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 INTERPRETATION
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: unit configured to in claims 1-5 paragraphs 0145, 0151, disclose: For example, the transmitting/receiving antenna, the amplifier unit, the transmitting/receiving unit, The electronic control unit 2010 includes a microprocessor 2031, a memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. The electronic control unit 2010 receives signals from the various sensors 2021-2029 provided in the vehicle 2001.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
The term “control unit configured to assume” in claim 4 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “assume” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The applicant claims or specification does not define how the control unit assume the terminal determines whether or not the function is enabled
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (U.S. Pub No. 2020/0100179 A1).
1, Zhou teaches a terminal comprising: a reception unit configured to receive control information from a base station indicating an indication related to a discontinuous reception function for the base station to disable a receiver unit [fig 3, par 0404, 0407, A base station (e.g., 4202 in FIG. 42) may transmit to a wireless device (e.g., 4201 in FIG. 42), one or more RRC messages comprising first configuration parameters of a plurality of DRX configurations. The base station may transmit to the wireless device, a third DCI (e.g., 3rd DCI in FIG. 42) indicating enabling (or activating) full function mode];
and a control unit configured to determine whether or not the base station has enabled the discontinuous reception function, based on the control information [par 0407, In response to receiving the third DCI, the wireless device may disable (or deactivate) the first DRX configuration and/or the second DRX configuration. As shown in FIG. 42, in the full function mode, the wireless device may monitor a third PDCCH, for at least one DCI with the one or more third DCI formats based on the one or more third RNTIs]
2, Zhou provide the terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether or not to transmit a signal to the base station based on the control information [par 0304, 0305, The base station 2802 may trigger the wireless device 2804 (e.g., using one or more messages, such as DCI messages and/or MAC CE messages) to switch to a power saving mode (or a power efficient mode) from the normal access mode. The wireless device 2804 may (e.g., in the power saving mode): monitor for a power saving signal/channel; not transmit (e.g., refrain from transmitting) PUCCH, PUSCH, SRS, and/or PRACH without detecting/receiving the power saving signal; The wireless device 2804 may send (e.g., transmit) one or more indicators to the base station 2802 indicating a mode (e.g., the power saving mode, or the normal access mode), and/or mode switching, for example, to align the base station 2802 and the wireless device 2804 regarding a mode of the wireless device 2804.]
3, Zhou demonstrates the terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the control information is for each terminal or is common to a group including a plurality of terminals [par 0138, The wireless device may monitor a group common search space which may be used by the base station for sending (e.g., transmitting) DCIs that are intended for a group of wireless devices. A group common DCI may correspond to an RNTI which is commonly configured for a group of wireless devices. The wireless device may monitor a wireless device-specific search space. A wireless device specific DCI may correspond to an RNTI configured for the wireless device].
4, Zhou discloses a base station comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit control information indicating an indication related to a discontinuous reception function for disabling a receiver unit to a terminal[fig 3, par 0404, 0407, A base station (e.g., 4202 in FIG. 42) may transmit to a wireless device (e.g., 4201 in FIG. 42), one or more RRC messages comprising first configuration parameters of a plurality of DRX configurations. The base station may transmit to the wireless device, a third DCI (e.g., 3rd DCI in FIG. 42) indicating enabling (or activating) full function mode];
and a control unit configured to assume that the terminal determines whether or not the discontinuous reception function is enabled based on the control information [par 0124, A radio network may support periodic, aperiodic, and/or semi-persistent transmission of the downlink CSI-RS 522. A base station may semi-statically configure and/or reconfigure a wireless device with periodic transmission of the downlink CSI-RS 522. A configured CSI-RS resources may be activated and/or deactivated. For semi-persistent transmission, an activation and/or deactivation of a CSI-RS resource may be triggered dynamically. A CSI-RS configuration may comprise one or more parameters indicating at least a number of antenna ports. A base station may configure a wireless device with 32 ports, or any other number of ports. A base station may semi-statically configure a wireless device with one or more CSI-RS resource sets. One or more CSI-RS resources may be allocated from one or more CSI-RS resource sets to one or more wireless devices].
5. Zhou create a communication method performed by a terminal, the communication method comprising: receiving control information from a base station indicating an indication related to a discontinuous reception function for the base station to disable a receiver unit[fig 3, par 0404, 0407, A base station (e.g., 4202 in FIG. 42) may transmit to a wireless device (e.g., 4201 in FIG. 42), one or more RRC messages comprising first configuration parameters of a plurality of DRX configurations. The base station may transmit to the wireless device, a third DCI (e.g., 3rd DCI in FIG. 42) indicating enabling (or activating) full function mode];
and determining whether or not the base station has enabled the discontinuous reception function, based on the control information[par 0407, In response to receiving the third DCI, the wireless device may disable (or deactivate) the first DRX configuration and/or the second DRX configuration. As shown in FIG. 42, in the full function mode, the wireless device may monitor a third PDCCH, for at least one DCI with the one or more third DCI formats based on the one or more third RNTIs].
6, Zhou convey the terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control information is for each terminal or is common to a group including a plurality of terminals [par 0138, The wireless device may monitor a group common search space which may be used by the base station for sending (e.g., transmitting) DCIs that are intended for a group of wireless devices. A group common DCI may correspond to an RNTI which is commonly configured for a group of wireless devices. The wireless device may monitor a wireless device-specific search space. A wireless device specific DCI may correspond to an RNTI configured for the wireless device].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON A HARLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5435. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-300 6:30-8:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marcus Smith can be reached at (571) 270-1096. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON A HARLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 2468
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