capability indicator via DCI or other methods).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to create the invention of Guo in view of Jang to include the above recited limitations as taught by Gordaychik in order to optimize the communication system performance based on identified capabilities of the devices (Gordaychik, [0013]-[0017]).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Guo in view of Jang further in view of Gordavchik teaches the electronic device of claim 2 and the electronic device of claim 11 above. Further, Guo teaches wherein, the first monitoring capability identifier comprised in the DCI is the same as the second monitoring capability identifier, indicating the terminal device to switch to the SSSB to perform monitoring, or the first monitoring capability identifier comprised in the DCI is different from the second monitoring capability identifier, indicating the terminal device to perform monitoring on an SSSB consisting of one or more SSSs associated with the first monitoring capability identifier (Guo, [0155]-[0160]; the search space set group ID for one or more types of search space set group can be the same which means switching the PDCCH monitoring according to a group of search space sets among all of the search space set groups or types of search space set group used for per DL BWP), or
wherein, the processing circuitry is further configured to be able to receive the second monitoring capability identifier via User Assistance Information, UAI or a Media Access Control layer's Control Element. MAC CE (Guo, [0204]; the search space set groups can be indicated by a DCI or a MAC CE).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Guo in view of Jang further in view of Gordavchik teaches the electronic device of claim 1 and the electronic device of claim 10 above. Further, Guo teaches wherein the one or more monitoring capabilities comprise one or more of: one or more types of monitoring spans, one or more span groups each consisting of a portion or all of multiple types of monitoring spans, per-slot monitoring capability and per-multi-slot monitoring capability or wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to inform the terminal device whether to enable the SSS switching based on monitoring capability of the terminal device via a Radio Resource Control, RRC signaling (Guo, [0088]-[0091]; the search space set group capability may represent at least one of the following: number of search space set groups and/or the search space set group ID configured for the UE, the UE capability of search space set group switching signaled by DCI or higher-layer signaling which include MAC signaling or RRC signaling).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
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/R.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/NOEL R BEHARRY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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