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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicants’ remarks, filed June 12, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 10, 12 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of newly found prior art Burtner et al. (US 2008/0233866).
Tripathi further teaches wherein the configuration information further includes information for times for applying power control configurations (Section 0101, the PC and AMC are based on the NTN type which indicates the type of orbit such a GEO or LEO (Sections 0055, 0058), when a LEO orbit is selected said LEO orbit will be in effect for a finite period of time, a GEO orbit is in effect for longer period of time), and wherein the UE applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the times (Section 0101, the PC and AMC are based on the NTN type which indicates the type of orbit such a GEO or LEO (Sections 0055, 0058), when a LEO orbit is selected said LEO orbit will be in effect for a finite period of time, a GEO orbit is in effect for longer period of time).
Burtner teaches information for change times for changing orbit types (Sections 0023, 0027, the mobile terminal would receive some kind of signaling information that prompts said mobile terminal to switch to a particular orbit mode, this prompting information is the changing time for changing or switching to a specific orbit mode). The combination of Tripathi and Burtner teaches wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 10, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tripathi et al. (US 2021/0119861) in view of Gutt et al. (US 2013/0197860) and in further view of Burtner et al. (US 2008/0233866)
Regarding Claim 1, Tripathi teaches a method comprising: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), configuration information related to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) ((Sections 0055, 0058) corresponds power control information, which is AMC and PC (Section 0101), which is configuration information, AMC automatically selects the most effective modulation scheme and coding rate according to channel conditions so as to improve the power utilization and spectrum utilization); receiving, by the UE, a downlink control channel including downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information includes resource assignment information for a transmission of an uplink data channel (Section 0101, DCI provides scheduling, which is the resource assignment for the PUSCH); and transmitting, by the UE, the uplink data channel based on the resource assignment information (Section 0101, PUSCH can be transmitted); wherein the downlink control channel is received from the NTN and the uplink data channel is transmitted to the NTN (Section 0101 shows that the DCI scheduling and PUSCH transmission is in relation to an NTN type), wherein the configuration information includes power control configurations for the uplink data channel related to the NTN ((Sections 0055, 0058) corresponds power control information, which is AMC and PC (Section 0101), which is configuration information, AMC automatically selects the most effective modulation scheme and coding rate according to channel conditions so as to improve the power utilization and spectrum utilization); wherein the configuration information further includes information for times for applying power control configurations (Section 0101, the PC and AMC are based on the NTN type which indicates the type of orbit such a GEO or LEO (Sections 0055, 0058), when a LEO orbit is selected said LEO orbit will be in effect for a finite period of time, a GEO orbit is in effect for longer period of time), and wherein the UE applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the times (Section 0101, the PC and AMC are based on the NTN type which indicates the type of orbit such a GEO or LEO (Sections 0055, 0058), when a LEO orbit is selected said LEO orbit will be in effect for a finite period of time, a GEO orbit is in effect for longer period of time)
Tripathi does not teach wherein the configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN, and wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
Gutt, which also teaches the use of satellites, teaches wherein the configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN (ephemerides is received from the LEO satellite (Sections 0086, 0087) which renders a scenario wherein the ephemerides are related to the LEO satellite).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi with the above features of Gutt for the purpose of providing an improvement in navigation system performance when the user receiver device is located in an attenuated environment, a jammed environment, and/or an occluded environment, such as indoors as taught by Gutt.
Tripathi in view of Gutt does not teach wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
Burtner, which also teach the use of satellites, teaches information for change times for changing orbit types (Sections 0023, 0027, the mobile terminal would receive some kind of signaling information that prompts said mobile terminal to switch to a particular orbit mode, this prompting information is the changing time for changing or switching to a specific orbit mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi in view of Gutt with the above features of Burtner for the purpose of providing a flexible satellite terminal that has a hybrid LEO/GEO mode as taught by Burtner. The combination of Tripathi and Burtner teaches wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
Regarding Claim 10, Tripathi teaches a method comprising: transmitting, by a NTN, configuration information related to the NTN including power control configurations to a user equipment ((Sections 0055, 0058) corresponds power control information, which is AMC and PC (Section 0101), which is configuration information, AMC automatically selects the most effective modulation scheme and coding rate according to channel conditions so as to improve the power utilization and spectrum utilization); transmitting, by the NTN, a downlink control channel including downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information includes resource assignment information for a transmission of an uplink data channel (Section 0101, DCI provides scheduling, which is the resource assignment for the PUSCH) and receiving the uplink data channel, from the UE, based on the resource assignment information (Section 0101, PUSCH can be transmitted), wherein the configuration information further includes information for times for applying power control configurations (Section 0101, the PC and AMC are based on the NTN type which indicates the type of orbit such a GEO or LEO (Sections 0055, 0058), when a LEO orbit is selected said LEO orbit will be in effect for a finite period of time, a GEO orbit is in effect for longer period of time), and wherein the UE applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the times (Section 0101, the PC and AMC are based on the NTN type which indicates the type of orbit such a GEO or LEO (Sections 0055, 0058), when a LEO orbit is selected said LEO orbit will be in effect for a finite period of time, a GEO orbit is in effect for longer period of time)
Tripathi does not teach wherein the configuration information further includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN, and wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times at which the power control configurations are to be sequentially applied to determine a transmission power of the uplink data channel.
Gutt, which also teaches the use of satellites, teaches wherein the configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN (ephemerides is received from the LEO satellite (Sections 0086, 0087) which renders a scenario wherein the ephemerides are related to the LEO satellite).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi with the above features of Gutt for the purpose of providing an improvement in navigation system performance when the user receiver device is located in an attenuated environment, a jammed environment, and/or an occluded environment, such as indoors as taught by Gutt.
Tripathi in view of Gutt does not teach wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times at which the power control configurations are to be sequentially applied to determine a transmission power of the uplink data channel.
Burtner, which also teach the use of satellites, teaches information for change times for changing orbit types (Sections 0023, 0027, the mobile terminal would receive some kind of signaling information that prompts said mobile terminal to switch to a particular orbit mode, this prompting information is the changing time for changing or switching to a specific orbit mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi in view of Gutt with the above features of Burtner for the purpose of providing a flexible satellite terminal that has a hybrid LEO/GEO mode as taught by Burtner. The combination of Tripathi and Burtner teaches wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times at which the power control configurations are to be sequentially applied to determine a transmission power of the uplink data channel.
Regarding Claim 12, Tripathi teaches a user equipment (UE) comprising: a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a processor connected to the RF transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: control the RF transceiver to receive configuration information related to an NTN (NTN type which is signaled (Sections 0055, 0058) to the UE corresponds power control information, which is AMC and PC (Section 0101), which is configuration information, AMC automatically selects the most effective modulation scheme and coding rate according to channel conditions so as to improve the power utilization and spectrum utilization, typical UEs comprise RF transceivers and processors); control the RF transceiver to receive a downlink control channel including downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information includes resource assignment information for a transmission of an uplink data channel (Section 0101, DCI provides scheduling, which is the resource assignment for the PUSCH), control the RF transceiver to transmit the uplink data channel based on the resource assignment information (Section 0101, PUSCH can be transmitted); wherein the downlink control channel is received from the NTN and the uplink data channel is transmitted to the NTN (Section 0101 shows that the DCI scheduling and PUSCH transmission is in relation to an NTN type); wherein the configuration information includes power control configurations for the uplink data channel related to the NTN ((Sections 0055, 0058) corresponds power control information, which is AMC and PC (Section 0101), which is configuration information, AMC automatically selects the most effective modulation scheme and coding rate according to channel conditions so as to improve the power utilization and spectrum utilization).
Tripathi does not teach wherein the configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN, and wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
Gutt, which also teaches the use of satellites, teaches wherein the configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN (ephemerides is received from the LEO satellite (Sections 0086, 0087) which renders a scenario wherein the ephemerides are related to the LEO satellite).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi with the above features of Gutt for the purpose of providing an improvement in navigation system performance when the user receiver device is located in an attenuated environment, a jammed environment, and/or an occluded environment, such as indoors as taught by Gutt.
Tripathi in view of Gutt does not teach wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
Burtner, which also teach the use of satellites, teaches information for change times for changing orbit types (Sections 0023, 0027, the mobile terminal would receive some kind of signaling information that prompts said mobile terminal to switch to a particular orbit mode, this prompting information is the changing time for changing or switching to a specific orbit mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi in view of Gutt with the above features of Burtner for the purpose of providing a flexible satellite terminal that has a hybrid LEO/GEO mode as taught by Burtner. The combination of Tripathi and Burtner teaches wherein the configuration information further includes information for change times for sequentially applying power control configurations, and wherein the UE sequentially applies the power control configurations for determining a transmission power of the uplink data channel based on the change times.
Regarding Claim 4, Tripathi in view of Gutt and in further view of Burtner teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 1. Tripathi further teaches wherein the UE determines whether to change the first power control configuration to a second power control configuration among the power control configurations based on a change of the position of the NTN from a first position to a second position (Section 0101, which is AMC and PC can be changed based on change in NTN type (Section 0055), changing from GEO orbit to a LEO orbit renders a scenario wherein there is a change in position).
Claim(s) 5 – 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tripathi et al. (US 2021/0119861) in view of Gutt et al. (US 2013/0197860) in view of Burtner et al. (US 2008/0233866), as applied to Claim 1 set forth above, and further in view of Wyler (US 2018/0062737).
Regarding Claim 5, Tripathi in view of Gutt in view of Burtner teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claims 1. Tripathi in view of Gutt and in further view of Burtner does not teach wherein the configuration information further includes information on satellite orbit ranges corresponding to the power control configurations.
Wyler, which also teaches the use of satellites, teaches GEO orbits and LEO orbits (Figure 2, Section 0059, GEO orbit range, which is approximately 36,000 km altitude above the earth and LEO orbit range is 180 – 2000 km altitude above the earth).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi in view of Gutt and in further view of Burtner with the above features of Wyler for the purpose of increasing the capacity of a satellite system as taught by Wyler. The combination of the Tripathi in view of Gutt and in further view of Burtner and Wyler teaches information on satellite orbit ranges corresponding to the power control configurations.
Regarding Claim 6, Tripathi in view of Gutt in view of Burtner and in further view of Wyler teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claim 5. Tripathi further teaches wherein the UE determines a satellite orbit range to which the position of the NTN belongs among the satellite orbit ranges (Section 0055, when the NTN type changes, which is when the type of orbit changes the corresponding orbit range changes).
Tripathi in view of Gutt and in further view of Burtner in view of Wyler does not teach among the satellite orbit ranges based on the satellite ephemeris information.
Gutt, which also teaches the use of satellites, teaches wherein the configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information related to the NTN (ephemerides is received from the LEO satellite (Sections 0086, 0087) which renders a scenario wherein the ephemerides are related to the LEO satellite).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi with the above features of Gutt for the purpose of providing an improvement in navigation system performance when the user receiver device is located in an attenuated environment, a jammed environment, and/or an occluded environment, such as indoors as taught by Gutt. The combination of Tripathi and Gutt teaches satellite orbit ranges based on the satellite ephemeris information.
Regarding Claim 7, Tripathi in view of Gutt in view of Burtner in view of Wyler teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claim 5. Tripathi further teaches wherein based on a change of the satellite orbit range to which the position of the NTN belongs, from a first satellite orbit range to a second satellite orbit range, the first power control configuration is changed to a second power control configuration corresponding to the second satellite orbit range (Section 0055, when the NTN type changes, which is when the type of orbit changes the corresponding orbit range changes, Section 0101, this renders a scenario wherein the AMC and PC parameters are applied).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tripathi et al. (US 2021/0119861) in view of Gutt et al. (US 2013/0197860) in view of Burtner et al. (US 2008/0233866), as applied to Claim 1 set forth above, and further in view of Yi et al. (US 2020/0120584)
Regarding Claim 9, Tripathi in view of Gutt in view of Burtner teaches all of the claimed limitations recited in Claim 1. Tripathi in view of Gutt in view of Burtner does not teach wherein the power control configurations are pre-mapped to a plurality of BWP indexes, and wherein the UE performs BWP switching with a BWP index corresponding to the first power control configuration.
Yi, which also teaches power control, teaches wherein the power control configurations are pre-mapped to a plurality of (bandwidth part) BWP indexes, and wherein the UE performs BWP switching with a BWP index corresponding to the first power control configuration (Section 0203, multiple DCI fields can be sent thus rendering multiple TPCs and thus multiple BWP indexes).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Tripathi in view of Gutt in view of Burtner with the above features of Yi for the purpose of effectively monitoring a control resource set in order to read remaining minimum system information as taught by Yi.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND S DEAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7877. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 6:00-2:30, EST.
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/RAYMOND S DEAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645 Raymond S. Dean
July 16, 2026
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