DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Cross Reference to Related Applications
2. The present Application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2021/131307 filed November 17, 2021.
Claims status
3. Based on the Response to Restriction Requirement filed on June 25, 2026, applicant elects, to prosecute Group I for examination without traverse, on which based on the Preliminary Amendment, the listing of claims replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application. Claims 1-52 were canceled and therefore, claims 53-65 are currently pending for examination.
Drawings
4. The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on May 14, 2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Information Disclosure Statement
5. The Examiner has considered the reference(s) listed on the Information Disclosure Statements submitted on May 14, 2024 and December 01, 2025.
Specification (Title Objection)
6. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Specification (claimed subject matter)
7. The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). The specification fails to provide the support for antecedent basis of the following amended limitations regarding claims 53, 58 and 61: “starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case where the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts”.
Claimed Subject Matter is not in specification. In the specification (US 2025/00084334 A1), paragraphs [0068]-[0074], [0077]-[0078] and [0107] only states:
“A timeline of DRX may mainly depend on the following parameters.
drx-onDurationTimer: the duration at the beginning of a DRX cycle;
drx-SlotOffset: the delay before starting the drx-onDurationTimer;
drx-InactivityTimer: the duration after the PDCCH occasion in which a PDCCH indicates a new uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmission for the medium access control (MAC) entity;
drx-LongCycleStartOffset: the Long DRX cycle and drx-StartOffset which defines the subframe where the long and short DRX cycle starts;
drx-ShortCycle (optional): the short DRX cycle
drx-ShortCycleTimer (optional): the duration a terminal device shall follow the short DRX cycle;
ps-Wakeup (optional): the configuration to start associated drx-onDurationTimer in case DCP is monitored but not detected. DCP refers to DCI with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by power saving-radio network temporary identifier (PS-RNTI)
” (Applicant, paragraphs[0068]-[0074]).
“As shown in FIG. 1C, based on a configuration of a DRX cycle, a terminal device may determine a starting time of on-duration 141, and based on a configuration of WUS detection, the terminal device may start WUS detection at a time earlier than the starting time of the on-duration 141 by an offset 151. When a WUS 131 is detected and the WUS 131 indicates to start the on-duration 141 (i.e., the WUS 131 is a positive WUS), the terminal device may start the on-duration 141 (for example, start the drx-onDurationTimer) at the starting time of the on-duration 141” (Applicant, paragraph[0077]).
“Similarly, based on a configuration of a DRX cycle, a terminal device may determine a starting time of on-duration 142, and based on a configuration of WUS detection, the terminal device may start WUS detection at a time earlier than the starting time of the on-duration 142 by an offset 152. When a WUS 132 is detected and the WUS 132 indicates to not start the on-duration 142 (for example, not start the drx-onDurationTimer), the terminal device may keep sleep” (Applicant, paragraph[0078]).
“In the context of the present disclosure, the term “on-duration operation” may refer to a downlink channel monitoring such as a PDCCH monitoring or a data transmission such as PDSCH or PUSCH transmission. The data transmission may comprise at least one of sending data or receiving data. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start an on-duration timer such as drx-onDurationTimer to start the on-duration operation (Applicant, paragraph[0107]).
Nowhere in the specification discloses “starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case where the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts.
Accordingly, the limitation is not supported by the specification. For the purpose of examination, the examiner will interpret as best understood.
[Note: If Applicant can identify the amended limitation “starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case where the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts” in the spec, Examiner requests the Applicant to identify the exact location.]
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objection (minor informalities)
8. Claims 55, 59 and 63 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claims 55, 59 and 63 …, the claim recites the term "… would start.…." which is not a positively cited claim language. Language that suggests or makes optional/intended use (for example, “could”, “would”, “should”, “so that”; “thereby”; “capable of”; “adapted to”; “able to”; “enable to”; “can be”; “may be”; “should be”; “….able”; “combinable”; “configurable”) but may not require steps to be performed or does not limit a claim to a particular structure does not limit the scope of a claim or claim limitation(s). Such clauses may render parts of the claims optional. [Note: the limitation recites after “would start” clause is not given patentable weight because it is optional for the positively processing steps. The term may raise a question as to the limiting effect of the language in a claim. A similar alternative term is “configured to” or a positive action verb to perform the function without any unnecessary ambiguity].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
9. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL. The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
10. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
11. Claims 53-65 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 53 recites “starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case where the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts”.
Nowhere in the specification discloses “starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case where the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts”. Accordingly, the limitation is not supported by the specification.
The applicant’s specification (US 2025/008434 A1, paragraphs [0068]-[0074], [0077]-[0078] and [0107]) dated May 14, 2024 only states:
“A timeline of DRX may mainly depend on the following parameters.
drx-onDurationTimer: the duration at the beginning of a DRX cycle;
drx-SlotOffset: the delay before starting the drx-onDurationTimer;
drx-InactivityTimer: the duration after the PDCCH occasion in which a PDCCH indicates a new uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmission for the medium access control (MAC) entity;
drx-LongCycleStartOffset: the Long DRX cycle and drx-StartOffset which defines the subframe where the long and short DRX cycle starts;
drx-ShortCycle (optional): the short DRX cycle
drx-ShortCycleTimer (optional): the duration a terminal device shall follow the short DRX cycle;
ps-Wakeup (optional): the configuration to start associated drx-onDurationTimer in case DCP is monitored but not detected. DCP refers to DCI with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by power saving-radio network temporary identifier (PS-RNTI)
” (Applicant, paragraphs[0068]-[0074]).
“As shown in FIG. 1C, based on a configuration of a DRX cycle, a terminal device may determine a starting time of on-duration 141, and based on a configuration of WUS detection, the terminal device may start WUS detection at a time earlier than the starting time of the on-duration 141 by an offset 151. When a WUS 131 is detected and the WUS 131 indicates to start the on-duration 141 (i.e., the WUS 131 is a positive WUS), the terminal device may start the on-duration 141 (for example, start the drx-onDurationTimer) at the starting time of the on-duration 141” (Applicant, paragraph[0077]).
“Similarly, based on a configuration of a DRX cycle, a terminal device may determine a starting time of on-duration 142, and based on a configuration of WUS detection, the terminal device may start WUS detection at a time earlier than the starting time of the on-duration 142 by an offset 152. When a WUS 132 is detected and the WUS 132 indicates to not start the on-duration 142 (for example, not start the drx-onDurationTimer), the terminal device may keep sleep” (Applicant, paragraph[0078]).
“In the context of the present disclosure, the term “on-duration operation” may refer to a downlink channel monitoring such as a PDCCH monitoring or a data transmission such as PDSCH or PUSCH transmission. The data transmission may comprise at least one of sending data or receiving data. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start an on-duration timer such as drx-onDurationTimer to start the on-duration operation (Applicant, paragraph[0107]).
Per MPEP 2163, "newly added claims or claim limitations must be supported in the specification through express, implicit, or inherent disclosure." (Emphasis added).
[Note: If Applicant can identify the amended limitation “starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case where the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts” in the spec, Examiner requests the Applicant to identify the exact location.
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already expressly/implicitly/inherently discloses the corresponding acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by “stating on the record what corresponding acts, which are expressly/implicitly/inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function”. ]
Claims 58 and 61 recite parallel limitations, and thus, rejected for the same reasoning. The rest of the dependent claims are also rejected as being dependency upon the rejected base claims. For the purpose of examinations, the examiner will interpret the claims as best understood.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
12. 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 of this title, 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.
13. Claims 53-65 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHI et al. (US 2022/0039014 A1), hereinafter “Shi” in view of Ahmad et al. (US 2020/0229093 A1), hereinafter “Ahmad”.
Regarding claim 53, Shi discloses a method of communication performed by a terminal device (Figs. 1-2, 3-4, a method for monitoring a wake-up signal), comprising:
determining at least one monitoring occasion for a wake-up signal (WUS) (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0074], [0078], [0080], WUS monitoring occasion according to configuration information), wherein a first monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion is determined based on a start time of an on-duration and a first time offset (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0074], [0078], [0080], WUS monitoring occasion parameter includes: a maximum time offset between the WUS monitoring occasion and a starting time of a DRX-onDurationTimer; and/or a minimum time offset between the WUS monitoring occasion and the starting time of the DRX-onDurationTimer); and
starting a drx-onDuration Timer in a case (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0098]-[0099], [0104], [0119]-[0123], onDurationTimer at the starting time of the DRX-onDurationTimer) where the terminal device is unable to monitor (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0098]-[0099], [0104], [0119]-[0123], the terminal device does not monitor the WUS at the WUS monitoring occasion) all of the at least one monitoring occasion due to conflicts (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0098]-[0099], [0104], [0119]-[0123], in a case where time domain corresponding to the WUS monitoring occasion is within DRX active time).
While Shi implicitly refers to “determining at least one monitoring occasion for a wake-up signal (WUS) based on a configuration of a periodicity for WUS monitoring occasion, each monitoring occasion of the at least one monitoring occasion is over a duration of at least one symbol”, Ahmad from the same or similar field of endeavor explicitly discloses determining at least one monitoring occasion for a wake-up signal (WUS) based on a configuration of a periodicity for WUS monitoring occasion (Figs. 2-3, paragraphs [0037]-[0039], [0066]-[0067], wake-up signal/channel configuration including a monitoring periodicity), wherein a first monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion is determined based on a start time of an on-duration and a first time offset (Figs. 2-3, paragraphs [0037]-[0039], [0066]-[0067], monitoring occasion of the wake-up signal/channel determined based on the start of DRX ON duration), each monitoring occasion of the at least one monitoring occasion is over a duration of at least one symbol (Figs. 2-3, paragraphs [0037]-[0039], [0066]-[0067], a monitoring periodicity, a monitoring occasion duration (e.g. in terms of the number of symbols and a starting symbol index, or a bitmap indicating a set of symbols within a slot), and a monitoring occasion time offset (e.g. in terms of a slot index or a subframe index)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “determining at least one monitoring occasion for a wake-up signal (WUS) based on a configuration of a periodicity for WUS monitoring occasion, each monitoring occasion of the at least one monitoring occasion is over a duration of at least one symbol” as taught by Ahmad, in the system of Shi, so that it would provide particular implementation possible to identify one or more monitoring occasions in a received discontinuous reception configuration during which the power saving downlink control information format (Ahmad, paragraph [0004]).
Regarding claim 54, Shi discloses starting the drx-onDuration Timer to monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a case where the WUS is detected (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0119], [0120], PDCCH indicating an initial transmission scheduling again during running of a DRX-InactivityTimer).
Regarding claim 55, Shi discloses the first monitoring occasion is determined based on a slot where the drx-onDuration Timer would start and the first time offset (paragraphs [0032]-[0033], [0049]-[0052], [0078], [0117]-[0118], monitoring occasion parameters including drx-onDuration Timer and time offsets).
Regarding claim 56, Shi in view of Ahmad disclose the method according to claim 53.
Ahmad further discloses receiving, from a network device, the configuration of the periodicity for WUS monitoring occasion (Figs. 2-3, paragraphs [0037]-[0039], [0066]-[0067], wake-up signal/channel configuration including the monitoring periodicity).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide “receiving, from a network device, the configuration of the periodicity for WUS monitoring occasion” as taught by Ahmad, in the system of Shi, so that it would provide particular implementation possible to identify one or more monitoring occasions in a received discontinuous reception configuration during which the power saving downlink control information format (Ahmad, paragraph [0004]).
Regarding claim 57, Shi discloses determining a starting time of the drx-onDuration Timer based on a configuration for discontinuous reception (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0031]-[0032], [0049]-[0052], time to start drx-onDurationTimer according to a configuration for DRX);
determining a start for multiple monitoring occasions based on the starting time and a
second time offset associated with the drx-onDurationTimer (Figs. 3-4, paragraph [0078], monitoring occasions based on the starting time and time offset associated with the drx-onDurationTimer);
determining the multiple monitoring occasions based on the starting time and a duration
configured for the multiple monitoring occasions (Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [0078], [0117], [0118], all PDCCH transmission occasions between the maximum time offset and the minimum time offset are the WUS monitoring occasions);
monitoring the WUS in the multiple monitoring occasions (Figs. 3-4, paragraph [0119], monitoring the WUS on determined WUS occasion); and
starting the drx-onDurationTimer in a case where the WUS is detected (paragraph [0119], he terminal device monitors a WUS on a determined WUS monitoring occasion and detects that the WUS indicates to wake up the terminal device, then the terminal device starts a DRX-onDurationTimer at a starting time of the DRX-onDurationTimer in a first DRX cycle).
Regarding claim 58, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 53 from the perspective of a network device.
Regarding claim 59, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 55 from the perspective of the network device.
Regarding claim 60, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 56 from the perspective of the network device.
Regarding claim 61, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 53.
Regarding claim 62, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 54.
Regarding claim 63, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 55.
Regarding claim 64, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 56.
Regarding claim 65, the claim is rejected based on the same reasoning as presented in the rejection of claim 57.
Conclusion
14. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SITHU KO whose telephone number is 571-272-8647. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Friday 8:30am-5:00pmEST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Edan Orgad can be reached on 571-272-7884. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SITHU KO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
Prosecution Insights