DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/30/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicants file amendments dated 03/30/2026 to claims 16, 21, 26 and 31 have been considered but they are mooted in view of the new ground(s) of rejection on the claims.
Claim 22 has been amended to overcome the claim objection.
Claims 16, 17, 19 – 22, 24 – 27, 29 – 32, 34 and 35 are pending.
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.
Claims 16, 19, 21, 24, 26, 29, 31 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al. (Pub. No.: US 2023/0262542; hereinafter Chang) in view of Cai et al. (Pub. No.: US 2014/0113634; hereinafter Cai).
Regarding claim 16, Chang discloses a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a first base station, handover configuration information; performing a handover to a second base station based on the handover configuration information (see para. 0035, The source base station issues the handover command to the UE, and starts to forward data of the UE to the target base station. The UE receiving the handover command immediately uses a configuration in the handover command to execute a handover, accesses the target base station…); and storing a successful handover report including a measurement result for a source cell, and a measurement result for a target cell, based on the handover which is performed successfully (see para. 0052, …after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station…the UE notifies the base station that the UE has the stored successful handover report information, para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes…carrier frequency information corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover); and wherein the successful handover report further includes at least one of a cell identity of the source cell, a cell identity of the target cell (see para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes cell identifiers…corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), location information, or random access information.
Chang does not disclose the claimed features of: regarding claim 16, the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality.
Regarding claim 16, Cai discloses the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality (see para. 0005, In the measurement report, the user equipment includes…measurements of the reference signal strength (RSRP) or quality (RSRQ) of the serving cell and several neighboring cells (including the target cell)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Chang, and have the features, as taught by Cai, in order to monitor the handover procedures and modify the handover procedure or handover parameters to improve or optimize handover performance, as discussed by Cai (para. 0025).
Regarding claim 19, Chang discloses further comprises: receiving a user equipment (UE) information request message including information for requesting the successful handover report; and transmitting a UE information response message including the successful handover report (see para. 0052,… after receiving an RRC message from a base station including an instruction for requesting reporting of handover report information after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station).
Regarding claim 21, Chang discloses a method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting handover configuration information (see para. 0035, The source base station issues the handover command to the UE, and starts to forward data of the UE to the target base station. The UE receiving the handover command immediately uses a configuration in the handover command to execute a handover, accesses the target base station…); and receiving, from the terminal, a successful handover report including a measurement result for a source cell and a measurement result for a target cell (see para. 0052, …after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station…the UE notifies the base station that the UE has the stored successful handover report information, para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes…carrier frequency information corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), wherein the successful handover report further includes at least one of a cell identity of the source cell, a cell identity of the target cell (see para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes cell identifiers…corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), location information, or random access information.
Chang does not disclose the claimed features of: regarding claim 21, the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality.
Regarding claim 21, Cai discloses the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality (see para. 0005, In the measurement report, the user equipment includes…measurements of the reference signal strength (RSRP) or quality (RSRQ) of the serving cell and several neighboring cells (including the target cell)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Chang, and have the features, as taught by Cai, in order to monitor the handover procedures and modify the handover procedure or handover parameters to improve or optimize handover performance, as discussed by Cai (para. 0025).
Regarding claim 24, Chang discloses wherein receiving the successful handover report further comprises: transmitting a user equipment (UE) information request message including information for requesting the successful handover report; and receiving a UE information response message including the successful handover report (see para. 0052,… after receiving an RRC message from a base station including an instruction for requesting reporting of handover report information after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station).
Regarding claim 26, Chang discloses a terminal in a wireless communication system, the terminal comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor (see Fig. 4, para. 0077, a UE has a processor 401 and is well known to have a transceiver for communication) configured to: receive, from a first base station via the transceiver, handover configuration information, perform a handover to a second base station based on the handover configuration information (see para. 0035, The source base station issues the handover command to the UE, and starts to forward data of the UE to the target base station. The UE receiving the handover command immediately uses a configuration in the handover command to execute a handover, accesses the target base station…), and store a successful handover report including a measurement result for a source cell and a measurement result for a target cell based the handover which is performed successfully (see para. 0052, …after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station…the UE notifies the base station that the UE has the stored successful handover report information, para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes…carrier frequency information corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), wherein the successful handover report further includes at least one of a cell identity of the source cell. a cell identity of the target cell (see para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes cell identifiers…corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), location information, or random access information.
Chang does not disclose the claimed features of: regarding claim 26, the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality.
Regarding claim 26, Cai discloses the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality (see para. 0005, In the measurement report, the user equipment includes…measurements of the reference signal strength (RSRP) or quality (RSRQ) of the serving cell and several neighboring cells (including the target cell)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Chang, and have the features, as taught by Cai, in order to monitor the handover procedures and modify the handover procedure or handover parameters to improve or optimize handover performance, as discussed by Cai (para. 0025).
Regarding claim 29, Chang discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, via the transceiver, a user equipment (UE) information request message including information for requesting the successful handover report, and transmit, via the transceiver, a UE information response message including the successful handover report (see para. 0052,… after receiving an RRC message from a base station including an instruction for requesting reporting of handover report information after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station).
Regarding claim 31, Chang discloses a base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor (see claim 14, a base station has a processor and is well known to have a transceiver for communication) configured to: transmit, via the transceiver, handover configuration information (see para. 0035, The source base station issues the handover command to the UE, and starts to forward data of the UE to the target base station. The UE receiving the handover command immediately uses a configuration in the handover command to execute a handover, accesses the target base station…), and receive, from a terminal via the transceiver, a successful handover report including a measurement result for a source cell and a measurement result for a target cell (see para. 0052, …after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station…the UE notifies the base station that the UE has the stored successful handover report information, para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes…carrier frequency information corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), wherein the successful handover report further includes at least one of a cell identity of the source cell, a cell identity of the target cell (see para. 0054, the handover report information after the successful handover further includes cell identifiers…corresponding to the source base station and the target base station of the handover), location information, or random access information.
Chang does not disclose the claimed features of: regarding claim 31, the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality.
Regarding claim 31, Cai discloses the measurement result for the source cell and the measurement result for the target cell including at least one value associated with a signal strength or a signal quality (see para. 0005, In the measurement report, the user equipment includes…measurements of the reference signal strength (RSRP) or quality (RSRQ) of the serving cell and several neighboring cells (including the target cell)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Chang, and have the features, as taught by Cai, in order to monitor the handover procedures and modify the handover procedure or handover parameters to improve or optimize handover performance, as discussed by Cai (para. 0025).
Regarding claim 34, Chang discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: transmit, via the transceiver, a user equipment (UE) information request message including information for requesting the successful handover report, and receive, via the transceiver, a UE information response message including the successful handover report (see para. 0052,… after receiving an RRC message from a base station including an instruction for requesting reporting of handover report information after a successful handover, the UE transmits the handover report information to the base station).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17, 20, 22, 25, 27, 30, 32 and 35 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Anh Ngoc M Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 270-5139. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang Bin Yao can be reached on ((571) 272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH NGOC M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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