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 .
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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
On paragraph [0030] of the published application, the specification states “As shown in Fig. 2B, a mobile IAB node 210b may request trajectory information as shown in indication 210i from the source CU”. However, this appears inconsistent with Fig. 2B, which shows indication 210i as a message from Source CU to Target CU. Based on the figure, the request from a mobile IAB to source CU is more accurately represented by indication 210f or 210h. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUANG et al. (US 2024/0205770) in view of BAKKER et al. (US 2024/0251031).
Regarding claim 12, Huang discloses a non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node device including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
transmitting a trajectory information request to a source node (p. [0074]; the M-IAB may send a request to handover to a parent node (Fig. 8, steps 810, 820) and receives configuration data, thus the request is characterized as an information request, note that the configuration data may be based on trajectory information – p. [0016]-[0017]), wherein the mobile IAB node device is communicatively coupled to the source node (p. [0074]; the m-IAB establishes a backhaul link with a source parent node), wherein a group of communication devices is communicatively coupled to the mobile IAB node device as a mobility group (p. [0014]), wherein the source node configures a conditional handover with a target CU based on the trajectory information request resulting in a conditional handover configuration (p. [0074]; the M-IAB receives configuration data from the source parent node which includes the neighbor parent list for M-IAB device, a set of triggering conditions for preparing for a handover and for performing a handover; note that the source parent node may generate the neighbor parent list based on received trajectory information – p. [0016]-[0017]), wherein the conditional handover is associated with the mobile IAB node device and the mobility group (p. [0074], [0016]-[0017]; the triggering conditions are associated with the M-IAB and implicitly to the UEs served by the IAB); and
receiving a trajectory information from the source node based on the conditional handover configuration (p. [0016]-[0017]; the M-IAB receives neighbor parent list associated with the trajectory from the source parent node).
But, Huang does not particularly disclose wherein the source node is a source centralized unit (CU).
However, Bakker teaches a source centralized unit (CU) in communication with a mobile IAB that provides configuration information (abstract; p. [0016]-[0017], [0072]-[0073]; the source CU may send an RRC reconfiguration message with CHO configuration). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Huang with the teachings of Bakker, since it is well-known in the art that centralized unit CU is an important component of an integrated backhaul networks, , facilitating conditional handover configurations to optimize handover performance.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Huang and Bakker disclose the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, Huang discloses wherein the operations comprise transmitting first trajectory information associated with the mobile IAB node device to the source CU, wherein the source CU configures the conditional handover with the target CU based on the first trajectory information (p. [0016]-[0017]).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Huang and Bakker disclose the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, Huang discloses wherein the operations comprise initiating a handover, based on the conditional handover, with each of communication device in the mobility group (p. [0076]).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Huang and Bakker disclose the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, Huang discloses wherein the operations comprise initiating a group mobility handover associated with the mobile IAB node device from the source CU to the target CU based on the conditional handover (p. [0075]-[0076]).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Huang and Bakker disclose the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, Bakker discloses wherein the group mobility handover comprising handing over each communication device of the mobility group from the source CU to the target CU (p. [0064]; the IAB and served UEs perform a group handover to target donor CU). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Huang with the teachings of Bakker, since such a modification would allow the IAB and UEs to be served by the target CU after performing the handover process.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Huang and Bakker disclose the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, Huang discloses wherein the source CU performs a radio resource reconfiguration with the target CU (p. [0079]).
Claims 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BAKKER et al. (US 2024/0251031) in view of MILDH et al. (US 2023/0292204).
Regarding claim 19, Bakker discloses a method, comprising:
initiating, by a mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node device including a processor, a group mobility handover, based on a conditional handover, with each of communication device in a mobility group (Fig. 1a, steps 102-106; p. [0064]; Mobile IAB node/MT sends a measurement report to the source CU that performs a conditional handover configuration decision, and consequently, sends a group handover request for IAB MT 41 and the UE(s) of the mobile IAB), wherein the mobility group is associated with the mobile IAB node device (p. [0048], [0049], [0064]; the mobile IAB serves a plurality of UE(s) (i.e., mobility group)), wherein the group mobility handover comprises handing over each communication device of the mobility group from a source centralized unit (CU) to a target CU (Fig. 1a; p. [0064]; the group handover request for MT41 and UE(s) of IAB DU is sent from the source donor CU to the target donor CU), and
completing, by the mobile IAB node device, the group mobility handover (Fig. 1c, step 124; p. [0074]).
But, Bakker does not particularly disclose wherein each communication device of the mobility group is communicatively coupled to both the source CU and the target CU for a time period.
However, in an analogous art, Mildh teaches wherein each communication device of the mobility group is communicatively coupled to both the source CU and the target CU for a time period (abstract; Fig. 2; p. [0045]-[0046], [0085], [0191]; a migrating IAB node comprising a migrating DU and migrating mobile termination MT, migrates from the first CU of the first network equipment to the second CU of the network equipment, after migration, the IAB node maintains a radio network layer application protocol connection between the IAB node and the first network radio network equipment, maintaining the radio network layer application connection comprises at least temporarily maintaining a radio network layer application protocol connection between the migrating DU and the first CU of the first radio network equipment). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bakker with the teachings of Mildh, since such a modification would help avoid service interruption to the served UEs during the migration of the mobile IAB node (p. [0005], [0046], [0191]).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Bakker and Mildh disclose the method of claim 19, Bakker discloses wherein the mobile IAB node device is communicatively coupled to the source CU (Fig. 1a. Mobile IAB node communicatively coupled to Source Donor CU), wherein a group of communication devices is communicatively coupled to the mobile IAB node device as the mobility group (p. [0064]; the Mobile IAB comprises a IAB DU which serves a plurality of UE(s) (i.e., mobility group)), wherein the source CU configures the conditional handover with a target CU (p. [0064]; Fig. 1a; the Source Donor CU may perform a conditional handover decision and transmits a handover request to the Target Donor CU), wherein the conditional handover is associated with the mobile IAB node device and the mobility group (p. [0064]; the handover request for all of the MT and the UE(s) may be signaled as a group handover).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUANG et al. in views of BAKKER et al., and MILDH et al.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Huang and Bakker disclose the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, but does not particularly disclose wherein each communication device of the mobility group is communicatively coupled to both the source CU and the target CU for a time period.
However, Mildh teaches wherein each communication device of the mobility group is communicatively coupled to both the source CU and the target CU for a time period (abstract; Fig. 2; p. [0045]-[0046], [0085], [0191]; a migrating IAB node comprising a migrating DU and migrating mobile termination MT, migrates from the first CU of the first network equipment to the second CU of the network equipment, after migration, the IAB node maintains a radio network layer application protocol connection between the IAB node and the first network radio network equipment, maintaining the radio network layer application connection comprises at least temporarily maintaining a radio network layer application protocol connection between the migrating DU and the first CU of the first radio network equipment). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combination of Huang and Bakker with the teachings of Mildh, since such a modification would help avoid service interruption to the served UEs during the migration of the mobile IAB node (p. [0005], [0046], [0191]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claims 1-11 are allowed because the prior art of record, fails to anticipate or render obvious the features of:
A mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node device, comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a group of mobility measurements associated with a communication device, wherein a group of communication devices is communicatively coupled to the mobile IAB node device as a mobility group;
receiving a request from the communication device to join the mobility group;
selecting the communication device to join the mobility group based on the group of mobility measurements; and
transmitting a confirmation message to the communication device, wherein the confirmation message indicates that the mobility group comprises the communication device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARISOL FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-7840. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8:00am-4:30pm.
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/MARISOL FIGUEROA/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2643