DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR 10-2023-0098455, filed on 07/27/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-3, 8-10 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Maleki et al. US20220182936A1 (listed in applicant submitted IDS and listed as D2 in PCT search report), hereinafter Maleki.
Regarding claim 1, Maleki teaches a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
(Maleki: Summary, Fig. 3, Fig. 8 and para. [0085] one or more processors 86 for performing WD 22 includes memory 88 that is configured to store data, programmatic software code and/or other information described herein. the software 90 and/or the client application 92 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 86 and/or processing circuitry 84, causes the processor 86 and/or processing circuitry 84 to perform the processes)
receiving, from a base station, configuration information associated with a wake-up signal (WUS) (Maleki: [0099] network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is configured to configure (Block S138) each wireless device 22 in a first group of wireless devices 22 including at least one wireless device 22 with a first radio network temporary identifier, RNTI, defined to address a group of wireless devices for physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, based wake-up signal, WUS, operation) for a discontinuous reception (DRX); and
(Maleki: para. [0101-0102] network node 16 is further configured to configure the first WUS monitoring occasion for the first group of wireless devices 22 with at least a time offset relative to a first discontinuous reception, DRX, ON duration period. network node 16 is further configured to configure downlink control information, DCI, addressed to the first group of wireless devices 22 where the DCI includes a bitmap where a first plurality of bits are configured to indicate whether to wake-up a first subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 and a second plurality of bits are configured to indicate whether to wake-up a second subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22)
monitoring the WUS within an occasion (WUS monitoring occasion) for the WUS based on the configuration information, while a group including the UE (first group of wireless devices) is in a DRX mode,
(Maleki: para. [0099-0102] and Fig. 9 network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is configured to cause (Block S140) transmission of signaling including a wake-up signal, WUS, for a first WUS monitoring occasion associated with the first group of wireless devices 22 where the WUS is configured to cause each wireless device 22 in the first group of wireless devices to perform at least one action. Para. [0101] network node 16 is further configured to configure the first WUS monitoring occasion for the first group of wireless devices 22 with at least a time offset relative to a first discontinuous reception, DRX, ON duration period)
wherein the WUS includes information (bitmap including: a first plurality of bits indicating which one or more of a plurality of subgroups) on at least one sub-group associated with the WUS among the group.
(Maleki: para. [0102] first subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 is associated with a first DRX ON duration period, where the second subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 is associated with a second DRX ON duration period. network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is further configured to configure downlink control information, DCI, addressed to the first group of wireless devices 22, the DCI comprising a bitmap including: a first plurality of bits indicating which one or more of a plurality of subgroups of the first group of wireless devices 22 that is selected to implement the WUS, and a second plurality of bits indicating information for implementing the WUS)
Regarding claim 2, Maleki teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the information on the at least one sub-group includes a bitmap corresponding to the at least one sub-group, or bits including a value corresponding to a sub-group among the at least one sub-group.
(Maleki: para. [0015] first subgroup of the first group of wireless devices is associated with a first DRX ON duration period, where the second subgroup of the first group of wireless devices is associated with a second DRX ON duration period. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the network node is further configured to configure downlink control information, DCI, addressed to the first group of wireless devices, the DCI comprising a bitmap including: a first plurality of bits indicating which one or more of a plurality of subgroups of the first group of wireless devices that is selected to implement the WUS, and a second plurality of bits indicating information for implementing the WUS. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the network node is further configured to configure the first group of wireless devices with a first control resource set, CORESET, and first common search space, CSS, configuration for searching for the WUS, the first CORESET and first CSS configuration being associated with the first group of wireless devices)
Regarding claim 3, Maleki teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the value of the bits includes a first value for indicating that each of sub-groups included in the group does not need to wake up, or a second value for indicating each of the sub-groups needs to wake up. (Maleki: para. [0101-0102] network node 16 is further configured to configure the first WUS monitoring occasion for the first group of wireless devices 22 with at least a time offset relative to a first discontinuous reception, DRX, ON duration period. the network node 16 is further configured to configure downlink control information, DCI, addressed to the first group of wireless devices 22 where the DCI includes a bitmap where a first plurality of bits are configured to indicate whether to wake-up a first subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 and a second plurality of bits are configured to indicate whether to wake-up a second subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22)
Regarding claim 6, Maleki teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the occasion for the WUS is earlier from an occasion (WUS MOs before an ON duration) for monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (PDCCH monitoring occasion (MOs) during the next ON duration) triggered by the WUS by an offset (pre-determined amount of time), and
(Maleki: para. [0112] wireless device 22 is configured, such as by such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, radio interface 62, signaling unit 32, etc., of the network node 16, with one or more WUS Monitoring Occasions (MOs), that occur a pre-determined amount of time (e.g., predefined quantity of X slots) before an ON duration of the wireless device 22. The WUS is based on a signal sent by the network node 16 to the wireless device 22 over PDCCH using an existing or a new DCI format. The wireless device 22, via processing circuitry 84 and/or monitoring unit 34, decodes the DCI. The wireless device 22 can use a receiver and/or radio interface 82 based on PDCCH decoding or other types of receiver, e.g., correlation based receivers. If the WUS is configured for waking up that wireless device 22 (specifically or as part of a group), the wireless device 22, via processing circuitry 84 and/or monitoring unit 34, monitors PDCCH at PDCCH monitoring occasion (MOs) during the next ON duration, or follows network/network node 16 configured/commanded actions upon detection of WUS (e.g., an aperiodic CSI report, scheduling a PDSCH through WUS, etc.))
wherein information on the offset (X slots) between the occasion for the WUS and the occasion for monitoring the PDCCH is included in the configuration information, (Maleki: para. [0127] a PDCCH based WUS is used at a predetermined time (e.g., X slots) before the ON duration to wake-up the wireless device 22. The network node 16 can configure such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, radio interface 62, signaling unit 32, etc., the wireless device 22 to monitor WUS in specific offsets before the ON duration, e.g., X slots before the ON duration where X may be an integer such as a positive integer and/or nonnegative integer)
or the information on the offset (later time) is configured with the UE based on an identity (ID) (third RNTI) of the UE. (Maleki: para. [0124] wireless device 22 can be configured with a third RNTI such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, radio interface 62, signaling unit 32, etc., and upon detection of the third RNTI such as via one or more of processing circuitry 84, processor 86, radio interface 82, monitoring unit 34, etc., the wireless device 22 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 84, processor 86, radio interface 82, monitoring unit 34, etc., monitors PDCCH in search space(s) in a later time (e.g., at a time after detection of the third RNTI) according to a third configuration. The third RNTI can be another GW-RNTI)
Regarding claim 7, Maleki teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, from the base station, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) triggered by the WUS within an occasion for monitoring the PDCCH, (Maleki: para. [0127] a PDCCH based WUS is used at a predetermined time (e.g., X slots) before the ON duration to wake-up the wireless device 22. The network node 16 can configure such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, radio interface 62, signaling unit 32, etc., the wireless device 22 to monitor WUS in specific offsets before the ON duration, e.g., X slots before the ON duration where X may be an integer such as a positive integer and/or nonnegative integer)
wherein the occasion for monitoring the PDCCH (PDCCH monitoring occasion (MOs) is later than a monitoring occasion in which the WUS (WUS MOs before an ON duration) is received by an offset (pre-determined amount of time), and
(Maleki: para. [0112] wireless device 22 is configured, such as by such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, radio interface 62, signaling unit 32, etc., of the network node 16, with one or more WUS Monitoring Occasions (MOs), that occur a pre-determined amount of time (e.g., predefined quantity of X slots) before an ON duration of the wireless device 22. The WUS is based on a signal sent by the network node 16 to the wireless device 22 over PDCCH using an existing or a new DCI format. The wireless device 22, via processing circuitry 84 and/or monitoring unit 34, decodes the DCI. The wireless device 22 can use a receiver and/or radio interface 82 based on PDCCH decoding or other types of receiver, e.g., correlation based receivers. If the WUS is configured for waking up that wireless device 22 (specifically or as part of a group), the wireless device 22, via processing circuitry 84 and/or monitoring unit 34, monitors PDCCH at PDCCH monitoring occasion (MOs) during the next ON duration, or follows network/network node 16 configured/commanded actions upon detection of WUS (e.g., an aperiodic CSI report, scheduling a PDSCH through WUS, etc.))
wherein a stating symbol of the occasion for the WUS including the monitoring occasion (WUS monitoring occasion) is configured for the UE.
(Maleki: para. [0099-0100 & 0112 & 0145 & 0012 & 0014] network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is configured to cause (Block S140) transmission of signaling including a wake-up signal, WUS, for a first WUS monitoring occasion associated with the first group of wireless devices 22 where the WUS is configured to cause each wireless device 22 in the first group of wireless devices to perform)
Regarding claims 8 – 10 and 13 – 14, Maleki teaches a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to: (Maleki: Summary, Fig. 3, Fig. 8 and para. [0085] one or more processors 86 for performing WD 22 includes memory 88 that is configured to store data, programmatic software code and/or other information described herein. the software 90 and/or the client application 92 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 86 and/or processing circuitry 84, causes the processor 86 and/or processing circuitry 84 to perform the processes) and Maleki teaches all the limitations as discussed in the rejection of claims 1 – 3 and 6 – 7, and therefore apparatus claims 8 – 10 and 13 – 14 are rejected using the same rationales.
Regarding claim 15, Maleki teaches a method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: (Maleki: Summary, Fig. 3, Fig. 8 and para. [0081] network node 16 via an external connection. The software 74 may be executable by the processing circuitry 68)
transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), configuration information associated with a wake-up signal (WUS) (Maleki: [0099] network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is configured to configure (Block S138) each wireless device 22 in a first group of wireless devices 22 including at least one wireless device 22 with a first radio network temporary identifier, RNTI, defined to address a group of wireless devices for physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, based wake-up signal, WUS, operation) for a discontinuous reception (DRX); (Maleki: para. [0101-0102] network node 16 is further configured to configure the first WUS monitoring occasion for the first group of wireless devices 22 with at least a time offset relative to a first discontinuous reception, DRX, ON duration period. network node 16 is further configured to configure downlink control information, DCI, addressed to the first group of wireless devices 22 where the DCI includes a bitmap where a first plurality of bits are configured to indicate whether to wake-up a first subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 and a second plurality of bits are configured to indicate whether to wake-up a second subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22)
and
transmitting, to the UE, the WUS within an occasion (WUS monitoring occasion) for the WUS based on the configuration information, while a group including the UE (first group of wireless devices) is in a DRX mode,
(Maleki: para. [0099-0102] and Fig. 9 network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is configured to cause (Block S140) transmission of signaling including a wake-up signal, WUS, for a first WUS monitoring occasion associated with the first group of wireless devices 22 where the WUS is configured to cause each wireless device 22 in the first group of wireless devices to perform at least one action. Para. [0101] network node 16 is further configured to configure the first WUS monitoring occasion for the first group of wireless devices 22 with at least a time offset relative to a first discontinuous reception, DRX, ON duration period)
wherein the WUS includes information (bitmap including: a first plurality of bits indicating which one or more of a plurality of subgroups) on at least one sub-group associated with the WUS among the group. (Maleki: para. [0102] first subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 is associated with a first DRX ON duration period, where the second subgroup of the first group of wireless devices 22 is associated with a second DRX ON duration period. According to one or more embodiments, the network node 16 such as via one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, communication interface 60 and radio interface 62 is further configured to configure downlink control information, DCI, addressed to the first group of wireless devices 22, the DCI comprising a bitmap including: a first plurality of bits indicating which one or more of a plurality of subgroups of the first group of wireless devices 22 that is selected to implement the WUS, and a second plurality of bits indicating information for implementing the WUS)
Regarding claims 16 – 17, Maleki teaches all the limitations as discussed in the rejection of claims 2 – 3, and therefore method claims 16 – 17 are rejected using the same rationales.
Regarding claims 18 – 20, Maleki teaches a base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to: (Maleki: Summary, Fig. 3, Fig. 8 and para. [0081] network node 16 via an external connection. The software 74 may be executable by the processing circuitry 68) and Maleki teaches all the limitations as discussed in the rejection of claims 15 – 17, and therefore apparatus claims 18 – 20, are rejected using the same rationales.
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) 4 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki in view of Vos et al. US 9681256 B2, hereinafter Vos.
Regarding claim 4, Maleki teaches the method of claim 1, Maleki does not explicitly teach: wherein the configuration information further includes information on a timer associated with the WUS, and wherein the method further comprises: in case that the timer expires, identifying whether a system information block (SIB) received from the base station needs to be updated.
Vos from the same or similar fields of endeavor teach: wherein the configuration information further includes information on a timer associated with the WUS, and wherein the method further comprises: in case that the timer expires, identifying whether a system information block (SIB) received from the base station needs to be updated. (Vos: col. 8 lines 2-3 UE is required to update SIBs due to expiry of a three-hour timer, and col. 10 lines 32-49 an explicit operation to update SIB information can then be executed upon expiry of the update window) Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of Shrestha in the method of Maleki. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so for eNB then only transmits changes to the SIB information relative to that last acquisition, thereby reducing the amount of data to be transmitted. The use of an update window as described above may also be applied to this solution, for example so that a UE may be configured to wait until expiry of the update window before explicitly requesting a SIB refresh (Vos: col. 10 lines 32-62).
Regarding claim 11, Maleki and Vos teach all the limitations as discussed in the rejection of claim 4, and therefore apparatus claim 11 is rejected using the same rationales.
Claim(s) 5 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki in view of Shrestha et al. US20200229095A1, hereinafter Shrestha.
Regarding claim 5, Maleki teaches the method of claim 1, Maleki does not explicitly teach: wherein the configuration information includes first information on an offset for the WUS, and second information on a number of repetitions of the WUS, and wherein the WUS is repeatedly received from the base station within monitoring occasions included in the occasion for the WUS based on the first information and the second information.
Shrestha from the same or similar fields of endeavor teach: wherein the configuration information includes first information on an offset for the WUS,
(Shrestha: para. [0103-0104] UE 101 may be configured to apply a WUS offset to determine when UE 101 should begin PO monitoring. In some embodiments, the WUS offset may be provided to UE 101 as part of system information (e.g., in a SIB) from RAN node 111. Additionally, the WUS offset may include a period of time. As shown, UE 101 may determine when to begin PO monitoring by applying the WUS offset from the reception of the wake up indication (e.g., detecting the WUS))
and second information on a number of repetitions of the WUS, and wherein the WUS is repeatedly received from the base station within monitoring occasions included in the occasion for the WUS based on the first information and the second information.
(Shrestha: para. [0043 & 0059 & 0104] RAN node 111 may estimate the number of repetitions to be used for UE 101, which may be based on how the design of the WUS repetitions are mapped to the coverage level. For example, sending the WUS for coverage level 1, may include repetition (Rmax)/16 repetitions, which may be part of system information. The RAN node may add this information in a UE paging coverage information message. Para. [0044] UE paging coverage information message that may be used by RAN node 111 to provide MME 121 with coverage information and/or a number of WUS repetitions for UE 101) Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of Shrestha in the method of Maleki. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so for among the benefits of using groups to manage and control which UEs 101 are to monitor one or more POs is that resources may be re-used for different groups while the wake-up frequency (the frequency with which a particular UE 101 may wake up) could be reduced, thus improving UE power savings, while keeping the resource allocation low (e.g., air interface resources within the specified bandwidth) (Shrestha: para. [0119]).
Regarding claim 12, Maleki and Shrestha teach all the limitations as discussed in the rejection of claim 5, and therefore apparatus claim 12 is rejected using the same rationales.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please also PTO-892.
Chen et al. US 20230388930 A1 in para. [0228] teaches Receiving a system information change indication, where the system information change indication is used to receive a notification by using the wake-up signal or the activation signal in the first state. [0229] (6) Enabling a second timer, and if the second timer expires.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WUTCHUNG CHU whose telephone number is (571)272-4064. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Moo R Jeong can be reached at (571) 272-9617. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WUTCHUNG CHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2418
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