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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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 21-22 and 31-37 and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) ]as being anticipated by Nimbalker (WO 2012092066 A1).
Claims 21, 36, and 40 recite an apparatus and a method of receiving, by a wireless device from a base station, one or more RRC messages comprising configuration parameters of radio resources of an uplink wake-up signal; transmitting, in the second power state of a cell and via the radio resources, the uplink wake-up signal; transitioning, based on transmitting the uplink wake-up signal, the cell to the first power state from the second power state. Nimbalker discloses that the user terminal obtains uplink access configuration information on a PDCCH based on first system information and synchronization information received from the base station. Nimbalker ¶¶ 16, 24–25. Nimbalker further discloses that the uplink access configuration information includes uplink system bandwidth information, uplink frequency assignment information, a preamble index, and a PRACH mask index. Nimbalker ¶ 25; claim 8. Nimbalker also teaches that the user terminal sends a signature waveform based on the uplink access configuration information prior to receiving system information in addition to the first system information. Nimbalker ¶ 28; claim 9. Nimbalker further discloses that the base station receives the signature waveform and transitions from a low power mode to a high power mode in response to receiving the signature waveform. Nimbalker ¶¶ 30, 32; claim 2.
Claims 22 and 37 further recite that the first power state is a non-energy-saving state and the second power state is an energy-saving state. Nimbalker expressly discloses that the base station operates in a low power mode and a high power mode, and that the low power mode is a power savings mode. Nimbalker ¶¶ 18, 19, 21, 30, 32; claims 3, 7. Nimbalker further states that the base station transitions from the low power mode to the high power mode in response to receiving the signature waveform. Nimbalker ¶ 30. Thus, the claimed first and second power states are disclosed by Nimbalker’s high-power and energy-saving/low-power modes.
Claim 31 further recites that while the cell is in the second power state, the base station skips transmission, via the cell, of SIB1. Nimbalker discloses that when the base station is operating in the reduced/low-power mode, it transmits only synchronization information, a first portion of system information, and uplink access configuration information. Nimbalker ¶¶ 18, 21, 22. Nimbalker further states that in the low power mode the base station transmits a smaller number of signals than in the high power mode, and that the second portion of system information is greater than the first portion. Nimbalker ¶¶ 18, 19, 21, 33–35; claim 7. Thus, Nimbalker discloses a low-power state in which full system information, including later system information blocks, is not transmitted.
Claim 32 further recites that while the cell is in the first power state, the base station transmits SIB1. Nimbalker expressly discloses that the base station in the low-power mode transmits a first portion of system information and that the first portion may include SIB1. Nimbalker ¶¶ 19, 21, 22, 34; claims 1, 6, 7. Nimbalker also discloses that after receipt of the signature waveform, the base station transmits a second portion of system information and transitions to the high-power mode. Nimbalker ¶¶ 30, 33–35. Thus, Nimbalker teaches transmission of SIB1 in the low-power/energy-saving operational regime and additional system information after wake-up.
Claim 33 further recites that, in response to transmitting the uplink wake-up signal, the wireless device starts to receive downlink signals via a first downlink BWP of a plurality of downlink BWPs of the cell in the first power state. Nimbalker discloses that after the user terminal sends the signature waveform, it receives the second portion of system information from the base station. Nimbalker ¶¶ 30, 33, 35; claim 10. Nimbalker further discloses that the base station transitions from the low-power mode to the high-power mode in response to receiving the signature waveform. Nimbalker ¶¶ 30, 32. While Nimbalker does not use the specific term “downlink BWP,” it teaches the same functional sequence of wake-up followed by resumption of downlink reception in the active state.
Claim 34 further recites that the first downlink BWP is an initial active downlink BWP of the plurality of downlink BWPs of the cell. Nimbalker discloses that after the base station transitions from low-power mode to high-power mode, it transmits the second portion of system information and resumes full service operation. Nimbalker ¶¶ 30, 33–35. This corresponds to the first active downlink operating state after wake-up, i.e., the initial active downlink configuration.
Claim 35 further recites that the downlink signals comprise at least a SIB1 of the cell. Nimbalker expressly discloses that the base station transmits SIB1 as part of the first portion of system information, and that after wake-up it transmits the second portion of system information. Nimbalker ¶¶ 19, 21, 22, 33–35; claims 1, 6, 7, 10. Thus, Nimbalker teaches downlink signaling that includes SIB1.
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.
Claims 23-25 and 38-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nimbalker (WO 2012092066 A1) in view of LY (US 20230007581 A1).
Claims 23 and 38 further recite the radio resources of the uplink wake-up signal comprising a time duration for transmission of the uplink wake-up signal. Nimbalker fails to teach the recited feature. Ly teaches a wake-up signal framework in which a UE transmits a WUS in a configured WUS occasion, and the WUS occasion is a dedicated transmission opportunity defined by time-based parameters, including a configured duration and periodicity. Ly ¶ 61; claims 1, 16, 19–25. Ly further teaches that the WUS occasion may be a predetermined resource window in which the UE is expected to transmit the WUS, thereby specifying a transmission time duration for the wake-up signaling. Ly ¶ 61. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Nimbalker’s uplink access configuration with the time-duration-based WUS occasion structure taught by Ly in order to more precisely define the transmission interval for the wake-up/signature waveform. Doing so would improve reliability, reduce ambiguity as to when the UE is permitted to transmit the wake-up signal, and provide a standardized transmission window for wake-up signaling. This is merely the predictable use of Ly’s known timing framework to implement the transmission timing of Nimbalker’s wake-up signal.
Claims 24 and 39 recite the radio resources of the uplink wake-up signal comprising one or more wake-up transmission occasions for the transmission of the uplink wake-up signal. Nimbalker fails to teach the recited feature. Ly more explicitly teaches wake-up transmission occasions for the transmission of a WUS. Specifically, Ly discloses that the UE transmits the WUS in one of multiple periodic WUS occasions, that WUS occasions are dedicated for transmission and reception of a WUS, and that each WUS occasion is a time-frequency resource occurring for a configured duration at a configured periodicity. Ly ¶ 61; claims 1, 16, 19–21, 24. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Nimbalker’s uplink access configuration with Ly’s explicit WUS occasion structure in order to provide a dedicated and periodically scheduled opportunity for wake-up transmission, thereby improving predictability and reliability of the wake-up procedure while reducing ambiguity in when the UE should transmit the wake-up signal. The combination is merely the predictable use of Ly’s known WUS occasion framework to implement the transmission timing of Nimbalker’s wake-up/signature waveform.
Claim 25 recites transmitting the uplink wake-up signal via at least one of the one or more wake-up transmission occasions. Nimbalker fails to teach the recited feature. Ly expressly teaches transmitting the WUS in one of multiple WUS occasions and that the UE transmits the WUS in a configured WUS occasion. Ly ¶ 61; claims 1, 16, 24–25. Since Nimbalker already teaches transmitting a signature waveform / uplink access waveform based on configured uplink access information. Nimbalker ¶¶ 25, 28, 30; claims 9, 14. Combining the teachings, it would have been obvious for the UE in Nimbalker to transmit the wake-up signal via at least one of the configured wake-up transmission occasions taught by Ly, as this is simply the expected way to carry out a scheduled wake-up transmission.
Claims 26-27 and 28-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nimbalker (WO 2012092066 A1) in view of Zhu (WO 2023211359 A1).
Claim 26 recites the uplink wake-up signal is at least one of: a preamble associated with a random access procedure; a scheduling request; or a sounding reference signal. Nimbalker already teaches that the wake-up-type transmission may be a signature waveform and, in some embodiments, a RACH preamble. Nimbalker ¶¶ 25, 28, 38–40; claims 9, 11. However, Nimbalker is less explicit than the present claim in identifying the full set of alternatives recited in claim 26, particularly scheduling request and sounding reference signal. Zhu fills this gap by expressly teaching wake-up signaling using random access / preamble-based signaling and also identifying wake-up signaling through other uplink resources such as PUCCH and SRS. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify Nimbalker’s wake-up transmission options in view of Zhu to allow the wake-up signal to be implemented as a RACH preamble, scheduling request, or SRS, because Zhu teaches that wake-up signaling can be implemented using a variety of uplink radio resources depending on system design and signaling requirements.
Claim 27 recites the radio resources are at least one of: a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource; an SRS resource; or a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource. Nimbalker expressly teaches radio resources associated with uplink access configuration, including PRACH mask index and preamble index. Nimbalker ¶ 25; claim 8. Nimbalker therefore already points to PRACH-type resources and uplink access configuration suitable for wake-up signaling. Zhu more specifically discloses that wake-up signaling may be carried using PUCCH, SRS, and PRACH resources. Zhu’s disclosure would have made it obvious to use any of these uplink resource types for the wake-up signal in Nimbalker’s system, because Zhu teaches that wake-up signaling is not limited to a single uplink channel structure and may be implemented using different standardized uplink resources depending on the desired signaling mechanism. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Nimbalker’s uplink access configuration so that the wake-up signal is transmitted on PUCCH, SRS, or PRACH resources as taught by Zhu, because such substitution would amount to the predictable use of known uplink resources to carry the same wake-up signaling function.
Claim 28 recites that the radio resources are PRACH resources, and that the one or more RRC messages comprise configuration parameters of a plurality of PRACH resources, including PRACH resources for the second power state and at least second PRACH resources for the first power state. Nimbalker discloses that the uplink access configuration information includes a PRACH mask index and preamble index. Nimbalker ¶ 25; claim 8. Nimbalker further discloses that the signature waveform may be a RACH preamble or PRACH signal, including in embodiments where the signature waveform is based on uplink access configuration information received from a first base station. Nimbalker ¶¶ 28, 38–40; claims 9, 11. These disclosures teach PRACH-based uplink access resources configured by the base station for use by the user terminal.
Claim 29 recites that the wireless device transmits the uplink wake-up signal via the PRACH resources during the second power state of the cell. Nimbalker discloses that the user terminal sends the signature waveform based on the uplink access configuration information while the base station is in the reduced power mode / low power mode. Nimbalker ¶¶ 19, 21, 28, 30; claim 9. Nimbalker also identifies the signature waveform as including a RACH preamble or PRACH signal in several embodiments. Nimbalker ¶¶ 25, 28, 38–40; claims 8, 9, 11. Thus, Nimbalker teaches transmission of the uplink wake-up signal via PRACH resources during the lower-power state.
Claim 30 recites transmitting a preamble via at least second PRACH resources during the first power state, after transitioning the cell to the first power state. Nimbalker discloses that once the base station transitions to the higher-power mode, it transmits a second portion of system information different from the first portion of system information. Nimbalker ¶ 33; claims 1, 6, 7. Nimbalker also discloses embodiments in which, after the base station has transitioned to the active/high-power state, the UE receives additional system information and continues communication with the base station. Nimbalker ¶¶ 30, 33–35, 40. Although Nimbalker’s described post-wake transmission is framed as system-information exchange and subsequent uplink access signaling, it teaches the claimed sequence of wake-up followed by further access signaling in the active state.
Conclusion
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/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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