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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant's communication filed on 09/27/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1 – 20 are currently pending in the instant application.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: a typo occurs in phrase “The wireless communication method of any of claim 7”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 8, 13, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 8, 13, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 (b), as being lack of antecedent basis. Claims 2, 8, 13, and 19 recite dependency on claims 1, 7, 12, and 18, respectively. However, limitation “the fractional periodicity" is not presented in claims 1, 7, 12, and 18. There are insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation in the claims. Notes: in the Specification, fractional periodicity is the same as non-integer periodicity. Correction is required.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 20 recites dependency on claim 18, which recites only a communication unit. The communication unit could not do “the C-DRX on-duration start occasion is determined” (see Specification for a processor performs determination step). Applicants may cancel the claim, amend the claim to place the claim in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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 of this title, 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.
8. Claims 1 – 3, 7 – 9, 12 – 14, and 18 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (hereinafter “Yang”) (Pub # US 2022/0394618 A1) in view of Yuan et al. (hereinafter “Yuan”) (Pub # US 2025/0358893 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Yang discloses a wireless communication method for use in a wireless terminal (see UE 110 in FIG. 1 and 2 comprising: a communication unit (i.e., 225 in FIG. 2) and a processor (i.e., 205 in FIG. 2), the wireless communication method comprising:
receiving, from a wireless network node (see base station gNB 120A in FIG. 1), configuration information of a connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX), wherein the configuration information indicates a non-integer periodicity (see [0072], [0090], [0091] for the UE receives from a base station cDRX configuration information, which indicates the configuration of a cDRX cycle for DL traffic configured with non-integer periodicity).
Yang teaches that adapting cDRX to an extended reality (XR) traffic which is generated with a non-integer periodicity and to define a non-integer cDRX cycle, an additional long DRX value may be added to the DRX-config RRC parameter, i.e., the long DRX value may be 1000/60 which is equal to 50/3 for 60 frames per second.
Yang does not disclose specifically that the UE determining a C-DRX on-duration start occasion based on the non-integer periodicity.
In an analogous art, Yuan discloses the UE determining a C-DRX on-duration start occasion based on the non-integer periodicity (see Yuan, FIG. 9, [0094] for the UE determines the adjusted starting time for the CDRX on-duration by adjusting the nominal starting time of the CDRX on-duration based on the data flow, see FIG. 4, [0066] – [0073] for XR data flows are based on non-integer time periods (e.g., 60 frames per second is equivalent to a ~16.67 ms (50/3) period; 120 frames per second is equivalent to an ~8.33 ms (25/3) period).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Yang, and have the UE determining a C-DRX on-duration start occasion based on the non-integer periodicity such that a starting time and/or a length of a periodic communication period (e.g., CDRX on-duration) are adjusted to better align with the data flow(s) associated with XR or other communications thereby delivers users with the expected levels of communication latency and throughput, while also providing power savings and prolonged battery life, as discussed by Yuan (see Yuan, [0003], [0073]).
Regarding claims 7 and 18, Yang discloses a wireless communication method for use in a wireless network node (see base station gNB 120A in FIG. 1, 300 in FIG. 3 comprising: a communication unit (i.e., 320 in FIG. 3), the wireless communication method comprising:
transmitting to a wireless terminal (see UE 110 in FIG. 1), configuration information of a connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX), wherein the configuration information indicates a non-integer periodicity (see [0072], [0090], [0091] for the UE receives from a base station cDRX configuration information, which indicates the configuration of a cDRX cycle for DL traffic configured with non-integer periodicity), and
transmitting, to the wireless terminal, data based on a C-DRX with the non-integer periodicity (see [0068], [0073] is discussing data that is transmitted to the UE for adapting cDRX to XR traffic which is generated with a non-integer periodicity).
Yang teaches that adapting cDRX to an extended reality (XR) traffic which is generated with a non-integer periodicity and to define a non-integer cDRX cycle, an additional long DRX value may be added to the DRX-config RRC parameter, i.e., the long DRX value may be 1000/60 which is equal to 50/3 for 60 frames per second.
Yang does not disclose specifically that transmitting data based on a C-DRX on-duration start occasion with the non-integer periodicity.
In an analogous art, Yuan discloses that transmitting data based on a C-DRX on-duration start occasion with the non-integer periodicity (see Yuan, FIG. 9, [0094] for the UE determines the adjusted starting time for the CDRX on-duration by adjusting the nominal starting time of the CDRX on-duration based on the data flow, see FIG. 4, [0066] – [0073] for XR data flows are based on non-integer time periods (e.g., 60 frames per second is equivalent to a ~16.67 ms (50/3) period; 120 frames per second is equivalent to an ~8.33 ms (25/3) period, see [0051], [0077], [0109], [0121], [0132] for the transceiver of the BS provides the demodulated and decoded data to the CDRX module for processing and the BS transmits data packets to the UE based on the starting time of the CDRX on-duration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Yang, and have transmitting data based on a C-DRX on-duration start occasion with the non-integer periodicity such that provides better align with the data flow(s) associated with XR communications thereby delivers to users with the expected levels of communication latency and throughput, as discussed by Yuan (see Yuan, [0003]).
Regarding claims 2, 8, 13, and 19, Yang in view of Yuan disclose wherein the configuration information indicates the fractional periodicity by indicating a fractional value (i.e., 50/3, 25/3,…) of the fractional periodicity (see Yang, [0072] – [0074], [0080], or see Yuan, [0066] – [0073] for XR data flows are based on non-integer time periods, e.g., 60 frames per second is equivalent to a ~16.67 ms (50/3) period; 120 frames per second is equivalent to an ~8.33 ms (25/3) period).
Regarding claims 3, 9, 14, and 20, Yang in view of Yuan disclose wherein the C-DRX on-duration start occasion is determined based on: floor([(1024×m+SFN)×10)+subframe_number]modulo(drx-periodicity))=drx-StartOffset, wherein m=0 when the C-DRX is activated and is incremented every time SFN=0, SFN is the system frame number of the C-DRX on-duration start occasion, subframe_number is a subframe number of the C-DRX on-duration start occasion, drx-periodicity is the non-integer periodicity, and drx-StartOffset is indicated in the configuration information of the C-DRX (see Yang, [0071] – [0083] for the cDRX cycle is represented as floor([(HFN×10240+SFN×10)+subframenumber]modulo(drxLongCycle))=drxStartOffset
(with HFN is hyper-frame number = m, and drxLongCycle is the non-integer periodicity), and see Yuan, FIG. 9, [0094] for the UE determines the adjusted starting time for the CDRX on-duration by adjusting the nominal starting time of the CDRX on-duration based on the data flow, see FIG. 4, [0066] – [0073] for XR data flows are based on non-integer time periods (e.g., 60 frames per second is equivalent to a ~16.67 ms (50/3) period; 120 frames per second is equivalent to an ~8.33 ms (25/3) period).
9. Claims 4, 10, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (hereinafter “Yang”) (Pub # US 2022/0394618 A1) in view of Yuan et al. (hereinafter “Yuan”) (Pub # US 2025/0358893 A1) as applied to claim 1, 7, 12 above, and further in view of Lee et al, (hereinafter “Lee”) (Pub # US 2023/0008854 A1).
Regarding claims 4, 10, and 15, Yang in view of Yuan disclose wherein a drx-Periodicity, a drx-StartOffset are configured to indicate the C-DRX on-duration start occasion (see Yang, [0071] – [0083] for the cDRX cycle is represented as floor([(HFN×10240+SFN×10)+subframenumber]modulo(drxLongCycle))=drxStartOffset, and see [0028], [0080] for using a combination of long DRX and short DRX to match traffic periodicity).
Yang in view of Yuan do not disclose a timeReferenceSFN is configured to indicate the C-DRX on-duration start occasion.
In an analogous art, Lee discloses a timeReferenceSFN is configured to indicate the C-DRX on-duration start occasion (see Lee, [0177] – [0178], where Lee is discussing a time reference SFN for a timing drift between DRX on-durations and multimedia burst traffic that is associated with a misalignment between a hyper frame length and a periodicity of the multimedia data bursts, and 10,240 subframes can be added every hyper frame in the subframe index, [(SFN×10)+subframe number+M×modulo (drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset) modulo (drx-ShortCycle), wherein M may start from 0 when the DRX is initially configured, and M may increase by 1 every hyper frame with a time reference SFN or when SFN returns to 0, see [0162], [0166] for parameter drx-timeReferenceSFN provides an SFN that is used to offset a time domain resource, and the UE may use the closest SFN with the indicated number preceding the reception of the CDRX configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Yang/Yuan, and have a timeReferenceSFN is configured to indicate the C-DRX on-duration start occasion such that the UE (i.e., XR device) and the edge server attempt to align the uplink and downlink DRX cycles as part of connected DRX (CDRX) thereby solving an increase in latency and power consumption due to timing mismatches that prevent such alignment and that prevent successful use of CDRX, as discussed by Lee (see Lee, [0111]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 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.
Claim 11 is 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.
Claims 16 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure is WO 2024/030415 (Kuo et al.) which discloses for XR, data payload is typically periodical, i.e., a video frame rate may be 60, 90 or 120 frames per second (fps), this results in packet arrival rates with noninteger periodicities in terms of milli-seconds (e.g., 16.67ms for 60 fps, 11.11ms for 90ms, and 8.33ms for 120 fps); and the network may obtain assistance information related to the characteristics of the XR traffic and utilize the assistance information to perform resource allocation for the XR services, due to the periodical nature of XR traffic, a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) approach may be used by the network for resource allocation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONG-THUY THI TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3199. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM - 6PM (IFP).
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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.
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/MONG-THUY T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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