DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
This action is in response to preliminary amendments filed on 6/28/2024.
Claims 1-8, 10-12, & 14 remain pending. Claims 1-8, 10-12, & 14 have been examined and are rejected.
Priority
This application is a 371 of PCT/KR2024/004659 and claims priority to provisional application 63/457,768 filed 4/6/2023 and provisional application 64/457,772 filed 4/6/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/9/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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 1-3, 6-8, 10-12, & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cheng et al. (WO 2024/156089 A1).
With regard to Claim 1, Cheng teaches:
A method of monitoring a downlink signal by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving configuration information including a cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration from a cell; (receiving, from a network, first configuration information for a first cell DTX/DRX pattern used by a first serving cell of the UE, the first configuration information comprising a first periodicity of the first cell DTX/DRX pattern, a first offset for the first cell DTX/DRX pattern, a first active duration length for the for the first cell DTX/DRX pattern, and first UE behavior information defining one or more UE behaviors for a first non-active serving cell mode [Cheng: 0110; Fig. 10]);
transmitting an uplink signal to the cell; (performing first communication with the network on the first serving cell according to the first non-active serving cell mode during the first non-active duration of the first cell DTX/DRX pattern [Cheng: 0112; Fig. 10]);
and determining whether to monitor a downlink signal in response to the uplink signal in an inactive period of cell DTX determined based on the configuration information; (a base station may configure the UE whether to monitor some and/or all SPS occasions corresponding to an initial SPS transmission and/or to an SPS retransmission during a non-active duration of the cell DTX/DRX pattern [Cheng: 0052-55]);
wherein whether to monitor the downlink signal is determined based on a type of the uplink signal; (a UE may be configured to perform various permitted communications with a serving cell during a non-active serving cell duration at the serving cell while suspending non-permitted communications, wherein the permitted communications may include: CBRA, CFRA, RAR monitoring, RAR scheduled uplink, BFD, BFR, etc. [Cheng: 0045-47; 0083-84]).
With regard to Claim 2, Cheng teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein, based on that the uplink signal is an uplink signal for a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) or a contention-free Random Access Channel procedure (CFRA), the UE performs monitoring of the downlink signal even during the inactive period of the cell DTX; (a UE may be configured to perform various permitted communications with a serving cell during a non-active serving cell duration at the serving cell while suspending non-permitted communications, wherein the permitted communications may include: CBRA, CFRA, RAR monitoring, RAR scheduled uplink, BFD, BFR, etc. [Cheng: 0045-47; 0083-84]).
With regard to Claim 3, Cheng teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein, based on that the uplink signal is a scheduling request (SR) physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), the UE performs monitoring of the downlink signal even during the inactive period of the cell DTX; (the UE, during a non-active duration of the cell DTX/DRX pattern, monitors for dynamic UL and/or DL grants, performs semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) reception, and/or performs transmission of one or more of a CG-PUSCH, a RACH, an SR, a RACH and/or an SRS [Cheng: 0032]. Examiner notes the Scheduling Request (SR) is transmitted on the PUCCH).
With regard to Claim 6, Cheng teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein, based on that the uplink signal is an uplink signal that is not related to a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) or a contention-free Random Access Channel procedure (CFRA), the UE does not perform monitoring of the downlink signal in the inactive duration of the cell DTX; (a UE may be configured to perform various permitted communications with a serving cell during a non-active serving cell duration at the serving cell while suspending non-permitted communications, wherein the permitted communications may include: CBRA, CFRA, RAR monitoring, RAR scheduled uplink, BFD, BFR, etc. [Cheng: 0045-47; 0083-84]).
With regard to Claim 7, Cheng teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information further includes a cell discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration related to the cell, and based on that the uplink signal is a scheduling request (SR) physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), the UE transmits a sounding reference signal (SRS) even during the inactive period of the cell DTX determined based on the cell DRX configuration; (the UE, during a non-active duration of the cell DTX/DRX pattern, monitors for dynamic UL and/or DL grants, performs semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) reception, and/or performs transmission of one or more of a CG-PUSCH, a RACH, an SR, a RACH and/or an SRS [Cheng: 0032]. Examiner notes the Scheduling Request (SR) is transmitted on the PUCCH).
With regard to Claim 8, Cheng teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink signal is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scrambled with a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI); (the UE monitors for a PDCCH addressed by a cell RNTI (C-RNTI) (corresponding to an SPS retransmission) [Cheng: 0056]).
With regard to Claims 10-12 & 14, they appear substantially similar to the limitations recited by claims 1-3 and consequently do not appear to teach or further define over the citations provided for said claims. Accordingly, claims 10-12 & 14 are rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claims 1-3.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. (WO 2024/156089 A1) in view of Wu et al. (US 2025/0203649 A1).
With regard to Claim 4, Cheng teaches the method of claim 2, but does not teach:
wherein, the UE performs monitoring of the downlink signal only in a common search space (CSS) from a UE specific search space (USS) and the CSS.
In a similar field of endeavor involving operations performed by the UE during the Non-active time of DTX of the base station, Wu discloses:
wherein, the UE performs monitoring of the downlink signal only in a common search space (CSS) from a UE specific search space (USS) and the CSS; (the UE determines the search space where the PDCCH to be monitored is located based on the network configuration [Wu: 0030], wherein the UE may be configured to not monitor the PDCCH in the UE-specific search space (USS) and the PDCCH in the Type3 CSS, but to monitor the PDCCH on other search spaces [Wu: 0173; 0176-77]. Examiner notes that the other search spaces would include at least the Type0 PDCCH CSS referenced in [Wu: 0149]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Cheng in view of Wu in order to monitor the downlink signal only in a common search space (CSS) in the system of Cheng.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Cheng with Wu as doing so strikes a power balance between energy savings and maintaining network operation by allowing the UE to monitor for common control messages associated with the CSS, while suspending monitoring of user traffic messages associated with the USS.
With regard to Claim 5, Cheng teaches:
The method of claim 4, wherein the CSS is a specific type of CSS configured from the cell; (the UE determines the search space where the PDCCH to be monitored is located based on the network configuration [Wu: 0030], wherein the UE may be configured to not monitor the PDCCH in the UE-specific search space (USS) and the PDCCH in the Type3 CSS, but to monitor the PDCCH on other search spaces [Wu: 0173; 0176-77]. Examiner notes that the other search spaces would include at least the Type0 PDCCH CSS referenced in [Wu: 0149]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Maleki et al. (US 2026/0173203 A1) which teaches when the UE is configured with gNB DTX, it is also configured with a first physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), search space (SS), reference signals, or CORESET/search space configuration, wherein the UE continues to monitor the downlink but according to a second one or more PDCCH/SS/reference signal/CORESET/search space configurations when the network is in DTX inactive period [0051-52].
In the case of amendments, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and support, for ascertaining the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AUSTIN J MOREAU whose telephone number is (571) 272-5179. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 - 6:00 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rebecca Song can be reached on 571-270-3667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AUSTIN J MOREAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2446
Prosecution Insights