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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3, 15 and 16 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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2020/089513 A1 herein in view of US 2023/0231680 A1 herein Cui, and further in view of US 2025/0119777 A1 herein Bergstrom.
Claim 1, Kaikkonen discloses a first device, comprising: (Pg. 16: 7-8, disclosing a user equipment (UE) 710 in wireless communication with a wireless network 700, wherein "[a] UE is a wireless, typically mobile device that can access a wireless network"; FIG. 7);
at least one processor (Pg. 16: 8-10, "The UE 710 includes one or more processors 720, one or more memories 725, and one or more transceivers 730 interconnected through one or more buses 727"; FIG. 7); and
at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device at least to: (Pg. 16: 15, "The one or more memories 725 include computer program code 723");
perform a first evaluation to determine whether a relaxation criterion of signal measurement is met (Pg. 20: 22-27, "Mobility state is determined to be low or stationary based on expiry of a timer Tl_mobility _state_rrm and a threshold condition of a mobility parameter. Timer Tl is started when UE estimates or measures that it is in low or stationary mobility state.");
determine, based on at least one of the first evaluation or the second evaluation, whether a report regarding a change of a relaxation status of the signal measurement is initiated to be transmitted to a second device (Pg. 22: 29-32, "In one further aspect of the invention the measurement adaptation of RRM or beam management measurements (based on methods described herein e.g. mobility state/measurement adaptation state) may also include adaptation reporting of measurements (this may be additional or alternative to measurement scaling i.e. only reporting is scaled, measurements are scaled, or both)"; Pg. 38: 13-15, claim 13, claiming the same; Pg. 23: 1-10, disclosing that the adaptation comprises performing less frequent reporting of measurements when the UE is considered to be in a specific state, and that the network may implicitly determine when the UE does not transmit reports on specific intervals; Pg. 16: 26-29, disclosing that the RAN node 770 is a base station that provides access by wireless devices such as the UE 710 to the wireless network 700, and constitutes the second device).
Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose perform a second evaluation to determine whether a transition between discontinuous reception and non-discontinuous reception occurs; and; [the report is] regarding a change of a relaxation status of the signal measurement.
Cui discloses perform a second evaluation to determine whether a transition between discontinuous reception and non-discontinuous reception occurs; and ([0054], "A change in a DRX mode of a UE may be a transition from DRX to no DRX, a transition from no DRX to DRX, or a change in the timing (e.g., a change in the periodicity) of a DRX cycle of the UE"; [0064] and FIG. 4 operation 408, disclosing transitioning at a first time from a first DRX mode to a second DRX mode, wherein "DRX may be active during one of the first DRX mode and the second DRX mode and inactive during the other of the first DRX mode and the second DRX mode"; [0055]; [0059], applying the same requirement to each BFD-RS resource as the disclosed solution, such that determining the occurrence of the transition is a necessary predicate to the disclosed behavior). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include performing DRX transition determination as taught by Cui so as to apply the correct measurement behavior across DRX transition.
Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose [the report is] regarding a change of a relaxation status of the signal measurement.
Bergstrom discloses [ the report is] regarding a change of a relaxation status of the signal measurement ([0018], "The criterion may be an unfulfillment criterion that may indicate that the wireless device is in a state that is unsuitable for radio measurement relaxation"; [0028], "In response to determining that the unfulfillment criterion has been met, the radio measurement relaxation report may indicate that the unfulfillment criterion has been met"; [0014] and [0027], disclosing that in response to transmitting the measurement relaxation report the device receives a command from the RAN node indicating that it should commence radio measurement relaxation; [0020] and [0029], disclosing that in response to transmitting the measurement relaxation report the device receives a command from the RAN node indicating that it should cease radio measurement relaxation). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include that the report initiated in response to the first evaluation is a report regarding a change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement, as taught by Bergstrom so as to provide the network with reliable and unambiguous knowledge of that state rather than requiring the network to infer it from the absence of transmissions.
Claim 4, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 1. Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose wherein the first device is caused to perform the second evaluation by: determining that the first device is in the non-discontinuous reception in response to one of the following: the discontinuous reception being not configured.
Cui further discloses wherein the first device is caused to perform the second evaluation by: determining that the first device is in the non-discontinuous reception in response to one of the following: the discontinuous reception being not configured; ((0054], "A change in a DRX mode of a UE may be a transition from DRX to no DRX, a transition from no DRX to DRX, or a change in the timing ( e.g., a change in the periodicity) of a DRX cycle of the UE," such that the UE determines it is in the no DRX mode; [0064] and FIG. 4 operation 408, disclosing that "DRX may be active during one of the first DRX mode and the second DRX mode and inactive during the other of the first DRX mode and the second DRX mode," wherein a device transitioning to the mode in which DRX is inactive necessarily determines that it is in that mode; (0057], disclosing that the network may configure the UE to begin DRX by changing it "from a DRX-inactive mode (no DRX) to a DRX-active mode (DRX)"). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include performing DRX transition determination as taught by Cui so as to apply the correct measurement behavior across DRX transition.
Claim 5, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 1. Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose wherein the first device is caused to determine whether the report is initiated to be transmitted by: in accordance with a determination that the relaxation status is changed based on the relaxation criterion, determining that the report is initiated to be transmitted to the second device.
Bergstrom further discloses wherein the first device is caused to determine whether the report is initiated to be transmitted by: in accordance with a determination that the relaxation status is changed based on the relaxation criterion, determining that the report is initiated to be transmitted to the second device. ([0011], "the radio measurement relaxation report is sent by the wireless device when the criterion has been fulfilled for a continuous period of time and when the wireless device has not previously sent a positive radio measurement relaxation report indicating fulfillment of the criterion or a radio measurement relaxation report that was most recently sent by the wireless device was a negative report indicating unfulfillment of the criterion"). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include that the report initiated in response to the first evaluation is a report regarding a change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement, as taught by Bergstrom so as to provide the network with reliable and unambiguous knowledge of that state rather than requiring the network to infer it from the absence of transmissions.
Claim 7, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 1. Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose wherein the report comprises at least one of the following: ... a cause of the change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement.
Bergstrom further discloses wherein the report comprises at least one of the following: ... a cause of the change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement. ([0026], "In response to determining that the fulfillment criterion has been met, the radio measurement relaxation report may indicate that the fulfillment criterion has been met"; [0028], "In response to determining that the unfulfillment criterion has been met, the radio measurement relaxation report may indicate that the unfulfillment criterion has been met," such that the report identifies which criterion was met and thereby conveys the cause of the change). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include that the report initiated in response to the first evaluation is a report regarding a change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement, as taught by Bergstrom so as to provide the network with reliable and unambiguous knowledge of that state rather than requiring the network to infer it from the absence of transmissions.
Claim 8, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 7. Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose wherein the cause comprises at least one of the following: ... a change of serving cell quality.
Bergstrom further discloses wherein the cause comprises at least one of the following: ... a change of serving cell quality; ([0012], "The criterion may be a received power level and/or received quality level of a reference signal transmitted by the RAN node being greater than a threshold value"; [0019], "The unfulfillment criterion may include a received power level and/or received quality level of a reference signal transmitted by the RAN node being lower than a threshold value"). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include that the report initiated in response to the first evaluation is a report regarding a change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement, as taught by Bergstrom so as to provide the network with reliable and unambiguous knowledge of that state rather than requiring the network to infer it from the absence of transmissions.
Claim 9, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 1.
Kaikkonen further discloses wherein the first device is caused to perform the first evaluation by: evaluating at least one of the following: ... a mobility state; or serving cell quality. (Pg. 20: 22-27, "The mobility state is evaluated based on specific threshold value, that is a mobility parameter such as velocity (satellite positioning, LTE/NR positioning, Wi-Fi positioning, etc.) is compared to specific threshold value (either configured by network or set in specification)"; Pg. 15: 1-3, disclosing that where the signal quality measured as cell quality is above a specific threshold_RRM_scaling such as RSRP or RSRQ, the UE is allowed to relax RRM measurements).
Claim 10, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 1.
Kaikkonen further discloses determine, during the non-discontinuous reception, that the relaxation criterion is met or not met; and (Pg. 21: 18-21, "the UE may continuously evaluate the mobility state by restarting the Tl_mobility _state_rrm timer and evaluating the mobility parameters against the mobility _state thresholds. When a condition does not apply, then the UE cannot use the scaling for RRM measurements for the evaluated condition," such that the evaluation is performed continuously and independently of whether discontinuous reception is configured; Pg. 13: 4-8, "If the UE is configured with DRX and DRX cycle in use is longer than N ms ( or alternatively equal or larger), and the UE mobility state is determined as low or stationary, then the UE may apply extended relaxation for RRM measurements when measurements are performed in non-active time (when DRX is used)).
Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose in response to starting the discontinuous reception.
Cui discloses in response to starting the discontinuous reception ([0057], "If a network does not have sufficient traffic to schedule a UE, for example, the network may configure the UE to begin DRX (i.e., to change from a DRX-inactive mode (no DRX) to a DRX-active mode (DRX))"; [0054], "A change in a DRX mode of a UE may be a transition from DRX to no DRX, a transition from no DRX to DRX, or a change in the timing ( e.g., a change in the periodicity) of a DRX cycle of the UE"; [0064] and FIG. 4 operation 408, disclosing transitioning at a first time from a first DRX mode to a second DRX mode wherein DRX is inactive during one and active during the other, such that the transition from the DRX-inactive mode to the DRX-active mode constitutes starting the discontinuous reception). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include performing DRX transition determination as taught by Cui so as to apply the correct measurement behavior across DRX transition.
Claim 14, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1.
Claim 17, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 4.
Claim 18, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Claim 20, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 7.
Claim 6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaikkonen in view of Cui in view of Bergstrom in view of US 2015/0365859 A1 herein Dalsgard.
Claim 6, Kaikkonen in view of Cui and further in view of Bergstrom discloses the first device of claim 5. Kaikkonnen may not explicitly disclose in response to at least one of the following: ... the report indicating a change of a relaxation status from relaxation of signal measurement to non-relaxation of signal measurement
Bergstrom further discloses in response to at least one of the following: ... the report indicating a change of a relaxation status from relaxation of signal measurement to non-relaxation of signal measurement ([0018], "The criterion may be an unfulfillment criterion that may indicate that the wireless device is in a state that is unsuitable for radio measurement relaxation"; [0028], "In response to determining that the unfulfillment criterion has been met, the radio measurement relaxation report may indicate that the unfulfillment criterion has been met"; [0020) and [0029], disclosing that in response to transmitting the measurement relaxation report the device receives a command from the RAN node indicating that it should cease radio measurement relaxation, and ceases radio measurement relaxation in response). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include that the report initiated in response to the first evaluation is a report regarding a change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement, as taught by Bergstrom so as to provide the network with reliable and unambiguous knowledge of that state rather than requiring the network to infer it from the absence of transmissions.
Kaikkonen, Cui, and Bergstrom may not explicitly disclose delaying the transmission of the report until an on-duration or an inactivity timer starts.
Dalsgard discloses delaying the transmission of the report until an on-duration or an inactivity timer starts ([0038], disclosing that "the TTT timer is disabled when DRX is applied at the user equipment 114, so a detected measurement event is not reported while DRX is applied"; [0042], "the user equipment 114 having a disabled TTT timer as noted at 212 may inhibit measurement reporting to the network, which may further inhibit handover and offloading to the target cell, such as small cell 112B, while DRX is applied"). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include withhold transmission of the relaxation status report until the discontinuous reception inactivity timer starts, as taught by Dalsgard so as to reduce signaling and reduce power consumption.
Claim 19, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 6.
Claims 11, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaikkonen in view of Bergstrom and further in view of Dalsgard.
Claim 11, Kaikkonen discloses a second device, comprising: (Pg. 16: 26-29, "The RAN node 770 is a base station that provides access by wireless devices such as the UE 710 to the wireless network 700. The RAN node 770 may be, for instance, a base station for 5G, also called New Radio (NR)"; FIG. 7);
at least one processor; and (Pg. 17: 21-24, "The RAN node 770 includes one or more processors 752, one or more memories 755, one or more network interfaces (N/W 1/F(s)) 761, and one or more transceivers 760 interconnected through one or more buses 757"; FIG. 7);
at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device at least to: (Pg. 18: 1-4, "the one or more memories 755 and the computer program code 753 are configured to, with the one or more processors 752, cause the RAN node 770 to perform one or more of the operations as described herein").
Kaikkonen may not explicitly disclose transmit, to a first device, a configuration indicating that a report regarding a change of a relaxation status of signal measurement is unallowed to be transmitted during discontinuous reception; and; receive, from the first device, the report triggered based on a relaxation criterion of the signal measurement.
Bergstrom discloses receive, from the first device, the report triggered based on a relaxation criterion of the signal measurement ([0010], disclosing that in response to determining that the criterion associated with radio measurement relaxation has been met for the continuous TTT duration, the wireless device transmits "a radio measurement relaxation report to a radio access network, RAN, node indicating that the criterion associated with radio measurement relaxation has been met," such that the RAN node receives the report). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include that the report initiated in response to the first evaluation is a report regarding a change of the relaxation status of the signal measurement, as taught by Bergstrom so as to provide the network with reliable and unambiguous knowledge of that state rather than requiring the network to infer it from the absence of transmissions.
Kaikkonen in view of Bergstrom may not explicitly disclose transmit, to a first device, a configuration indicating that a report regarding a change of a relaxation status of signal measurement is unallowed to be transmitted during discontinuous reception.
Dalsgard discloses transmit, to a first device, a configuration indicating that a report regarding a change of a relaxation status of signal measurement is unallowed to be transmitted during discontinuous reception ([0041], "In some example embodiments, the disabling of TTT timer for selected events may be configured at the user equipment by the network in measurement configuration information sent to the user equipment," such that the network transmits the configuration to the user equipment). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kaikkonen to include withhold transmission of the relaxation status report until the discontinuous reception inactivity timer starts, as taught by Dalsgard so as to reduce signaling and reduce power consumption.
Claim 12, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 7.
Claim 13, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 8.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220225147 A1 – Embodiments of this disclosure provide a measurement processing method and a terminal. The method includes: adjusting a measurement state of a measurement, and processing at least one of a counter or a timer that are related to the measurement, where the measurement includes a measurement of at least one of RLM or BFD, and the processing includes: resetting, continuing to run, or stopping.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad Nawaz can be reached at (571) 272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
MEHMOOD B. KHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2463
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