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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application no. 202010955406.0 filed in CN on 09/11/2020. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the foreign priority application CN202010955406.0 as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 1-9 and 15-20 (Group I) in the reply filed on 12/11/2025 is acknowledged. Examiner advises applicant to cancel Claims 10-14.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/08/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claims 1 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Buer et al. (US 2022/0231757), Buer hereinafter.
Re. Claim 1, Buer teaches a beam hopping method for a satellite system, comprising: sending, by a first satellite, a communication signal to a first area by using a first beam, wherein the communication signal is used by the first satellite to communicate with a terminal device in the first area, (Fig. 1, 3 & ¶0027 - The communications satellite 121 may communicate via a service beam 125-a directed towards a service beam coverage area 126-a that includes the satellite terminal 150);
and the first area belongs to an area covered by the first satellite; (¶0027 - The service beam coverage area 126-a may cover any suitable service area (e.g., circular, elliptical, hexagonal, local, regional, national, etc.) and provide service to any number of satellite terminals 150 located in the service beam coverage area 126-a);
and sending, by the first satellite, a positioning signal to a second area by using a second beam, wherein the positioning signal is used by a terminal device in the second area for positioning measurement (¶0027 - In some examples the communications satellite 121 may be a multi-beam satellite and may have multiple service beams, including service beam 125-a, covering multiple beam coverage areas, including service beam coverage area 126-a, which may or may not overlap with adjacent beam coverage areas. ¶0048 - In various examples the first service beam coverage area 126-a can be associated with a first service beam 125, and the second service beam coverage area 126-b can be associated with a second service beam 125, where the first service beam 125 and the second service beam 125 may be associated with the same communications satellite 121 … Each of the satellite terminals 150 may be configured to receive positioning signals 115, and in various examples the installation positions determined based on the received positioning signals 115 for each satellite terminal 150 may be associated with a geographic area for each of the respective satellite terminals 150).
Re. Claim 15, Buer teaches a communication apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to: (Fig. 9-11 & ¶0149);
send a communication signal to a first area by using a first beam, wherein the communication signal is used by a first satellite to communicate with a terminal device in the first area, and the first area belongs to an area covered by the first satellite; (Fig. 1, 3 & ¶0027 - The communications satellite 121 may communicate via a service beam 125-a directed towards a service beam coverage area 126-a that includes the satellite terminal 150 … The service beam coverage area 126-a may cover any suitable service area (e.g., circular, elliptical, hexagonal, local, regional, national, etc.) and provide service to any number of satellite terminals 150 located in the service beam coverage area 126-a);
and send a positioning signal to a second area by using a second beam, wherein the positioning signal is used by a terminal device in the second area for positioning measurement (¶0027 - In some examples the communications satellite 121 may be a multi-beam satellite and may have multiple service beams, including service beam 125-a, covering multiple beam coverage areas, including service beam coverage area 126-a, which may or may not overlap with adjacent beam coverage areas. ¶0048 - In various examples the first service beam coverage area 126-a can be associated with a first service beam 125, and the second service beam coverage area 126-b can be associated with a second service beam 125, where the first service beam 125 and the second service beam 125 may be associated with the same communications satellite 121 … Each of the satellite terminals 150 may be configured to receive positioning signals 115, and in various examples the installation positions determined based on the received positioning signals 115 for each satellite terminal 150 may be associated with a geographic area for each of the respective satellite terminals 150).
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.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The 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 non-obviousness.
Claims 2-3 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buer, and further in view of Rothaar et al. (US 2021/0384968), Rothaar hereinafter.
Re. Claims 2 and 16, Buer teaches Claims 1 and 15.
Yet, Buer does not explicitly teach the second beam is generated after a related parameter of the first beam changes, and the related parameter of the first beam comprises one or more of the following parameters: a steering angle, a frequency, a power, a beam shape, a beam quantity, or an antenna gain/ the second beam is generated after a related parameter of the first beam changes, and the related parameter of the first beam comprises one or more of the following parameters: a steering angle, a frequency, a power, a beam shape, a beam quantity, or an antenna gain.
However, in the analogous art, Rothaar explicitly teaches the second beam is generated after a related parameter of the first beam changes, and the related parameter of the first beam comprises one or more of the following parameters: a steering angle, a frequency, a power, a beam shape, a beam quantity, or an antenna gain/ the second beam is generated after a related parameter of the first beam changes, and the related parameter of the first beam comprises one or more of the following parameters: a steering angle, a frequency, a power, a beam shape, a beam quantity, or an antenna gain (Fig. 2, 5 & ¶0031 - Referring to FIG. 2, the process begins by processing logic controlling an electronically steered flat-panel antenna to generate a single receive beam pointing to and tracking a first satellite using a first set of RF radiating antenna elements … ¶0032 - While tracking the first satellite, processing logic makes a determination to switch the antenna into a two-receive beam configuration in which the antenna is generating first and second receive beams simultaneously (processing block 202) … this determination to switch the antenna into a two-beam configuration is made when the antenna is leaving the field of view of the first satellite and needs to find a second satellite for continuing communications. ¶0034 - In one embodiment, the first and second beams point at carriers that are at different frequencies. In one embodiment, the first and second beams have different antenna gains, wherein gain for the second beam is lower than the gain for the first beam).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Rothaar to the teaching of Buer. The motivation would be because the embodiments of the present invention relate to generating multiple beams simultaneously with a single satellite antenna to facilitate handing off communication between two satellites (¶0002, Rothaar).
Re. Claim 3, Buer and Rothaar teach Claim 2.
Buer further teaches the beam hopping method further comprises: sending, by the first satellite, the communication signal to the first area in a first time duration of a broadcast signal periodicity by using the first beam; (Fig. 3-5 & ¶0058 - The entry timing signal(s) 430 may be transmitted on a forward link carrier, which may be a carrier configured to indicate timing windows (e.g., contention slots) available for satellite terminals to transmit network entry signals to attempt a communications link establishment via the communications satellite 121-a);
and sending, by the first satellite, the positioning signal to the second area in a second time duration of the broadcast signal periodicity by using the second beam, (¶0048 - In various examples the first service beam coverage area 126-a can be associated with a first service beam 125, and the second service beam coverage area 126-b can be associated with a second service beam 125, where the first service beam 125 and the second service beam 125 may be associated with the same communications satellite 121 … Each of the satellite terminals 150 may be configured to receive positioning signals 115, and in various examples the installation positions determined based on the received positioning signals 115 for each satellite terminal 150 may be associated with a geographic area for each of the respective satellite terminals 150. Fig. 3B & ¶0054 - Satellite terminal 150-f may be configured to receive positioning signals 115, from which the first installation position 355 and the second installation position 360 may each be determined).
wherein the first time duration and the second time duration do not overlap (¶0071 - As illustrated by FIGS. 4A and 4B, the contention slots for various satellite terminals 150 may be different, and non-overlapping … In other examples, contention slots for various satellite terminals 150 of a satellite communications system may have the same or different durations, may have the same or different boundaries, and may be … separated by some amount of time (e.g., separated by a guard band).
Re. Claim 17, Buer and Rothaar teach Claim 16.
Buer further teaches the one or more memories store the programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to: send the communication signal to the first area in a first time duration of a broadcast signal periodicity by using the first beam; (Fig. 3-5 & ¶0058 - The entry timing signal(s) 430 may be transmitted on a forward link carrier, which may be a carrier configured to indicate timing windows (e.g., contention slots) available for satellite terminals to transmit network entry signals to attempt a communications link establishment via the communications satellite 121-a);
and send the positioning signal to the second area in a second time duration of the broadcast signal periodicity by using the second beam, (¶0048 - In various examples the first service beam coverage area 126-a can be associated with a first service beam 125, and the second service beam coverage area 126-b can be associated with a second service beam 125, where the first service beam 125 and the second service beam 125 may be associated with the same communications satellite 121 … Each of the satellite terminals 150 may be configured to receive positioning signals 115, and in various examples the installation positions determined based on the received positioning signals 115 for each satellite terminal 150 may be associated with a geographic area for each of the respective satellite terminals 150. Fig. 3B & ¶0054 - Satellite terminal 150-f may be configured to receive positioning signals 115, from which the first installation position 355 and the second installation position 360 may each be determined).
wherein the first time duration and the second time duration do not overlap (¶0071 - As illustrated by FIGS. 4A and 4B, the contention slots for various satellite terminals 150 may be different, and non-overlapping … In other examples, contention slots for various satellite terminals 150 of a satellite communications system may have the same or different durations, may have the same or different boundaries, and may be … separated by some amount of time (e.g., separated by a guard band).
Claims 4-5 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buer and Rothaar, and further in view of Shrestha et al. (US 2024/0179099), Shrestha hereinafter.
Re. Claim 4, Buer and Rothaar teach Claim 3.
Yet, Buer and Rothaar do not explicitly teach the beam hopping method further comprises: obtaining, by the first satellite, first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates a length of the first time duration and a length of the second time duration; and adjusting, by the first satellite, the length of the first time duration and the length of the second time duration in the broadcast signal periodicity based on the first indication information.
However, in the analogous art, Shrestha explicitly teaches the beam hopping method further comprises: obtaining, by the first satellite, first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates a length of the first time duration and a length of the second time duration; and adjusting, by the first satellite, the length of the first time duration and the length of the second time duration in the broadcast signal periodicity based on the first indication information (Fig. 2, 4-5 & ¶0081 - As the RTD can be variable due to movement of satellite and/or UE, the gateway may broadcast information about RTD variation to be used for the subsequent uplink transmissions. In some cases, the gateway may broadcast the RTD variation between the gateway and satellite. Additionally, the gateway may, in some cases, broadcast the RTD variation between the satellite and the UE (e.g., considering beam center as the reception point) … In some cases, the RTD variation may be signaled with different periodicity than RTD (e.g., more frequently than RTD itself). ¶0087 - In other cases, a same or different modification periodicity (p) may be defined (e.g., hard coded or provided in SIB) for the update of RTD and RTD variation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Shrestha to the teachings of Buer and Rothaar. The motivation would be because the invention describes methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications in which UEs may communicate with satellites and base stations or gateways in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) (Abstract, Shrestha).
Re. Claims 5 and 19, Buer, Rothaar and Ref teach Claims 4 and 18.
Yet, Buer and Rothaar do not explicitly teach the first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a radio resource control (RRC) message, a system information block (SIB) message, or a media access control layer control element (MAC CE) message.
However, in the analogous art, Shrestha explicitly teaches the first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a radio resource control (RRC) message, a system information block (SIB) message, or a media access control layer control element (MAC CE) message (Fig. 2, 4-5 & ¶0084 - In some cases, the configuration information may be provided in a system information broadcast (e.g., in a system information block (SIB) such as a SIB1 broadcast or in a NTN-specific SIB) … In further cases, the configuration may be provided to the UE in UE-specific signaling (e.g., in RRC signaling, in a MAC-CE, etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Shrestha to the teachings of Buer and Rothaar. The motivation would be because the invention describes methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications in which UEs may communicate with satellites and base stations or gateways in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) (Abstract, Shrestha).
Re. Claim 18, Buer and Rothaar teach Claim 17.
Yet, Buer and Rothaar do not explicitly teach the one or more memories store the programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to: obtain first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates a length of the first time duration and a length of the second time duration; and adjust the length of the first time duration and the length of the second time duration in the broadcast signal periodicity based on the first indication information.
However, in the analogous art, Shrestha explicitly teaches the one or more memories store the programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to: obtain first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates a length of the first time duration and a length of the second time duration; and adjust the length of the first time duration and the length of the second time duration in the broadcast signal periodicity based on the first indication information (Fig. 2, 4-5 & ¶0081 - As the RTD can be variable due to movement of satellite and/or UE, the gateway may broadcast information about RTD variation to be used for the subsequent uplink transmissions. In some cases, the gateway may broadcast the RTD variation between the gateway and satellite. Additionally, the gateway may, in some cases, broadcast the RTD variation between the satellite and the UE (e.g., considering beam center as the reception point) … In some cases, the RTD variation may be signaled with different periodicity than RTD (e.g., more frequently than RTD itself). ¶0087 - In other cases, a same or different modification periodicity (p) may be defined (e.g., hard coded or provided in SIB) for the update of RTD and RTD variation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Shrestha to the teachings of Buer and Rothaar. The motivation would be because the invention describes methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications in which UEs may communicate with satellites and base stations or gateways in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) (Abstract, Shrestha).
Claims 6-7 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buer, and further in view of Edge (US 2022/0046424), Edge hereinafter.
Re. Claims 6 and 20, Buer teaches Claims 1 and 15.
Yet, Buer does not explicitly teach the positioning measurement comprises measuring one or more of the following measurement values: a time of arrival (ToA), a frequency of arrival (FoA), or an angle of arrival (AoA)/measuring one or more of the following measurement values: a time of arrival (ToA), a frequency of arrival (FoA), or an angle of arrival (AoA).
However, in the analogous art, Edge explicitly teaches the positioning measurement comprises measuring one or more of the following measurement values: a time of arrival (ToA), a frequency of arrival (FoA), or an angle of arrival (AoA)/measuring one or more of the following measurement values: a time of arrival (ToA), a frequency of arrival (FoA), or an angle of arrival (AoA) (Fig. 6-7, 10 & ¶0058 - The UE 105 may support position determination, e.g., using signals and information from space vehicles 190 in an SPS, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or Beidou or some other local or regional SPS such as IRNSS, EGNOS or WAAS, all of which may be generally referred to herein as GNSS … The UE 105 may further support positioning using terrestrial positioning methods, such as Downlink (DL) Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDOA), … angle of arrival (AOA), angle of departure (ACM), time of arrival (TOA), … and/or other positioning methods).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Edge to the teaching of Buer. The motivation would be because the invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to accessing a wireless network using communication satellites (¶0002, Edge).
Re. Claim 7, Buer teaches Claim 1.
Yet, Buer does not explicitly teach the sending, by the first satellite, a positioning signal to a second area by using a second beam comprises: periodically sending, by the first satellite, the positioning signal to the second area; or sending, by the first satellite, the positioning signal to the second area in a pre-configured manner.
However, in the analogous art, Edge explicitly teaches the sending, by the first satellite, a positioning signal to a second area by using a second beam comprises: periodically sending, by the first satellite, the positioning signal to the second area; (Fig. 6-7, 9-10 & ¶0223 - As illustrated, at block 1602, the UE receives broadcast signaling from a plurality of communications satellites (e.g. SVs 102, 202 or 302) for a plurality of radio cells supported by the plurality of communications satellites, the broadcast signaling for each radio cell in the plurality of radio cells including a positioning identifier (PID), wherein the PID is changed periodically according to a sequence of periodic intervals, wherein the sequence of periodic intervals occur within the lifetime of the each radio cell, e.g., as discussed at stages 2 and 3 of FIG. 9).
or sending, by the first satellite, the positioning signal to the second area in a pre-configured manner (Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features to be mapped because of the presence of “or”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Edge to the teaching of Buer. The motivation would be because the invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to accessing a wireless network using communication satellites (¶0002, Edge).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The Examiner has conducted a search of Patent and Non-Patent Literature and was unable to find any prior art which solely or in combination with another reference teaches the limitation of:
Claim 8 – and before the sending, by the first satellite, a positioning signal to a second area by using a second beam, the beam hopping method further comprises: receiving, by the first satellite, a configuration request sent by the second satellite, wherein the configuration request is used to request the first satellite to assist the second satellite in the positioning measurement; and sending, by the first satellite, the positioning signal to the second area by using the second beam and based on the configuration request.
Claim 9 – depends on Claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Breynaert et al. (US 2020/0044725) – Please see Abstract and Fig. 1-15.
Regunathan et al. (US 2019/0199428) – Please see Abstract and Fig. 1-12.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALYSSA WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)270-7673. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached on (571) 270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALYSSA WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2465B
/AYMAN A ABAZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
Prosecution Insights