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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-4, 7-8, 11, 13-17, 22-25, 27-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu (US 2025/0056498 A1) in view of Bala et al. (US 2023/0189147 A1) (Bala herein after).
Re Claims 1 and 29, Fu discloses an apparatus and method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
a memory (memory [0023]); and at least one processor (processor [0022]) coupled to the memory and, based at least in part on information stored in the memory, the at least one processor is configured to:
receive at least one of a paging early indication (PEI) or a paging indication based on a configuration for a search space associated with the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication (the user equipment receives the DCI for carrying the paging early indication (PEI) sent by the network device through the first search space, wherein the first search space is a search space for transmitting the DCI for carrying the PEI, and the number of bits of the DCI for carrying the PEI is determined based on the first search space [0087]).
Fu discloses the claimed invention except transmit a message to a network node via a relay node based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication.
However, Bala discloses a mobile communications using wireless communication comprising transmit a message to a network node via a relay node (relay nodes [0031]) based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication (A WTRU may move to RRC_IDLE and inform NAS, for example, if the WTRU receives a CN initiated paging in RRC_INACTIVE state [0099]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify method and system of Fu, by making use of the technique taught by Bala, in order to improve the energy efficiency.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of paging, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Fu, nor does Fu teach away from the modification (Fu merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the xxx taught by Bala is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of transmit a message to a network node via a relay node based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication.
Re Claim 2, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Bala discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the configuration for the search space associated with the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication from at least one of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device, the network node associated with a last radio resource control (RRC) connection to the UE, or the relay node (WUS search space may be specified, defined, and/or configured. A search space may indicate to a WTRU (e.g., among others) the monitoring occasions of a WUS signal/channel. A WUS search space may indicate to a WTRU one or more of the following: a periodicity of the monitoring occasions, a duration of the monitoring occasions, a time window during which the monitoring may be performed, or the frequency resources to monitor, etc. A WTRU may (e.g., in each monitoring occasion) monitor a WUS block (e.g., a PI), where a WUS block (e.g., PI) may have a sequence and/or a channel component [0194]).
Re Claim 3, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 2, Bala discloses wherein the configuration is received from the network node associated with the last RRC connection to the UE based on at least one of RRC signaling or a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE) (One or more paging indications may be configured (e.g., via a broadcasting channel or a RRC configuration) for one or more POs [0124]).
Re Claim 4, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Fu discloses wherein the configuration for the search space associated with the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication is based on a predefined protocol (In the existing protocol, the UE needs to wake up in each paging cycle for synchronization and for blindly detecting of its paging downlink control information (Paging DCI) in its corresponding paging occasion. In R17, in order to save terminal energy consumption in idle state, the base station can send a paging early indication (PEI) to the terminal. In the existing PEI design, the mechanism adopted is that if the UE receives the PEI corresponding to the UE, and the PEI indicates the UE to wake up, then the UE needs to wake up before the PO corresponding to the PEI to monitor the paging message [0004]).
Re Claim 7, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the paging indication is indicative of at least one of a preamble format index, a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) index, or a resource set index, wherein the message is transmitted to the network node via the relay node based on the at least one of the preamble format index, the RNTI index, or the resource set index (WTRU may (e.g., in RRC Idle state) monitor short messages (e.g., transmitted with a paging RNTI (P-RNTI) over DCI) and a paging channel (e.g., for CN paging using 5G-S-TMSI). A WTRU may (e.g., in RRC Inactive state) monitor short messages (e.g., transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI) and a paging channel (e.g., for CN paging using 5G-S-TMSI and RAN paging using full-RNTI). A WTRU may (e.g., in RRC Connected state) monitor short messages (e.g., transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI) [0105]; PO index to which the paging indication is associated with may be determined from the RNTI of the paging indication channel [0180]).
Re Claim 8, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 7, Bala discloses wherein the at least one of the preamble format index, the RNTI index, or the resource set index is configured to avoid a resource collision associated with other scheduled communications (A paging indication (e.g., the WTRU group-specific PI as shown in FIG. 7B) may be a channel based indication. A WTRU may receive a transmission (e.g., may receive a channel via the transmission). A parameter of the channel may indicate to the WTRU whether to monitor a PO (e.g., an associated PO). In examples (e.g., if the channel paging indication uses a PDCCH-based channel), an RNTI that may be used to scramble the CRC of the PDCCH, the payload bits carried within the PDCCH, etc. may (e.g., be used to) indicate to the WTRU whether to monitor a PO (e.g., an associated PO). [0119]).
Re Claim 11, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Bala discloses wherein the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication is received from at least one of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device or the relay node based on the relay node being within a threshold range of the UE (base station 114a may be part of the RAN 104/113, which may also include other base stations and/or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), relay nodes, etc [0031]).
Re Claim 13, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Bala discloses wherein the search space corresponds to a common search space (CSS) or a dedicated search space (DSS) (WUS search space may be specified, defined, and/or configured. A search space may indicate to a WTRU (e.g., among others) the monitoring occasions of a WUS signal/channel. A WUS search space may indicate to a WTRU one or more of the following: a periodicity of the monitoring occasions, a duration of the monitoring occasions, a time window during which the monitoring may be performed, or the frequency resources to monitor, etc. A WTRU may (e.g., in each monitoring occasion) monitor a WUS block (e.g., a PI), where a WUS block (e.g., PI) may have a sequence and/or a channel component [0194]).
Re Claim 14, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 1, Bala discloses further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor (transmit/receive element, antenna, [0045]).
Re Claims 15 and 30, Fu discloses an apparatus and a method for wireless communication at a relay node, comprising:
a memory (memory [0019]); and at least one processor (processor [0018]) coupled to the memory and, based at least in part on information stored in the memory, the at least one processor is configured to:
transmit, to a terrestrial user equipment (UE), or receive, from a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device, at least one of a paging early indication (PEI) or a paging indication based on a configuration for a search space associated with the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication (the user equipment receives the DCI for carrying the paging early indication (PEI) sent by the network device through the first search space, wherein the first search space is a search space for transmitting the DCI for carrying the PEI, and the number of bits of the DCI for carrying the PEI is determined based on the first search space [0087]).
Fu discloses the claimed invention except receive a message from the terrestrial UE based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication; and relay the message to a network node after receiving the message from the terrestrial UE.
However, Bala discloses a mobile communications using wireless communication comprising receive a message from the terrestrial UE based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication (A WTRU may move to RRC_IDLE and inform NAS, for example, if the WTRU receives a CN initiated paging in RRC_INACTIVE state [0099]); and relay the message to a network node after receiving the message from the terrestrial UE (relay nodes [0031]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify method and system of Fu, by making use of the technique taught by Bala, in order to improve the energy efficiency.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of paging, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Fu, nor does Fu teach away from the modification (Fu merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the xxx taught by Bala is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of receive a message from the terrestrial UE based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication; and relay the message to a network node after receiving the message from the terrestrial UE.
Re Claim 16, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 15, Bala discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the configuration for the search space associated with the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication from at least one of the NTN device or the network node (WUS search space may be specified, defined, and/or configured. A search space may indicate to a WTRU (e.g., among others) the monitoring occasions of a WUS signal/channel. A WUS search space may indicate to a WTRU one or more of the following: a periodicity of the monitoring occasions, a duration of the monitoring occasions, a time window during which the monitoring may be performed, or the frequency resources to monitor, etc. A WTRU may (e.g., in each monitoring occasion) monitor a WUS block (e.g., a PI), where a WUS block (e.g., PI) may have a sequence and/or a channel component [0194]).
Re Claim 17, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 15, Bala discloses wherein the configuration for the search space associated with the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication is based on a predefined protocol (In the existing protocol, the UE needs to wake up in each paging cycle for synchronization and for blindly detecting of its paging downlink control information (Paging DCI) in its corresponding paging occasion. In R17, in order to save terminal energy consumption in idle state, the base station can send a paging early indication (PEI) to the terminal. In the existing PEI design, the mechanism adopted is that if the UE receives the PEI corresponding to the UE, and the PEI indicates the UE to wake up, then the UE needs to wake up before the PO corresponding to the PEI to monitor the paging message [0004]).
Re Claim 22, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 15, Bala discloses wherein the paging indication is indicative of at least one of a preamble format index, a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) index, or a resource set index, wherein the message is received from the terrestrial UE based on the at least one of the preamble format index, the RNTI index, or the resource set index (WTRU may (e.g., in RRC Idle state) monitor short messages (e.g., transmitted with a paging RNTI (P-RNTI) over DCI) and a paging channel (e.g., for CN paging using 5G-S-TMSI). A WTRU may (e.g., in RRC Inactive state) monitor short messages (e.g., transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI) and a paging channel (e.g., for CN paging using 5G-S-TMSI and RAN paging using full-RNTI). A WTRU may (e.g., in RRC Connected state) monitor short messages (e.g., transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI) [0105]; PO index to which the paging indication is associated with may be determined from the RNTI of the paging indication channel [0180]).
Re Claim 23, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 22, Bala discloses wherein the at least one of the preamble format index, the RNTI index, or the resource set index is configured to avoid a resource collision associated with other scheduled communications (A paging indication (e.g., the WTRU group-specific PI as shown in FIG. 7B) may be a channel based indication. A WTRU may receive a transmission (e.g., may receive a channel via the transmission). A parameter of the channel may indicate to the WTRU whether to monitor a PO (e.g., an associated PO). In examples (e.g., if the channel paging indication uses a PDCCH-based channel), an RNTI that may be used to scramble the CRC of the PDCCH, the payload bits carried within the PDCCH, etc. may (e.g., be used to) indicate to the WTRU whether to monitor a PO (e.g., an associated PO). [0119]).
Re Claim 24, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 22, Bala discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to skip a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission for the paging indication based on a default configuration for reception of the message.
Re Claim 25, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 15, Bala discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to monitor for the message from the terrestrial UE based on the at least one of the PEI or the paging indication, wherein the at least one processor monitors for the message from the terrestrial UE prior to receiving the message from the terrestrial UE (A WTRU may move to RRC_IDLE and inform NAS, for example, if the WTRU receives a CN initiated paging in RRC_INACTIVE state [0099]).
Re Claim 27, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 15, Bala discloses wherein the search space corresponds to a common search space (CSS) or a dedicated search space (DSS) (WUS search space may be specified, defined, and/or configured. A search space may indicate to a WTRU (e.g., among others) the monitoring occasions of a WUS signal/channel. A WUS search space may indicate to a WTRU one or more of the following: a periodicity of the monitoring occasions, a duration of the monitoring occasions, a time window during which the monitoring may be performed, or the frequency resources to monitor, etc. A WTRU may (e.g., in each monitoring occasion) monitor a WUS block (e.g., a PI), where a WUS block (e.g., PI) may have a sequence and/or a channel component [0194]).
Re Claim 28, the combined teachings disclose the apparatus of claim 15, Bala discloses further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor (transmit/receive element, antenna, [0045]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 9-10, 12, 18-21, 26 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Gao et al. (US 2025/0039842 A1) – paging indication information transmission method and communication apparatus
Zhang et al. (US 2024/0430857 A1) – paging early indication
Shi et al. (US 2024/0381316 A1) – power saving method and apparatus
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/KENNETH T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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