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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/24/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's amendment and argument filed 10/27/2025 with respect to claim(s) 1 and 10 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection under 103 based on Jokela et al. (US 2021/0297907 A1) in view of new reference Zhang et al. (US 2018/0206248 A1) and Lee et al. (US 2020/0229054 A1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 6, 9-10, 14, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jokela et al. (US 2021/0297907 A1) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2018/0206248 A1) and Lee et al. (US 2020/0229054 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Jokela discloses A method of operating a wireless device in a communication network, the method comprising and A wireless device configured to operate in a communication network (Figs. 1, 5, and 6, [0130]: UE), the wireless device comprising: processing circuitry (Fig. 6, [0131]: data processing entity); and memory coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the wireless device to perform operations comprising (Fig. 6, [0131]: memory is coupled to data processing entity and stores software):
receiving a first conditional handover configuration from a source network node, wherein the first conditional handover configuration is associated with a candidate target cell (Fig. 1, [0097]: UE receives CHO command message from source gNB/gNB1. The CHO command message contains RRC configuration for cell 2 of target gNB/gNB2);
storing the first conditional handover configuration ([0098]: UE stores the RRC configuration in its memory);
monitoring a triggering condition associated with the first conditional handover configuration during a connected state ([0091], [0098]: during an RRC_CONNECTED state, the UE starts evaluating the CHO executing trigger);
transitioning from the connected state to a sleep state while retaining the stored first conditional handover configuration during the sleep state (Fig. 5, [0122], [0123]: UE receives an RRC Connection suspend message and transitions to RRC_INACTIVE state while retaining the candidate cells 506a, 506b to carry out conditional handover. [0097]-[0098]: the RRC configuration for cell 2 is contained in the CHO command message);
suspending the monitoring of the triggering condition associated with the first conditional handover configuration during the sleep state (Fig. 5, [0125]: while the UE is in RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE stops evaluating the CHO executing trigger because after the connection is resumed, the UE will start evaluating the CHO executing trigger for the configured target cells);
receiving (Fig. 5, [0124]-[0126]: UE receives an RRC Connection Resume message from the gNB1. The message contains a retain/discard field for handling the candidate cells 2 and 3. [0097]-[0098]: the RRC configuration for cell 2 is contained in the CHO command message);
([0124]-[0126]: the UE may be instructed to retain the prepared cells 2 and 3, or to discard the RRC configurations based on the retain/discard field in the RRC Connection Resume message. Figs. 1, 5, [0097]-[0098]: the CHO command message contains RRC configuration for cell 2 and the UE stores the RRC configuration in its memory before the UE transitioned to the RRC_INACTIVE state).
Jokela does not disclose, but Zhang discloses discarding state variables during the sleep state ([0236] After the entering, by the terminal, an inactive state, the method further includes the following operation: [0237] starting, by the terminal, a context validity period timer when the terminal enters the inactive state, and if the context validity period timer times out, releasing the context information of the terminal. [0240] the context information of the terminal may include an RRC configuration, a bearer configuration, security context information, and the like).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE that has transitioned to RRC_INACTIVE state, as taught by Jokela, to release context information, such as RRC configuration, a bearer configuration, security context information, and the like, when a context validity period timer times out, as taught by Zhang.
Doing so prevents resource occupation caused by hanging of the context information of the terminal, and increases resource utilization of the terminal (Zhang: [0235]).
Jokela does not disclose, but Lee discloses receiving a second conditional handover configuration from the source network node (Fig. 16, [0221]: UE receives, from a source RAN node, HO Command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1) in S1619. [0218]: the HO command 1 was previously transmitted in a CHO configuration message in S1613); and
modifying the first conditional handover configuration, that was stored by the wireless device, based on the second conditional handover configuration information (Fig. 16, [0222]: based on receiving the HO command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1), UE updates HO command 1 in S1621. [0219]: the HO command 1 was stored in S1615. [0228]-[0260]: describe various modification to a conditional handover).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE that has stored the RRC configuration for cell 2 of target gNB/gNB2 contained in the CHO command message and received the RRC Connection Resume message containing a field for handing the candidate cells 2 and 3, as taught by Jokela, to receive the HO Command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1) from a source RAN Node and update the stored HO command 1, as taught by Lee.
Doing so provides a method of updating a mobility command in a mobility procedure which reduces signaling overhead (Lee: [0019], [0211]]).
Regarding claim(s) 5 and 14, Jokela in view of Zhang and Lee discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 10 as outlined above.
Jokela does not disclose, but Lee discloses activating the modified first conditional handover configuration (Fig. 16, [0221]-[0222], [0224]-[0225]: UE receives the HO Command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1) in S1619, updates the HO command 1 in S1621, evaluates the handover condition in S1623, and applies the updated HO command 1 in S1625. [0218]: the HO command 1 was transmitted in a CHO configuration message in S1613. [0228]-[0260]: describe various modification to a conditional handover).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE that has stored the RRC configuration for cell 2 of target gNB/gNB2 contained in the CHO command message and received the RRC Connection Resume message containing a field for handing the candidate cells 2 and 3, as taught by Jokela, to receive the HO Command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1), update the stored HO command 1, evaluate the handover condition, and apply the updated HO command 1, as taught by Lee.
Doing so provides a method of updating a mobility command in a mobility procedure which reduces signaling overhead (Lee: [0019], [0211]]).
Regarding claim(s) 6 and 15, Jokela in view of Zhang and Lee discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 10 as outlined above.
Jokela discloses wherein storing the conditional handover configuration comprises storing the conditional handover configuration as part of a user equipment (UE) ([0098]: UE stores the RRC configuration in its memory. [0097]: the CHO command message contains RRC configuration for cell 2 of target gNB/gNB2).
Jokela does not disclose, but ETSI discloses storing as part of a UE inactive Access Stratum (AS) context (pg. 19 section 4.2.1: in RRC_INACTIVE mode, the UE can store the UE AS context).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE, as taught by Jokela, to perform the function of a UE, as taught by ETSI and as recited above.
Doing so allows the UE to perform state transitions including inter-RAT (ETSI: pg. 19 section 4.2.1).
Regarding claim(s) 9, Jokela in view of Zhang and Lee discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above.
Jokela does not disclose, but Lee discloses wherein monitoring the triggering condition associated with the conditional handover configuration comprises performing a measurement and comparing the measurement to the trigger condition (Fig. 16, [0224]: UE evaluates the handover condition by performing measurements on two target cells and identifying the handover condition is met for handover to target cell 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE, as taught by Jokela, to perform measurements and identifying that a handover condition has met, as taught by Lee.
Doing so allows the UE to perform RACH transmission towards target cell 1 (Lee: [0226]).
Claim(s) 2-4 and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jokela et al. (US 2021/0297907 A1) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2018/0206248 A1), Lee et al. (US 2020/0229054 A1), and Chen et al. (US 2018/0092157 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 2 and 11, Jokela in view of Zhang and Lee discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 10 as outlined above.
Jokela discloses further comprising:
wherein the resume message from the network node contains a command for handling the received conditional handover configuration that was stored by the wireless device before transitioning to the sleep state (Fig. 5, [0124]-[0126]: UE receives an RRC Connection Resume message from the gNB1. The message contains a retain/discard field for handling the candidate cells 2 and 3 that was stored by the UE before the UE transitioned to the RRC_INACTIVE state. [0097]-[0098]: UE receives CHO command message from source gNB/gNB1. The CHO command message contains RRC configuration for cell 2 of target gNB/gNB2);
transitioning from the sleep state to the connected state (Fig. 5, [0127]: UE transitions from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the active state); and
restoring, modifying or releasing the conditional handover configuration in accordance with the command in the resume message ([0124]-[0126]: the UE may be instructed to retain the prepared cells 2 and 3, or to discard the RRC configurations based on the retain/discard field in the RRC Connection Resume message).
Jokela does not disclose, but Chen discloses receiving the resume message from the network node as a response to transmitting a resume request, while in a sleep state, to a network node to initiate transition from the sleep state to a connected state (abstract, Fig. 6, [0062]-[0064]: UE is in inactive state, and transmits an RRC Connection Resume Request message to a candidate node, and receives a RRC Connection Resume message from the candidate node to resume the suspended RRC connection).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE, as taught by Jokela, to perform the recited functions of the UE, as taught by Chen.
Doing so allows the UE to receive UL grants to perform UL data transmission (Chen: Fig. 6).
Regarding claim(s) 3 and 12, Jokela in view of Zhang, Lee, and Chen discloses all features of claim(s) 2 and 11 as outlined above.
Jokela discloses further comprising:
responsive to the command indicating to restore the first conditional handover configuration, restoring the first conditional handover configuration ([0124]-[0125]: the UE may be instructed to retain the prepared cells 2 and 3); and
resuming monitoring the triggering condition associated with the first conditional handover configuration ([0125]: the UE will start evaluating the CHO execution trigger for the configured target cells).
Regarding claim(s) 4 and 13, Jokela in view of Zhang, Lee, and Chen discloses all features of claim(s) 2 and 11 as outlined above.
Jokela discloses wherein the command further comprises the first conditional handover configuration information and an indication to release the first conditional handover configuration that was stored by the wireless device before transitioning to the sleep state ([0124]-[0125]: the RRC Connection Resume message includes an indication whether to retain or discard part or all of the information of cells 2 and 3, i.e., the UE is to release cell 2 and not cell 3, that were stored by the UE before transitioning to the RRC_INACTIVE state), the method further comprising:
releasing the first conditional handover configuration that was stored by the wireless device before transitioning to the sleep state ([0124]-[0125]: the UE retains a part of the information of cells 2 and 3, i.e., the UE is to release cell 2); and
Jokela does not disclose, but Lee discloses activating the second conditional handover configuration based on the first conditional handover configuration information in the command (Fig. 16, [0221]-[0222], [0224]-[0225]: UE receives the HO Command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1) in S1619, updates the HO command 1 in S1621, evaluates the handover condition in S1623, and applies the updated HO command 1 in S1625. [0218]: the HO command 1 was transmitted in a CHO configuration message in S1613. [0228]-[0260]: describe various modification to a conditional handover).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE that has stored the RRC configuration for cell 2 of target gNB/gNB2 contained in the CHO command message and received the RRC Connection Resume message containing a field for handing the candidate cells 2 and 3, as taught by Jokela, to receive the HO Command configuration (delta for HO command 1, Index 1), update the stored HO command 1, evaluate the handover condition, and apply the updated HO command 1, as taught by Lee.
Doing so provides a method of updating a mobility command in a mobility procedure which reduces signaling overhead (Lee: [0019], [0211]]).
Claim(s) 7 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jokela et al. (US 2021/0297907 A1) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2018/0206248 A1), Lee et al. (US 2020/0229054 A1), and Hwang et al. (US 2020/0077314 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 7 and 16, Jokela in view of Zhang and Lee discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 10 as outlined above.
Jokela does not disclose, but Chang discloses further comprising, in connection with transitioning to the sleep state ([0098], [0100]: the UE receives a second RRC message for releasing RRC connection or instructing the UE to enter inactive state):
stopping a timer associated with the conditional handover configuration ([0098], [0101]: the UE stops a validity timer associated with a handover command. [0096]: the handover command for a handover procedure may be a conditional handover);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE, as taught by Jokela, to perform the functions of a UE, as taught by Chang and as recited above.
Doing so allows the UE to release the stored handover configuration (Chang: [0099]).
Jokela in view of Chang does not disclose, but Hwang discloses discarding a measurement associated with monitoring of the triggering condition associated with the conditional handover configuration ([0128]: terminal removes a measurement for CHO for a given reason, i.e., an event in which information indicating that the radio state of the corresponding candidate target cell 130 is not suitable for the meas is received from the UE 110 through an MR or a resource situation is changed so that the candidate target cell 130 does not guarantee given link quality and the meas ID1 for CHO guarantees such link quality).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE, as taught by Jokela, to perform the function of a terminal, as taught by Hwang and as recited above.
Doing so allows the terminal to stop the measurement when the meas ID1 for CHO guarantees such link quality that meas ID2 cannot guarantee (Hwang: [0128]).
Claim(s) 41 and 42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jokela et al. (US 2021/0297907 A1) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2018/0206248 A1), Lee et al. (US 2020/0229054 A1), ETSI – TS 138 331 V15.3.0 (5G; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol specification), and Chang et al. (US 2019/0380081 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 41 and 42, Jokela in view of Zhang and Lee discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 10 as outlined above.
Jokela does not disclose, but ETSI discloses starting a first timer upon entering the sleep state (pg. 57 section 5.3.8.2: transit a UE in RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE. Section 5.3.8.3: the UE shall start timer T320 if the t320 is included in the RRCRelease message that includes the cellReselectionPriorities); and
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE, as taught by Jokela, to start a timer after transiting to RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, as taught by ETSI.
Doing so allows the UE to store the cell reselection priority information and discard it when the T320 expires (ETSI: pg. 57 section 5.3.8.3 and pg. 58 section 5.3.8.4).
Jokela does not disclose, but Chang discloses deleting the stored conditional handover configuration upon expiration of the first timer ([0087]: when the timer expires, the UE discards the stored handover configuration. [0096]: the handover command for a handover procedure may be a conditional handover).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the UE starting a timer after transiting to RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, as taught by Jokela modified by ETSI, to further discard the stored handover configuration when the timer expires.
Doing so allows the UE to release the stored handover configuration based on a timer-based handover configuration information management method which avoids unnecessary wrong handovers (Chang: [0087], [0043]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THE HY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3813. The examiner can normally be reached on Mo-Fr: 8am-4pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Avellino, can be reached on (571) 272-3905. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THE HY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
TheHy.Nguyen@USPTO.gov