DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 32-33, 35-37, and 39-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ciftcioglu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0007286 (hereinafter Ciftcioglu).
Regarding claim 32, Ciftcioglu discloses a method by a user equipment (disclosed is a method by a UE, according to [0128], Fig. 4) comprising:
receiving, from a network device, a configuration associated with a cell serving the user equipment (the UE receives, from a serving cell (first base station) [“a network device”], a DRX cycle configuration that is associated with said serving cell, according to [0131]-[0132], Fig. 4 [step 405]),
wherein the configuration is for at least one of a first duration for an inactive mode of the cell and a second duration for an active mode of the cell (the DRX cycle configuration specifies a DRX on duration during which the UE is in an active state [“second duration for an active mode”], according to [0131]), and
wherein the configuration comprises:
a periodicity for the inactive mode or the active mode (the configuration indicates a measurement periodicity [“active mode”], according to [0134]);
a timing offset for the inactive mode or the active mode (the configuration specifies a time domain offset for performing measurements [“active mode”], according to [0134], [0136]); and
a timer for the inactive mode or the active mode (the configuration specifies a DRX inactivity timer [“inactive mode”], according to [0132]); and
performing, based on the configuration, a data communication with the network device via the cell (the DRX cycle configuration enables the detection and decoding of a PDCCH communication that is intended for the UE, according to [0132], whereby said PDCCH communication in turn enables the UE to perform downlink data communication, via a PDSCH, and uplink data communication, via a PUSCH, with the cell, according to [0122]).
Regarding claim 36, Ciftcioglu discloses a method by a network device (disclosed is a method by a first base station of a serving cell [“network device”], according to [0128], Fig. 4) comprising:
transmitting, to a user equipment, a configuration associated with a cell serving the user equipment (the first base station of the serving cell transmits, to a UE, a DRX cycle configuration that is associated with said serving cell, according to [0131]-[0132], Fig. 4 [step 405]),
wherein the configuration is for at least one of a first duration for an inactive mode of the cell and a second duration for an active mode of the cell (the DRX cycle configuration specifies a DRX on duration during which the UE is in an active state [“second duration for an active mode”], according to [0131]), and
wherein the configuration comprises:
a periodicity for the inactive mode or the active mode (the configuration indicates a measurement periodicity [“active mode”], according to [0134]);
a timing offset for the inactive mode or the active mode (the configuration specifies a time domain offset for performing measurements [“active mode”], according to [0134], [0136]); and
a timer for the inactive mode or the active mode (the configuration specifies a DRX inactivity timer [“inactive mode”], according to [0132]); and
performing, based on the configuration, a data communication with the user equipment via the cell (the DRX cycle configuration enables the detection and decoding of a PDCCH communication that is intended for the UE, according to [0132], whereby said PDCCH communication in turn enables the UE to perform downlink data communication, via a PDSCH, and uplink data communication, via a PUSCH, with the cell, according to [0122]).
Claim 40 recites the user equipment, comprising at least one memory; and at least one hardware processor coupled to the at least one memory (disclosed is a UE that comprises a memory and a processor that is coupled to said memory, according to [0112], [0114], Fig. 2 [elements 120, 280, and 282]), that performs the method recited in claim 32, and is therefore rejected on the same grounds as claim 32.
Claim 41 recites the network device, comprising at least one memory; and at least one hardware processor coupled to the at least one memory (disclosed is a base station that comprises a memory and a processor that is coupled to said memory, according to [0115]-[0116], Fig. 2 [elements 200, 240, and 242]), that performs the method recited in claim 36, and is therefore rejected on the same grounds as claim 36.
Regarding claim 33, Ciftcioglu discloses the method according to claim 32, wherein the cell is a first cell (the serving cell is a first cell and a neighboring cell is a second cell, according to [0128], Fig. 4), and
wherein the configuration is for at least one of a third duration for an inactive mode of a second cell other than the first cell and a fourth duration for an active mode of the second cell (the UE is configured to perform a measurement on a neighboring cell during a measurement gap of the DRX cycle [“a fourth duration for an active mode of the second cell”], according to [0136]).
Regarding claim 35, Ciftcioglu discloses the method according to claim 32, wherein the performing the data communication comprises:
determining a valid reception duration for the cell based on the second duration (the PDCCH communication schedules a downlink data communication, according to [0122]); and
performing a data reception during the valid reception duration (the UE obtains a downlink data communication during the time scheduled for said communication, according to [0122]).
Claim 37 does not differ substantively from claim 33, and is therefore rejected on the same grounds as claim 33.
Claim 39 does not differ substantively from claim 35, and is therefore rejected on the same grounds as claim 35.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Claims 34 and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ciftcioglu as applied to claims 33 and 37 above, in view of Koorapaty et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0262000 (hereinafter Koorapaty).
Regarding claim 34, Ciftcioglu discloses all the limitations of claim 33.
Ciftcioglu does not expressly disclose that the first duration and the third duration at least partially do not overlap, or the second duration and the fourth duration at least partially do not overlap.
Koorapaty discloses that the first duration and the third duration at least partially do not overlap, or the second duration and the fourth duration at least partially do not overlap (a measurement gap [this corresponds to the claimed “fourth duration” as outlined in the rejection of claim 33] occurs during a DRX off duration [the claimed “second duration” is a DRX on duration as outlined in the rejection of claim 32, which means that the measurement gap/fourth duration, occurring during a DRX off duration, does not overlap with the DRX on duration/second duration], according to [0096]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ciftcioglu with Koorapaty such that the first duration and the third duration at least partially do not overlap, or the second duration and the fourth duration at least partially do not overlap.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to prevent measurement quality being adversely impacted (Koorapaty: [0009]).
Claim 38 does not differ substantively from claim 34, and is therefore rejected on the same grounds as claim 34.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW W GENACK whose telephone number is (571)272-7541. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Addy can be reached at 571-272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MATTHEW W GENACK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
Prosecution Insights