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
a. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/21/2026 has been entered.
Claims 9 and 11-13 in the present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, are being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
- claim 13 is cancelled
b. This is a first action on the merits based on Applicant’s claims submitted on 04/28/2026.
Response to Arguments
Regarding Independent claims 9, 11, and 12 previously rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103, Applicant's arguments, see “In view of the above, Huawei fails to teach that in response to the terminal not receiving the indication that indicates the cell ID of the neighbor cell, the terminal determines the pattern of the position of the resource of the RSS of the neighbor cell based on a relationship between the resource position of the RSS of the neighbor cell and a resource position of an RSS of a serving cell. Thus, Huawei fails to teach limitation (i). In view of the above, none of the cited references can teach at least limitation (i) of amended independent claim 9, which is similarly recited in amended independent claims 11 and 12.” on page 9, filed on 04/28/2026, with respect to , have been fully considered but are moot, over the limitations of “wherein the assist information assists the measurement of the resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell by indicating comprises an indication that indicates a cell ID of the neighbor cell”. Said limitations are newly added to the amended Claims 9, 11, and 12 and have been addressed in instant office action, as shown in section 35 USC 102 rejection below, with newly identified disclosures in previously applied reference Fang, thus rendering said Applicant’s arguments moot.
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 9, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fang et al. US Pub 2022/0329381, claiming foreign application CN111092702 priority 2019-07-24 (hereinafter “Fang”).
Regarding claim 9 (Currently Amended)
Fang discloses a terminal (“FIG. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure” [0230]; Fig. 18) comprising:
a processor (“first acquisition apparatus 1820” in Fig. 18; [0230]) configured, in response to assist information that assists measurement of a resynchronization signal of a neighbor cell not being received by the terminal (“whether the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell is indicated through the RSS configuration indication in the first information. If the same, then the terminal may acquire the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell. Therefore, the base station does not need to send RSS configuration information of each neighboring cell to the terminal (i.e. resynchronization signal of a neighbor cell not being received by the terminal), and the overhead of the information indication is greatly reduced.” [0042] and furthermore “the base station may indicate whether RSS configuration information of all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time. The base station may also respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell for different neighboring cells. The base station may also indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time, and then respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of each neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0043]), to determine a pattern of a position of a resource (e.g. “RSS frequency domain position”) by which a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell can be transmitted (“an idle MTC terminal needs to obtain configuration information of a re-synchronization signal (RSS) of each neighboring cell in advance, and the configuration information includes an RSS frequency domain position, an RSS time domain offset and a number of cell-specific reference signal (CRS) ports.” [0003]), based on a relationship between a resource position of a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell and a resource position of a resynchronization signal of a serving cell (“The information indication method includes the following, RSS configuration information of a serving cell is received from a base station; and RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is determined according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0007]); and
a receiver (“first receiving module 1810” in Fig. 18; [0230]) configured to receive a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell based on the pattern (“The first receiving module 1810 is configured to receive first information from a base station, the first information includes a re-synchronization signal (RSS) configuration indication, and the RSS configuration indication is used for indicating whether RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is the same as RSS configuration information of a serving cell.” [0230] and furthermore “the base station may indicate whether RSS configuration information of all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time. The base station may also respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell for different neighboring cells. The base station may also indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time, and then respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of each neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0043]),
wherein the assist information (“RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is determined according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0007]) assists the measurement of the resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell by indicating a cell ID of the neighbor cell (“For example, FIG. 20 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal may further include a third acquisition apparatus 2010. The third acquisition apparatus 2010 is configured to acquire the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell according to a cell identifier of the neighboring cell in a case where the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell is different from the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0234]), and
wherein the pattern includes a frequency position candidate (i.e. “RSS frequency domain position”) and a time position candidate (i.e. “RSS time domain offset”) of a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell (“obtain configuration information of a re-synchronization signal (RSS) of each neighboring cell in advance, and the configuration information includes an RSS frequency domain position, an RSS time domain offset and a number of cell-specific reference signal (CRS) ports.” [0003]).
Regarding claim 11 (Currently Amended)
A reception method executed by a terminal, comprising:
in response to assist information that assists measurement of a resynchronization signal of a neighbor cell not being received by the terminal, determining a pattern of a position of a resource by which a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell can be transmitted, based on a relationship between a resource position of a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell and a resource position of a resynchronization signal of a serving cell; and
receiving a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell based on the pattern,
wherein the assist information assists the measurement of the resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell by indicating a cell ID of the neighbor cell, and
wherein the pattern includes a frequency position candidate and a time position candidate of a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell.
The scope and subject matter of method claim 11 is drawn to the method of using the corresponding apparatus claimed in claim 9. Therefore method claim 11 corresponds to apparatus claim 9 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claim 9 rejection above.
Regarding claim 12 (Currently Amended)
Fang discloses a communication system comprising:
a terminal (“FIG. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure” [0230]; Fig. 18) comprising:
a processor (“first acquisition apparatus 1820” in Fig. 18; [0230]) configured, in response to assist information that assists measurement of a resynchronization signal of a neighbor cell not being received by the terminal (“whether the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell is indicated through the RSS configuration indication in the first information. If the same, then the terminal may acquire the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell. Therefore, the base station does not need to send RSS configuration information of each neighboring cell to the terminal (i.e. resynchronization signal of a neighbor cell not being received by the terminal), and the overhead of the information indication is greatly reduced.” [0042] and furthermore “the base station may indicate whether RSS configuration information of all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time. The base station may also respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell for different neighboring cells. The base station may also indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time, and then respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of each neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0043]), to determine a pattern of a position of a resource (e.g. “RSS frequency domain position”) by which a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell can be transmitted (“an idle MTC terminal needs to obtain configuration information of a re-synchronization signal (RSS) of each neighboring cell in advance, and the configuration information includes an RSS frequency domain position, an RSS time domain offset and a number of cell-specific reference signal (CRS) ports.” [0003]), based on a relationship between a resource position of a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell and a resource position of a resynchronization signal of a serving cell (“The information indication method includes the following, RSS configuration information of a serving cell is received from a base station; and RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is determined according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0007]); and
a receiver (“first receiving module 1810” in Fig. 18; [0230]) configured to receive a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell based on the pattern (“The first receiving module 1810 is configured to receive first information from a base station, the first information includes a re-synchronization signal (RSS) configuration indication, and the RSS configuration indication is used for indicating whether RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is the same as RSS configuration information of a serving cell.” [0230] and furthermore “the base station may indicate whether RSS configuration information of all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time. The base station may also respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell for different neighboring cells. The base station may also indicate whether the RSS configuration information of the all neighboring cells is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell at one time, and then respectively indicate whether the RSS configuration information of each neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0043]),
wherein the assist information (“RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is determined according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0007]) assists the measurement of the resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell by indicating a cell ID of the neighbor cell (“For example, FIG. 20 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal may further include a third acquisition apparatus 2010. The third acquisition apparatus 2010 is configured to acquire the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell according to a cell identifier of the neighboring cell in a case where the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell is different from the RSS configuration information of the serving cell.” [0234]), and
wherein the pattern includes a frequency position candidate (i.e. “RSS frequency domain position”) and a time position candidate (i.e. “RSS time domain offset”) of a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell (“obtain configuration information of a re-synchronization signal (RSS) of each neighboring cell in advance, and the configuration information includes an RSS frequency domain position, an RSS time domain offset and a number of cell-specific reference signal (CRS) ports.” [0003]); and
a base station apparatus (i.e. “first sending module 1610 ” in base station in Fig. 16; [0221]) configured to transmit a resynchronization signal of the serving cell (“first information is received from a base station, where the first information includes a re-synchronization signal (RSS) configuration indication, and the RSS configuration indication is used for indicating whether RSS configuration information of a neighboring cell is the same as RSS configuration information of a serving cell” [0006]);
and
another base station apparatus (“FIG. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a base station provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.” [0224]) configured to transmit a resynchronization signal of the neighbor cell (“the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell is acquired according to the RSS configuration information of the serving cell in a case where the RSS configuration information of the neighboring cell is the same as the RSS configuration information of the serving cell” [0006]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUONG M NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8184. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00am - 6:30pm.
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/CHUONG M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411