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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/21/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Final Office Action on 12/05/2025.
The information disclosure statement filed 07/21/2026 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.97(d) because it lacks a timing statement as specified in 37 CFR 1.97(e). It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/04/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment to the claims filed on 02/04/2026 complies with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121(c) and has been entered. Claims 1, 10, 15, 22, 25, and 37 are amended. Claims
18, 21, 23-24, 26-36, and 38-60 remain canceled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's Arguments/Remarks filed 02/04/2026 (hereinafter Resp.) are fully considered as follows.
First, Applicant asserts that “No new matter has been” by the amendment – See Resp., p.12:¶1. However, Applicant does not point where in the present Specification or Drawings there are disclosed: (1) an indication of “a mobility state preference” from the base station to the UE; and (2) two thresholds each associated with one of the preferred mobility states. Examiner failed to find the required support. First there is no disclosure of a “mobility state preference” indicated from the base station to the UE. Second, although the Specification discloses two thresholds – See, e.g., [¶0138]; [¶0161], those thresholds “correspond to different device types and/or capabilities” – See [¶0138] and the definition of “different types and/or capabilities” is related to UE’s power consumption and or performance as known in the art, e.g., “UEs used for eMBB/CMTC services” vs. “RedCap UEs” which are UE capabilities not related to stationarity/mobility – See [¶0139]; [¶0161]; see also Provisional Application #63/104,083, at p.8:1-6 (stating that “the network may want to have a unified measurement rule for e.g. RedCap and eMBB devices” and indicating that “the maximum of the configured thresholds could be used by RedCap devices”).
Then, Applicant argues that because “the amended claims explicitly require two distinct thresholds that are selectively used depending on the mobility state preference . . . the claimed dual threshold approach provides a fundamentally different technical solution” from the solution proposed in Gursu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0412290 (hereinafter Gursu) – See Resp.,p.12:¶4. However, Applicant fails to observe that Gursu defines a new SSearchDeltaP threshold associated with the stationarityEvaluation configuration, and constitutes the required minimal second threshold for stationary-mobility state; this SSearchDeltaP threshold is different from the legacy SSearchDeltaP value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation configuration known in the art1; and that SSearchDeltaP is the required first threshold because it is associated with a lowMobilityEvaluation configuration which is still a non-stationary mobility state as known in the art.2 Therefore, Gursu discloses indication of two mobility states, a new stationarityEvaluation configuration and the lowMobilityEvaluation configuration known in the art each one with its own SSearchDeltaP threshold. Thus, Applicant’s argument supra that “Gursu does not disclose the use of two different thresholds that are used depending on an obtained mobility state preference” fails to persuade. In addition, Applicant misunderstands the role of the parameters stationary_UE_high/medium_ variation_correction: they are corrections applied to the second/minimal/new SSearchDeltaP threshold in the stationarityEvaluation configuration meant to account for other UE capabilities3 that may falsely lead to a non-stationary mobility state determination if the legacy evaluation were used. These corrections are set by the BS “Using parameters affected by RRM measurement relaxation, and, i.e., fine tuning relaxation with respect to change of these parameters” – See Gursu:[¶0096], effectively allowing a BS to indicate a “mobility state preference” as now required by the amended claims, distinguishing between a real stationary state with large/medium signal strength variations to adjust the new SSearchDeltaP threshold due to, e.g., antenna rotations at the UE – See Gursu: FIG. 4, and a real non-stationary state where the signal strength variation is larger than the legacy SSearchDeltaP. In light of this interpretation of Gursu, the asserted distinction as being “significant because the claimed dual threshold approach provides a fundamentally different technical solution” – See Resp.,p.13:¶1 lacks the required amount of evidence that could persuade a reasonable person of ordinary skills in the art of a substantial technical difference.
In sum, Applicant’s arguments do not have support in the present disclosure and fail to persuade.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(a)
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Amended Claims 1, 15, 25 and their dependents are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a), as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding Amended Claim 1, the claim now requires the indication to the UE comprises “a mobility state preference.” However, while the Specification discloses an indication sent by a network node to the UE, that indication is “for use in determining a stationary-mobility state of the UE” – See [¶0119]. There is no mention, explicit or implicit, of a “preference” indicated by the network node to the UE in the original disclosure. Under 35 U.S.C. §132(a), "[n]o amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention"; see also MPEP §706.07(h)(VII) (“In those instances in which an applicant seeks to add new matter to the disclosure of an application, the procedure in 37 CFR 1.114 is not available, and the applicant must file a continuation-in-part application under 37 CFR 1.53(b) containing such new matter”). Amended Claims 15 and 25 have the same deficiency.
Furthermore, Amended Claim 1 now requires a first threshold and a second threshold used when the mobility state preference indicates a non-stationary-mobility state and a stationary-mobility state, respectively (emphasis added). While the Specification discloses a first threshold and a second threshold – See, e.g., [¶0138] and [¶0161], those thresholds “correspond to different device types and/or capabilities” – See [¶0138] and the definition of “different types and/or capabilities” is related to UE’s power consumption and or performance as known in the art, e.g., “UEs used for eMBB/CMTC services” vs. “RedCap UEs” which are UE capabilities not related to stationarity/mobility – See [¶0139]; [¶0161]; see also Provisional Application #63/104,083, at p.8:1-6 (stating that “the network may want to have a unified measurement rule for e.g. RedCap and eMBB devices” and indicating that “the maximum of the configured thresholds could be used by RedCap devices”). To be sure, a network indication of a preference for a UE to remain stationary might have been a novel feature yet to be implemented, but such feature is not apparent from the present disclosure let alone a mode of implementing such feature. Amended Claims 15 and 25 have the same deficiency.
Therefore, Amended Claims 1, 15, 25 and their dependents are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §112(a) for failing to comply with the written description requirement.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 11-17, 19-20, 25, and 37, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as anticipated by Gursu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0412290 (hereinafter Gursu) and 3GPP specifications referenced therein.
Regarding Amended Claim 1, Gursu teaches a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for relaxing Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurement the method comprising:
obtaining an indication for use in determining a stationary-mobility state of the UE (“a method is disclosed that includes receiving, by a user equipment connected to a base station in a wireless network, one or more parameters to be used to identify the user equipment for measurement modification” – See [¶0013] whereby “UEs use received signal strength to detect what their mobility states are,” e.g., “a UE compares its received signal strength to a cell specific signal variation parameter” as specified “in 3GPP TS 38.304. Further details on signaling can also be found in 3GPP TS 38.133” wherein a base station indicates conditions for “low mobility introduced in 3GPP TS 38.304” and/or “normal/ medium/high mobility . . . [i]n 3GPP TS 36.304” – See [¶0051] and both “UE specific and a cell-specific variation is expected” – See [¶0056] therefore, indicate cell-specific “variations seen by different UEs as low, medium and high signal variations” – See [¶0062] as specified by the 3GPP specifications supra, and indicate “UE-specific signal variation correction parameter for each UE [] transmitted through RRC signaling to the UE 110 from the BS 170” – See [¶0145] for “the new stationarityEvaluation configuration . . . different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation” – See [¶0062]) the indication comprising,
a mobility state preference (“place the UE into one of the three variation groups . . . to detect stationarity” – See [¶0062] whereby “The BS broadcasts a signal variation parameter corresponding to each of the three variation groups” using “[t]hree new parameters are defined, in an exemplary embodiment, as part of the new stationarityEvaluation configuration,” e.g., “[t]he Base Station broadcasts SSearchDeltaP in a new parameter stationarityEvaluation with relaxedMeasurement configuration in SIB2” – See [¶0064], i.e., the BS indicates a preference for a stationarityEvaluation as a basis for determining UE’s mobility state whereby each “UE identifies itself to be in one of these three variation groups and will use the corresponding variation parameter to detect stationarity” and “fewer . . . groups could be used” – See [¶0145]; compare §5.2.4.9, 3GPP TS 38.304 V16.2.0 (2020-09), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; User Equipment (UE) procedures in Idle mode and RRC Inactive state (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.304), referenced at [¶0067], specifying, at page 28-29 relaxed measurement rules for two other mobility states, namely lowMobilityEvaluation and cellEdgeEvaluation; see also 3GPP TS 38.331 V16.2.0 (2020-09), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.331), describing legacy cell-specific relaxed RRM parameters transmitted by SIB2, at page 318-322, including the legacy parameter s-SearchDeltaP corresponding to lowMobilityEvaluation specified “in TS 38.304 [20]” having multiple values, e.g. “dB3 corresponds to 3 dB, dB6 corresponds to 6 dB and so on” and theparameter t-SearchDeltaP-r16 specified “in TS 38.304 [20]. Value in seconds. Value s5 means 5 seconds, value s10 means 10 seconds and so on”),
one or more first criteria (“SSearchDeltaP (different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation)” and “stationary UE_medium_ variation_correction, and stationary UE_high_variation_correction” – See [¶0062], i.e., a minimum SSearchDeltaP for stationary state and two corrections for other non-stationary mobility states)
and at least a first timer (“the UE observes that the inequality holds for a period of T-searchDeltaP,” so “[t]he UE therefore detects it is stationary” – See [¶0155] whereby T-searchDeltaP may be a first timer t-SearchDeltaP-r16 as specified in SIB2 described supra; in addition, “Different timer parameters may depict the need to use different number of samples for filtering of measurements, i.e., layer 1 filtering” – See [¶0131] e.g., a “first and second timer parameters may be configured (e.g., by the BS) for the UE . . . to determine the estimate of the level of signal variance” with which to adjust the stationarity threshold, i.e., the second threshold infra – See [¶0132]),
wherein the first criteria is based on a difference between a current signal level value and a reference signal value as compared to an adjusted threshold (generally, “the UE uses the following: Srxlev.Ref-Srxlev<SSearchDeltaP” – See [¶¶0075-76], wherein SSearchDeltaP in the new parameter stationarityEvaluation is different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation in that it is a minimum value, e.g., tailored by the BS to be cell-specific – See § 1,2:[¶¶0096-98], further adjusted upwards by the medium and high offsets, Srxlev.Ref is the reference signal value and Srxlev is the current signal level value measured by the UE during, e.g., T-searchDeltaP specified supra, and the BS may consider parameters/event in Fig. 4 in establishing the offset criteria)
wherein the adjusted threshold comprises a first threshold used when the mobility state preference indicates a non-stationary-mobility state (e.g., the first threshold is the legacy SSearchDeltaP – See [¶0062] and 3GPP TS 38.331 at page 318-322 specifying the lowMobilityEvaluation configuration indication) and
a second threshold used when the mobility state preference indicates a stationary-mobility state, the second threshold being different from the first threshold (when “Srxlev.Ref-Srxlev<SSearchDeltaP” – See [¶0076] then “[t]he UE detects if the UE is a high/medium signal variation UE or not (i.e., it is a low signal variation UE)” – See [¶0069] and Fig. 8, whereby the second threshold is the new SSearchDeltaP explained supra);
determining, based on the indication, whether a mobility state of the UE corresponds to the stationary-mobility state wherein the UE is determined to be in the stationary-mobility state upon the difference between the current signal level value and the reference signal value is below the adjusted threshold for the first timer amount of time (“The UE determines whether the UE is stationary by evaluating a criterion that depends on the signal variation as detected” – See [¶0070], i.e., whether “Srxlev.Ref-Srxlev<SSearchDeltaP” – See [¶0076] whereby “the UE compares the left-hand part that the UE measured, with the right-hand part. If the inequality mathematically holds for a period of time, e.g., of a predetermined time period T, then the UE declares the stationarity is detected” – See [¶0129], Srxlev.Ref is the reference signal value and Srxlev is the current signal level value measured by the UE during T-searchDeltaP and SSearchDeltaP is the new SSearchDeltaP in the stationarityEvaluation configuration indication and this threshold may be adjusted with the stationary_UE_high/medium_ variation_correction parameters determined in the base station mobility state preference for the UE(s));
in accordance with a determination that the mobility state of the UE corresponds to a stationary-mobility state, adjusting one or more measurements according to measurement rules associated with the stationary-mobility state (as shown in Fig. 7 at step 755, “a check of stationarity may be used, such that a UE determined to be stationary is identified for measurement relaxation” – See [¶0122] including one adjustment to measurements “[i]f a UE has high signal variation” or “has medium signal variation” – See [¶¶0123-26] according to measurement rules, i.e., the stationary_UE_high/medium_ variation_correction of the threshold associated with the stationary-mobility state, and “extends its RRM measurement timer (see reference 940), in this example to be 24 hours” i.e., “each 24-hour period, the UE wakes up and performs the RRM measurements and determines if the previous conditions still hold” – See [¶¶0153-56] and Fig. 9),
the adjustments reducing the amount of energy consumed when performing RRM measurement (“modify the time between RRM the adjustments reducing the amount of energy consumed when performing RRM measurement” – See [¶0146] because “measurement relaxation allows the UE to perform fewer measurements over time (e.g., than currently performed under a current configuration), such as the UE will perform measurements less frequently” – See [¶0157]; in addition adjustments by correction of the stationarity threshold for medium/high variations may consist in “the UE may use the first timer parameter to determine the estimate of the level of signal variance as having the high signal variation. The UE may use the second timer parameter to determine the estimate of the level of signal variance as having the medium signal variation” – See [¶0132] whereby both the first and the second timer is larger than the legacy T-searchDeltaP supra to avoid false negatives, further reducing the energy consumption of measurements during stationarity determination);
and performing at least one RRM measurement based on the adjustments (“each 24-hour period, the UE wakes up and performs the RRM measurements and determines if the previous conditions still hold” – See [¶0156] and Fig. 8, whereby RRM measurements at 24 hours for successful stationarityEvaluation, i.e., when the UE determines it is in stationary mobility state, are distinct from the relaxed measurements performed following the legacy procedure for the successful lowMobilityEvaluation, i.e., when the UE determines it is in non-stationary albeit low mobility state – See § 5.2.4.9, 3GPP TS 38.304 supra, at page 28-29, stating “if lowMobilityEvaluation is configured” and “the relaxed measurement criterion in clause 5.2.4.9.1 is fulfilled for a period of TSearchDeltaP” then “if less than 1 hour has passed since measurements of corresponding frequency cell(s) for cell (re-)selection were last performed . . . the UE may choose not to perform measurement on this frequency cell(s),” i.e., the relaxed measurements happen every 1 hour rather than every 1 day).
Therefore, Amended Claim 1 is anticipated by Gursu. However, in the alternative Gursu does not teach a procedure for the network/base station
3GPP R2-2006662 infra discussing RRCSetup/SetupComplete message exchange and configuration to provide power saving for stationary RedCap UEs
Regarding Claim 2, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu, referencing 3GPP TS 38.304 and 3GPP TS 38.133 technical specifications4, further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the current signal level value is represented by Srxlev (“Srxlev represents, in an exemplary embodiment, the filtered outcome of recent measurements. . i.e., layer 1 filtering”– See [¶0131] whereby a person of ordinary skills in the art would know that layer 1 measurements are signal level measurements – See, e.g., [¶0105] (“the UE gathers RSRPave' values for multiple cells”) and, in stationary UE detection logic “Srxlev is the instantaneous serving cell measurement value” – See [¶0116]), and
the reference signal value is represented by SrxlevRef (“once the UE performs cell selection, the UE sets Srxlev.Ref as the initial measurement from the serving cell, e.g., measured in dBm” and its “value can be updated with a period T”– See [¶116])
the first criteria (i.e., the difference in received signal levels compared to an adjusted threshold) being expressed by one or more of:
[a] (SrxlevRef - Srxlev) < (SSearchDeltaP – Smin_factor),
[b] (SrxlevRef - Srxlev) < (SSearchDeltaP / Smin_factor),
[c] (SrxlevRef - Srxlev) <| (SSearchDeltaP – Smin_factor)|,
[d] and/or (SrxlevRef - Srxlev) <| (SSearchDeltaP / Smin_factor)|, wherein Srxlev denotes a cell selection RX level value of a serving cell of the UE (“srxlev is a processed measurement value set as srxlev=Qrxlevmeas-Qrxlevmin +QrxlevminOffset-Pcompenstation as described in 3GPP TS 25.133” – See [¶0116] after “the UE performs a cell (re-)selection” – See [¶0113])
SrxlevRef denotes a reference cell selection received signal level value of a serving cell of the UE (“Srxlev.ref will be used to detect stationarity” – See [¶0117]; e.g., “[t]he UE sets Srxlev.Ref=Srxlev when a new serving cell has been selected or reselected” – See [¶0068]),
SSearchDeltaP denotes a threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value (a SSearchDeltaP is defined for stationarityEvaluation configuration indication which is “different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation” – See [¶0062]; e.g., a SSearchDeltaP1 adjusted threshold configured to the UE as specified in 3GPP TS 38.331 supra)
Smin_factor denotes a minimization factor based on a mobility state of the UE (e.g. when the adjusted threshold SSearchDeltaP is set just above RLF detection, then “Srxlev.Ref-Srxlev<SSearchDeltaP+stationary UE_high[/medium]_variation_correction” is tested first – See [¶¶0071-74] and then, “Srxlev.Ref-Srxlev<SSearchDeltaP” if the first two inequalities do not hold – See [¶0076], whereby all terms are expressed in dBm and Smin_factor is the negative ‘stationary UE_high[/medium]_variation_correction,’ i.e., a negative value or 0 dBm, thus satisfying cases [a] and [c] above5).
Therefore, Claim 2 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 3, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches wherein the indication further comprises one or more second criteria (e.g., when “the UE performs cell [(re)]selection . . . described in 3GPP TS 25.133” – See [¶0116]; see also 3GPP TS 25.133 V16.0.0 (2018-12): 35, “ Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Requirements for support of radio resource management (FDD) (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 25.133) stating that “The UE shall perform search and reselection to an allowed inter-RAT E-UTRA CSG cell that has met CSG reselection criterion defined in [1] and that is in its whitelist, within 6 minutes in the conditions shown in table 4.2.2.11.2-1” wherein a Qrxlevmin is defined, and referencing 3GPP TS 25.304 v16.0.0 (2020-07), "Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; User Equipment (UE) procedures in idle mode and procedures for cell reselection in connected mode (Release 16),” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 25.304), further setting the measurement rules for (re)selecting serving cell and neighbor cells, with or without priority list – See, e.g., 3GPP TS 25.304, § 5.6:24),
the second criteria being based on a measured received signal level value (e.g., Qrxlevmeas) of a neighboring cell, a reference signal received power (RSRP) of a neighboring cell, a threshold of variation of the measured received level value, and a second minimization factor (whereby the measured srxlev of a neighbor cell “is a processed measurement value set as srxlev=Qrxlevmeas-Qrxlevmin +QrxlevminOffset-Pcompensation as described in 3GPP TS 25.133” – See [¶0116]; see also 3GPP TS 25.304:23 defining Qrxlevmeas as “Measured cell RX level value,” the quantity “–Qrxlevmin +QrxlevminOffset” as a threshold of variation of the measured received level value and Pcompensation as a second minimization factor which can be 0dBm; moreover, the measured values are of the neighbor cells; see § 5.2.3.2, 3GPP TS 38.133 V16.5.0 (2020-09), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Requirements for support of radio resource management (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.133), referenced at [¶0051], defining and tabulating at page 20 the main criteria measured in cell selection including Srxlev, Squal, Qoffsettemp, Qrxlevmeas, Qqualmeas, Qrxlevmin, Qqualmin, Qrxlevminoffset, Qqualminoffset, Pcompensation).
Therefore, Claim 3 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 4, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the indication further comprises one or more third criteria, the third criteria being based on signals received by a rotatory antenna of the UE from one or more beams of one or more neighboring cells (“The UEs are expected to deploy various antenna types, out of which may be the onmidirectional antenna and a multipanel antenna” whereby “[i]n the onmi antenna case, it is clear that when a UE is stationary, irrespective of its rotation, the received power will be similar” but “for a multipanel UE, some physical rotation of the UE will impact the signal power observed and can hinder the stationarity detection” – See [¶0089] and Figs. 3A and 3B; “Thus, UE specific and a cell-specific variation is expected” – See [¶0056] and Fig. 4, wherein parameters and events which affect the signals received by a rotatory antenna of the UE from one or more beams of one or more neighboring cells are listed indicating that a third criterium, e.g., the stationary_UE_high_variation_correction, would be necessary for a directional or multi-panel antenna UE, e.g., “the UE initially checks if it is configured for high variation through . . . UE's capabilities, including, e.g., physical and software configurations, that can lead to high variation. One example can be the antenna type of the UE and can be set as a flag in the decision mechanism. That is ‘if antenna type is multi-panel, set high variation to true’” – See [¶0103]).
Therefore, Claim 4 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 5, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first criteria are further based on a relaxation factor based on at least one of capabilities or a device type of the UE (“The measurement accuracy is . . . a configuration of the device and this can be set directly through a flag in the UE,” e.g., “involves the UE's capabilities, including, e.g., physical and software configurations, that can lead to high variation” of the SSearchDeltaP for stationarityEvaluation – See [¶0103] whereby the Stationary UE High Variation relaxation factor is, e.g., the number of antennae, “That is "if antenna type is multi-panel, set high variation to true” – See id.).
Therefore, Claim 5 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 6, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises one or more fourth criteria, the fourth criteria being based on a cell selection RX level value (Srxlev), a plurality of reference cell selection received signal level values (SrxlevRef_1... SrxlevRef N) (for medium adjustment, the “subroutine aims to detect the location of the UE, i.e., whether if the UE is in the outer region 83 of the cell 80, such as being on a cell edge 81, or not” as a fourth criterium – See [¶0104], whereby “the UE gathers RSRPavet values for multiple cells” and “[t]he RSRP ave' for multiple cells is compared by a threshold, e.g., cell_edge_measurements_tolerance” so that “the UE can decide whether the UE is in the outer region 83 (e.g., on the cell edge 81) or not” for each cell t {1 . . . N} – See [¶0105] and Fig. 1),
a threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value (SSearchDeltaP), and a minimization factor corresponding to the mobility state of the UE (Smin_factor) (“The RSRPavet for multiple cells is compared by a threshold, e.g., cell_edge_measurements_tolerance” – See id. and Fig. 6 wherein if “RSRP avet(cell1)-RSRP avet (cell2) <= cell_edge measurement_tolerance” for cell1 being the current serving cell, RSRP avet (cell1) being Srxlev for cell 1 and cell_edge_measurements_tolerance being SSearchDeltaP, then the UE is in the outer region/cell edge of cell 1 – See [¶0108], and if “the UE determines in block 660 that it has high variation” – See [¶0109] and Fig. 6, the UE would apply the minimization/correction factor6 ‘–stationary_UE_high_variation_correction’ or 0dB; in addition the method could “use received power (see block 615) as an indicator of signal variation. The received power might be more indicative of the signal variation level (e.g., low received power (e.g., RSRP) means higher variation) and the received signal power is in a way related to location but not always” – See [¶0110] and Fig. 6; this method would be used in Regarding Claim 7 infra).
Therefore, Claim 6 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 11, dependent from Claim 1, the method in Gursu further discloses determining whether the mobility state of the UE corresponds to the stationary state by:
obtaining signal values associated with at least one of a serving cell (“[t]he UE determines whether the UE is stationary by evaluating a criterion that depends on the signal variation as detected” – See [¶0070], whereby “[t]he UE has performed intra-frequency or interfrequency measurements for at least time TSearchDeltaP after (re-)selecting a new cell” – See [¶0066]) and
determining whether the mobility state of the UE corresponds to the stationary-mobility state based on the indication and the obtained signal values (the indication ‘Srxlev.Ref-Srxlev’ is compared with an adjusted threshold SSearchDeltaP, different from the legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation, i.e., specifically determined by the BS for the preferred stationary-mobility state of the UE and indicated by the stationarityEvaluation configuration, wherein the adjustment depends on the level of signal variation– See [¶¶0071-78] and Fig. 6 and UE’s capabilities – See [¶0103] and Fig. 4).
Therefore, Claim 11 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 12, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a timer parameter indicating an amount of time associated with a stationary-mobility state of the UE (“the BS can communicate to the UE different timer parameters for different variation levels” of the stationarityEvaluation configuration – See [¶0131] and “the UE may use these to determine the estimate of the level of signal variance,” e.g., use “the first timer parameter to determine the estimate of the level of
signal variance as having the high signal variation. The UE may use the second timer parameter to determine the estimate of the level of signal variance as having the medium signal variation” – See [¶0132]).
Therefore, Claim 12 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 13, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more measurements according to measurement rules associated with the stationary-mobility state comprises:
relaxing one or more time periods used in performing one or more of serving cell measurements and neighboring cell measurements (“[i]f the UE supports relaxed measurements and relaxedMeasurement is present in SIB2, the UE may further relax the needed measurements, as specified in clause 5.2. 4.9 of 3GPP TS 38.304” – See [¶0067]; whereby 3GPP TS 38.304 refers to the tables in §§ 4.2.2.9-10 of 3GPP TS 38.133 for the relaxation factors used in performing intra-frequency and inter-frequency NR cell measurements7, respectively, e.g., in case of a UE configured by SIB2 – See [¶0149], “[t]he methodology to set the parameters of stationary_UE_high/medium_ variation_correction can follow the logic used to set SSearchDeltaP (which is currently considered in the specifications)” – See [¶0093] , wherein “if the relaxed measurement criterion in clause 5.2.4.9.2 is fulfilled: for any intra-frequency, NR inter-frequency, or inter-RAT frequency, if less than 1 hour has passed since measurements of corresponding frequency cell(s) for cell (re-) selection were last performed: the UE may choose not to perform measurement for measurements on this frequency cell(s)” – See 3GPP TS 38.304:29 i.e., time period between measurements are relaxed to 1 hour).
Therefore, Claim 13 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 14, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Gursu further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the indication is provided based on at least one of inferred device capabilities and a device type of the UE (“The UE detects if the UE is a high/medium signal variation UE or not (i.e., it is a low signal variation UE)” whereby “[t]he state of the user equipment can be based on its location, received power, antenna type, and/or capability” – See [¶0069] i.e., type and capabilities, and “the BS has to communicate additional parameters to achieve stationary detection,” inferred from device type8 – See [¶0062], e.g., when “[t]he method involves a cell specific signal variation parameter and a high/medium variation parameter calculated and broadcast by a BS in a cell and a UE detecting if the UE has high signal variation or not,” the BS will “group the variations seen by different UEs as low, medium and high signal variations” and “broadcasts a signal variation parameter corresponding to each of the three variation groups” then “[e]ach UE identifies itself to be in one of these three variation groups and will use the corresponding variation parameter to detect stationarity” – See [¶0062]).
Therefore, Claim 14 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Amended Claim 15, Gursu teaches a method performed by a network node for relaxing Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements, the method comprising the steps of Amended Claim 1 only performed by the base station (“a method is disclosed that includes determining, by a base station, one or more parameters to be used by a user equipment in order to identify the user equipment for measurement modification. The method also includes signaling the one or more parameters to the user equipment” – See [¶0018]; “[t]he UE determines whether the UE is stationary by evaluating a criterion that depends on the signal variation” – See [¶0070] and if a certain signal variation inequality “mathematically holds for a period of time, e.g., of a predetermined time period T, then the UE declares the stationarity is detected” – See [¶0129], wherein T may be T-searchDeltaP described in the 3GPP specifications or other “timer parameters may be part of parameters configured for the UE” – See [¶0132], measurement modification applies, whereby “the UE will perform measurements less frequently, the UE is allowed to skip some measurements, the UE is allowed to determine when to perform measurements, and/or the UE will measure fewer cells or frequencies. It is also noted that "measurement relaxation" may include the "relaxed measurements" in, e.g., 3GPP TS 38.304 or other technical standards” – See [¶0060], e.g., sending a measurement report based on adjusted measurements according to one or more measurement rules associated with the stationary-mobility state; see also §5.5.5, 3GPP TS 38.331:154-163 teaching UE measurement reporting to the base station).
Therefore, Amended Claim 15 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 16, dependent from Amended Claim 15, the claim language merely recites the limitations of Claim 2, anticipated by Gursu. Because each of Claims 15 and 2, as amended, is anticipated by Gursu, Claim 16 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claim 17, dependent from Amended Claim 15, the claim language merely recites in the alternative the limitations disclosed by Claims 3 and 4. Because each of Claims 1, 3, and 4, as amended, is anticipated by Gursu, Claim 17 is anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Claims 19 and 20, each dependent from Amended Claim 15, the claim language merely recites the limitations of Claim 5 and 6, respectively, only applied to the base station method of Amended Claim 15. Because each of Claims 15, 5, and 6, as amended, is anticipated by Gursu, Claims 19 and 20 are anticipated by Gursu.
Regarding Amended Claims 25 and 37, each recites an apparatus comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by the processor to execute the steps in Amended Claims 1 and 15, respectively. Gursu, teaches each apparatus in Fig 1 (“A UE is a wireless, typically mobile device that can access a wireless network. The UE 110 includes one or more processors 120, one or more memories 125, and one or more transceivers 130 interconnected through one or more buses 127” and “the one or more memories 125 and the computer program code 123 may be configured to, with the one or more processors 120, cause the user equipment 110 to perform one or more of the operations as described” – See [¶0038]; and “[t]he RAN node 170 is a base station that provides access by wireless devices such as the UE 110 to the wireless network 100” and “includes one or more processors 152, one or more memories 155, one or more network interfaces (N/W I/F(s)) 161, and one or more transceivers 160 interconnected through one or more buses 157. Each of the one or more transceivers 160 includes a receiver, Rx, 162 and a transmitter, Tx” and further “the one or more memories 155 and the computer program code 153 are configured to, with the one or more processors 152, cause the RAN node 170 to perform one or more of the operations as described” – See [¶¶0039-41]). Because Gursu anticipates each the Amended Claims 1 and 15, Amended Claims 25 and 37 are anticipated by Gursu.
In sum, Claims 1-6, 11-17, 19-20, 25, and 37, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as anticipated by Gursu.
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.
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(s) 7, 10, and 22, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gursu as applied to claims 1, 6 and 15 above, as amended, and further in view of Yiu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0076275 (hereinafter Yiu).
Regarding Claim 7, dependent from Claim 6, while Gursu teaches a rotation/multi-panel antenna UE – See, e.g., [¶0089] and Fig. 3B, whereby the UE rotation is an event to be considered for RX signal level measurement – See, e.g., Fig. 4, Gursu does not explicitly teach wherein each of the plurality of reference cell selection received signal level values (SrxlevRef_1... SrxlevRefN) corresponds to a different rotation of a rotatory antenna of the UE.
Yiu, like Gursu, teaches “RRM measurement relaxation by allowing measurements with longer intervals, and/or by reducing the number of cells/carriers to be measured [RAN4/2]” – See [¶0217] with relaxation enhancements “if UE is stationary or with low mobility [RAN4/2]” – See [¶0218] beyond the 3GPP “’UE Power Saving in NR’ Work Item (WI) in 3GPP Release 16 (NR) (Rel-16) denoted by RP-191607, from June 2019”– See [¶0215], e.g., “different handling of RRM measurement relaxation based on a UE's characteristic” whereby “a UE's characteristic could include for example include the UE's power classes, or the UE's subscription information, or its network indication, or its operational frequency (or bandwidth part (BWP) or multi-beam operation), or the UE's mobility state, or its beam change” – See [¶0229].
Yiu further teaches an embodiment wherein each of the plurality of reference cell selection received signal level values (SrxlevRef_1... SrxlevRef_N) corresponds to a different rotation of a rotatory antenna of the UE (for a stationary/low mobility of multi-beam UEs9 “[i]nstead of the criterion ‘serving Cell measurement does not change more than a relative threshold during a time period,’ we define the criterion in terms of a ‘beam measurement quantity value’” – See [¶0234], whereby “the highest measurement quantity value within the same transmission reception point (TRP) does not change more than a relative threshold during a time period” – See [¶0235], i.e., each TRP may be a cell and its signal level measured at the UE, Srxlev_i, corresponds to the highest beam measurement quantity value for the specific rotation of a rotatory antenna, and does not change more than a threshold when compared with the SrxlevRef_i for the TRP; whereby “a cell measurement quantity is derived by choosing . . . the linear average of the power values of up to nrofSS-BlocksToAverage of highest beam measurement quantity values above absThreshSS-BlocksConsolidation” – See [¶0250]; wherein absThreshSS-BlocksConsolidation and nrofSS-BlocksToAverage are parameters defined in § 5.2.4.7 of 3GPP TS 38.304:25-26 as “the minimum threshold . . . for beams used for derivation of cell measurement quantity” and “the number of beams used for derivation of cell measurement quantity,” respectively).
Yiu further teaches wherein one or more of the fourth criteria are expressed by comparing the cell selection RX level value (Srxlev) with a corresponding one of the plurality of reference cell selection received signal level values (SrxlevRef_1...SrxlevRef N) (“The UE then perform SSB measurements, and measurement results correspond to (v1, v2, v3, ... vi ... vk)” for calculating the highest beam measurement value for each rotatory antenna position, as explained supra, and the “new calculated value will be used for cell evaluation. The measurements may be for example based on RSRP, RSRQ, SINR” – See [¶0252], whereby evaluation means whether the “highest beam measurement value does not change more than a threshold during a time period within a same transmission reception point (TRP) or other TRPs of the cell” – See [¶0286]; here, the threshold may be a minimum level for a UE not to be on the edge of a cell, e.g., “SrxLevminthresh may be considered (e.g. when staying in a cell edge without cell (re) selection) to guarantee that the reference value to serving cell Srxlev meets the following new criteria ‘Srxlev>SrxLevminthres'” – See [¶0241], whereby SrxLevminthres could be chosen as higher than the minimum threshold for beams used for derivation of cell measurement quantity for that TRP, i.e., SrxlevRef_i > nrofSS-BlocksToAverage_i ).
Thus, Gursu and Yiu each teaches a (fourth) criteria of UE mobility state (e.g., being on the edge or out of the current cell) based on a cell (re)selection RX level value (Srxlev) and a plurality of reference cells/TRPs corresponding to different antennae rotation positions at the UE. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have understood that the per beam RSRP level measurements corresponding to a different antenna positions/beams of the UE, as taught in Yiu, could have been combined with the cell (re)selection logic of a slow moving or stationary multi-panel antenna UE as taught in Gursu, because both procedures rely on differences in (Srxlev) received signal measurement levels compared with a cell/TRP/rotation position adjusted threshold. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the combination through techniques known in the art. Finally, the substitution achieves the predictable result of expanding the procedure based on multiple groups of signal level variation, as taught in Gursu, to rotatory multi-panel antenna, as taught in Yiu.
Therefore, Claim 7 is obvious over Gursu in view of Yiu.
Regarding Amended Claim 10, dependent from Amended Claim 1, anticipated by Gursu, the method in Gursu teaches a first threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value (SSearchDeltaP_x) (e.g, first threshold can be ‘SSearchDeltaPlegacy “value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation” – See [¶0062] and described §5.2.4.9.1, 3GPP TS 38.304 as explained in Regarding Amended Claim 1 supra) and a second threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value (SSearchDeltaP_y) (e.g., second threshold is SearchDeltaP “as part of the new stationarityEvaluation configuration” which is “different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation” – See [¶0062])
wherein the first threshold of variation (SSearchDeltaP x) corresponds to the first threshold of the adjusted threshold and the second threshold of variation (SSearchDeltaP y) corresponds to the second threshold of the adjusted threshold as explained in Regarding Amended Claim 1 supra, and
the first threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value and the second threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value corresponding to one or more of different device types and capabilities as explained supra in Regarding Claim 5, dependent from Amended Claim 1.
However, Gursu does not teach that the indication of Amended Claim 1 comprises one or more sixth criteria, the sixth criteria being based on a cell selection RX level value (Srxlev) of a serving cell.
Yiu further teaches wherein the indication comprises one or more sixth criteria, the sixth criteria being based on a cell selection RX level value (Srxlev) of a serving cell (“A new parameter SrxLevminthresh may be considered (e.g. when staying in a cell edge without cell (re) selection) to guarantee that the reference value to serving cell Srxlev meets the following new criteria ‘Srxlev>SrxLevminthresh'” – See [¶0241]; i.e., a sixth criteria would be the UE staying at the edge of a cell but not in the outer region);
a reference cell selection received signal level value (SrxlevRef) of the serving cell (“Srxlev Ref=reference Srxlev value of the serving cell (dB)” – See [¶0242])
the first threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value and the second threshold of variation of the cell selection received signal level value corresponding to one or more of different device types and capabilities (“SsearchDeltaP threshold may be configured differently based on a specific aspect or behavior, such as based on a UE's mobility state or a UE's preference or a UE's characteristics (provided via dedicated signaling or system information)” – See [¶0248], e.g., SsearchDeltaP_X for a multi-panel antenna UE that is a “Stationary UE High Variation Parameters” as described in §2.1 of Gursu, and SsearchDeltaP_Y for an omnichannel antenna UE – See Gursu:[¶0089](in “onmi antenna case, it is clear that when a UE is stationary, irrespective of its rotation, the received power will be similar,” i.e., the second threshold does not need adjustments)).
Thus, Gursu and Yiu each teaches indication of UE mobility state comprising thresholds of variation of the cell selection received signal level value whereby a threshold may be configured differently based on a UE's mobility state. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have understood that the criteria for indicating that the UE is at the edge of the cell but not in the outer region, as taught in Yiu could be combined with the adjusted signal variation thresholds as taught by Gursu because they all rely on measurements of cell selection received signal level value. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the combination through techniques known in the art. Finally, the substitution achieves the predictable result of extending Gursu relaxation criteria to low mobility/stationary UEs at the edge of a cell.
Therefore, Amended Claim 10 is obvious over Gursu in view of Yiu.
Regarding Amended Claim 22, dependent from Amended Claim 15, anticipated by Gursu, the claim language merely recites the limitations of Claim 10 only applied to the method at the base station. Because Claim 10 is obvious over Gursu in view of Yiu, Claim 22 is also obvious over Gursu in view of Yiu.
In sum, Claims 7, 10, and 22, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Gursu in view of Yiu.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gursu as applied to Amended Claim 1 above, and further in view of 3GPP TS 38.304.
Regarding Claim 8, dependent from Amended Claim 1, anticipated by Gursu, the procedure of indicating stationary-mobility state disclosed in Gursu does not explicitly teach a criterium based on a first number of cell reselections. However, Gursu makes frequent references to 3GPP TS 38.304 wherein “UE mobility state is determined if the parameters (TCRmax, NCR_H, NCR_M and TCRmaxHyst) are broadcasted in system information for the serving cell” – See § 5.2.4.3, at page 22. 3GPP TS 38.304 further teaches wherein the indication comprises one or more fifth criteria, the fifth criteria being based on a first number of cell reselections (NCR_STATIONARY) to be used in determining whether the mobility state of the UE corresponds to the stationary-mobility state (“Normal-mobility state criteria: If number of cell reselections during time period TCRmax is less than NCR_M” – See id.; whereby a person of ordinary skills in the art would set NCR_M to a lower value NCR_STATIONARY to indicate stationary-mobility state of the UE instead of normal-mobility state).
Thus, Gursu and 3GPP TS 38.304 each teaches cell (re)selection in relationship with a mobility state of a UE. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have understood that the procedure of determining the mobility state of a UE by the number of cells (re)selections in a certain period of time, as taught in 3GPP TS 38.304, could have been added to the procedure taught by Gursu because the number of cells (re)selections in a certain period of time is a complementary criterium for determining mobility state of a device. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the combination through techniques known in the art. Finally, the substitution achieves the predictable result of expanding the Gursu procedure to include 3GPP standard procedures adapted to slow moving devices.
Therefore, Claim 8 is obvious over Gursu in view of 3GPP TS 38.304.
Regarding Claim 9, dependent from Claim 8, 3GPP TS 38.304 further teaches wherein the first number of cell reselections (NCR_STATIONARY) is associated with its own timer (e.g., because parameter TCRmax that “specifies the duration for evaluating allowed amount of cell reselection(s)” can be adjusted with TCRmaxHyst comprising “the additional time period before the UE can enter Normal-mobility state” See § 5.2.4.7.0 of 3GPP TS 38.304: 28, it would be obvious for one of ordinary skills in the art to evaluate stationarity using a timer > TCRmax + TCRmaxHyst).
Therefore, Claim 9 is obvious over Gursu in view of 3GPP TS 38.304.
In sum, Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Gursu in view of 3GPP TS 38.304.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Lee et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0068027 discloses an improvement upon the standard method for estimating mobility states of a UE based on number of cell (re)selections per time period;
Kaikkonen et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022007293 discloses method for determining a mobility or measurement adaptation state of a user equipment whereby ser equipment rotational activity exceeds specific threshold limit of a threshold associated with a mobility parameter;
RICO ALVARINO et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0029256 discloses aspects related to whether the measurement is permitted on the non-anchor carrier including adjusting a threshold based at least in part on determining that the measured value does not meet the threshold;
LASELVA et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0288637 discloses of receiving an indication from a first wireless network to configure a user equipment to enter a first operating mode, wherein the first operating mode comprises performing measurements according to a first time pattern and determining whether the user equipment is stationary;
FARNSWORTH et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0225169 discloses a method comprising monitoring a neighbour cell at a time interval; and if a criterion is satisfied, modifying monitoring of the neighbour cell;
Lee et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0043593 teaches that the UE shall apply certain rules for NR inter-frequencies and inter-RAT frequencies which are indicated in system information and for which the UE has priority provided;
Lee et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0240356 discloses a method for determining, by a terminal, its mobility and deciding a time to select another cell in a mobile communication system, in which the terminal determines the mobility by using variation information in signal characteristic values of measurable specific cells;
He (Papasakellariou), U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0113235 discloses RRM measurement relaxation criteria for a stationary UE;
Niu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0357494 discloses teaches relaxed monitoring of cell measurements;
Li et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0134018 disclosing method, a terminal device, and a network device for evaluating a movement state of a terminal device according to the evaluation parameter and a measurement result of a serving cell;
Sharma et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0380477 disclosing relaxed radio measurement state in which the communications device reduces an amount of attempted measurements of the plurality of beams of radio signals compared with a normal state according to one or more relaxed measurement state criteria;
Yang et al., WIPO Patent Application Publication No. WO2020132905 discloses cell signal quality measurement method and apparatus configured by the access network device according to the mobility capability of the terminal;
3GPP TS 25.304 v16.0.0 (2020-07), "Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; User Equipment (UE) procedures in idle mode and procedures for cell reselection in connected mode (Release 16),”;
3GPP TS 25.133 V16.0.0 (2018-12): 35, “ Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Requirements for support of radio resource management (FDD) (Release 16)”;
3GPP TS 38.331 V16.2.0 (2020-09), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)”;
3GPP TS 38.133 V16.5.0 (2020-09), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Requirements for support of radio resource management (Release 16)”;
3GPP TSG RAN WG2 Meeting #112-e; R2-2009022, Title: “Relax measurement for stationary and low mobility devices,” Source: Intel Corporation, published 10/22/2020;
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #112 electronic; R2-200xxxx; Title: “Summary of email discussion 915 - UE power saving features,” Source: CATT; published 10/15/2020;
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #108, R2-1914913, Title: “Discussion on measurement relaxation rule in time domain,” Source: ZTE, November 2019, discloses measurement interval and rules for measurement interval in measurement relaxation.
Report of 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 meeting #111-e Online, R2-2102242, August 2020 and references included therein.
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/L.G.G./Examiner, Art Unit 2478
/JOSEPH E AVELLINO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2478
1 See Gursu: [¶0062] (“new parameters are defined . . . as part of the new stationarity Evaluation configuration: SSearchDeltaP (different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation)”)
2 See, e.g., Gursu:[¶0051] (“UEs use received signal strength to detect what their mobility states are. The physical layer details are in 3GPP TS 38.304. Further details on signaling can also be found in 3GPP TS 38.133”); see also 3GPP TS 38.331 V16.2.0 (2020-09), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.331), describing cell reselection and relaxed RRM parameters in SIB2, at page 318-322, including lowMobilityEvaluation parameter s-SearchDeltaP-r16 in dB).
3 See, e.g., Gursu:[¶0069](“The UE detects if the UE is a high/medium signal variation UE or not (i.e., it is a low signal variation UE)” whereby “the UE may use a logic that combines its configuration, its state, and the parameters broadcast by the BS. The state of the user equipment can be based on its location, received power, antenna type, and/or capability.”)
4 See, e.g., [¶0051] (“UEs use received signal strength to detect what their mobility states are. The physical layer details are in 3GPP TS 38.304. Further details on signaling can also be found in 3GPP TS 38.133”); see also 3GPP TS 38.304, describing relaxed measurement procedures at pages 29-30; §§4.2.2.9-10, 3GPP TS 38.133, describing measurements of inter-frequencies and intra-frequency NR cells for UE configured with relaxed measurement criteria defined by §§ 5.2.4.9.1-2 of 3GPP TS 38.304.
5 The Specification defines Smin_factor as a “real number greater than or equal to zero dB” such as when a “UE is expected to have less mobility” the “Smin_factor may be configured to have larger value (and thus greater reduction of the variation threshold SSearchDeltaP)” – See [¶0123]. Gursu similarly defines an adjustment variable for the SSearchDeltaP threshold, only that the adjustment goes in the other direction, i.e., it is added to the SSearchDeltaP so that the threshold is higher with higher mobility/larger signal variation UEs and zero for stationary UEs – See [¶¶0071-74]. Because Gursu states that SSearchDeltaP is “different from a legacy value defined in lowMobilityEvaluation” – See [¶0062], the effect on the quantity “Srxlev.Ref – Srxlev” (the signal variation) is precisely the same as in the present application, i.e., the signal variation is greater when UE mobility is higher and smaller when UE is low mobility or near stationary. For this reason, the quantity Smin_factor is equivalent (has the same function) as the quantity ‘–stationary UE_high[/medium] variation_correction’ or 0 dBm in cases [a] and [c].
6 The same logic of mapping Smin_factor in present application to the stationary_UE_high_variation_correction factor in Gursu applies here as explained in the footnote to Regarding Claim 2, supra.
7 In normal operation, for cell re-selection purposes, “[t]he UE shall measure the SS-RSRP and SS-RSRQ level of the serving cell and evaluate the cell selection criterion S defined in TS 38.304 [1] for the serving cell at least once every M1*N1 DRX cycle” and “that the serving cell does not fulfil the cell selection criterion S, the UE shall initiate the measurements of all neighbour cells indicated by the serving cell” – See 3GPP TS 38.133:42.
8 See, e.g., 3GPP TS 38.331, describing in § 6.3.3, at page 662 et seq. the UE capability information elements, including RAT type, MIMO layers and HighSpeed parameters, and at page 746 et seq., the IE OtherConfig containing configuration related to miscellaneous other configurations of the UE including UE preferences for DRX, location, etc; all tehse parameters are exchanged with eth BS either through UE Assistance Information or during RRCSetup/RRCSetupComplete procedures.
9 For example, work on low to stationary mobility for REDCAP UEs moving slowly was carried during 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 Meeting #112-e whereby company contributions were published before the filing date of this application – See, e.g., R2-2009022, Title: “Relax measurement for stationary and low mobility devices,” Source: Intel Corporation, published 10/22/2020, and proposing “modification of the current relaxed measurement criterion in TS 38.304” by introducing a SSearchDeltaP_stationary for stationary UEs and low or no beam switching, and a SSearchDeltaP_low_mobility low mobility or number of beam switch < N2; see also 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #111-e, R2-2006662, Agenda Item: 8.12.3, Title: "RRM relaxation for stationary devices," Source: Samsung, August 2020 (hereinafter 3GPP R2-2006662) disclosing at page 1-2, that “the RRCSetupComplete and RRCResumeComplete messages can include the field mobilityState which indicates UE mobility state with a spare value” whereby “the remaining spare value can be used to its stationary characteristics” and allow “for gNB to configure the UE to perform measurement reporting before receiving UE's capability from the core network,” e.g., indicate fewer measurements or smaller signal variation thresholds.
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