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 .
The office action is a response to Applicant’s After-Final Response, filed December 24, 2025.
Claims 1, 6, 11, 19 have been amended.
Claims 18-20 have been added.
Claims 1-20 are now pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 21, 2025 in Remarks have been fully considered and are persuasive. Examiner agrees with Applicant that grounds of rejection in the final office action (“Liu”) does not disclose or suggest the amendment that the report from the terminal device uses a coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of the source network device regardless of whether a first network device for receiving the first report is the source network device. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the prior art below, disclosing the alternative method for determining a handover link failure, e.g., in Claim 1:
“determining a radio link failure of a radio link on the target network device shortly after a successful handover from the source network device to a target network device, or determining the radio link failure after a connection to the source network device for a period of time, wherein the source network device and the target network device are network devices using different communication standards, and generating a first report in response to determining the failure of the radio link, wherein the first report comprises a first container that comprises at least one piece of information related to the radio link failure, and the first container uses a coding format corresponding to a communication standard of a network device to which a cell in which the radio link failure occurs belongs.”
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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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20220141735 (hereinafter Liu) in view of Johansson et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20130260745 A1 (hereinafter Johansson).
Regarding Claim 1, Liu discloses a method performed by a terminal device or a chip on the terminal device (e.g., FIG. 4, 8, ¶ [0282], UE 405 may experience an RLF event with the target cell 410 before the handover procedure is initiated or completed), the method comprising: determining a handover failure on the target network device (e.g., ¶ [0010] [0028] [0054] [0306], RLF [determined, reported], RLF event [which] may be a… [inter-RAT] handover failure; e.g., FIG. 4, 8, ¶ [0282], UE 405 may experience an RLF event with the target cell 410 before the handover procedure is initiated or completed), or determining a failure of the radio link after a connection to the source network device for a period of time {Examiner is not pursuing the rejection of this alternative limitation], wherein the source network device and the target network device are network devices using different communication standards (e.g., ¶ [0028] [0306], handover between different RATs (e.g., NR to LTE)); and generating a first report in response to the determining the handover failure (e.g., ¶ [0054], RLF report may be configured to indicate … a handover failure; e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], After successfully reestablishing the RRC connection, UE may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell); wherein the first report comprises a container that comprises at least one piece of information related to the handover failure (e.g., FIGS. 4, 8, ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may experience an RLF event with the target cell before the handover procedure is initiated or completed… UE may may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell), and the first container uses a coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of a network device to which a cell in which the radio link failure occurs belongs (e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell [Examiner asserts that a report to the source cell by UE over air interface to the cell is implied to be coded in the communication standard used by the source cell. Prior art example, Xu et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210144610 A1 (hereinafter Xu, using the prior art date of related Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN 112788693A) discloses a UE, having determined a RLF related to a handover failure in a system where source and destination cell may be different RATs (e.g., LTE and NR), generates an RLF report to send to a cell, the report format being that of the cell network standard. Particularly, Xu discloses a UE determining a handover related failure in a cell of a base station 1 (e.g., FIG. 3, ¶ [0052]), saving, among other details, the cell identity of the source cell that triggered the handover before failure (e.g. ¶ [0055]), cell identity where UE attempts to reestablish RRC connection after the failure (e.g., ¶ [0062]), and stores the RLF report of which radio access technology the stored RLF report information is, such as an LTE RLF report or an NR RLF report (e.g., ¶ [0064]). If, for example, the base station 1 is an LTE base station, the RLF report information is the “LTE RLF report”, which is in the format and encoding of the LTE RRC (e.g., ¶ [0068])]); and sending the first report to a first network device (e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], UE transmits an RLF report to the source cell).
Liu does not expressly disclose determining a radio link failure of a radio link on the target network device shortly after a successful handover from the source network device to the target network device.
Johansson discloses determining a radio link failure of a radio link on the target network device shortly after a successful handover from the source network device to the target network device (e.g., FIGS. 1, 7, ¶ [0010] [0016] [0057] A UE detects a failure event in a first cell served by a first base station, first cell belong to first RAT (radio access technology/network) the failure event include a radio link failure and the information is reported to the second RAT (base station)… transmits a failure event report to second RAT; e.g., ¶ [0055][0064][0081] UE goes to another RAT, performs RRC establishment with a different eNB 603 (i.e. third device) in another RAT. UE receives the network command to move (i.e. handed over) the connection from one RAT to another RAT. When UE is connected back to RAT2 (i.e. second base station) where the RLF is triggered, UE reports RLF (radio link failure) to RAT2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing date to combine the disclosure of determining a handover failure on the target network device, as disclosed by Liu, with the disclosure of determining a radio link failure of a radio link on the target network device shortly after a successful handover from the source network device to the target network device, as disclosed by Johansson. The motivation to combine would have been to support failure event report extensions for inter-RAT radio link failure (Johansson: e.g., ¶ [0002]).
[The following are the remaining elements of the claim, recited in the alternative and thus not required to be taught by prior art]: determining a handover failure of a process of attempting to hand over from a source network device to a target network device, wherein the source network device and the target network device are network devices using different communication standards, and generating a first report in response to the determining the handover failure, wherein the first report comprises a container that comprises at least one piece of information related to the handover failure, and the container uses a coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of the source network device regardless of whether a first network device for receiving the first report is the source network device.]
Regarding Claim 2, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses wherein the first report further comprises first information, and the first information comprises information that the first report is a report for an inter-radio access technology (inter-RAT) handover scenario (e.g., ¶ [0054], RLF report may be configured to indicate … a handover failure; e.g., ¶ [0083], identifying whether a type of a handover may be an inter-RAT handover).
Regarding Claim 3, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses wherein the first report further comprises second information, and the second information comprises information that the first report is for an inter-system handover scenario or a report for an intra- system handover scenario (e.g., ¶ [0028] [0083] [0147], [identify] whether a type of a handover may be an inter-RAT handover or an intra-RAT handover, where the RLF report includes an indication of the type of the handover).
Regarding Claim 4, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses further comprising: sending first indication information to the first network device, wherein the first indication information comprises information that the terminal device records the first report (e.g., ¶ [0040], apparatus receives RLF report [which may be of inter-RAT handover failure (e.g., ¶ [0028])]); and receiving second indication information from the first network device, wherein the second indication information comprises information for the terminal device to report the first report (e.g., ¶ [0040], apparatus receives RLF report [which may be of intra-RAT handover failure (e.g., ¶ [0028])]).
Regarding Claim 5, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses wherein in response to determining the failure of the radio link on the target network device shortly after the successful handover from the source network device to the target network device (e.g., ¶ [0260], the too-early handover procedure may occur during a handover from the EPC to the 5GC. The connection failure may occur when the UE attempts to connect with a target cell in the 5GC after a recent inter-system handover. The RLF may occur after a handover from a source cell in the EPC to the target cell in the 5GC, which may have single connectivity or dual connectivity. The UE may attempt to reconnect with the source cell in the EPC or to another source cell in the EPC), and the network device to which the cell in which the radio link failure occurs belongs is the target network device (e.g., ¶ [0260], The RLF may occur after a handover from a source cell in the EPC to the target cell in the 5GC, which may have single connectivity or dual connectivity. The UE may attempt to reconnect with the source cell in the EPC or to another source cell in the EPC), generating the first report further comprises generating the first report (e.g., ¶ [0255], the UE may transmit the RLF information in a beam report… In some examples, the beam report may be a BRF [beam recovery failure] triggered RLF report [i.e., interpreted as triggered by link failure]) with a second container that comprises the at least one piece of information related to the radio link failure, wherein the second container uses a coding format corresponding to a communication standard of the source network device (e.g., ¶ [0205], a first device may experience an RLF event with a second device using certain communication characteristics and may report the communication characteristics associated with the RLF event in an RLF report, which may enable the first device or the second device, or both, to adjust one or more communication characteristics based on the RLF report [i.e., if RLF report sent to first device [motivated to reconnect with source cell in EPC], a device in dual connectivity scenario [e.g., ¶ [0255], In a single or a dual connectivity case, the beam report may be transmitted], the report-transmitting device would need to be able to communicate in first (EPC} cell using communication protocol associated with the cell [As reasoned in examination of claim 1, a report to a cell over an air interface is implied to be coded in the communication standard used by the cell, citing the prior art example, Xu, which discloses a UE, having determined a RLF related to a handover failure in a system where source and destination cell are different RATs (LTE and NR), generates an RLF report to send to the source cell, the report format being that of the source cell network standard (e.g., ¶ [0068], if the base station 1 is an LTE base station, the RLF report information is the “LTE RLF report”, which is in the format and encoding of the LTE RRC)]).
Regarding Claim 6, Liu discloses a method performed by a first network device, comprising: receiving a first report from a terminal device (e.g., ¶ [0114], an apparatus [receives] an RLF report… that includes information about one or more directional beams associated with the RLF event, and [identifies] that the RLF event is associated with a conditional handover failure based on receiving the RLF report), wherein the first report comprises a container that comprises at least one piece of information related to a handover failure (e.g., FIGS. 4, 8, ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may experience an RLF event with the target cell before the handover procedure is initiated or completed… UE may may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell), and the container uses a coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of a network device to which a cell in which the radio link failure occurs belongs (e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell [As reasoned in examination of claim 1, a report to a cell over an air interface is implied to be coded in the communication standard used by the cell, citing the prior art example, Xu, which discloses a UE, having determined a RLF related to a handover failure in a system where source and destination cell are different RATs (LTE and NR), generates an RLF report to send to the source cell, the report format being that of the source cell network standard (e.g., ¶ [0068], if the base station 1 is an LTE base station, the RLF report information is the “LTE RLF report”, which is in the format and encoding of the LTE RRC)]), and the first container uses a coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of a network device to which a cell in which the radio link failure occurs belongs (e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell [Examiner asserts that a report to the source cell by UE over air interface to the cell is implied to be coded in the communication standard used by the source cell. Prior art example, Xu et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210144610 A1 (hereinafter Xu, using the prior art date of related Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN 112788693A) discloses a UE, having determined a RLF related to a handover failure in a system where source and destination cell may be different RATs (e.g., LTE and NR), generates an RLF report to send to a cell, the report format being that of the cell network standard. Particularly, Xu discloses a UE determining a handover related failure in a cell of a base station 1 (e.g., FIG. 3, ¶ [0052]), saving, among other details, the cell identity of the source cell that triggered the handover before failure (e.g. ¶ [0055]), cell identity where UE attempts to reestablish RRC connection after the failure (e.g., ¶ [0062]), and stores the RLF report of which radio access technology the stored RLF report information is, such as an LTE RLF report or an NR RLF report (e.g., ¶ [0064]). If, for example, the base station 1 is an LTE base station, the RLF report information is the “LTE RLF report”, which is in the format and encoding of the LTE RRC (e.g., ¶ [0068])]); and processing the first report (e.g., ¶ [0113], receiving an RLF report from the UE… identifying that the RLF event is associated with [e.g., a conditional handover failure based on receiving the RLF report]).
[The following are the remaining elements of the claim, recited in the alternative and thus not required to be taught by prior art]: receiving a first report from a terminal device, wherein the first report comprises a container that comprises at least one piece of information related to a handover failure, the container uses a coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of a source network device regardless of whether the first network device is the source network device, the handover failure is a handover failure from the source network device to a target network device, and the source network device and the target network device are network devices using different communication standards.]
Regarding Claim 7, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 6.
Liu discloses wherein the processing the first report comprises: obtaining the container in the first report; and sending a second report to the source network device, wherein the second report comprises the container (e.g., ¶ [0113], transmitting a message to another cell of a network based on receiving the RLF report, the message including at least a portion of the information about the one or more directional beams associated with the RLF event and information about the conditional handover failure).
Regarding Claim 8, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 7.
Liu discloses wherein the first report further comprises first information, and the first information comprises information that the first report is a report for an inter-RAT handover scenario, or wherein the second report further comprises third information, and the third information comprises information that the second report is for the inter-RAT handover scenario ([Examiner is treating the limitations recited in the alternative regarding a first or second report as one combined recited element, to establish that Liu discloses a report for an inter-RAT handover scenario]: e.g., ¶ [0054], RLF report may be configured to indicate … a handover failure; e.g., ¶ [0083], identifying whether a type of a handover may be an inter-RAT handover).
Regarding Claim 9, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 7.
Liu discloses wherein the first report further comprises second information, and the second information comprises information that the first report is for an inter-RAT handover scenario or for an intra-system handover scenario, or wherein the second report further comprises fourth information, and the fourth information comprises information that the second report is for the inter-system handover scenario or for an intra-system handover scenario ([Examiner is treating the limitations recited in the alternative regarding a first or second report as one combined recited element, to establish that Liu discloses a report for an inter-RAT or intra-RAT handover scenario]: e.g., ¶ [0028] [0083] [0147], [identify] whether a type of a handover may be an inter-RAT handover or an intra-RAT handover, where the RLF report includes an indication of the type of the handover)).
Regarding Claim 10, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 6.
Liu discloses further comprising: receiving first indication information from the terminal device, wherein the first indication information comprises information that the terminal device records the first report (e.g., ¶ [0040], apparatus receives RLF report [which may be of inter-RAT handover failure (e.g., ¶ [0028])] RLF report from the UE); and sending second indication information from the first network device, wherein the second indication information comprises information the terminal device to report the first report (e.g., ¶ [0040], The apparatus may include further means for transmitting a message to another cell of a network based on receiving the RLF report, the message including at least a portion of the information about the one or more directional beams associated with the RLF event).
Regarding Claim 11, Liu in view of Johannson discloses a communication apparatus (Liu: e.g., FIG. 15, device 1505), comprising: a memory storing a program (Liu: e.g., FIG. 15, memory 1530), a processor coupled to the memory, the program comprising instructions (Liu: e.g., FIG. 15, processor 1540; ¶ [0383], memory 1530 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory 1530 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1535 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein [also see, ¶ [0385]]) that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations that are functionally similar to those performed in the method of claim 1. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 1 shall be applied to claim 11.
Regarding Claim 12, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the apparatus according to claim 11.
The functional limitations of Claim 12 are similar to claim 2. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 2 shall be applied to claim 12.
Regarding Claim 13, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the apparatus according to claim 11.
The functional limitations of Claim 13 are similar to claim 3. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 3 shall be applied to claim 13.
Regarding Claim 14, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the apparatus according to claim 11.
The functional limitations of Claim 14 are similar to claim 4. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 4 shall be applied to claim 14.
Regarding Claim 15, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the apparatus according to claim 11.
The functional limitations of Claim 15 are similar to claim 5. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 5 shall be applied to claim 15.
Regarding Claim 16, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the apparatus according to claim 15.
Liu discloses wherein the apparatus is the chip configured in the terminal device (e.g., ¶ [0384], The processor 1540 may include an intelligent hardware device, (e.g., an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof)… to cause the device 1505 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting techniques for communicating mobility information); e.g., ¶ [0601], The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed with… an ASIC).
Regarding Claim 17, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the apparatus according to claim 15.
Liu discloses wherein the apparatus is the terminal device (e.g., FIG. 15, device 1505).
Regarding Claim 18, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses comprising: determining the radio link failure of the radio link on the target network device (e.g., FIG. 4, 8, ¶ [0282], UE 405 may experience an RLF event with the target cell 410 before the handover procedure is initiated or completed), wherein the first container uses the coding format corresponding to the wireless communication standard of the network device to which the cell in which the radio link failure occurs belongs (e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell [Examiner asserts that a report to the source cell by UE over air interface to the cell is implied to be coded in the communication standard used by the source cell. Prior art example, Xu et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210144610 A1 (hereinafter Xu, using the prior art date of related Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN 112788693A) discloses a UE, having determined a RLF related to a handover failure in a system where source and destination cell may be different RATs (e.g., LTE and NR), generates an RLF report to send to a cell, the report format being that of the cell network standard. Particularly, Xu discloses a UE determining a handover related failure in a cell of a base station 1 (e.g., FIG. 3, ¶ [0052]), saving, among other details, the cell identity of the source cell that triggered the handover before failure (e.g. ¶ [0055]), cell identity where UE attempts to reestablish RRC connection after the failure (e.g., ¶ [0062]), and stores the RLF report of which radio access technology the stored RLF report information is, such as an LTE RLF report or an NR RLF report (e.g., ¶ [0064]). If, for example, the base station 1 is an LTE base station, the RLF report information is the “LTE RLF report”, which is in the format and encoding of the LTE RRC (e.g., ¶ [0068])]).
Regarding Claim 19, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses wherein the first report further comprises a third container using a second coding format corresponding to a wireless communication standard of the first network device receiving the first report (e.g., ¶ [0282] [0315], UE may transmit an RLF report including RLF information to the source cell [Examiner asserts that a report to the source cell by UE over air interface to the cell is implied to be coded in the communication standard used by the source cell. Prior art example, Xu et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210144610 A1 (hereinafter Xu, using the prior art date of related Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN 112788693A) discloses a UE, having determined a RLF related to a handover failure in a system where source and destination cell may be different RATs (e.g., LTE and NR), generates an RLF report to send to a cell, the report format being that of the cell network standard. Particularly, Xu discloses a UE determining a handover related failure in a cell of a base station 1 (e.g., FIG. 3, ¶ [0052]), saving, among other details, the cell identity of the source cell that triggered the handover before failure (e.g. ¶ [0055]), cell identity where UE attempts to reestablish RRC connection after the failure (e.g., ¶ [0062]), and stores the RLF report of which radio access technology the stored RLF report information is, such as an LTE RLF report or an NR RLF report (e.g., ¶ [0064]). If, for example, the base station 1 is an LTE base station, the RLF report information is the “LTE RLF report”, which is in the format and encoding of the LTE RRC (e.g., ¶ [0068])]), the first network device is different from the source network device, and the second coding format is different from the coding format corresponding to the wireless communication standard of the source network device (Examiner again interprets that the two RAT in inter-RAT handover would have different coding format from each other).
Regarding Claim 20, Liu in view of Johannson discloses all the limitations of the method according to claim 1.
Liu discloses wherein the at least one piece of information in the container indicates at least one of: a failed cell, a failure type, a source cell, a reestablishment cell, a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), timing information, or signal quality measurements (e.g., ¶ [0253], The RLF report may include one or more radio measurements, such as a C-RNTI of the master node and/or the secondary node, a cell identity, an indication of a cause of the RLF, time information, location information, the UE RLF report container, an indication of a beam, a service interruption time, a conditional handover failure report, another report, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the radio measurements may include a signal strength (e.g., an RSRP or a RSRQ) of the last serving cell, including an MCG and an SCG measurement; a signal strength, a frequency, and an identity of a neighboring cell as configured by the master node and/or the secondary node; other radio measurements; or a combination thereof. In some examples, the cell identity may include a cell identity of the failed cell, including an identity of the associated master node and/or the associated secondary node; an identity of a previous primary cell (PCell), where the previous PCell may be a source PCell when a last RRC reconfiguration message and a last mobility control information was received; an identity of a previous primary secondary cell (PSCell), where the previous PSCell may be a source PSCell when the last RRC reconfiguration message and the last mobility control information was received; an identity of a reestablishment cell, where the reestablishment cell may be a cell in which a reestablishment attempt was made after the connection failure; another cell identity; or a combination thereof. In some examples, the indication of the cause of the RLF may indicate the RLF was caused by a handover failure, a beam recovery failure (BRF), etc. In some examples, the time information may include an indication of a time elapsed between an initialization of the handover and the connection failure, an indication of a time elapsed between the connection failure and a delivery of the RLF report, etc. In some examples, the indication of the beam may include a beam identifier, a beam measurement, etc. In some examples, the conditional handover failure report may include a candidate cell list, a list of cells attempted after the RLF, an attempted number after the RLF, etc).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References considered relevant to this application are listed in the attached "Notice of References Cited” (PTO-892).
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/VLADISLAV Y AGUREYEV/Examiner, Art Unit 2471