DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present U.S. non-provisional application is being examined under the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the AIA . The present U.S. non-provisional application, filed on October 5, 2022, is the U.S. national stage of an international PCT application, filed on March 24, 2021, and claims priority to a foreign application, filed on April 8, 2020.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 on May 6, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This Office action is responsive to the amendment and arguments on March 24, 2026. Claims 1, 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 27 were amended. Claims 7 and 13 were canceled. Claims 1, 3-6, 8-12, 14-17, 26 and 27 are pending for re-consideration in the present U.S. non-provisional application.
Response to Arguments
The arguments (pages 8-10) directed to the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been considered. The arguments are directed to the amendment, but they are considered as not sufficient to overcome the rejections. The arguments indicate (A) that Hwang substantially differs from the RRC connection establishment request because Hwang at paragraphs [0406] and [0407] describes an RRC connection re-establishment request. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that re-establishment is a form of establishment in accordance with the plain, ordinary and customary meaning thereof (MPEP 2111.01, cf. Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], “At step 302, the RLF report comprises at least one of a failure cell identifier, a previous cell identifier, a cell identifier in which the UE tries RRC connection re-establishment or RRC connection establishment for the first time after failure, a time from the last handover command message to the RLF or handover failure, a measurement information of the UE, and a cause of the connection failure being an RLF or a handover failure…” emphasis added. It is noted that a person having ordinary skill in the art would further understand that establishment for the first time after failure describes re-establishment as a form of establishment.) Hwang therefore provides sufficient prior art disclosure and suggestions for an RRC connection establishment request via description of an RRC connection re-establishment request. Accordingly, the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 are maintained.
The arguments (pages 10-11) directed to the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been considered. The arguments are directed to the amendment, but they are considered as not sufficient to overcome the rejections. The arguments indicate (B) that Xu does not suggest the RLF information can include at least one of a tracking area code (TAC) and a tracking area identifier (TAI) because Xu at paragraphs [0057] and [0058] describes a RLF report includes a TAI. However, Xu at Id. provides sufficient prior art disclosure and suggestions for the RLF information via description of the RLF report (i.e. the RLF information) including the TAI. It is noted that TAC or TAI would also be considered as simple substitution of one known identifier for another that yields predictable results. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007). Accordingly, the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 are maintained.
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 1, 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 17 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Hwang et al. (US 2020/0045669 A1) in view of Xu et al. (US 2013/0165108 A1).
1. A method of reporting radio link failure information, applied to a terminal (Hwang, FIG. 24), comprising:
recording radio link failure (RLF) information, in a process of the terminal performing a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], “In operation 2320, a terminal 2305 establishes a connection with a base station 2310 of a serving cell, and in operation 2325, a radio link failure (RLF) or a handover (HO) failure occurs. The terminal 2305 begins to perform an RRC connection re-establishment operation at this time. In operation 2330, the terminal 2305 selects a cell, and transmits an RRC connection re-establishment request message to a base station 2315 of the selected cell. In this configuration, an example of information transmitted together with the RRC connection re-establishment request message may include an only cell identifier in a PLMN of a cell in which the RLF or the HO failure has occurred…”), the RLF information comprising at least one of: a tracking area code (TAC), and a tracking area identifier (TAI) of an access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], “…The RLF report can also comprise a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) Radio Network Temporary Identifier (U-RNTI) of the UE in the last cell serving the UE, a TAI or a LAI and an RAC at which the last cell serving the UE is located, a TAI or a LAI and an RAC of the cell at which the UE tries to re-establish the connection.”), wherein the access cell is a cell selected by the terminal for the RRC connection establishment after a handover failure or a RLF, wherein the RLF information is related to a time of the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal to the access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], “At step 302, the RLF report comprises at least one of a failure cell identifier, a previous cell identifier, a cell identifier in which the UE tries RRC connection re-establishment or RRC connection establishment for the first time after failure, a time from the last handover command message to the RLF or handover failure, a measurement information of the UE, and a cause of the connection failure being an RLF or a handover failure…” emphasis added. Id.);
reporting the RLF information to a network side device (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], “…In operation 2330, the terminal 2305 selects a cell, and transmits an RRC connection re-establishment request message to a base station 2315 of the selected cell. In this configuration, an example of information transmitted together with the RRC connection re-establishment request message may include an only cell identifier in a PLMN of a cell in which the RLF or the HO failure has occurred…” Id.);
wherein, the recording the radio link failure (RLF) information, in the process of the terminal performing the RRC connection establishment, comprises: recording the RLF information when the terminal sends an RRC connection establishment request (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], “…In operation 2330, the terminal 2305 selects a cell, and transmits an RRC connection re-establishment request message to a base station 2315 of the selected cell. In this configuration, an example of information transmitted together with the RRC connection re-establishment request message may include an only cell identifier in a PLMN of a cell in which the RLF or the HO failure has occurred…” Id.)
Hwang et al. may not seem to describe the identical claimed invention, however in the same field of endeavor, Xu et al. provides prior art disclosure for the claimed invention, such as the RLF information comprising at least one of: a tracking area code (TAC), and a tracking area identifier (TAI) of an access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.), wherein the access cell is a cell selected by the terminal for the RRC connection establishment after a handover failure or a RLF, wherein the RLF information is related to a time of the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal to the access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.) The prior art disclosure and suggestions of Xu et al. are for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement (Xu, paras. [0011], [0014], “…Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for detecting a cause of a RLF or a handover failure. There is a need for a system and method that correctly detect a cause of the RLF or the handover failure and that are optimized to indicate a corresponding event to a base station in which a cell that causes the problem is located, such that the base station can perform correct self-optimization for the mobile communication system according to the detected cause, and such that the base station can improve performance of the mobile communication system.”) In view of the prior art of record, the claimed invention 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, for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recording the RLF information in case the terminal sends the RRC connection establishment request, comprises: recording the RLF information when the RRC connection establishment request is triggered for a first time after a handover failure or a radio link failure occurs at the terminal (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.)
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reporting the RLF information to the network side device, comprises: sending the RLF information to the network side device via air interface signalling (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.)
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the RLF information further comprises: a cell global identity (CGI) of the access cell (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.)
10. A method of obtaining radio link failure information, applied to a network side device (Hwang, FIG. 25), comprising:
receiving radio link failure (RLF) information sent by a terminal, wherein the RLF information is recorded by the terminal when the terminal sends a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment request (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.);
wherein the RLF information comprises at least one of: a tracking area code (TAC), and a tracking area identifier (TAI) of an access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.), wherein the access cell is a cell selected by the terminal for the RRC connection establishment after a handover failure or a RLF, wherein the RLF information is related to a time of the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal to the access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id. cf. Claim 1).
Hwang et al. may not seem to describe the identical claimed invention, however in the same field of endeavor, Xu et al. provides prior art disclosure for the claimed invention, such as wherein the RLF information comprises at least one of: a tracking area code (TAC), and a tracking area identifier (TAI) of an access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.), wherein the access cell is a cell selected by the terminal for the RRC connection establishment after a handover failure or a RLF, wherein the RLF information is related to a time of the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal to the access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.) The prior art disclosure and suggestions of Xu et al. are for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement (Xu, paras. [0011], [0014], Id.) In view of the prior art of record, the claimed invention 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, for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the receiving the radio link failure (RLF) information sent by the terminal, comprises: receiving the RLF information sent by the terminal via air interface signalling (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.); wherein, the RLF information is passed between network side devices or within the network side device (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.)
16. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the RLF information further comprises: a cell global identity (CGI) of the access cell (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id. cf. Claim 9).
17. A terminal, comprising a memory, a processor, and a program stored on the memory and configured to be executed on the processor, wherein, when executing the program, the processor implements (Hwang, FIG. 24, Id.) the following steps:
recording radio link failure (RLF) information, in a process of the terminal performing a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.), the RLF information comprising at least one of: a tracking area code (TAC), and a tracking area identifier (TAI) of an access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.), wherein the access cell is a cell selected by the terminal for the RRC connection establishment after a handover failure or a RLF, wherein the RLF information is related to a time of the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal to the access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.);
reporting the RLF information to a network side device (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id.);
wherein, when executing the program of the recording the radio link failure (RLF) information, in the process of the terminal performing the RRC connection establishment, the processor implements the following step: recording the RLF information when the terminal sends an RRC connection establishment request (Hwang, paras. [0406], [0407], Id. cf. Claim 1).
Hwang et al. may not seem to describe the identical claimed invention, however in the same field of endeavor, Xu et al. provides prior art disclosure for the claimed invention, such as the RLF information comprising at least one of: a tracking area code (TAC), and a tracking area identifier (TAI) of an access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.), wherein the access cell is a cell selected by the terminal for the RRC connection establishment after a handover failure or a RLF, wherein the RLF information is related to a time of the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal to the access cell (Xu, paras. [0057], [0058], Id.) The prior art disclosure and suggestions of Xu et al. are for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement (Xu, paras. [0011], [0014], Id.) In view of the prior art of record, the claimed invention 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, for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement.
26. A network side device, comprising: a memory, a processor and a program stored on the memory and configured to be executed on the processor; wherein, when executing the program, the processor implements (Hwang, FIG. 25, Id.) the method of obtaining radio link failure information according to claim 10.
Claims 3, 11 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (US 2020/0045669 A1) in view of Xu et al. (US 2013/0165108 A1) further in view of Wang et al. (US 2011/0300896 A1).
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the RLF information further comprises: access time information, the access time information being used to indicate a length of time from a handover failure or a radio link failure to the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal (Wang, paras. [0047], [0048], “In addition, in a specific implementation procedure, if the radio network problem is an RLF problem, the problem information about the RLF may include one or more of the following: information of an error cause, identity information of an S-Cell in the case of the RLF, identity information of a tracking area (TA) of the S-Cell in the case of the RLF, identity information of the UE, and time information from the time when the RLF occurs to the time when the RRC re-establishment or establishment succeeds. If the radio network problem is an HOF problem, the problem information about the HOF may include one or more of the following: information of an error cause, both identity information of an S-Cell and a T-Cell in the case of the HOF, identity information of a tracking area of the S-Cell in the case of the HOF, identity information of the UE, and time information from the time when a handover command is received to the time when the RRC re-establishment or establishment succeeds…”) The prior art disclosure and suggestions of Wang et al. are for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement (Wang, paras. [0047], [0048], Id.) In view of the prior art of record, the claimed invention 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, for reasons of self-optimization and performance improvement.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the RLF information further comprises: access time information, the access time information being used to indicate a length of time from a handover failure or a radio link failure to the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal (Wang, paras. [0047], [0048], Id. cf. Claim 3).
27. The network side device according to claim 26, wherein the RLF information further comprises: access time information, the access time information being used to indicate a length of time from a handover failure or a radio link failure to the RRC connection establishment made by the terminal (Wang, paras. [0047], [0048], Id. cf. Claim 3).
Claims 4, 5, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (US 2020/0045669 A1) in view of Xu et al. (US 2013/0165108 A1) further in view of Dudda et al. (US 2016/0285679 A1).
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before the recording the RLF information when the terminal sends the RRC connection establishment request, further comprises: starting a first timer when a handover failure or a radio link failure occurs at the terminal (Dudda, paras. [0063], [0091], “Radio link monitoring, RLM, concepts are discussed subsequently: In order to detect radio link failures (RLFs) the UE may implement a radio link monitoring (RLM) mechanism, which is described in 3GPP TS 36.331 V12.0.0. RLM parameters are configured by RRC. For this purpose the UE evaluates the radio link and upon N310 consecutive “out-of-sync” indications received from lower layers (see 3GPP TR 36.133 V12.2.0 for details), the UE starts the timer T310. The timer may be stopped upon N311 consecutive “in-sync” indications. After expiry of T310 the UE will declare RLF to be detected and start the RRC reestablishment procedure. A radio link failure detected during the handover procedure leads to an abort of the handover procedure, i.e. the handover is not successful…”); the recording the RLF information when the terminal sends the RRC connection establishment request, comprising: recording the RLF information if the first timer is in operation, when the terminal sends the RRC connection establishment request (Dudda, paras. [0063], [0091], Id. MPEP 2111.04, “The broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met…”) The prior art disclosure and suggestions of Dudda et al. are for reasons of improving robustness of mobility functions (Dudda, paras. [0015], [0016], “...In view of the above, there is a need to improve robustness of mobility functions in a cellular network, in particular robustness of handovers.”) In view of the prior art of record, the claimed invention 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, for reasons of improving robustness of mobility functions.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, before the starting the first timer when the handover failure or the radio link failure occurs at the terminal, further comprises: obtaining configuration information of the first timer sent by the network side device via air interface signalling (Dudda, paras. [0063], [0091], “…A cellular network operator may configure a UE (via serving cell) with a certain RLM configuration (e.g. T310) and Handover-RLF combined timer T312 (introduced in Rel-12). This configuration may be adapted as well, depending on e.g. cell type (as defined in 3GPP TS 36.423 V12.0.0, Cell Type IE indicates the size of a cell), so it is not necessarily equal among cells. The configuration as well as potential detailed failure reasons and timing of failure can also be considered in MRO, i.e. this information can be considered in the cell that is deemed to apply changes to its mobility parameters in order to prevent failures to occur again…” Id.)
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, before the receiving the radio link failure (RLF) information sent by the terminal, further comprises: sending configuration information of a first timer to the terminal via air interface signalling (Dudda, paras. [0063], [0091], Id. cf. Claim 5).
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, an interface used to pass the RLF information comprises at least one of the following: Xn, X2, NG, S1, F1, or E1 (Dudda, paras. [0080], [0081], “FIG. 4B schematically illustrates an example of indicating a radio link failure from one node to another. Therein, an RLF INDICATION message 405 is sent from eNB2 to eNB1. As stated in 3GPP TS 36.423 V12.0.0, the purpose of the Radio Link Failure Indication procedure is to enable mobility robustness improvement in E-UTRAN by passing information about a failure event over the X2 interface...”)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (PTO-1449, PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to the subject matter of the present U.S. non-provisional application.
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/TIMOTHY J WEIDNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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