Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant’s Response, filed 9/4/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3, 5-9, 11-14, and 16-20 under Huawei have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Huawei and Ouchi.
Applicant's arguments, regarding claim 15 now incorporated into claim 13, filed 9/4/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 9 of the Applicant’s Response, Applicant: “Specifically, Proposal 17 and Section 8 of Huawei merely discuss that a UE performs PDCCH monitoring during the running time of a DL retransmission timer upon receiving a NACK, and notes that applying such monitoring for uplink transmission may result in unnecessary power consumption. Huawei does not disclose or teach resuming PDCCH monitoring after a timing offset following the transmission of the HARQ NACK or the UL data.“.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s argument. Huawei discloses resuming PDCCH monitoring after a NACK is received or uplink data is transmitted. In one embodiment, the PDCCH monitoring is resumed after a timing offset equal to the RTT timer from the end of the NACK received to the start of the retransmission timer (figure 6).
In view of the above discussions the rejection of claims 1-3, 5-9, 11-14, and 16-20 still stands.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-9, 11-14, and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huawei et al. (“Extensions to Rel-16 DCI-based power saving adaptation for an active BWP”, R1-2110840, 11/2021) (“Huawei”) in view of Ouchi et al. (US 2023/0068855) (“Ouchi”).
For claims 1 and 7; Huawei discloses: detecting, by a processor of an apparatus, a scheduling downlink control information (DCI) format from a network node of a wireless network (Section 3, 3.1, Proposal 8: At most 2 bit indication in self-scheduling DCIs (i.e., DCI format 1-1/0-1/1-2/0-2) can be specified for triggering the PDCCH monitoring adaptation in a single cell… Proposal 8: Use 2-bits new indication field in scheduling DCI formats, as that in draft CR of TS38.212, to indicate PDCCH monitoring occasion when only single cell is configured), wherein the scheduling DCI format indicates a duration for skipping physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring (Section 2.2: The UE can be configured to be indicated by DCI a value of X slots (i.e., skipping duration) among multiple RRC configured values by scheduling DCIs indicating PDCCH schedules data… The bits for indicating PDCCH monitoring adaptation also indicating skipping duration); and performing, by the processor, PDCCH monitoring based on a setting of a new active downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) in a case that the apparatus changes to the new active DL BWP by an expiration of a BWP inactive timer in the duration (Section 6, Proposal 14: Proposal 14: If the active BWP is switched due to the expiration of bwp-InactivityTimer before the end of the PDCCH skipping duration, the default behavior on the new active BWP, i.e., default BWP, is - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to configured SS sets if SSSG is not configured on the new active BWP; - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to SS set in SSSG0 if SSSG is configured on the new active BWP); setting of the new active DL BWP in a case that the apparatus changes to the new active DL BWP by the expiration of the BWP inactive timer in the duration (Section 6, Proposal 14: Proposal 14: If the active BWP is switched due to the expiration of bwp-InactivityTimer before the end of the PDCCH skipping duration, the default behavior on the new active BWP, i.e., default BWP, is - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to configured SS sets if SSSG is not configured on the new active BWP; - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to SS set in SSSG0 if SSSG is configured on the new active BWP).
Huawei does not expressly disclose, but Ouchi from similar fields of endeavor teaches: resetting, by the processor, a search space set group (SSSG) timer based on the setting of the new active DL BWP and that the SSSG timer is configured (paragraph 466, 482-483, 539: In a case that searchSpaceSwitchingTimer-r16 is configured for each DL BWP and that BWP switching is performed on the active DL BWP, the terminal apparatus 1 may reset the timer value to the initial value. Alternatively, the terminal apparatus 1 may start the timer corresponding to the active DL BWP after BWP switching). Thus it would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the SSSG setup in the BWP switching as described by Ouchi in the PDCCH monitoring adaptation as described by Huawei. The motivation is to improve scheduling by the base station.
For claims 2 and 8; Huawei discloses: wherein performing PDCCH monitoring based on the setting of the new active DL BWP comprises: resuming, by the processor, PDCCH monitoring according to search space sets on the new active BWP in a case that a list of search space group identities (IDs) is not configured (Section 6, Proposal 14: Proposal 14: If the active BWP is switched due to the expiration of bwplnactivityTimer before the end of the PDCCH skipping duration, the default behavior on the new active BWP, i.e., default BWP, is - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to configured SS sets if SSSG is not configured on the new active BWP; - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to SS set in SSSG0 if SSSG is configured on the new active BWP).
For claims 3 and 9; Huawei discloses: wherein performing PDCCH monitoring based on the setting of the new active DL BWP comprises: monitoring, by the processor, PDCCH according to search space sets with group index 0 on the new active BWP of the serving cell in a case that the list of search space group IDs is configured (Section 6, Proposal 14: Proposal 14: If the active BWP is switched due to the expiration of bwplnactivityTimer before the end of the PDCCH skipping duration, the default behavior on the new active BWP, i.e., default BWP, is - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to configured SS sets if SSSG is not configured on the new active BWP; - UE starts monitoring PDCCH according to SS set in SSSG0 if SSSG is configured on the new active BWP).
For claims 5 and 11; Huawei discloses: wherein the SSSG timer comprises a search space switching timer (Section 2.3: Timer for SSSG switching).
For claims 6 and 12; Huawei discloses: wherein the scheduling DCI format comprises a scheduling DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2 (Section 3: At most 2 bit indication in self-scheduling DCIs (i.e., DCI format 1-1/0-1/1-2/0-2) can be specified for triggering the PDCCH monitoring adaptation in a single cell).
For claim 13; Huawei discloses: detecting, by a processor of an apparatus, a scheduling downlink control information (DCI) format from a network node of a wireless network (Section 3, 3.1, Proposal 8: At most 2 bit indication in self-scheduling DCIs (i.e., DCI format 1-1/0-1/1-2/0-2) can be specified for triggering the PDCCH monitoring adaptation in a single cell… Proposal 8: Use 2-bits new indication field in scheduling DCI formats, as that in draft CR of TS38.212, to indicate PDCCH monitoring occasion when only single cell is configured), wherein the scheduling DCI format indicates a duration for skipping physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring (Section 2.2: The UE can be configured to be indicated by DCI a value of X slots (i.e., skipping duration) among multiple RRC configured values by scheduling DCIs indicating PDCCH schedules data… The bits for indicating PDCCH monitoring adaptation also indicating skipping duration); and resuming, by the processor, PDCCH monitoring after a timing offset in a case that a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NACK) or an uplink (UL) data is transmitted in the duration (Section 4, 8, Proposal 17, fig. 6: Application delay for PDCCH monitoring adaptation… Proposal 17: After being indicated to skipping PDCCH monitoring, if the HARQ feedback for PDSCH is NACK, the UE still performs PDCCH monitoring for HARQ retransmission when drx-RetransmissionTimerDL is running…Figure 6 shows a timing offset equal to the RTT timer).
For claim 14; Huawei discloses: wherein the PDCCH monitoring is resumed for another duration (Section 8, figure 6: Proposal 17: After being indicated to skipping PDCCH monitoring, if the HARQ feedback for PDSCH is NACK, the UE still performs PDCCH monitoring for HARQ retransmission when drx-RetransmissionTimerDL is running).
For claim 16; Huawei discloses: wherein the timing offset is used to align with Downlink (DL) or UL traffic (Section 8, fig. 6: Alt1: PDCCH is monitored when the retransmission timer of any HARQ process is running. By this alternative, no retransmission is missed).
For claim 17; Huawei discloses: wherein the timing offset is set to 0 (Section 4, 8, Proposal 17: Application delay for PDCCH monitoring adaptation…Option j: UE applies the skipping immediately (e.g. next symbol/slot) after the UE receives the indication in DL assignment. If the UE fails to decode the associated PDSCH and transmits a NACK, skipping is canceled in the slots after the NACK transmission).
For claim 18; Huawei discloses: wherein the HARQ NACK is associated with a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by the scheduling DCI format (Section 4, 8, Proposal 17: Proposal 17: After being indicated to skipping PDCCH monitoring, if the HARQ feedback for PDSCH is NACK, the UE still performs PDCCH monitoring for HARQ retransmission when drx-RetransmissionTimerDL is running).
For claim 19; Huawei discloses: wherein the UL data is transmitted on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the scheduling DCI format (Section 8: Proposal 17: the same mechanism can also be applied for uplink to ensure timely retransmission, i.e. UE can monitor PDCCH for potential UL HARQ retransmission when the uplink DRX retransmission timer is running within the skipped duration. However, there is no HARQ feedback for uplink. UE does not know when and whether there is retransmission, and will always start the UL retransmission timer after UL HARQ RTT timer. In the worst case, even the PUSCH is successfully received by gNB, UE still needs to uselessly perform PDCCH monitoring).
For claim 20; Huawei discloses: wherein the scheduling DCI format comprises a scheduling DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2 (Section 3: At most 2 bit indication in self-scheduling DCIs (i.e., DCI format 1-1/0-1/1-2/0-2) can be specified for triggering the PDCCH monitoring adaptation in a single cell).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hwang et al. (US 2026/0143468); Hwang discloses the PEI-O of the Cap-R UE may be determined in relation to an offset with the PEI-O of the Cap-N UE. For example, the offset may be defined as a gap between the starting position (e.g., first PDCCH monitoring occasion for PEI) of the PEI-O of the Cap-R UE and the starting position of the PEI-O of the Cap-N UE. If the value of the offset is 0, the PEI-O of the Cap-R UE may be configured to be contiguous with the PEI-O of the Cap-N UE.
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/JOHN D BLANTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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