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 .
This office action is a response to an application filed on 07/14/2026 in which claims 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, 24-29 and 31-36 are pending. Claims 2, 6-7, 9, 13-23 and 30 were canceled.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/26/2026 has been considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
Response to Amendments
Applicant’s Arguments/Remarks filed on 07/14/2026 with respect to amended independent claim 1 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The claims have not overcome the claim rejections as shown below.
Claims 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, 24-29 and 31-36 are pending.
Claims 2, 6-7, 9, 13-23 and 30 were canceled.
Response to Arguments
Regarding amended independent claim 1, Applicant argues that the prior arts Rune and Park “fail at least to teach: (1) the UE receiving (the network transmitting) a system information comprising a list of NTN configurations on a serving cell, wherein each NTN configuration in the list of NTN configurations is associated with an ID, (2) the UE receiving (the network transmitting) an RRC reconfiguration message indicating a target cell and a first ID associated with a first NTN configuration, and (3) the first NTN configuration is one NTN configuration from the list of NTN configurations associated with the first ID”.
Based on Applicant’s amendments to the claim, further consideration was conducted resulting in the new ground of rejection presented below.
Therefore, the amended independent claim 1 is rendered unpatentable. Independent claims 8 and 25 recite similar distinguishing features as claim 1, thus are also rendered unpatentable. As a result the features of the claims are shown by the cited references as set forth below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 8, 10-12, 24-29 and 31-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. (2023/0328598), hereinafter “Li”.
As to claim 1, Li teaches a method for a User Equipment (UE) (Li, Fig. 6, [0066], a method performed by a terminal device and a network device), comprising:
receiving, on a serving cell, a system information comprising a list of Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) configurations, wherein each NTN configuration in the list of NTN configurations is associated with an Identity (ID) (Li, [0089]-[0090], the network device configures, via a second signaling, a terminal device with a NTN configuration information list. [0091], the list includes identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells);
receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message (Li, Fig. 6, [0067]-[0068], [0073], the terminal device receives a first signaling transmitted by the network device (step S301). The first signaling is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling) indicating a target cell (Li, [0069], “the terminal device determines whether a target cell is an NTN cell according to the first signaling”, [0070], “the first signaling may include identification information of the target cell, for example, an index of the target cell”) and a first ID associated with a first NTN configuration (Li, [0080]-[0082], [0088], [0091]-[0092], [0097], the first signaling indicates the NTN-related configuration of the target cell, which includes an NTN configuration index of the target cell); and
applying the first NTN configuration for the target cell (Li, [0106]-[0109], the terminal device determines and applies time domain compensation amount and frequency domain compensation amount for initiating random access to the target cell based on the NTN configuration information of the target cell), wherein the first NTN configuration is one NTN configuration from the list of NTN configurations associated with the first ID (Li, [0088]-[0091], [0105], the NTN configuration index indicates a set of NTN configuration information in the NTN configuration information list).
As to claim 3, Li teaches further comprising performing Uplink (UL) synchronization and/or TA pre-compensation for the target cell using the first NTN configuration (Li, [0059], [0084], [0128], the NTN configuration information includes common Timing Advance (TA) information of the target cell to ensure time synchronization. [0106]-[0109], the NTN configuration information (TA information) is used to determine a time domain compensation amount to initiate access to the target cell).
As to claim 4, Li teaches further comprising performing a handover to the target cell in response to receiving the RRC reconfiguration message (Li, [0072], “the first signaling may be a handover command, which is used for cell handover, and the target cell may be a target cell the terminal device is to be handed over to”, [0073], the first signaling is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling).
As to claim 5, Li teaches further comprising applying the first NTN configuration for the target cell in response to performing the handover to the target cell (Li, [0072], [0106]-[0109], the terminal device determines and applies a time domain compensation amount and a frequency domain compensation amount for initiating random access to the target cell based on the NTN configuration information of the target cell when performing a handover to the target cell).
As to claim 8, Li teaches a User Equipment (UE) (Li, Fig. 6, [0066], a method performed by a terminal device and a network device), comprising:
a memory (Li, Fig. 9, [0163], the terminal device includes a memory); and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute program code to (Li, Fig. 9, [0158], [0163], the terminal device includes a processor that executes the program stored in the memory to perform the functions of the terminal device):
receive, on a serving cell, a system information comprising a list of Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) configurations, wherein each NTN configuration in the list of NTN configurations is associated with an Identity (ID) (Li, [0089]-[0090], the network device configures, via a second signaling, a terminal device with a NTN configuration information list. [0091], the list includes identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells);
receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message (Li, Fig. 6, [0067]-[0068], [0073], the terminal device receives a first signaling transmitted by the network device (step S301). The first signaling is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling) indicating a target cell (Li, [0069], “the terminal device determines whether a target cell is an NTN cell according to the first signaling”, [0070], “the first signaling may include identification information of the target cell, for example, an index of the target cell”) and a first ID associated with a first NTN configuration (Li, [0080]-[0082], [0088], [0091]-[0092], [0097], the first signaling indicates the NTN-related configuration of the target cell, which includes an NTN configuration index of the target cell); and
apply the first NTN configuration for the target cell (Li, [0106]-[0109], the terminal device determines and applies time domain compensation amount and frequency domain compensation amount for initiating random access to the target cell based on the NTN configuration information of the target cell), wherein the first NTN configuration is one NTN configuration from the list of NTN configurations associated with the first ID (Li, [0088]-[0091], [0105], the NTN configuration index indicates a set of NTN configuration information in the NTN configuration information list).
As to claim 10, Li teaches wherein the processor is further configured to execute program code to perform Uplink (UL) synchronization and/or TA pre-compensation for the target cell using the first NTN configuration (Li, [0059], [0084], [0128], the NTN configuration information includes common Timing Advance (TA) information of the target cell to ensure time synchronization. [0106]-[0109], the NTN configuration information (TA information) is used to determine a time domain compensation amount to initiate access to the target cell).
As to claim 11, Li teaches wherein the processor is further configured to execute program code to perform a handover to the target cell in response to receiving the RRC reconfiguration message (Li, [0072], “the first signaling may be a handover command, which is used for cell handover, and the target cell may be a target cell the terminal device is to be handed over to”, [0073], the first signaling is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling).
As to claim 12, Li teaches wherein the processor is further configured to execute program code to apply the first NTN configuration for the target cell in response to performing the handover to the target cell (Li, [0072], [0106]-[0109], the terminal device determines and applies a time domain compensation amount and a frequency domain compensation amount for initiating random access to the target cell based on the NTN configuration information of the target cell when performing a handover to the target cell).
As to claim 24, Li teaches wherein the processor is further configured to execute program code to apply the first NTN configuration (Li, [0106]-[0109], the terminal device determines and applies time domain compensation amount and frequency domain compensation amount for initiating random access to the target cell based on the NTN configuration information of the target cell) received in the system information for the target cell (Li, [0089]-[0090], the network device configures, via a second signaling, a terminal device with a NTN configuration information list. [0091], the list includes identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells).
As to claim 25, Li teaches a method for a network (Li, Fig. 6, [0066], a method performed by a terminal device and a network device), comprising:
transmitting, on a serving cell, a system information comprising a list of Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) configurations, wherein each NTN configuration in the list of NTN configurations is associated with an Identity (ID) (Li, [0089]-[0090], the network device configures, via a second signaling, a terminal device with a NTN configuration information list. [0091], the list includes identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells);
transmitting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message (Li, Fig. 6, [0067]-[0068], [0073], the terminal device receives a first signaling transmitted by the network device (step S301). The first signaling is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling) indicating a target cell (Li, [0069], “the terminal device determines whether a target cell is an NTN cell according to the first signaling”, [0070], “the first signaling may include identification information of the target cell, for example, an index of the target cell”) and a first ID associated with a first NTN configuration (Li, [0080]-[0082], [0088], [0091]-[0092], [0097], the first signaling indicates the NTN-related configuration of the target cell, which includes an NTN configuration index of the target cell), wherein the first NTN configuration is one NTN configuration from the list of NTN configurations associated with the first ID (Li, [0088]-[0091], [0105], the NTN configuration index indicates a set of NTN configuration information in the NTN configuration information list).
As to claim 26, Li teaches wherein the RRC reconfiguration message does not include any NTN configuration for the target cell (Li, Fig. 6, [0067], “a network device transmits first signaling to a terminal device”, [0073], “the first signaling may be Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling”, [0080], the first signaling indicates whether the target cell is an NTN cell according to whether the first signaling includes a NTN-related configuration of the target cell. [0093], “the first signaling including no NTN configuration information of the target cell indicates that the target cell is not an NTN cell”)
As to claim 27, Li teaches wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is a handover command to the target cell (Li, [0072], “the first signaling may be a handover command, which is used for cell handover, and the target cell may be a target cell the terminal device is to be handed over to”, [0073], the first signaling is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling).
As to claim 28, Li teaches wherein the first NTN configuration comprises at least one of validity duration, ephemeris data, or common Timing Advance (TA) parameters (Li, [0084]-[0086], the NTN configuration information of the target cell includes ephemeris information of a satellite associated with the target cell; [0086] common Timing Advance (TA) information of the target cell, etc.).
As to claim 29, Li teaches wherein the first NTN configuration is mandatory in case the target cell is an NTN cell (Li, [0092], “the first signaling including the NTN configuration information of the target cell indicates that the target cell is an NTN cell”).
As to claim 31, Li teaches wherein the RRC reconfiguration message does not comprise the first NTN configuration (Li, Fig. 6, [0067], “a network device transmits first signaling to a terminal device”, [0073], “the first signaling may be Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling”, [0093], “the first signaling including no NTN configuration information of the target cell indicates that the target cell is not an NTN cell”. Li, [0089]-[0090], the NTN configuration information is included in the second signaling, not in the first signaling (RRC reconfiguration signaling)).
As to claim 32, Li teaches wherein the list of NTN configurations comprises a list of IDs (Li, [0088]-[0091], “the NTN configuration information list may include identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells”).
As to claim 33, Li teaches wherein the list of IDs comprises the first ID (Li, [0088]-[0091], “the NTN configuration index of the target cell may be identification information of the target cell in the broadcast message…the NTN configuration information list may include identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells”).
As to claim 34, Li teaches wherein the RRC reconfiguration message does not comprise the first NTN configuration (Li, Fig. 6, [0067], “a network device transmits first signaling to a terminal device”, [0073], “the first signaling may be Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling”, [0093], “the first signaling including no NTN configuration information of the target cell indicates that the target cell is not an NTN cell”. Li, [0089]-[0090], the NTN configuration information is included in the second signaling, not in the first signaling (RRC reconfiguration signaling)).
As to claim 35, Li teaches wherein the list of NTN configurations comprises a list of IDs (Li, [0088]-[0091], “the NTN configuration information list may include identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells”).
As to claim 36, Li teaches wherein the list of IDs comprises the first ID (Li, [0088]-[0091], “the NTN configuration index of the target cell may be identification information of the target cell in the broadcast message…the NTN configuration information list may include identification information of the NTN cells and NTN configuration information corresponding to the NTN cells”).
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 RICARDO H CASTANEYRA whose telephone number is (571)272-2486. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am - 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang bin Yao can be reached at 571-272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICARDO H CASTANEYRA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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