DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to communication on June 5th, 2024.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
The present application claims priority to provisional application no. 63/523,838, filed on July 28th, 2023.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhou et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2023/0309115, hereinafter Zhou).
With respect to claims 1, 8, and 15, Zhou discloses a user equipment (UE), method, and base station in a wireless communication system (paragraph [0064]), the UE comprising:
a transceiver (paragraph [0069], lines 1-3) configured to:
receive, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) message (paragraph [0112], lines 1-9, RRC messages) indicating (i) a payload size of cell discontinuous transmission/reception (DTX/DRX) activation/deactivation downlink control information (DCI) (paragraph [0251], indicated a payload size for DCI format) for at least one cell group (paragraph [0254], DRX groups) and (ii) a starting position of a cell DTX/DRX information for at least one cell in DCI (paragraph [0251], configuration parameters may comprise ps-positionsDCI-2-6 indicating a location in DCI format 2_6), and
receive, from the base station, the cell DTX/DRX activation/deactivation DCI (paragraph [0415], activation command may comprise at least one of: a third DCI); and
a processor operably coupled to the transceiver (paragraph [0069], lines 1-3), the processor configured to:
identify the cell DTX/DRX information for the at least one cell in the DCI based on (i) the payload size of the cell DTX/DRX activation/deactivation DCI (paragraph [0251], indicated a payload size for DCI format) corresponding to the at least one cell group (paragraph [0254], DRX groups) and (ii) the starting position of the cell DTX/DRX information corresponding to the at least one cell (paragraph [0251], configuration parameters may comprise ps-positionsDCI-2-6 indicating a location in DCI format 2_6), and
activate or deactivate a cell DTX/DRX configuration of the at least one cell based on the identified cell DTX/DRX information in the cell DTX/DRX activation/deactivation DCI (paragraph [0415], activation command may comprise at least one of: a third DCI).
With respect to claims 2, 9, and 16, Zhou discloses the UE of claims 1, 8, and 15, wherein the starting position of the cell DTX/DRX information is configured per serving cell (paragraph [0251], configuration parameters may comprise ps-positionsDCI-2-6 indicating a location in DCI format 2_6).
With respect to claims 3, 10, and 17, Zhou discloses the UE of claims 1, 8, and 15, wherein:
the RRC message includes a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) (paragraph [0248]);
the processor is further configured to monitor, based on the RNTI, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for activating or deactivating the cell DTX/DRX information (paragraph [0248]); and
the RNTI is configured per cell group (paragraph [0248]).
With respect to claims 4, 11, and 18, Zhou discloses the UE of claims 1, 8, and 15, wherein:
the RRC message includes a search space identified from a list of search space configurations (paragraph [0300]); and
the processor is further configured to monitor, based on the search space, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for activating or deactivating the cell DTX/DRX information (paragraph [0302]).
With respect to claims 5, 12, and 19, Zhou discloses the UE of claims 4, 11, and 18, wherein the search space includes a DCI format for activating or deactivating the cell DTX/DRX information (paragraph [0302]).
With respect to claims 6 and 13, Zhou discloses the UE of claims 1 and 8, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor, based on a search space in an active downlink bandwidth part (DL BWP) (paragraph [0252]), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for activating or deactivating the cell DTX/DRX information indicated by a DCI format (paragraph [0252]).
With respect to claims 7, 14, and 20, Zhou discloses the UE of claims 6, 13, and 20, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive the DCI format from a single serving cell of a single cell group (paragraphs [0270] and [0275]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jeon Patent no. 12,659,877
Moon Patent no. 12,659,967
Zhou Pat. Pub. 2026/0020102
Zhou Pat. Pub. 2025/0280466
Zhou Pat. Pub. 2020/0092814
Khoshkholgh Pat. Pub. 2025/0176067
Tseng Pat. Pub. 2024/0284550
Jung Pat. Pub. 2024/0080771
Islam Pat. Pub. 2022/0159574
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BLAKE J RUBIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3802. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached on 571-272-4001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
6/17/26
/BLAKE J RUBIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
Prosecution Insights