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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted on 9 October 2024 and 22 October 2025. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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)(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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shrivastava et al. US 2022/0217636 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Shrivastava”).
As to claim 1, Shrivastava teaches a base station (¶¶44-46 and 150; figures 2 and 10: BS/gNB 202), comprising:
at least one memory (¶46: memory); and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to (¶46: processor(s)):
determine to perform state transmission (¶150; figure 10: gNB determines whether to change (enable/disable) the state of the power saving signals for UEs); and
transmit a state transition notify message (¶150; figure 10: gNB transmits PES_CONFIGURE (DISABLE) or PES_CONFIGURE (ENABLE, WUS AND ASSOCIATED CONFIG)).
As to claim 2, Shrivastava teaches the base station of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the base station to determine to perform state transition based on a received indication or a predetermined criterion meeting a predetermined threshold (¶¶126-127 and 150; figure 10: determine transition based on received transition assistance information/PSNI/PES and/or triggering/occurrence/event/scenario/threshold being met).
As to claim 3, Shrivastava teaches the base station of claim 2, wherein different predetermined thresholds are used for the state transition to different states (¶¶126-127 and 150; figure 10: different triggering/occurrence/event/scenario/threshold being met result in different RRC idle mode/RRC inactive mode/power efficient state transitions).
As to claim 4, Shrivastava teaches the base station of claim 1, wherein the state transition notify message is an indication of state transition or a feedback request for state transition (¶¶126-127 and 150; figure 10: transition notify message indicates transition and/or responds to UE request for transition).
As to claim 5, Shrivastava teaches the base station of claim 4, wherein the state transition notify message includes at least one of:
a cell identifier (ID);
time related information on the state transition;
state transition information;
a configuration after the state transition; and
updated paging information (¶150; figure 10: PES transition information/configuration).
As to claim 6, Shrivastava teaches the base station of claim 1, wherein the state transition notify message is transmitted to at least one of:
user equipments (UEs) camping on or being connected to the base station;
neighboring base stations; and
core network (¶¶44-46, 126-127, and 150; figures 2 and 10: transmit state transition notification message to UEs).
As to claim 7, claim 7 is rejected the same way as claim 1.
As to claim 8, Shrivastava teaches a user equipment (UE) (¶¶44, 84-84, and 150; figures 2-3 and 10: UE 206), comprising:
at least one memory (¶¶85 and 87; figure 3); and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to (¶¶85 and 90; figure 3):
receive a state transition notify message from a base station (¶150; figure 10: UE receives PES_CONFIGURE (DISABLE) or PES_CONFIGURE (ENABLE, WUS AND ASSOCIATED CONFIG) from gNB).
As to claim 9, Shrivastava teaches the UE of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit a state transition response message to the base station (¶¶95 and 126: UE sends HARQ to gNB in response to receiving transition notify message).
As to claim 10, claim 10 is rejected the same way as claim 5.
As to claim 11, Shrivastava teaches the UE of claim 9, wherein the state transition response message includes the UE's preference for the state transition (¶¶82, 95, 126, and 150; figure 10: acknowledge preferred transition and/or provide information for preferred/desired transition).
As to claim 12, Shrivastava teaches the UE of claim 11, wherein the state transition response message further includes suggested configuration of the base station after the state transition (¶¶82, 95, 126, and 150; figure 10: after state transition, UE wishes to change state again and transmits transition info suggesting configuration information for next transition).
As to claim 13, claim 13 is rejected the same way as claim 8.
As to claim 14, claim 14 is rejected the same way as claim 9.
As to claim 15, claim 15 is rejected the same way as claim 5.
As to claim 16, claim 16 is rejected the same way as claim 2.
As to claim 17, claim 17 is rejected the same way as claim 3.
As to claim 18, claim 18 is rejected the same way as claim 4.
As to claim 19, claim 19 is rejected the same way as claim 5.
As to claim 20, claim 20 is rejected the same way as claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Yue et al. US 2021/0076447 A1 – Secondary Cell State Indication Method and Communication Device
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN T VAN ROIE whose telephone number is (571)270-0308. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ian N Moore can be reached at 571-272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN T VAN ROIE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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