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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. The title recites, “INFORMATION DETERMINING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND TERMINAL”. The title of invention is “technically inaccurate and non-descriptive”. [See 37 CFR 1.72(a) and MPEP § 606]. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: “INFORMATION DETERMINING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND TERMINAL FOR DETERMINING SYNCHRONIZATION SIGNAL BLOCK (SSB) TIME INFORMATION” or equivalent thereof.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-5, 8-11 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2022/0400451 A1 to Luo et al. (hereafter refers as Luo).
Regarding claims 1, 16 and 20, Luo teaches an information determining method (a method for determining occasions for SSB burst set, Fig. 4, 8-9), non-transitory computer readable storage medium (a UE 120 includes a memory, paragraphs [7, 11, 34, 48, 52-53, 154]) storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations (wherein the memory stores instructions that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method, paragraphs [7, 11, 34, 48, 52-53, 154]), and a terminal (UE for perform the method, Fig. 4, 8-9), comprising:
a processor (a processor paragraphs [7, 11, 34, 48, 52-53, 154] and Fig. 2, processor 280); and
a memory (the UE 120 includes a memory, paragraphs [7, 11, 34, 48, 52-53, 154]) having a computer program or an instruction stored thereon, wherein the computer program or the instruction, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations (wherein the memory stores instructions that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method, paragraphs [7, 11, 34, 48, 52-53, 154]) comprising:
obtaining time reference information of a first signal (the UE obtains timing offset information of a keep-alive signal, paragraphs [68, 72-73, 129-132]); and
determining Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) time information based on the time reference information (the UE determines timing/occasion of SSB based on the timing offset information of the keep-alive signal, paragraphs [68, 72-73, 129-132]).
Regarding claims 2 and 17, Luo further teaches wherein the SSB time information comprises time information of an SSB burst set (wherein the timing/occasion of SSB includes timing/occasion of SBB burst set, paragraphs [73, 93, 130-133] and Fig. 4, 7).
Regarding claims 3 and 18, Luo further teaches wherein the first signal comprises at least one of the following: a keep-alive signal (the keep-alive signal, paragraphs [73, 93, 130-133] and Fig. 4, 7).
Regarding claims 4 and 19, Luo further teaches wherein the time reference information comprises at least one of the following:
first time offset information of the first signal relative to an SSB (the time offset information of the keep-alive signal, paragraphs [73, 93, 130-133] and Fig. 4, 7)
Regarding claim 5, Luo further teaches wherein the first time offset information comprises at least one of the following:
a time offset of a start position corresponding to the first signal relative to a start position of the SSB (wherein the time offset is interval between a start position of the keep-alive signal relative to a start position of the SSB burst set, Fig. 7 and paragraphs [73-76, 99-101] and Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 8, Luo further teaches wherein the start position corresponding to the first signal comprises a start position of the first signal (wherein the start position is corresponded to a start position of the keep-alive signal, paragraph [96] and Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 9, Luo further teaches wherein the start position corresponding to the first signal comprises a start position of a receiving time window of the first signal (wherein the start position comprises a start position of a receiving time window of the keep-alive signal, paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]).
Regarding claim 10, Luo further teaches wherein the first time offset information further comprises time information of at least one first signal within the receiving time window of the first signal (wherein the time offset is a time information of the keep alive signal within the receiving time window/period of the keep alive signal, paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]).
Regarding claim 11, Luo further teaches wherein the time reference information is pre-configured through signaling (wherein the time offset is pre-defined through signaling, paragraph [83]); or
the time reference information is pre-defined in a specification (wherein the time offset is pre-defined in a wireless communication standard, paragraph [83]).
Regarding claim 13, Luo further teaches wherein the time information of the SSB burst set comprises a start position of a first sent SSB in the SSB burst set (wherein the timing/occasion of the SSB burst set comprises a start position of the first sent SSB in the SSB burst set, Fig. 7 and paragraphs [76, 96-99]).
Regarding claim 14, Luo further teaches wherein the time reference information further comprises: time domain configuration information of the first signal (timing information of keep-alive signal comprises time domain configuration of the keep-alive signal, paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]),
wherein the time domain configuration information of the first signal comprises at least one of the following: a sending periodicity (sending periodicity, Fig. 4, 7 and paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]);
a receiving time window length (or receiving time window length, Fig. 4, 7 and paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]); or
information about a candidate position in the receiving time window (information of a candidate position in the receiving time window, Fig. 4, 7 and paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]).
Regarding claim 15, Luo further teaches wherein the time reference information further comprises: time domain configuration information of an SSB burst set (timing offset to occasion of SSB burst set, Fig. 4, 7 and paragraphs [62, 67, 70, 73, 96-98, 133, 158]),
wherein the time domain configuration information of the SSB burst set comprises at least one of the following:
a periodicity of the SSB burst set (periodicity of the SSB burst set, paragraphs [55, 62, 72-74, 84, 132]); or
position information of at least one sent SSB in the SSB burst set (or position of at least one transmitted SSB in the SSB burst set, paragraphs [68, 72-73, 129-132]).
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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2022/0400451 A1 to Luo et al. (hereafter refers as Luo) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2023/0189388 A1 to Yu et al. (hereafter refers as Yu).
Regarding claim 6, Luo does not explicitly teach wherein the second time offset information comprises at least one of the following: “a time offset of a start position corresponding to the first signal relative to a start position of a first system frame, wherein the first system frame is a system frame in which the first signal is located”.
Yu teaches a time offset of a start position corresponding to a first signal relative to a start position of a first system frame (a time offset of a start position of a periodicity for monitoring/obtaining signal from a start position of a first system frame, paragraphs [184, 198, 201, 254] and Fig. 4), wherein the first system frame is a system frame in which the first signal is located (wherein the first system frame is a system frame in which the periodicity of signal is located, Fig. 4 and paragraphs [184, 198]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of a time offset of a start position corresponding to the first signal relative to a start position of a first system frame, wherein the first system frame is a system frame in which the first signal is located as taught by Yu, with the teachings of the first signal as taught by Luo, for purpose of increase efficiency in determining the time information of the first signal by determining the time information within the system frame (see Yu, paragraphs [184, 198, 201, 254] and Fig. 4).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2022/0400451 A1 to Luo et al. (hereafter refers as Luo) in view of US 2023/0189388 A1 to Yu et al. (hereafter refers as Yu) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2023/0217476 A1 to Yavuz et al. (hereafter refers as Yavuz).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Luo and Yu does not explicitly teach wherein the second time offset information further “comprises first indication information, and the first indication information indicates a relationship between a frame identifier of the first system frame and a frame identifier of a preset system frame”.
Yavuz teaches a first indication information (wireless device receives an offset value from a network node, Fig. 16 and paragraphs [163, 172-175]) indicates a relationship between a frame identifier of the first system frame and a frame identifier of a preset system frame (wherein the offset value indicates a relationship between a system frame number with a signal transmission and a configured system frame number, paragraphs [173-176] and Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of first indication information, and the first indication information indicates a relationship between a frame identifier of the first system frame and a frame identifier of a preset system frame as taught by Yavuz, with the teachings of combination of Luo and Yu, for purpose of increase efficiency in determining the time information of the first signal by specifying the location of the first system frame for determining the time information of the first signal (see Yavuz, paragraphs [173-176] and Fig. 1).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2022/0400451 A1 to Luo et al. (hereafter refers as Luo) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2019/0223084 A1 to John Wilson et al. (hereafter refers as John Wilson).
Regarding claim 12, Luo does not explicitly teach wherein the time reference information is carried in “at least one of a preamble and a data part” of the first signal.
John Wilson teaches a time reference information is carried in at least one of a preamble and a data part of the first signal (UE is configured to receive downlink data in a slot that is offset from a slot of DCI, wherein the DCI includes the offset in a preamble/RRC parameter or payload of the DCI, paragraph [105]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of time reference information is carried in at least one of a preamble and a data part of the first signal as taught by Yavuz, with the teachings of the first signal as taught by Luo, for purpose of increase flexibility for specifying the time reference information by indicating the time reference information in the preamble or the data part of the first signal in the first signal (see John Wilson, paragraph [105]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2023/0269666 A1 to Wu et al. (hereafter refers as Wu) teaches SSB signal is time offset from a wake-up signal (see Fig. 12).
US 2025/0386296 A1 discloses an offset between a start of SSB from a first or subframe of each SMTC occasion (paragraphs [66-69]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUNG B. HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)270-7642. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/DUNG B HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469 October 14, 2026
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