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 filed 12/17/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 5-6 of the Applicant’s Response, Applicant: “The claimed technical limitation a) "the determined paging occasion refers to a paging PDCCH occasion that is not in conflict with an uplink resource configured in the semi-static frame structure configuration information" focuses on active exclusion of conflicting uplink resources when identifying valid paging occasions, which is fundamentally distinct from the technical solution disclosed in Koskela's paragraph [0034] cited by the Examiner.“.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s argument. Koskela expressly discloses a UE receiving semi-static UL/DL slot configuration and a bitmap that indicate slots used for monitoring a paging occasion (p29-31). The indicated slots for paging occasions are PDCCH monitoring occasions specific to the UE and the UE’s UL-DL pattern (p6). The UE uses the bitmap and semi-static UL-DL pattern to determine which DL slots to monitor for paging occasions which avoids monitoring any of the UL slots (p34). This avoids any conflicts with the configured UL resources on a slot basis. Koskela discloses the slot level bitmapping of paging occasions because the UL-DL patterns change and the numerology can be different. This solves the problem of ensuring only downlink and flexible slots are monitored by the UE and UL slots are avoided which lead to discrepancies and wasted power and resources (p27).
In view of the above discussions the rejection of claims 1-4 and 7-8 still stands.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Koskela et al. (US 2019/0349885) (“Koskela”).
For claims 1, 7, and 8; Koskela discloses: acquiring semi-static frame structure configuration information (paragraph 29-31: the network may use a configured TDD configuration (TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon—1&2 concatenated) to get a complete TDD configuration); acquiring synchronization signal block (SSB) configuration information (paragraph 62-63: the UE is configured via MIB (‘pdcch-ConfigSIB1’) with monitoring pattern for Type0-PDCCH, scheduling the SIB1); acquiring paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration information (paragraph 47-50: physical downlink control channel configuration may include the information indicating the start of one or more paging occasions…The information may include a bitmap indicating the start of the one or more paging occasions in at least a portion of a subframe); and determining paging occasion (paragraph 63: For example for SS/PBCH and CORESET monitoring pattern 1 where monitoring occasion occurs every 20 ms, the UE is given an offset (O) from the start of the radio frame (where occasions occur), with a shift (M) placing the monitoring occasion corresponding each SSB in time, together with number of possible monitoring occasions per slot. Based on the detected SSB index, information provided by MIB the UE can determine the monitoring occasion (search space) corresponding to each SSB index. FIG. 8 illustrates one realization of search space locations (e.g., paging occasions)); the determined paging occasion refers to a paging PDCCH occasion that is not in conflict with an uplink resource configured in the semi-static frame structure configuration information (paragraph 34: the network may signal to the UE the Nth possible slot(s) being used for paging occasions in the paging frame. To illustrate, the network, such as a base station, may signal to a UE the 1st and 3rd possible slots being used for paging. When this is the case, the UE knows the TDD UL/DL pattern and sees that in the corresponding paging frame to treat the 3rd slot (which can be a DL a lot or bi-directional slot, X) as paging slot, and then the subsequent 10.sup.th slot and so forth as a paging occasion).
For claim 2, Koskela discloses: wherein the semi-static frame structure configuration information comprises a frame structure configured by high-layer signaling tdd-UL-DL-ConfigCommon and/or tdd-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated (paragraph 29-31: the network may use a configured TDD configuration (TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon—1&2 concatenated) to get a complete TDD configuration).
For claim 3, Koskela discloses: wherein the SSB configuration information is used to configure actually transmitted SSB (paragraph 63: For example for SS/PBCH and CORESET monitoring pattern 1 where monitoring occasion occurs every 20 ms, the UE is given an offset (O) from the start of the radio frame (where occasions occur), with a shift (M) placing the monitoring occasion corresponding each SSB in time, together with number of possible monitoring occasions per slot. Based on the detected SSB index, information provided by MIB the UE can determine the monitoring occasion (search space) corresponding to each SSB index. FIG. 8 illustrates one realization of search space locations (e.g., paging occasions)).
For claim 4, Koskela discloses: wherein the paging PDCCH information comprise paging PDCCH search space configuration (paragraph 19: the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration may provide the UE with the search space configuration including the monitoring occasions within a paging occasion).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Agiwal et al. (US 2017/0367069); Agiwal discloses to minimize UE's power consumption is as follows: In this embodiment, based on the configured DRX cycle, a UE determines the start of paging frame or paging occasion or paging burst in which paging is transmitted for the UE. A UE wakes up “N” broadcast periods before the start of paging frame or paging occasion or paging burst (610). The broadcast period (620) is the interval over which BS/eNB/TRP completes one full TX beam sweeping for synchronization signals (such as PSS/SSS/ESS) and broadcast channel (PBCH) transmission.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN D BLANTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3933. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-6pm EST, Mon-Thu.
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/JOHN D BLANTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466