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 .
Request for Continued Examination
The request filed on 09/23/2026 for a Request for Continued Examination (RCE) under 37 CFR 1.114 based on parent Application No. 18/707674 is acceptable and a RCE has been established. An action on the RCE follows.
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.
Claim(s) 1-11, 14-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2019/0215117 A1) (Lee herein after) in view of Ma et al. (US 2025/0055529 A1) (Ma herein after).
Re Claim 1, Lee discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a configuration indicating an uneven transmission, in a time domain, of reference signals (UE(s) 115 may receive, based at least in part on the determining, a trigger signal that identifies resources to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The UE(s) 115 may receive the aperiodic TRS based at least in part on the trigger signal and the identified resources [0156]);
receiving the reference signals, based at least in part on exiting a sleeping mode (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]);
performing a tracking loop adjustment based on the uneven reference signals;
decoding a paging message after the tracking loop adjustment (UE(s) 115 may perform at least one of a tracking function, or a synchronization function, or an alignment function, or a combination thereof, in response to the occurrence of the triggering event and based at least in part on the aperiodic TRS [0158]); and
returning to the sleeping mode (C-DRX state manager 750 may determine that data is to be communicated to the UE while the UE is operating in a connected mode discontinuous reception state, identify an on period where the UE wakes from the discontinuous reception state, and transmit the aperiodic TRS prior to or during the on period according to the transmission timing parameter [0208]).
Lee discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches wherein the configuration indicates that a first burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted before a paging early indication (PEI) and a second burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO); receiving the first burst of the reference signals, based at least in part on exiting a sleeping mode, before the PEI; and receiving the second burst of the reference signals between PEI and the PO.
However, Ma discloses system and method for receiving indication message to acquire the availability of reference signal wherein network may configure CSI-RS signals to be used as reference signals of an IDLE or INACTIVE user ([0101]); user terminal in IDLE state or INACTIVE state may determine one or more CSI-RS resources and corresponding transmission occasions according to an indication of the network; the user in IDLE state needs to be informed of the state update of the used CSI-RS, so that the user in IDLE state can correctly receive the CSI-RS signal ([0102]); paging information in the network needs to be received by the terminal, the network transmits a PEI indication to indicate that the terminal needs to monitor a corresponding PO. The terminal is woken up before the PO, performs time-frequency synchronization, and monitors a paging PDCCH and receives a possible PDSCH on the determined PO. If the PEI indication received by the terminal indicates that the terminal does not need to monitor a PO, then the terminal does not need to perform monitoring on the corresponding PO, and does not need to be woken up and receive an SSB before the PO to perform time-frequency synchronization to prepare for possible PDSCH reception ([0112]); network configures three CSI-RS resources for reception by a terminal in IDLE state. The terminal may determine, according to parameters of each resource such as the period and the offset parameter, respective transmission occasions of the CSI-RS resources in a slot. For example, FIG. 4 shows two transmission occasions of the CSI-RS1/2/3 in the time domain. The terminal determines the indication duration of the CSI-RS indication in the PEI-DCI, for example, determines that the indication duration is a third duration according to the starting point and the length. The terminal determines the availability of each CSI-RS transmission occasion in the third duration according to the indication in the PEI-DCI ([0131], Figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method and system of Lee, by making use of the technique taught by Ma, in order to improve the energy usage efficiency.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of signal paging, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Lee, nor does Lee teach away from the modification (Lee merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the paging indication method taught by Ma is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of wherein the configuration indicates that a first burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted before a paging early indication (PEI) and a second burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO); receiving the first burst of the reference signals, based at least in part on exiting a sleeping mode, before the PEI; and receiving the second burst of the reference signals between PEI and the PO.
Re Claim 2, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Lee discloses wherein the uneven reference signals comprise at least one item selected from a list consisting of: a synchronization signal block (SSB); and a tracking reference signal (TRS) (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 3, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Lee discloses wherein the uneven reference signals are unevenly spaced in the time domain (trigger signal may identify some or all of the resources that are to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The identified or otherwise indicated resources may include time and/or frequency resources [0164]).
Re Claim 4, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Lee discloses wherein the uneven reference signals include aperiodic occurrences of the uneven reference signals (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 5, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a sequence (terminal determines that the number of CSI-RS availability indication bits in PEI-DCI is three, and the respective bits sequentially correspond to the availability of resources in the CSI-RS resource set 1/2/3 [0146]), and wherein the first burst of reference signals and the second burst of reference signals are configured by a system information block (SIB) (different mapping relationship is present between a related indication bit and a CSI-RS resource or resource set configured in a SIB [0140]).
Re Claim 6, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and wherein the first burst of reference signals and the second burst of reference signals are triggered by information bits within the PDCCH (uses PEI-DCI to carry a CSI-RS resource availability indication to indicate whether an available CSI-RS signal is present in a corresponding duration for reception by a user. PEI-DCI information is transmitted by using a PDCCH channel [0140]).
Re Claim 7, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Lee discloses wherein the reference signals comprise tracking reference signals (TRSs), and wherein an aperiodic burst of the TRSs is conditioned upon a corresponding periodic TRS resource being transmitted (base station may transmit (and the UE may receive) the aperiodic TRS using the resource(s) identified or otherwise indicated in the trigger signal. The UE may use the aperiodic TRS for synchronization, tracking, and the like. [0116]).
Re Claim 8, Lee discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising:
code for configuring an uneven transmission, in a time domain, of reference signals of a user equipment (UE) served by a wireless network (UE(s) 115 may receive, based at least in part on the determining, a trigger signal that identifies resources to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The UE(s) 115 may receive the aperiodic TRS based at least in part on the trigger signal and the identified resources [0156]); and
code for transmitting the reference signals (trigger signal may identify some or all of the resources that are to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The identified or otherwise indicated resources may include time and/or frequency resources [0164]).
Lee discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches wherein the configuration indicates that a first burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted before a paging early indication (PEI) and a second burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO); code for transmitting the first burst of the reference signals before the PEI; and code for transmitting the second burst of the reference signals between PEI and the PO.
However, Ma discloses system and method for receiving indication message to acquire the availability of reference signal wherein network may configure CSI-RS signals to be used as reference signals of an IDLE or INACTIVE user ([0101]); user terminal in IDLE state or INACTIVE state may determine one or more CSI-RS resources and corresponding transmission occasions according to an indication of the network; the user in IDLE state needs to be informed of the state update of the used CSI-RS, so that the user in IDLE state can correctly receive the CSI-RS signal ([0102]); paging information in the network needs to be received by the terminal, the network transmits a PEI indication to indicate that the terminal needs to monitor a corresponding PO. The terminal is woken up before the PO, performs time-frequency synchronization, and monitors a paging PDCCH and receives a possible PDSCH on the determined PO. If the PEI indication received by the terminal indicates that the terminal does not need to monitor a PO, then the terminal does not need to perform monitoring on the corresponding PO, and does not need to be woken up and receive an SSB before the PO to perform time-frequency synchronization to prepare for possible PDSCH reception ([0112]); network configures three CSI-RS resources for reception by a terminal in IDLE state. The terminal may determine, according to parameters of each resource such as the period and the offset parameter, respective transmission occasions of the CSI-RS resources in a slot. For example, FIG. 4 shows two transmission occasions of the CSI-RS1/2/3 in the time domain. The terminal determines the indication duration of the CSI-RS indication in the PEI-DCI, for example, determines that the indication duration is a third duration according to the starting point and the length. The terminal determines the availability of each CSI-RS transmission occasion in the third duration according to the indication in the PEI-DCI ([0131], Figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method and system of Lee, by making use of the technique taught by Ma, in order to improve the energy usage efficiency.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of signal paging, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Lee, nor does Lee teach away from the modification (Lee merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the paging indication method taught by Ma is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of wherein the configuration indicates that a first burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted before a paging early indication (PEI) and a second burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO); code for transmitting the first burst of the reference signals before the PEI; and code for transmitting the second burst of the reference signals between PEI and the PO.
Re Claim 9, the combined teachings disclose the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, Lee discloses wherein the reference signals comprise at least one item selected from a list consisting of: a synchronization signal block (SSB); and a tracking reference signal (TRS) (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 10, the combined teachings disclose the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, Ma discloses wherein the reference signals are configured within a plurality of time periods, a first time period being before the PEI and a second time period being between the PEI and the PO, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including:
code for, within the first time period, configuring a first offset from a first reference signal burst to the PEI, a first number of bursts in the first time period, and a first interval between any adjacent bursts (according to a first offset value relative to the first reference frame, the location of a second reference frame, and the location of a starting symbol of a PEI occasion at a second offset relative to the location of the second reference frame. The terminal determines, from the starting location, several PEI-PDCCH monitoring occasions, and monitors PEI-DCI transmitted on the PEI occasion. The first offset value and the second offset value may be configured by a higher layer. For example, the first offset value is several radio frames, and the second offset value is several symbols [0122]); and
code for, within the second time period, configuring a second offset from a second reference signal burst to the PO, a second number of bursts in the second time period, and a second interval between any adjacent bursts (according to a first offset value relative to the first reference frame, the location of a second reference frame, and the location of a starting symbol of a PEI occasion at a second offset relative to the location of the second reference frame. The terminal determines, from the starting location, several PEI-PDCCH monitoring occasions, and monitors PEI-DCI transmitted on the PEI occasion. The first offset value and the second offset value may be configured by a higher layer. For example, the first offset value is several radio frames, and the second offset value is several symbols [0122]).
Re Claim 11, the combined teachings disclose the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, Ma discloses wherein the reference signals are configured within a plurality of time periods, a first time period being before the PEI and a second time period being between the PEI and the PO, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including: code for, within the first time period, configuring a first aperiodic reference signal (according to a first offset value relative to the first reference frame, the location of a second reference frame, and the location of a starting symbol of a PEI occasion at a second offset relative to the location of the second reference frame. The terminal determines, from the starting location, several PEI-PDCCH monitoring occasions, and monitors PEI-DCI transmitted on the PEI occasion. The first offset value and the second offset value may be configured by a higher layer. For example, the first offset value is several radio frames, and the second offset value is several symbols [0122]); and code for, within the second time period, configuring a second aperiodic reference signal in response to determining that a UE group or subgroup has been paged (PEI occasion corresponds to k different POs, so that k*A bits are used in the PEI-DCI to indicate PEI information of the related POs. Each PEI-PO is PEI information used by the terminal instructed to monitor the PO, and is represented by A bits. A is the number of groups of different terminals in one PO, and k is the number of POs associated with one PEI occasion. Y bits are used in the PEI-DCI to indicate the availability of the related CSI-RS, and are used by terminals monitoring the POs to determine a corresponding CSI-RS transmission situation [0126]).
Re Claim 14, the combined teachings disclose the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a sequence (terminal determines that the number of CSI-RS availability indication bits in PEI-DCI is three, and the respective bits sequentially correspond to the availability of resources in the CSI-RS resource set 1/2/3 [0146]), and wherein configuring the second aperiodic reference signal is based at least in part on information within a system information block (SIB) (different mapping relationship is present between a related indication bit and a CSI-RS resource or resource set configured in a SIB [0140]).
Re Claim 15, the combined teachings disclose the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and wherein triggering the second aperiodic reference signal is based at least in part on information within the PDCCH (uses PEI-DCI to carry a CSI-RS resource availability indication to indicate whether an available CSI-RS signal is present in a corresponding duration for reception by a user. PEI-DCI information is transmitted by using a PDCCH channel [0140]).
Re Claim 16, the combined teachings disclose the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, Lee discloses wherein the reference signals comprise tracking reference signals (TRSs), and wherein an aperiodic burst of the TRS is conditioned upon a corresponding periodic TRSs resource being transmitted within the second time period (base station may transmit (and the UE may receive) the aperiodic TRS using the resource(s) identified or otherwise indicated in the trigger signal. The UE may use the aperiodic TRS for synchronization, tracking, and the like. [0116]).
Re Claim 17, Lee discloses an apparatus comprising:
a transceiver (transmitter receiver [0187]); and a processor (processor [0187]) coupled to the transceiver and configured to:
receive a configuration indicating an uneven transmission, in a time domain, of reference signals (UE(s) 115 may receive, based at least in part on the determining, a trigger signal that identifies resources to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The UE(s) 115 may receive the aperiodic TRS based at least in part on the trigger signal and the identified resources [0156]);
receive the reference signals, based at least in part on exiting a sleeping mode (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]);
perform a tracking loop adjustment based on the uneven reference signals;
decode a paging message after the tracking loop adjustment (UE(s) 115 may perform at least one of a tracking function, or a synchronization function, or an alignment function, or a combination thereof, in response to the occurrence of the triggering event and based at least in part on the aperiodic TRS [0158]); and
return to the sleeping mode (C-DRX state manager 750 may determine that data is to be communicated to the UE while the UE is operating in a connected mode discontinuous reception state, identify an on period where the UE wakes from the discontinuous reception state, and transmit the aperiodic TRS prior to or during the on period according to the transmission timing parameter [0208]).
Lee discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches wherein the configuration indicates that a first burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted before a paging early indication (PEI) and a second burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO); receive the first burst of the reference signals, based at least in part on exiting a sleeping mode, before the PEI; and receive the second burst of the reference signals between PEI and the PO.
However, Ma discloses system and method for receiving indication message to acquire the availability of reference signal wherein network may configure CSI-RS signals to be used as reference signals of an IDLE or INACTIVE user ([0101]); user terminal in IDLE state or INACTIVE state may determine one or more CSI-RS resources and corresponding transmission occasions according to an indication of the network; the user in IDLE state needs to be informed of the state update of the used CSI-RS, so that the user in IDLE state can correctly receive the CSI-RS signal ([0102]); paging information in the network needs to be received by the terminal, the network transmits a PEI indication to indicate that the terminal needs to monitor a corresponding PO. The terminal is woken up before the PO, performs time-frequency synchronization, and monitors a paging PDCCH and receives a possible PDSCH on the determined PO. If the PEI indication received by the terminal indicates that the terminal does not need to monitor a PO, then the terminal does not need to perform monitoring on the corresponding PO, and does not need to be woken up and receive an SSB before the PO to perform time-frequency synchronization to prepare for possible PDSCH reception ([0112]); network configures three CSI-RS resources for reception by a terminal in IDLE state. The terminal may determine, according to parameters of each resource such as the period and the offset parameter, respective transmission occasions of the CSI-RS resources in a slot. For example, FIG. 4 shows two transmission occasions of the CSI-RS1/2/3 in the time domain. The terminal determines the indication duration of the CSI-RS indication in the PEI-DCI, for example, determines that the indication duration is a third duration according to the starting point and the length. The terminal determines the availability of each CSI-RS transmission occasion in the third duration according to the indication in the PEI-DCI ([0131], Figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method and system of Lee, by making use of the technique taught by Ma, in order to improve the energy usage efficiency.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of signal paging, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Lee, nor does Lee teach away from the modification (Lee merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the paging indication method taught by Ma is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of wherein the configuration indicates that a first burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted before a paging early indication (PEI) and a second burst of the reference signals is to be transmitted between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO); receive the first burst of the reference signals, based at least in part on exiting a sleeping mode, before the PEI; and receive the second burst of the reference signals between PEI and the PO.
Re Claim 18, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 17, Lee discloses wherein the uneven reference signals comprise at least one item selected from a list consisting of: a synchronization signal block (SSB); and a tracking reference signal (TRS) (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 19, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 17, Lee discloses wherein the uneven reference signals are unevenly spaced in the time domain (trigger signal may identify some or all of the resources that are to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The identified or otherwise indicated resources may include time and/or frequency resources [0164]).
Re Claim 20, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 17, Lee discloses wherein the uneven reference signals include aperiodic occurrences of the uneven reference signals (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 21, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 17, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a sequence (terminal determines that the number of CSI-RS availability indication bits in PEI-DCI is three, and the respective bits sequentially correspond to the availability of resources in the CSI-RS resource set 1/2/3 [0146]), and wherein the first burst of reference signals and the second burst of reference signals are configured by a system information block (SIB) (different mapping relationship is present between a related indication bit and a CSI-RS resource or resource set configured in a SIB [0140]).
Re Claim 22, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 17, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and wherein the first burst of reference signals and the second burst of reference signals are triggered by information bits within the PDCCH (uses PEI-DCI to carry a CSI-RS resource availability indication to indicate whether an available CSI-RS signal is present in a corresponding duration for reception by a user. PEI-DCI information is transmitted by using a PDCCH channel [0140]).
Re Claim 23, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 17, Lee discloses wherein the reference signals comprise tracking reference signals (TRSs), and wherein an aperiodic burst of the TRSs is conditioned upon a corresponding periodic TRS resource being transmitted (base station may transmit (and the UE may receive) the aperiodic TRS using the resource(s) identified or otherwise indicated in the trigger signal. The UE may use the aperiodic TRS for synchronization, tracking, and the like. [0116]).
Re Claim 24, Lee discloses a user equipment (UE) (transmitter, receiver, processor [0187]) comprising:
means for communicating with a network base station (BS) to receive a configuration indicating an uneven transmission, in a time domain, of reference signals (UE(s) 115 may receive, based at least in part on the determining, a trigger signal that identifies resources to be used for transmission of an aperiodic TRS. The UE(s) 115 may receive the aperiodic TRS based at least in part on the trigger signal and the identified resources [0156]);
means for waking during a paging cycle to receive a first reference signal (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]); and
means for updating a tracking loop based at least in part on the reference signal and decoding a paging message (UE(s) 115 may perform at least one of a tracking function, or a synchronization function, or an alignment function, or a combination thereof, in response to the occurrence of the triggering event and based at least in part on the aperiodic TRS [0158]).
Lee discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches means for waking during a paging cycle to receive a first burst of the reference signals before a paging early indication (PEI); means for receiving a second burst of the reference signals between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO).
However, Ma discloses system and method for receiving indication message to acquire the availability of reference signal wherein network may configure CSI-RS signals to be used as reference signals of an IDLE or INACTIVE user ([0101]); user terminal in IDLE state or INACTIVE state may determine one or more CSI-RS resources and corresponding transmission occasions according to an indication of the network; the user in IDLE state needs to be informed of the state update of the used CSI-RS, so that the user in IDLE state can correctly receive the CSI-RS signal ([0102]); paging information in the network needs to be received by the terminal, the network transmits a PEI indication to indicate that the terminal needs to monitor a corresponding PO. The terminal is woken up before the PO, performs time-frequency synchronization, and monitors a paging PDCCH and receives a possible PDSCH on the determined PO. If the PEI indication received by the terminal indicates that the terminal does not need to monitor a PO, then the terminal does not need to perform monitoring on the corresponding PO, and does not need to be woken up and receive an SSB before the PO to perform time-frequency synchronization to prepare for possible PDSCH reception ([0112]); network configures three CSI-RS resources for reception by a terminal in IDLE state. The terminal may determine, according to parameters of each resource such as the period and the offset parameter, respective transmission occasions of the CSI-RS resources in a slot. For example, FIG. 4 shows two transmission occasions of the CSI-RS1/2/3 in the time domain. The terminal determines the indication duration of the CSI-RS indication in the PEI-DCI, for example, determines that the indication duration is a third duration according to the starting point and the length. The terminal determines the availability of each CSI-RS transmission occasion in the third duration according to the indication in the PEI-DCI ([0131], Figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method and system of Lee, by making use of the technique taught by Ma, in order to improve the energy usage efficiency.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of signal paging, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Lee, nor does Lee teach away from the modification (Lee merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the paging indication method taught by Ma is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of means for waking during a paging cycle to receive a first burst of the reference signals before a paging early indication (PEI); means for receiving a second burst of the reference signals between the PEI and a paging occasion (PO).
Re Claim 25, the combined teachings disclose the UE of claim 24, Lee discloses wherein the plurality of uneven reference signals comprise at least one item selected from a list consisting of: a synchronization signal block (SSB); and a tracking reference signal (TRS) (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 26, the combined teachings disclose the UE of claim 24, Lee discloses wherein the first burst of reference signals includes an aperiodic occurrence (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 27, the combined teachings disclose the UE of claim 24, Lee discloses wherein the second uneven reference signal includes an aperiodic occurrence (aperiodic TRS may be transmitted when the UE is paged and/or when the UE is scheduled in that cycle, e.g., may not always be transmitted with periodic events such as every DRX cycle. Thus the aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Re Claim 28, the combined teachings disclose the UE of claim 24, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a sequence (terminal determines that the number of CSI-RS availability indication bits in PEI-DCI is three, and the respective bits sequentially correspond to the availability of resources in the CSI-RS resource set 1/2/3 [0146]), and wherein the first burst of reference signals and the second burst of reference signals are configured by a system information block (SIB) (different mapping relationship is present between a related indication bit and a CSI-RS resource or resource set configured in a SIB [0140]).
Re Claim 29, the combined teachings disclose the UE of claim 24, Ma discloses wherein the PEI is based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and wherein the first burst of reference signals and the second burst of reference signals are triggered by information bits within the PDCCH (uses PEI-DCI to carry a CSI-RS resource availability indication to indicate whether an available CSI-RS signal is present in a corresponding duration for reception by a user. PEI-DCI information is transmitted by using a PDCCH channel [0140]).
Re Claim 30, the combined teachings disclose the UE of claim 24, Lee discloses wherein the reference signals comprise tracking reference signals (TRSs), and wherein an aperiodic burst of the TRSs is conditioned upon a corresponding periodic TRS resource being transmitted (base station may transmit (and the UE may receive) the aperiodic TRS using the resource(s) identified or otherwise indicated in the trigger signal. The UE may use the aperiodic TRS for synchronization, tracking, and the like. [0116]).
Re Claim 31, the combined teachings disclose the method of claim 1, Lee discloses wherein the PEI comprises an idle or inactive mode wakeup signal (aperiodic TRS may serve as a wake-up signal for the UE [0178]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH T LAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1862. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah S. Wang can be reached at (571) 272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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