DETAILED ACTION
This is in response to applicant's communication filed on 09/19/2024, wherein:
Claims 1-17 and 20-21 are pending.
Claims 2-3, 6-8, 11-12, and 15-16 are amended.
Claims 18-19, and 22-23 are cancelled.
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 1, 10, and 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fei et al. (US 20220338121 A1) in view of Li (CN-113873641-A).
Regarding claim 1, Fei discloses a method for receiving paging search space configuration information, performed by a user equipment (Fig. 10 – terminal device), the method comprising:
receiving a low power wakeup signal sent by the network device (Abstract, Fig. 10 step S1001, and ¶0189 – “S1001: The network device sends a first WUS. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first WUS”); and
receiving the paging DCI in the paging search space according to indication of the low power wakeup signal (Fig. 10 step 1003, and ¶0196-0198 disclose receiving DCI on the PO wherein ¶0095 – “DCI for scheduling the paging message, namely, paging DCI, may be sent on a PO. The PO may be determined based on a paging search space and a corresponding control resource set. The paging search space is used to indicate a monitoring occasion of a PDCCH that carries the downlink control information”);
wherein the paging search space is used for the user equipment to receive paging downlink control information (DCI) (¶0095 – “DCI for scheduling the paging message, namely, paging DCI, may be sent on a PO. The PO may be determined based on a paging search space and a corresponding control resource set. The paging search space is used to indicate a monitoring occasion of a PDCCH that carries the downlink control information”).
However, the reference is silent on details about receiving configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a paging search space.
Li discloses receiving configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a paging search space (Fig. 4 and page 7 of translation– “S401, the network device sends the cell configuration information to the terminal device. wherein, the cell configuration information comprises paging search space configuration information”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Fei to incorporate the step of providing configuration to UE for identifying search space from Li because doing so would applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results (MPEP §2141 -III) to utilize known method for providing UE with necessary information to obtain paging information.
Regarding claim 10, Fei discloses a method for sending paging search space configuration information, performed by a network device, the method comprising:
sending a low power wakeup signal to the user equipment (Abstract, Fig. 10 step S1001, and ¶0189 – “S1001: The network device sends a first WUS. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first WUS”); and
sending the paging DCI in the paging search space (Fig. 10 step 1003, and ¶0196-0198 disclose receiving DCI on the PO wherein ¶0095 – “DCI for scheduling the paging message, namely, paging DCI, may be sent on a PO. The PO may be determined based on a paging search space and a corresponding control resource set. The paging search space is used to indicate a monitoring occasion of a PDCCH that carries the downlink control information”);
wherein the paging search space is used for the user equipment to receive paging downlink control information (DCI) (¶0095 – “DCI for scheduling the paging message, namely, paging DCI, may be sent on a PO. The PO may be determined based on a paging search space and a corresponding control resource set. The paging search space is used to indicate a monitoring occasion of a PDCCH that carries the downlink control information”).
However, the reference is silent on details about sending configuration information to a user equipment, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a paging search space.
Li discloses sending configuration information to a user equipment, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a paging search space (Fig. 4 and page 7 – “S401, the network device sends the cell configuration information to the terminal device. wherein, the cell configuration information comprises paging search space configuration information”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Fei to incorporate the step of providing configuration to UE for identifying search space from Li because doing so would applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results (MPEP §2141 -III) to utilize known method for providing UE with necessary information to obtain paging information.
Regarding claim 20, the scope and content of the claim recite a communication apparatus for performing the method of claim 1, therefore, being addressed as presented in claim 1.
Regarding claim 21, the scope and content of the claim recite a communication apparatus configured to perform the method according to claim 10, therefore, being addressed as in claim 10.
Claim 2-3, 6-7, 11-12, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fei et al. (US 20220338121 A1) in view of Li (CN-113873641-A) and Hu et al. (US 20240314736 A1).
Regarding claim 2, the combined teaching of Li and Fei discloses the method according to claim 1, however, silent on further details of claim 2.
Hu discloses wherein, a cycle corresponding to the paging search space comprises multiple physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions; and each PDCCH monitoring occasion corresponds to an actually transmitted synchronization signal block (SSB) beam (¶0035- “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Li and Fei to incorporate number of PDCCH having equal to the number of SSB from Hu because doing so would make use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP §2141 -III) to implement 3GPP standard.
Regarding claim 3, the combined teaching of Li and Fei discloses the method according to claim 1, however, silent on further details of claim 3.
Hu discloses wherein, a number of multiple physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions included in one cycle of the paging search space is greater than or equal to M, M being a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) that are actually transmitted (¶0035 – “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Li and Fei to incorporate number of PDCCH having equal to the number of SSB from Hu because doing so would make use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP §2141 -III) to implement 3GPP standard.
Regarding claim 6, the combined teaching of Li and Fe discloses the method according to claim 1, however, silent on further details of claim 6.
Hu discloses wherein a number of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions included in one cycle of the paging search space is a product of M and N, M being a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) that are actually transmitted, and N being an integer greater than zero (¶0035- “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)” which match with claims description when M = X and N=1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Li and Fei to incorporate number of PDCCH having equal to the number of SSB from Hu because doing so would make use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP §2141 -III) to implement 3GPP standard.
Regarding claim 7, the combined teaching of Li, Fei, and Hu discloses the method according to claim 6, further comprising: receiving system message configuration information sent by the network device, wherein the system message configuration information comprises information used for determining N, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1 (Hu - ¶0035- “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)” which match with claims description when M = X and N=1). The combined teaching is obvious for the same reason indicated in claim 6.
Regarding claim 11, the combined teaching of Li and Fei discloses the method according to claim 10, however, silent on further details of claim 11.
Hu discloses wherein, a paging cycle corresponding to the paging search space comprises multiple physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions; and each PDCCH monitoring occasion corresponds to an actually transmitted synchronization signal block (SSB) beam (¶0035- “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Li and Fei to incorporate number of PDCCH having equal to the number of SSB from Hu because doing so would make use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP §2141 -III) to implement 3GPP standard.
Regarding claim 12, the combined teaching of Fei and Li discloses the method according to claim 10, however, silent on further details of claim 12.
Hu discloses wherein, a number of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions included in one paging cycle is greater than or equal to M, M being a number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) that are actually transmitted (¶0035 – “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Li and Fei to incorporate number of PDCCH having equal to the number of SSB from Hu because doing so would make use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP §2141 -III) to implement 3GPP standard.
Regarding claim 15, the combined teaching of Li and Fei discloses the method according to claim 10, however, silent on further details of claim 11.
Hu discloses wherein, a number of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions included in the one paging cycle is a product of M and N, M being the number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) that are actually transmitted, and N being an integer greater than zero (¶0035- “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)” which match with claims description when M = X and N=1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before effective filing date of the claimed the invention, to modify the invention of Li and Fei to incorporate number of PDCCH having equal to the number of SSB from Hu because doing so would make use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP §2141 -III) to implement 3GPP standard.
Regarding claim 16, the combined teaching of Li, Fei, and Hu discloses the method according to claim 15, further comprising: sending system message configuration information to the user equipment, wherein the system message configuration information comprises information used for determining N, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1 (Hu - ¶0035- “Under the paging DRX mechanism, the terminal device only monitors paging during a paging occasion (PO) in each DRX cycle. TS 38.304 specifies that the PO is composed of multiple PDCCH monitoring occasions on a paging search space, and one PO contains X PDCCH monitoring occasions, and X is equal to the number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) broadcasted in a Master Information Block (MIB)” which match with claims description when M = X and N=1). The combined teaching is obvious for the same reason indicated in claim 15.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-5, 8-9, 13-14, and 17 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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUNG HONG whose telephone number is (571)270-7928. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, JINSONG HU, can be reached on (571) 272-3965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUNG HONG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
Prosecution Insights