DETAILED ACTION
The following is a final office action in response to applicant’s remarks/arguments 2/09/2026 for
response of the office action mailed on 11/26/2025. Claims 1, 9, 12 and 13 have been amended. Claim 8 have been canceled. Claims 1-2, 4, 6-7, and 9-13 remain pending in the application.
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 .
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Applicant’s remarks/arguments (page 6-9), filed on 2/09/2026, with respect to claim 1 have been
fully considered but are not persuasive.
Regarding remarks in page 7-8, for independent claim 1, applicant asserts that Shrestha fails to disclose information indicating whether the scheduling information provided by the TN base station to the UE is related to the TN base station or the NTN base station. Thus, Shrestha fails to disclose the specific mechanism by the TN base station to actively manage the terminal's entry into the NTN.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant. YEO et al. (US 2022/0095258 Al) discloses “provide a scheme in which a base station or a satellite indicates a TA value and a terminal adjusts uplink timing based on the indicated TA value in a communication system supporting an NTN. if it is assumed that an SIB providing parameters necessary for satellite network transmission and reception is an SIB-NTN or SIB-xx, when the SIB-NTN or SIB-xx is provided from a base station in a corresponding serving cell, yeo: [0015], [0368]-[0369]”.
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that
are applied 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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-7 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TSENG et
al. (WO 2021/139665 A1, hereinafter “Tseng”) in view of YEO et al. (US 2022/0095258 Al, hereinafter “Yeo”) and in further view of Hoang et al. (US 2022/0159741 Al, hereinafter “Hoang”).
Regarding claim 1, Tseng discloses:
A method comprising:
receiving, by a terminal, from a terrestrial network (TN) base station, configuration information for providing information needed for the terminal to access the wireless communication system via a non-terrestrial network (NTN) including a satellite (UE may receive one or more NTN assistance information from its serving NTN cell that may be located on a satellite, Tseng: [0066]-[0071]),
wherein the configuration information includes information related to an access priority for one or more NTN base stations (target cell of a CHO command may be configured with a cell priority and/or access control parameters (e.g., AC barring factor). Type I UE may give (or consider) Type I cell(s) higher priority (in comparison with Type 2 cell(s)) when the Type I UE performs cell (re)selection procedure, Tseng: [0087], [0135]-[0136]);
transmitting, by the terminal, a first message for a random access procedure to an NTN base station having the highest priority (serving NTN cell may transmit NTN assistance information to the UE, so that the UE estimates a TA value based on the received NTN assistance information. serving NTN cell may also broadcast a common TA value directly to UEs. UE may give cell higher priority and frequency to be the highest priority when the UE performs cell (re)selection procedure. UE may initiate a RA procedure and then start the first message transmission based on the estimated TA value, Tseng: [0064], [0066]-[0067], [0074]-[0077], [0135]-[0136]) according to the information related to an access priority at a timing determined based on a terminal-specific timing advance (TA) value for the terminal and a common TA value (UE needs to adjust uplink timing advance (TA) values in different situations. NTA, offset is a fixed value that may be configured by a serving cell via broadcasting system information (e.g., SIB 1) or a DE-specific dedicated control signaling (e.g., DL RRC signaling, such as RRC (Connection) Reconfiguration message). serving cell may transmit a dedicated control signaling (e.g., Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE)) in the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PD SCH) to indicate the UE to adjust its TA value, Tseng: [0055], [0062]);
receiving, by the terminal, a second message for the random access procedure in response to the first message (UE may monitor whether the serving cell (in the serving RAN) receives the UL message successfully (the serving cell (in the serving RAN) may transmit one ACK message in action to the UE if the UL message is received successfully by the serving cell in the RAN). UE may receive an ACK message from the serving RAN as the PUSCH payload has been received by the serving cell successfully, Tseng: [0077], [0079]), and
Tseng does not explicitly disclose:
receiving, by the terminal, downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel from the TN base station,
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value, a scheduling offset used for a timing relationship that needs to be modified for an NTN and a scheduling offset for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame, and
wherein the downlink control information includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Yeo teaches:
receiving, by the terminal, downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel from the TN base station (DCI for scheduling a terminal specific (e.g., UE-specific) PDSCH or PUSCH may be scrambled with cell RNTI (C-RNTI). DCI format 0_1 may be used as non-fallback DCI for scheduling PUSCH, yeo: [0103], [0105], [0110]),
wherein the configuration information further includes the base station transmits an uplink scheduling grant (UL grant) or a downlink control signal and data (DL grant and DL data) to the terminal at slot n 802, the terminal may receive the uplink scheduling grant or downlink control signal and data at slot n 804. In this case, the terminal may receive the signal, a propagation delay (Tp) 810 later than the time the base station transmits the signal, yeo: Fig.8, [0188]) for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame (synchronization signal may include information such as a slot boundary and a frame number of a signal transmitted by the base station, downlink and uplink configuration, and/or the like, yeo: [0244]), and
wherein the downlink control information includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station (provide a scheme in which a base station or a satellite indicates a TA value and a terminal adjusts uplink timing based on the indicated TA value in a communication system supporting an NTN. if it is assumed that an SIB providing parameters necessary for satellite network transmission andreception is an SIB-NTN or SIB-xx, when the SIB-NTN or SIB-xx is provided from a base station in a corresponding serving cell, yeo: [0015], [0368]-[0369]).
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 Tseng in view of Yeo in order to further modify receiving downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel from the TN base station, and the configuration information including a scheduling offset used for a timing relationship that needs to be modified for an NTN and a scheduling offset for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame, and the downlink control information which includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station from the teachings of Yeo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for adjusting uplink timing if a terminal transmits and receives a signal to and from a base station via a satellite in a communication system (Yeo: [0013]).
Yet, Tseng in view of Yeo does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value,
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hoang teaches:
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value (WTRU may monitor a group common PDCCH (GC-PDCCH) and may receive an indication of a timing advance (TA) command (TAC) for itself and/or for a group of WTRUs ("group TAC"). The WTRU may receive a TA change rate in the ephemeris to adjust its TA, Hoang: [0222], [0224]),
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 Tseng and Yeo in view of Hoang in order to further modify the configuration information that includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value from the teachings of Hoang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated that a WTRU may determine a TAC mode to use based on information from the network (e.g., information provided by a gNB) (Hoang: [0225]).
Regarding claim 2, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Tseng further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is transmitted based on the terminal transmitting a report that the terminal intends to be provided with an NTN service to the TN base station (NTN assistance information may be broadcasted by a serving NTN cell via broadcasting system information, Tseng: [0094]-[0096]).
Regarding claim 4, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 2 above.
Tseng further discloses:
The method of claim 2, wherein the report includes location information of the terminal, wherein the configuration information includes uplink timing advance (TA) information and timing information (NTN assistance information may include different timing advance information. UE receives NTN assistance information via a broadcasting SI or a UE-specific dedicated control signaling from a serving NTN cell, Tseng: [0083]-[0084], [0096], [0137], [0139]).
Regarding claim 6, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Tseng further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes information on a validity timer for the common TA value and/or the terminal-specific TA value (UE receives a UE-specific dedicated control signaling from a serving NTN cell. NTN assistance information may include at least one of a common TA value. common TA value may be a time-varying parameter, Tseng: [0064], [0096], [0137], [0139]),
wherein the validity timer is restarted whenever the common TA value and/or the terminal-specific TA value is updated (UE may start to count the validity-life-period timer after the UE receives the NTN assistance information, Tseng: [0107]).
Regarding claim 7, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 6 above.
Tseng further discloses:
The method of claim 6, wherein the first message for the random access procedure is retransmitted based on the common TA value and/or the terminal-specific TA value not being updated before the validity timer expires (UE may transmit the selected preamble at least once. UE may initiate another RA procedure after a backoff time period, which may be decided by the UE based on the backoff parameters received in the RAR message, Tseng: [0074]-[0077] ).
Regarding claim 10, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Tseng further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes information on an activation timer for the one or more NTN base stations (UE receives NTN assistance information via a broadcasting SI or a UE-specific dedicated control signaling from a serving NTN cell. NTN assistance information may include at least one of a common TA value, location information associated with the serving NTN cell and a reference point, Tseng: [0096], [0137], [0139]),
wherein the first message for the random access procedure is retransmitted based on the common TA value and/or the terminal-specific TA value not being updated before the validity timer expires (UE may reset the validity timer and then re-start the validity timer when the UE re-obtains & stores the new NTN assistance information, Tseng: [0096], [0106]-[0108] ).
Regarding claim 11, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 10 above.
Tseng further discloses:
The method of claim 10, wherein an NTN base station from which the control signal is not received until an activation timer expires among the one or more NTN base stations is determined to be deactivated (when the validity timer expires, the stored NTN assistance information may be considered invalid, Tseng: [0096], [0106]-[0108]).
Regarding claim 12, Tseng discloses:
A terminal comprising (UE may include, but is not limited to, a mobile station, a mobile terminal or device, a user communication radio terminal, Tseng: [0027]):
at least one transceiver for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal (transceiver may include a transmitter and a receiver, Tseng: [0142]); and
at least one processor for controlling the at least one transceiver (processor may also process information to be sent to the transceiver for transmission, Tseng: [0146]),
wherein the at least one processor configured to:
receive, from a terrestrial network (TN) base station, configuration information for providing information needed for the terminal to access a wireless communication system via a non-terrestrial network (NTN) including a satellite (UE may receive one or more NTN assistance information from its serving NTN cell that may be located on a satellite, Tseng: [0066]-[0071]), wherein the configuration information includes information related to an access priority for one or more NTN base stations (target cell of a CHO command may be configured with a cell priority and/or access control parameters (e.g., AC barring factor). Type I UE may give (or consider) Type I cell(s) higher priority (in comparison with Type 2 cell(s)) when the Type I UE performs cell (re)selection procedure, Tseng: [0087], [0135]-[0136]);
transmit a first message for a random access procedure to an NTN base station having the highest priority according to the information related to an access priority at a timing determined based on a terminal-specific timing advance (TA) value for the terminal and a common TA value (serving NTN cell may transmit NTN assistance information to the UE, so that the UE estimates a TA value based on the received NTN assistance information. serving NTN cell may also broadcast a common TA value directly to UEs. UE may give cell higher priority and frequency to be the highest priority when the UE performs cell (re)selection procedure. UE may initiate a RA procedure and then start the first message transmission based on the estimated TA value, Tseng: [0064], [0066]-[0067], [0074]-[0077], [0135]-[0136]);
receive a second message for the random access procedure in response to the first message (UE may monitor whether the serving cell (in the serving RAN) receives the UL message successfully (the serving cell (in the serving RAN) may transmit one ACK message in action to the UE if the UL message is received successfully by the serving cell in the RAN). UE may receive an ACK message from the serving RAN as the PUSCH payload has been received by the serving cell successfully, Tseng: [0077], [0079]); and
Tseng does not explicitly disclose:
receive downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel from the TN base station,
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value, a scheduling offset used for a timing relationship that needs to be modified for an NTN and a scheduling offset for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame, and
wherein the downlink control information includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Yeo teaches:
receive downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel from the TN base station (DCI for scheduling a terminal specific (e.g., UE-specific) PDSCH or PUSCH may be scrambled with cell RNTI (C-RNTI). DCI format 0_1 may be used as non-fallback DCI for scheduling PUSCH, yeo: [0103], [0105], [0110]),
wherein the configuration information further includes the base station transmits an uplink scheduling grant (UL grant) or a downlink control signal and data (DL grant and DL data) to the terminal at slot n 802, the terminal may receive the uplink scheduling grant or downlink control signal and data at slot n 804. In this case, the terminal may receive the signal, a propagation delay (Tp) 810 later than the time the base station transmits the signal, yeo: Fig.8, [0188]) for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame (synchronization signal may include information such as a slot boundary and a frame number of a signal transmitted by the base station, downlink and uplink configuration, and/or the like, yeo: [0244]), and
wherein the downlink control information includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station (provide a scheme in which a base station or a satellite indicates a TA value and a terminal adjusts uplink timing based on the indicated TA value in a communication system supporting an NTN. if it is assumed that an SIB providing parameters necessary for satellite network transmission andreception is an SIB-NTN or SIB-xx, when the SIB-NTN or SIB-xx is provided from a base station in a corresponding serving cell, yeo: [0015], [0368]-[0369]).
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 Tseng in view of Yeo in order to further modify receiving downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel from the TN base station, and the configuration information including a scheduling offset used for a timing relationship that needs to be modified for an NTN and a scheduling offset for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame, and the downlink control information which includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station from the teachings of Yeo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for adjusting uplink timing if a terminal transmits and receives a signal to and from a base station via a satellite in a communication system (Yeo: [0013]).
Yet, Tseng in view of Yeo does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value,
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hoang teaches:
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value (WTRU may monitor a group common PDCCH (GC-PDCCH) and may receive an indication of a timing advance (TA) command (TAC) for itself and/or for a group of WTRUs ("group TAC"). The WTRU may receive a TA change rate in the ephemeris to adjust its TA, Hoang: [0222], [0224]),
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 Tseng and Yeo in view of Hoang in order to further modify the configuration information that includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value from the teachings of Hoang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated that a WTRU may determine a TAC mode to use based on information from the network (e.g., information provided by a gNB) (Hoang: [0225]).
Regarding claim 13, Tseng discloses:
A terrestrial network (TN) base station comprising (Tseng: Fig. 5):
at least one transceiver for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal (transceiver may include a transmitter and a receiver, Tseng: [0142]); and
at least one processor for controlling the at least one transceiver (processor may also process information to be sent to the transceiver for transmission, Tseng: [0146]),
wherein the at least one processor configured to:
receive, from one or more NTN base stations, information needed for the terminal to access the wireless communication system via a non-terrestrial network (NTN) including a satellite (UE may receive one or more NTN assistance information from its serving NTN cell that may be located on a satellite, Tseng: [0066]-[0071]);
transmit, to the terminal, configuration information including the information needed for the terminal (serving NTN cell may transmit NTN assistance information to the UE, so that the UE estimates a TA value based on the received NTN assistance information. serving NTN cell may also broadcast a common TA value directly to UEs, Tseng: [0064], [0066]-[0067], [0074]-[0077]), and
wherein the configuration information includes information related to an access priority for the one or more NTN base stations (target cell of a CHO command may be configured with a cell priority and/or access control parameters (e.g., AC barring factor). Type I UE may give ( or consider) Type I cell(s) higher priority (in comparison with Type 2 cell(s)) when the Type I UE performs cell (re)selection procedure, Tseng: [0087], [0135]-[0136]),
wherein a first message for the random access procedure is transmitted to an NTN base station having the highest priority by the terminal according to the information related to an access priority at a timing determined based on a terminal-specific timing advance (TA) value for the terminal and a common TA value (UE may initiate a RA procedure and then start the first message transmission based on the estimated TA value. UE may give cell higher priority and frequency to be the highest priority when the UE performs cell (re)selection procedure, Tseng: [0074]-[0077], [0135]-[0136]),
Tseng does not explicitly disclose:
transmit, to the terminal, downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel,
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value, a scheduling offset used for a timing relationship that needs to be modified for an NTN and a scheduling offset for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame, and
wherein the downlink control information includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Yeo teaches:
transmit, to the terminal, downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel (DCI for scheduling a terminal specific (e.g., UE-specific) PDSCH or PUSCH may be scrambled with cell RNTI (C-RNTI). DCI format 0_1 may be used as non-fallback DCI for scheduling PUSCH. The base station may provide the terminal with one of the entries in the table for the time domain resource allocation information via L1 signaling (e.g., DCI), yeo: [0103], [0105], [0110]),
wherein the configuration information further includes the base station transmits an uplink scheduling grant (UL grant) or a downlink control signal and data (DL grant and DL data) to the terminal at slot n 802, the terminal may receive the uplink scheduling grant or downlink control signal and data at slot n 804. In this case, the terminal may receive the signal, a propagation delay (Tp) 810 later than the time the base station transmits the signal, yeo: Fig.8, [0188]) for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame (synchronization signal may include information such as a slot boundary and a frame number of a signal transmitted by the base station, downlink and uplink configuration, and/or the like, yeo: [0244]), and
wherein the downlink control information includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station (provide a scheme in which a base station or a satellite indicates a TA value and a terminal adjusts uplink timing based on the indicated TA value in a communication system supporting an NTN. if it is assumed that an SIB providing parameters necessary for satellite network transmission andreception is an SIB-NTN or SIB-xx, when the SIB-NTN or SIB-xx is provided from a base station in a corresponding serving cell, yeo: [0015], [0368]-[0369]).
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 Tseng in view of Yeo in order to further modify transmitting downlink control information for scheduling a physical uplink channel, and the configuration information including a scheduling offset used for a timing relationship that needs to be modified for an NTN and a scheduling offset for aligning a downlink frame and an uplink frame, and the downlink control information which includes network indication information indicating whether the physical uplink channel is scheduled for the TN base station or the NTN base station from the teachings of Yeo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for adjusting uplink timing if a terminal transmits and receives a signal to and from a base station via a satellite in a communication system (Yeo: [0013]).
Yet, Tseng in view of Yeo does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value,
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hoang teaches:
wherein the configuration information further includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value (WTRU may monitor a group common PDCCH (GC-PDCCH) and may receive an indication of a timing advance (TA) command (TAC) for itself and/or for a group of WTRUs ("group TAC"). The WTRU may receive a TA change rate in the ephemeris to adjust its TA, Hoang: [0222], [0224]),
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 Tseng and Yeo in view of Hoang in order to further modify the configuration information that includes the common TA value and the terminal-specific TA value from the teachings of Hoang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated that a WTRU may determine a TAC mode to use based on information from the network (e.g., information provided by a gNB) (Hoang: [0225]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tseng-Yeo-Hoang in view of
Shrestha et al. (US 2021/0266957 Al, hereinafter “Shrestha”).
Regarding claim 9, Tseng-Yeo-Hoang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Tseng-Yeo-Hoang do not explicitly disclose:
The method of claim 1, wherein one of reference information related to the TN base station and reference information related to the NTN base station is used to interpret a codepoint of one or more fields in the downlink control information based on the network indication information.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Shrestha teaches:
wherein one of reference information related to the TN base station and reference information related to the NTN base station is used to interpret a codepoint of one or more fields in the downlink control information based on the network indication information (UE may receive the indication in the contention resolution MAC-CE. The indication may be a single bit or multi-bit indication, which may be a reserved bit or bits in a MAC-CE field of the contention resolution MAC-CE. UE may receive a DCI message scheduling the first downlink data channel transmission (e.g., the first PDSCH transmission) carrying the contention resolution MAC-CE. base station may be a terrestrial base station or a non-terrestrial base station, or a combination thereof, Shrestha: [0171], [0199]-[0200]),
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 Tseng-Yeo-Hoang in view of Shrestha in order to further modify reference information related to the TN base station and reference information related to the NTN base station from the teachings of Shrestha.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it may promote spectral efficiency, reduce latency, reduce power consumption, improve coordination between the UE and a core network (Shrestha: [0260]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension
of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
In the case of amendments, applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and support, for ascertaining the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should
be directed to SANG C LEE whose telephone number is (703)756-1461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM ET.
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, HASSAN PHILLIPS can be reached on (571)272-3940. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/S.C.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2467
/Robert C Scheibel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467 March 20, 2026