DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on Feb. 25, 2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-3, 5, 11, 13, 15, 22, 24 and 28-30 have been amended.
Claims 4, 16, 25 and 31-32 have been canceled.
New claims 34-57 have been added.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-15, 17-24, 26-30 and 33-53 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ghanbarinejad et al. (2023/0199694).
Regarding claim 1, Ghanbarinejad discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (see abstract, fig.1, element 104, paragraph [0010] and its description), comprising: one or more memories (see abstract, fig.29, element 2908, paragraphs [0038], [0151] and its description); and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to cause the UE to (see abstract, fig.29, elements 2906, 2908, paragraphs [0038], [0151] and its description): receive a UE capability request message (see abstract, fig.15, element 104, step 1504 paragraphs [0024], [0086] and its description); and transmit, in response to the UE capability request message, based at least in part on network information of a network, a UE capability information message that indicates one or more UE capabilities associated with one of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a terrestrial network (TN), wherein the network information comprises an indication of whether the network is the one of the NTN or the TN (see abstract, fig.15, elements 1502, 104, step 1506 paragraphs [0024], [0086] and its description).
Regarding claim 2, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: receive an indication that the one or more UE capabilities associated with the one of the NTN or the TN are to be indicated in the UE capability information message, wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities in accordance with the indication (see paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 3, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: receive an indication of one or more bands or band combinations for which the UE capability information message is to indicate one or more per-band UE capabilities, wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the NTN in response to the one or more bands (see paragraph [0086]) or band combinations including an NTN band, or wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the TN in response to the one or more bands or band combinations including a TN band(see paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 5, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message, further based at least in part on UE information, indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the one of the NTN or the TN and wherein the UE information includes at least one of:
a type of the UE,
a location of the UE (see paragraphs [0086]),
a quality of service for communications of the UE (see paragraphs [0044]),
a connection history of the UE, or
a speed of movement of the UE.
Regarding claim 6, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the NTN in a field of the UE capability information message designated for capability indication for the TN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 7, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the NTN in a field of the UE capability information message designated for capability indication for the NTN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 8, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE is an NTN only UE, and the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with only the NTN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 9, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message includes an indication that the UE is the NTN only UE or that the one or more UE capabilities are associated with only the NTN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 10, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities using one or more feature group indications (see abstract, paragraphs [0003], [0086]).
Regarding claim 11, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: receive the network information in a system information block (it is inherent in broadcast channel see paragraph [0049]).
Regarding claim 12, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more UE capabilities are one or more per-UE capabilities (see paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 13, Ghanbarinejad discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a network Node (see abstract, fig.1, element 106, paragraph [0010] and its description), comprising: one or more memories (see abstract, fig.28, element 2808, paragraphs [0037] [0129] and its description); and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to cause the network node to (see abstract, fig.28, elements 2806, 2808, paragraphs [0037], [0129-0131] and its description): transmit a user equipment (UE) capability request message (see abstract, fig.15, element 1502, step 1504 paragraphs [0024], [0086] and its description); and receive, in response to the UE capability request message, based at least in part on network information of a network, a UE capability information message that indicates one or more UE capabilities associated with one of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a terrestrial network (TN), wherein the network information comprises an indication of whether the network is the one of the NTN or the TN (see abstract, fig.15, elements 1502, 104, step 1506 paragraphs [0024], [0086] and its description).
Regarding claim 14, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network node to: transmit an indication that the one or more UE capabilities associated the one of the NTN are to be indicated in the UE capability information message, wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities in accordance with the indication (see paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 15, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network node to: transmit an indication of one or more bands or band combinations for which the UE capability information message is to indicate one or more per-band UE capabilities, wherein the UE capability information message indicates one or more of the one or more UE capabilities associated with the NTN in response to the one or more bands or band combinations including an NTN band, or wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the TN in response to the one or more bands or band combinations including a TN band (see paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 17, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the NTN in a field of the UE capability information message designated for capability indication for the TN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 18, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with the NTN in a field of the UE capability information message designated for capability indication for the NTN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 19, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE is an NTN only UE, and the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities associated with only the NTN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 20, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message includes an indication that the UE is the NTN only UE or that the one or more UE capabilities are associated with only the NTN (see abstract, paragraphs [0086]).
Regarding claim 21, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the UE capability information message indicates the one or more UE capabilities using one or more feature group indications (see abstract, paragraphs [0003], [0086]).
Regarding claim 22, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network node to: transmit the network information in one or more of a master information block, a system information block, or UE dedicated signaling (it is inherent in broadcast channel see paragraph [0049]).
Regarding claim 23, Ghanbarinejad further discloses wherein the one or more UE capabilities are one or more per-UE capabilities (see paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claims 24, 26-30 and 33-53 recite limitations substantially similar to the claims 1-3, 5-15, 17-23. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
When responding to this Office Action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Conclusion
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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
/CONGVAN TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
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