DETAILED ACTION
This office action is responsive to communications filed on June 13, 2024. Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements filed on 6/13/2024 and 4/15/2026 have been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 10, 11, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Abedini et al. (US 2023/0354192).
Regarding Claim 1, Abedini teaches a method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor of an apparatus, a power saving indication from a network node (“In order to enable the network entity to also enter a low-power state during inactive durations of DRX configurations, the network entity may attempt to align DRX configurations of UEs coupled to the network entity such that the inactive durations of the DRX configurations at least partially align. In such cases, the network entity may be able to enter a low power state and conserve power during periods of time which include overlapping inactive periods of the respective DRX configurations” – See [0059]; “At 540, the UE 115-e may receive a control message indicating a transition from the second DRX configuration to a C-DRX configuration. In other words, the network entity 105-d may output (e.g., transmit) a control message which indicates for the UE 115-e to switch from a UE-specific DRX configuration to a C-DRX configuration which was indicated/configured via the control signaling at 505” – See [0200]; The UE (apparatus) receives a DRX-related control message (power saving indication) from the network entity (network node)); and
obtaining, by the processor, power saving information according to the power saving indication, wherein the power saving indication comprises at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) switch indicator for switching between a user equipment (UE)-specific-DRX (U-DRX) and a group-specific-DRX (G-DRX), an energy saving mode (EMS) indication, a list of synchronization signal block (SSB) or channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) resources, and a set of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states or RS resource indexes (“At 545, the UE 115-e, the network entity 105-d, or both, may transition from the second DRX configuration to the C-DRX configuration. In other words, the UE 115-e and the network entity 105-d may transition from a UE-specific DRX configuration to a C-DRX configuration which were configured via the control signaling at 505” – See [0202]; “common DRX (C-DRX) configurations which apply to multiple UEs, where the UEs and the network may communicate with one another during active durations of the C-DRX configuration, and enter low-power states during inactive durations of the C-DRX configuration” – See [0061]; The UE obtains power saving information based on the received control message and performs the action indicated in the control message, wherein the indication includes an indication to switch from the U-DRX configuration to a C-DRX (G-DRX) configuration).
Regarding Claim 10, Abedini teaches the method of Claim 1. Abedini further teaches that the receiving of the power saving indication comprises: receiving, by the processor, the power saving indication from the network node through a radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a media access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), or a downlink control information (DCI) (“The additional control signaling at 540 may include DCI signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or both” – See [0200]; The power saving indication may be MAC-CE or DCI).
Claim 11 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 1.
Claim 20 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 10.
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.
Claims 2-4 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini et al. (US 2023/0354192) in view of Huang et al. (US 2022/0232478).
Regarding Claim 2, Abedini teaches the method of Claim 1. Abedini further teaches receiving, by the processor, at least one G-DRX parameter from the network node (“At 505, the UE 115-e may receive (e.g., obtain) control signaling from the network entity 105-d, where the control signaling indicates a set of DRX configurations usable for wireless communications between the UE 115-e and the network entity 105-d” – See [0187]; “in addition to indicating a set of UE-specific DRX configurations, the control signaling may indicate one or more C-DRX configurations usable for wireless communications between the network entity 105-d and a set of UEs 115 including the UE 115-e” – See [0189]; The UE receives a C-DRX (G-DRX) configuration/parameter); and
receiving, by the processor, the DRX switch indicator; switching, by the processor, the U-DRX to or from the G-DRX according to the DRX switch indicator and the at least one G-DRX parameter (“At 540, the UE 115-e may receive a control message indicating a transition from the second DRX configuration to a C-DRX configuration. In other words, the network entity 105-d may output (e.g., transmit) a control message which indicates for the UE 115-e to switch from a UE-specific DRX configuration to a C-DRX configuration which was indicated/configured via the control signaling at 505” – See [0200]; “At 545, the UE 115-e, the network entity 105-d, or both, may transition from the second DRX configuration to the C-DRX configuration. In other words, the UE 115-e and the network entity 105-d may transition from a UE-specific DRX configuration to a C-DRX configuration which were configured via the control signaling at 505” – See [0202]; The UE receives the DRX switch indicator and switches from U-DRX to C-DRX (G-DRX)).
Abedini does not explicitly teach performing, by the processor, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring within an on-duration configured by the U-DRX or the G-DRX according the DRX switch indicator.
However, Huang teaches performing, by the processor, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring within an on-duration configured by the U-DRX or the G-DRX according the DRX switch indicator (“One DRX cycle includes at least time of one DRX-on duration timer (drx-on duration timer) and a possible sleep time period (opportunity for drx). In a time period in which the DRX-on duration timer does not expire, the terminal device needs to monitor the PDCCH to obtain the scheduling information” – See [0003]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include performing, by the processor, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring within an on-duration configured by the U-DRX or the G-DRX according the DRX switch indicator. Motivation for doing so would be to enable the UE to obtain scheduling information (See Huang, [0003]).
Regarding Claim 3, Abedini in view of Huang teaches the method of Claim 2. Abedini further teaches that the receiving of the at least one G-DRX parameter comprises: receiving, by the processor, the at least one G-DRX parameter through a radio resource control (RRC) signaling or system information (SI) configured per cell or cell group (“The control signaling may include RRC signaling, DCI signaling, system information signaling (e.g., SSB), or any combination thereof” – See [0187]; The control signaling that includes the indication of the C-DRX configuration (G-DRX parameter) may be RRC/system information).
Regarding Claim 4, Abedini in view of Huang teaches the method of Claim 2. Abedini further teaches that the switching of the U-DRX to or from the G-DRX according to the DRX switch indicator and the at least one G-DRX parameter further comprises: switching, by the processor, between the U-DRX and the G-DRX based on a G-DRX timer after receiving the DRX switch indicator (“As noted previously herein, the UE 115-e, the network entity 105-d, or both, may transition between the second DRX configuration and the C-DRX configuration at 545 in accordance with the DRX switching pattern, based on the dynamic signaling at 540, or both. For example, the UE 115-e and the network entity 105-d may operate in accordance with the second DRX configuration for a time duration specified by the DRX switching pattern, and may transition from the second DRX configuration to the C-DRX configuration at the end of the time duration in accordance with the DRX switching pattern” – See [0203]; The UE switches between U-DRX and C-DRX (G-DRX) based on a time duration (G-DRX timer) specified by the DRX switching pattern after receiving the switch indication).
Huang further teaches performing, by the processor, the PDCCH monitoring within the on-duration configured by the G-DRX when the G-DRX timer is running (“One DRX cycle includes at least time of one DRX-on duration timer (drx-on duration timer) and a possible sleep time period (opportunity for drx). In a time period in which the DRX-on duration timer does not expire, the terminal device needs to monitor the PDCCH to obtain the scheduling information” – See [0003]).
Claim 12 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 2.
Claim 13 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 3.
Claim 14 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 4.
Claims 5-8 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini et al. (US 2023/0354192) in view of Jiang et al. (US 2025/0039809).
Regarding Claim 5, Abedini teaches the method of Claim 1. Abedini does not explicitly teach receiving, by the processor, the EMS indication from the network node in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode; determining, by the processor, updated configurations associated with SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the EMS indication; and performing, by the processor, a CSI measurement or a CSI reporting via the SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the updated configurations.
However, Jiang teaches receiving, by the processor, the EMS indication from the network node in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode (“This application provides a method of SSB muting on a network side for power saving, in which after entering a power saving mode, in a case that some SSBs are deactivated, association relationships between an SSB and an RO and between an SSB and a preamble need to be redefined” – See [0045]; “Step 201: A network side device sends first indication information to UE. Step 202: The UE receives the first indication information sent by the network side device” – See [0047]-[0048]; When the network node enters a power saving mode, the UE receives first indication information (EMS indication) from the network node);
determining, by the processor, updated configurations associated with SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the EMS indication and performing, by the processor, a CSI measurement or a CSI reporting via the SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the updated configurations (“The first indication information is used to instruct the UE to perform a target-related operation, where the target-related operation is an operation related to a transmission state of the SSB” – See [0049]; “when the SSB on the network side is dynamically changed, that is, the transmission state of the SSB is changed, the network side device may indicate the related information of the SSB to the UE, that is, indicate, to the UE, some related information of the SSB after the transmission state of the SSB is changed, so that the UE no longer performs measurement/monitoring/access based on an SSB pattern before the change. At this time, the UE can perform, based on the indicated related information of the SSB, the operation related to the transmission state of the SSB, to adapt to a current transmission state of the SSB, so that behavior of the UE is more accurate, and unnecessary resource waste is avoided” – See [0051]; “The UE receives the first configuration information and the first indication information, and performs random access, PDCCH monitoring and measurement, rate matching, RO validation, and the like by using the RACH configuration 2 in the power saving mode” – See [0113]; The UE determines updated SSB configurations based on the indication and performs measurement on the SSB resources according to the updated configurations).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include receiving, by the processor, the EMS indication from the network node in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode; determining, by the processor, updated configurations associated with SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the EMS indication; and performing, by the processor, a CSI measurement or a CSI reporting via the SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the updated configurations. Motivation for doing would be to avoid monitoring/measuring SSB resources that have been deactivated, thus ensuring that the behavior of the UE after the network node enters the energy saving mode is accurate and unnecessary resource waste is prevented (See Jiang, [0044] and [0051]).
Regarding Claim 6, Abedini in view of Jiang teaches the method of Claim 5. Jiang further teaches that EMS indication is configured per cell, cell group or UE (“Step 201a: The network side device sends the first indication information to the UE by using any one of the following: RRC signaling, a system information block (SIB), downlink control information (DCI), or a medium access control-control element (MAC CE). Optionally, in this embodiment of this application, the RRC signaling may be broadcast RRC signaling or dedicated RRC signaling. The foregoing SIB may be a SIB1. The foregoing DCI may be common DCI of a group of UE or UE-specific DCI” – See [0064]-[0065]; The EMS indication may be broadcast (i.e., per cell) or unicast (i.e., per UE)).
Regarding Claim 7, Abedini teaches the method of Claim 1. Abedini does not explicitly teach receiving, by the processor, the list of SSB or CSI-RS resources which are muted or turned off from the network node in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode.
However, Jiang teaches receiving, by the processor, the list of SSB or CSI-RS resources which are muted or turned off from the network node in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode (“the foregoing first indication information is used to indicate related information of an SSB of the network side device” – See [0049]; “the network side device may indicate the related information of the SSB to the UE, that is, indicate, to the UE, some related information of the SSB after the transmission state of the SSB is changed, so that the UE no longer performs measurement/monitoring/access based on an SSB pattern before the change. At this time, the UE can perform, based on the indicated related information of the SSB, the operation related to the transmission state of the SSB, to adapt to a current transmission state of the SSB, so that behavior of the UE is more accurate, and unnecessary resource waste is avoided” – See [0051]; “the network side device enters the power saving state, disables the SSBs 0\2\4\6, and the network side device sends the first indication information” – See [0112]; The UE receives a list of disabled SSBs (list of SSB or CSI-RS resources which are muted or turned off) from the network node when the network node enters the power saving mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include receiving, by the processor, the list of SSB or CSI-RS resources which are muted or turned off from the network node in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode for the same reasons as those given with respect to Claim 5.
Regarding Claim 8, Abedini in view of Jiang teaches the method of Claim 7. Jiang further teaches that the list comprises one or multiple groups of SSBs or CSI-RSs (“the foregoing first indication information is used to indicate related information of an SSB of the network side device” – See [0049]; “the network side device may indicate the related information of the SSB to the UE, that is, indicate, to the UE, some related information of the SSB after the transmission state of the SSB is changed, so that the UE no longer performs measurement/monitoring/access based on an SSB pattern before the change. At this time, the UE can perform, based on the indicated related information of the SSB, the operation related to the transmission state of the SSB, to adapt to a current transmission state of the SSB, so that behavior of the UE is more accurate, and unnecessary resource waste is avoided” – See [0051]; “the network side device enters the power saving state, disables the SSBs 0\2\4\6, and the network side device sends the first indication information” – See [0112]; The list includes a group of SSBs (e.g., SSBs 0, 2, 4, and 6)).
Claim 15 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 5.
Claim 16 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 6.
Claim 17 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 7.
Claim 18 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 8.
Claims 9 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini et al. (US 2023/0354192) in view of Rudolph et al. (US 2023/0328656).
Regarding Claim 9, Abedini teaches the method of Claim 1. Abedini does not explicitly teach receiving, by the processor, the set of TCI states or RS resource indexes corresponding to at least one CSI-RS resource index for a slot where a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) energy per resource element (EPRE) adjustment is indicated in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode; and performing, by the processor, a CSI measurement or a CSI reporting via SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the indicated PDSCH EPRE adjustment.
However, Rudolph teaches receiving, by the processor, the set of TCI states or RS resource indexes corresponding to at least one CSI-RS resource index for a slot where a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) energy per resource element (EPRE) adjustment is indicated in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode; and performing, by the processor, a CSI measurement or a CSI reporting via SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the indicated PDSCH EPRE adjustment (“he gNB may signal the parameter powerControlOffset to the UE. The UE may compute an assumed ratio of PDSCH EPRE to NZP CSI-RS EPRE for purpose of deriving and reporting the CSI feedback. In a slot where a NZP CSI-RS resource is configured and/or activated for CSI reporting for the UE, the assumed PDSCH EPRE can be set within a range of [−8, 15] dB with respect to the assumed CSI-RS EPRE using the provided parameter powerControlOffset” – See [0173]; “the UE can be provided a set of TCI states or a set of RS resource indexes corresponding to a SS/PBCH block or to a CSI-RS resource index in a slot where a PDSCH EPRE adjustment is provided as described in REF6. The PDSCH EPRE can be derived from a DL CSI-RS EPRE as determined using REF4 and a PDSCH power offset provided by parameter powerControlOffsetPDSCH as described in REF6. For a DL DM-RS and/or PT-RS associated with the PDSCH, the UE may assume that the ratio of PDSCH EPRE to DM-RS EPRE, and/or PT-RS EPRE to PDSCH EPRE, is obtained as described in REF4. If no TCI state or RS resource index is provided to the UE, the UE may assume that a same PDSCH EPRE adjustment applies to all TCI states or RS resource indexes configured for the UE. A PDSCH EPRE adjustment provided by powerControlOffsetPDSCH may be restricted to transmission resources that result in simultaneous reception using the same time-domain resources by the gNB in a slot. Note that when the CSI-RS EPRE is used, its offset range may be increased when compared to Rel-15 NR, e.g., using a range from the set {−15, −12, −9, −6, −3, 0, +3, +6} dB” – See [0202]; The UE receives CSI-RS resource indexes for a slot where the PDSCH EPRE is indicated by the gNB/network node, and the UE performs CSI measurement and reporting).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abedini to include receiving, by the processor, the set of TCI states or RS resource indexes corresponding to at least one CSI-RS resource index for a slot where a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) energy per resource element (EPRE) adjustment is indicated in an event that the network node enters a power saving mode; and performing, by the processor, a CSI measurement or a CSI reporting via SSB or CSI-RS resources according to the indicated PDSCH EPRE adjustment since this behavior is specified in the well-known and widely-adopted 3GPP NR standards (See Rudolph, [0031]).
Claim 19 is rejected based on reasoning similar to Claim 9.
Conclusion
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/SCOTT M SCIACCA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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