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 .
This action is in response to the application filed on 06 December 2024.
Claims 1-4, 6, 8-17, 20-23 and 26 are under examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06 December 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is 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.
Claims 1-4, 8, 15-17, 20-23 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Mu et al. (US Publication 2024/0292489).
With respect to claims 1 and 26, Mu teaches An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
at least one memory; (memory, Figure 2) and
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory (memory coupled with processor, Figure 2) and configured to:
receive information associated with one or more network data packets; predict, based at least in part on the received information, when a next network data packet is to be received; (the network side device and/or the terminal, each time the data packet arrives at the terminal, predict/predicts arrival time of the next data packet according to historical arrival time of data packet, Paragraph 103)
determine a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration based on the prediction of when the next network data packet is to be received; (the network side device and/or the terminal, etc. may determine an end moment of the off time of the terminal and/or a start moment of the on time, etc. by means of the predicted moment when the data packet arrives at the terminal, and thus the configuration of the DRX cycle may be adjusted in real time according to the predicted moment. With the first mode, the configuration of the DRX cycle may be flexibly adjusted for a change in the predicted time when the data packet arrives, Paragraph 44) and
output an indication of the DRX configuration for transmission to a device. (the base station configures a sleep state and sleep time of the terminal according to a result obtained from comparison of the sleep cycle thresholds, Paragraph 133)
With respect to claim 2, Mu teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to predict when the next network data packet is to be received using a machine learning model. (an artificial intelligence (AI) method is used to predict the time when the data packet arrives at one terminal and dynamically adjust a configuration of the DRX cycle according to a prediction result, so that the terminal accurately wakes up before the data packet arrives and enters into a sleep state when no data packet arrives, Paragraph 28)
With respect to claim 3, Mu teaches wherein the information associated with the one or more network data packets comprises information associated with a current network data packet, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive historical information associated with one or more network data packets; and output the indication of the DRX configuration based on the historical information associated with one or more network data packets and the information associated with the current network data packet (In the Al-DRX mode, the network side device and/or the terminal, each time the data packet arrives at the terminal, predict/predicts arrival time of the next data packet according to historical arrival time of data packets and configure/configures the terminal with a duration of the off time in the DRX cycle according to the predicted moment., Paragraph 110)
With respect to claim 4, Mu teaches wherein the information associated with the one or more network data packets comprises at least one of average latency, packet arrival time, packet length, periodicity of packet arrival, or packet size information. (the trained model is used at each data packet arrival for predicting a jitter delay value of a next data packet arrival, Paragraph 29)
With respect to claim 8, Mu teaches wherein the apparatus comprises a user device. (user device, figure 1)
With respect to claim 15, Mu teaches wherein the apparatus comprises a network entity. (network entity, figure 1)
With respect to claim 16, Mu teaches wherein the indication of the DRX configuration comprises an indication of when a user device can switch between different DRX cycle lengths. (The base station further sets two sleep cycle thresholds Tmin and Tmax, T is compared with the two sleep cycle thresholds respectively, and if T<Tmin, the terminal remains in an active state; if Tmin<T<Tmax, the terminal enters into the DRX short sleep cycle with sleep time of T; and if T>Tmax, the terminal enters into the DRX long sleep cycle with sleep time of T. Here the sleep time is the off time in the DRX cycle, Paragraph 114)
With respect to claim 17, Mu teaches wherein the indication of the DRX configuration comprises an indication to stop a DRX short cycle of the user device. (The base station further sets two sleep cycle thresholds Tmin and Tmax, T is compared with the two sleep cycle thresholds respectively, and if T<Tmin, the terminal remains in an active state; if Tmin<T<Tmax, the terminal enters into the DRX short sleep cycle with sleep time of T; and if T>Tmax, the terminal enters into the DRX long sleep cycle with sleep time of T. Here the sleep time is the off time in the DRX cycle, Paragraph 114)
With respect to claim 20, Mu teaches wherein the indication of the DRX configuration comprises an indication to switch between a DRX short cycle and a DRX long cycle of the user device. (The base station further sets two sleep cycle thresholds Tmin and Tmax, T is compared with the two sleep cycle thresholds respectively, and if T<Tmin, the terminal remains in an active state; if Tmin<T<Tmax, the terminal enters into the DRX short sleep cycle with sleep time of T; and if T>Tmax, the terminal enters into the DRX long sleep cycle with sleep time of T. Here the sleep time is the off time in the DRX cycle, Paragraph 114)
With respect to claim 21, Mu teaches wherein the indication of the DRX configuration comprises a value for at least one of a duration or length of a DRX cycle. (the base station, according to the predicted moment when the next predicted data packet arrives, the off time T in the DRX cycle=the predicted moment when the next predicted data packet arrives-actual arrival time of a current data packet-active time, where the terminal is used for decoding active state time of the data packet after the current data packet arrives, Paragraph 113)
With respect to claim 22, Mu teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor errors between when the next network data packet is predicted to be received and when the next network data packet is received; (the network side device and/or the terminal, etc. may determine the error of the predicted moment based on a difference between an actual moment when the data packet arrives at the terminal and the predicted moment. The predicted moment may be determined by the prediction model as previously described, paragraph 41) determine the errors meet an error condition; and output an indication of a pre-configured DRX configuration for transmission to a user device based on the determination that the errors meet the error condition. (In AI-DRX, each time the arrival time of the data packet is predicted by using an Al method, a prediction error is recorded by comparing the predicted moment with an actual moment of a real arrival of the data packet. Thus, the error is monitored in real time, and when the error meets preset conditions, the terminal is configured by the base station to switch to the Fixed-DRX mode. An error judgment condition for switching of the terminal from the AI-DRX mode to the Fixed-DRX mode may be a First Error judgment condition or a Second Error judgment condition, Paragraph 116)
With respect to claim 23, Mu teaches wherein the error condition comprises a predefined threshold. (the base station sets the first error threshold as well as the overrunning number-of-times threshold. When the number of times of the monitored error exceeding the first error threshold reaches the overrunning number-of-times threshold, the error judgment condition is met, Paragraph 139)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Mu et al. (US Publication 2024/0292489) in view of Chen et al. (US Publication 2025/0184891).
With respect to claim 6, Mu doesn’t teach wherein the indication of the DRX configuration comprises a radio resource control (RRC) DRX configuration message, and wherein the RRC DRX configuration message includes an indication of one or more values that are based on the prediction of when the next network data packet is to be received
Chen teaches wherein the indication of the DRX configuration comprises a radio resource control (RRC) DRX configuration message, and wherein the RRC DRX configuration message includes an indication of one or more values that are based on the prediction of when the next network data packet is to be received. (based on the base station's observation/prediction of packet arrival timing, the scheduler of the DU may be able to dynamically adjust the DRX cycle start offset, paragraph 112. the UE may further comprise receiving at least one of the information identifying the length of the cycle and the length of the active portion using an RRC message, Paragraph 186)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with the RRC DRX configuration message includes an indication of one or more values that are based on the prediction of when the next network data packet is to be received as taught by Chen. The motivation for combining Mu and Chen is to be able to result in shorter buffering times, shorter reconfiguration delays, better user experience, and improved power saving (at the UE).
Claims 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Mu et al. (US Publication 2024/0292489) in view of Vangala et al. (US Publication 2015/0305056).
With respect to claim 9, Mu doesn’t teach wherein, to output the indication of the DRX configuration for transmission, the at least one processor is configured to: output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer.
Vangala teaches wherein, to output the indication of the DRX configuration for transmission, the at least one processor is configured to: output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer. (if a wireless device expects (e.g., based on an application traffic pattern) that a sufficiently long period of data inactivity will occur that transitioning to a different (e.g., longer) DRX mode would be advantageous (e.g., from a power conservation perspective) but the DRX short cycle timer has not yet expired, the wireless device may transmit an indication to a base station requesting early transition between DRX modes (and possibly more specifically early transition from a DRX short cycle to a DRX long cycle). The base station may explicitly respond to the request instructing the wireless device to transition to a different DRX mode (e.g., DRX long cycle), and the wireless device may then proceed to transition its DRX mode (e.g., to DRX long cycle), paragraph 22)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer as taught by Vangala. The motivation for combining Mu and Vangala is to be able to indicate a preference for a low power configuration corresponding to a different type of communication.
With respect to claim 10, Mu doesn’t teach wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor for a response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity during a next monitoring occasion; and based on a determination that the response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity was not received during the next monitoring occasion, stopping the DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer
Vangala teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor for a response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity during a next monitoring occasion; and based on a determination that the response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity was not received during the next monitoring occasion, stopping the DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer. (if a wireless device expects (e.g., based on an application traffic pattern) that a sufficiently long period of data inactivity will occur that transitioning to a different (e.g., longer) DRX mode would be advantageous (e.g., from a power conservation perspective) but the DRX short cycle timer has not yet expired, the wireless device may transmit an indication to a base station requesting early transition between DRX modes (and possibly more specifically early transition from a DRX short cycle to a DRX long cycle). The base station may explicitly respond to the request instructing the wireless device to transition to a different DRX mode (e.g., DRX long cycle), and the wireless device may then proceed to transition its DRX mode (e.g., to DRX long cycle), paragraph 22)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer as taught by Vangala. The motivation for combining Mu and Vangala is to be able to indicate a preference for a low power configuration corresponding to a different type of communication.
With respect to claim 11, Mu doesn’t teach wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor for a response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity during a next monitoring occasion; receive the response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity; and stop the DRX timer after expiration of the DRX timer
Vangala teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor for a response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity during a next monitoring occasion; receive the response to the indication to stop the DRX timer from the network entity; and stop the DRX timer after expiration of the DRX timer. (if a wireless device expects (e.g., based on an application traffic pattern) that a sufficiently long period of data inactivity will occur that transitioning to a different (e.g., longer) DRX mode would be advantageous (e.g., from a power conservation perspective) but the DRX short cycle timer has not yet expired, the wireless device may transmit an indication to a base station requesting early transition between DRX modes (and possibly more specifically early transition from a DRX short cycle to a DRX long cycle). The base station may explicitly respond to the request instructing the wireless device to transition to a different DRX mode (e.g., DRX long cycle), and the wireless device may then proceed to transition its DRX mode (e.g., to DRX long cycle), paragraph 22)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer as taught by Vangala. The motivation for combining Mu and Vangala is to be able to indicate a preference for a low power configuration corresponding to a different type of communication.
With respect to claim 12, Mu doesn’t teach wherein, to output the indication of the DRX configuration for transmission, the at least one processor is configured to: output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to extend a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer.
Vangala teaches wherein, to output the indication of the DRX configuration for transmission, the at least one processor is configured to: output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to extend a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer. (When (the BB 1204 of) the UE wants to extend the DRX cycle, the UE may communicate (e.g., to an eNB 1206 of the NW) the DRX cycle extension as a multiple of the current configured DRX configuration and a duration in which UE does not expect much data activity. The DRX cycle of the UE may accordingly be extended for the specified duration, paragraph 178)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer as taught by Vangala. The motivation for combining Mu and Vangala is to be able to indicate a preference for a low power configuration corresponding to a different type of communication.
With respect to claim 13, Mu doesn’t teach wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor for a response to the indication to extend the DRX timer from the network entity during a next monitoring occasion; and based on a determination that the response to the indication to extend the DRX timer from the network entity was not received during the next monitoring occasion, extending the DRX timer.
Vangala teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to: monitor for a response to the indication to extend the DRX timer from the network entity during a next monitoring occasion; and based on a determination that the response to the indication to extend the DRX timer from the network entity was not received during the next monitoring occasion, extending the DRX timer. (When (the BB 1204 of) the UE wants to extend the DRX cycle, the UE may communicate (e.g., to an eNB 1206 of the NW) the DRX cycle extension as a multiple of the current configured DRX configuration and a duration in which UE does not expect much data activity. The DRX cycle of the UE may accordingly be extended for the specified duration, paragraph 178)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer as taught by Vangala. The motivation for combining Mu and Vangala is to be able to indicate a preference for a low power configuration corresponding to a different type of communication.
With respect to claim 14, Mu doesn’t teach wherein the DRX timer comprises a DRX inactivity timer.
Vangala teaches wherein the DRX timer comprises a DRX inactivity timer. (a UE might communicate in UL an indication or request to enter into DRX mode ‘early’ (i.e., before expiration of the inactivity timer), Paragraph 199)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Mu with output, for transmission to a network entity, an indication to stop a DRX timer before expiration of the DRX timer as taught by Vangala. The motivation for combining Mu and Vangala is to be able to indicate a preference for a low power configuration corresponding to a different type of communication.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bruhn et al. (US Publication 2024/0196272) discloses a first message comprising traffic status information for the second network node and performing one or more of the following operations based on the traffic status information: predicting a change in load and/or interference in a coverage area of the first network node; adjusting configurations of one or more cells and/or one or more beams served by the first network node; requesting the second network node to adjust configurations of one or more cells and/or one or more beams served by the second network node; mobility load balancing with respect to one or more user equipment (UEs) served by the first network node; and configuring one or more UEs served by the first network node to use communication settings that are more robust to interference.
Kim et al. (US Publication 2026/0052424) discloses receiving, from a network, a configuration for a data traffic assistance information message, wherein the configuration includes a triggering condition for the data traffic assistance information message; deriving a predictive data traffic for a future time and/or a future location; based on the predictive data traffic satisfying the triggering condition, transmitting the data traffic assistance information message including (i) information on the predictive data traffic and (ii) information on the future time and/or the future location.
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to ABDULLAHI AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 270-3652. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khalid Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3370. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDULLAHI AHMED/Examiner, Art Unit 2475
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