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
2. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/20/2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 3, 8, 10,11,12, 14, 19, 21, 23, 25,27, 32, 34, 35
Are pending. Claims 2, 4-7, 9, 13, 15-18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28-31, 33, 36-48 are canceled.
3. Applicant’s arguments filed on 01/20/2026 with respect to claims 1, 3, 8, 10,11,12, 14, 19, 21, 23, 25,27, 32, 34, 35 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to new combinations of references including new prior arts being used in the current rejection. The new grounds of rejection are necessitated by amendment.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 12, 14, 25, 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (US 20230022834 A1) hereinafter Wu and further in view of Lindstrom et al. (US 20100040022 A1)hereinafter Lindstrom
As to claim 1 Wu teaches A method performed by a wireless device, the method comprising:
receiving from a network node handover information associated with an execution of a handover of the wireless device to a target cell, wherein at least one of the network node or the target cell is associated with a non-terrestrial network, NTN, network node and ([0073] Fig. 5, the first information includes a first timing advance of the second base station, or the first information includes a parameter used by the terminal device to obtain the first timing advance of the second base station, where the first timing advance is a timing advance used in a process of data transmission with the second base station.)
the handover information comprises a time offset, the time offset based on at least one of:
a randomized time offset;
information for generating a randomized time offset;
and specific value for the time offset
performing at least one operation of the handover based on the handover information.([0082] Perform handover to second base station, after obtaining timing advance)
Wu does not teach the handover information comprises a time offset, the time offset based on at least one of:
a randomized time offset;
information for generating a randomized time offset;
and specific value for the time offset
information, wherein the at least one operation of the handover is performed the time offset amount of time after the handover operation is triggered.
Lindstrom teaches the handover information comprises a time offset, the time offset based on at least one of:
a randomized time offset;([0018] Fig. 2, When handover is desired, the time offset associated with the next random access opportunity is determined at the target AP 14b (block 52).)
information for generating a randomized time offset;
and specific value for the time offset
information, wherein the at least one operation of the handover is performed the time offset amount of time after the handover operation is triggered.([0022]Fig. 6, The serving AP 14a triggers handover by sending the mobile device 16 a handover message that designates the determined start time t.sub.start as the start time for the handover. The mobile device 16 executes the handover at the designated start time to generally align handover execution with the random access procedure)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to combine teaching of Lindstrom with the teaching of Wu because Lindstrom teaches that determining a time offset associated with a random access opportunity in the target cell would allow to reduce the handover interruption and determining a start time for handover based on the time offset. (Lindstrom [0004])
Claims 12, and 25 are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
As to claim 3 the combination of Wu and Lindstrom specifically Wu teaches wherein at least a portion of the handover information is received in a broadcast, and wherein the broadcast indicates a group of wireless devices to which the handover information applies. ([0060][0062] Fig. 2, a method for broadcasting a common TA by a satellite may be used to notify the UE of a timing advance of the UE; a moving cell, a large quantity of UEs need to be handed over, and the LEO satellite needs to send a handover command to each of the large quantity of UEs, )
Claims 14, and 27 are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 3.
Claim(s) 10, 11 21, 23, 34, 35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu, Lindstrom and further in view of Ingale et al. (US 20200053607 A1) hereinafter Ingale
As to claim 10. the combination of Wu and Lindstrom does not teach wherein the at least a portion of the handover information is received via at least one of: a Medium Access Control Control Element, MAC CE; Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling; and Downlink Control Information, DCI.
Ingale teaches information is received via at least one of: a Medium Access Control Control Element, MAC CE; Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling; and Downlink Control Information, DCI. ( [0066] Fig. 1, the UE 102 (e.g. through RRC signalling) to gNB #1 on PCell #1 at least the following events are possible: a) PCell #2 preparation procedure is executed to prepare PCell #2 of gNB #2, b) after response from gNB #2 PCell change procedure is triggered based on the HO command prepared by the target gNB #2)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to combine teaching of Ingale with the teaching of Wu and Lindstrom because Ingale teaches that trigger random access with HO command would help to beam alignment during handover procedure. (Ingale [0002])
Claims 21, and 34 are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 10.
As to claim 11. the combination of Wu and Lindstrom does not teach wherein the handover : comprises: a dual active protocol stack, DAPS, handover; a conditional handover, CHO; or a Random Access Channel-less, RACH-less, handover.
Ingale teaches wherein the handover : comprises: a dual active protocol stack, DAPS, handover; a conditional handover, CHO; or a Random Access Channel-less, RACH-less, handover. ([0046] FIG. 4 HO procedure in NR system based on conditional trigger, according to embodiments as disclosed herein)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to combine teaching of Ingale with the teaching of Wu and Lindstrom because Ingale teaches that trigger random access with HO command would help to beam alignment during handover procedure. (Ingale [0002])
Claims 23, and 35 are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 11.
Claim(s) 8, 19, 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu and Lindstrom and further in view of Aldana et al. (US 20210194740 A1) hereinafter Aldana
As to claim 8. the combination of Wu and Lindstrom does not teach wherein: a starting point of the time offset is associated with a particular subframe, or the time offset corresponds to an absolute time.
Aldana teaches a starting point of the time offset is associated with a particular subframe, or the time offset corresponds to an absolute time. ([0065]it was agreed that a UE applies a starting time offset at the beginning of a transmission burst with CG resources and applies a CP extension starting from the first symbol that is located right before the configured resources)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to combine teaching of Aldana with the teaching of Wu and Lindstrom because Aldan teaches that starting time offset and a cyclic prefix (CP) extension for would allow a beginning of a transmission burst with CG resources. ([Aldana [0197])
Claims 19, and 32 are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 8.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Löhr; Joachim et al. [US 20230217506 A1] Method and Apparatus for More Power Efficient Physical Downlink Control Channel Monitoring After a Random Access Transmission
Rastegardoost; Nazanin et al. [US 20200296635 A1] Handover in Unlicensed Band
Seo; Inkwon et al. [US 9578558 B2 ] Method and apparatus for performing handover in wireless communication system
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ATIQUE AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-6244. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 - 7:30 PM M-F Eastern.
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/ATIQUE AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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