DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
This office action is in response to communication(s) filed on 04/14/2026.
Claims 3-5 have been amended.
Claims 3-5 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 04/14/2026 have been fully considered but are moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection caused by the amendments.
In regard to applicant’s remarks 04/14/2026 (i.e. on pg. 2-3), regarding the rejection made under 35 U.S.C. §103 with regards to claim 3, applicant asserts that
In rejecting "if the UE detects a Radio Link failure (RLF) and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration, set time information in a RLF report to a time that has elapsed between reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF," as was recited in unamended claim 3, as previously presented, the Office Action asserts:
Regarding Claim 3, Xie teaches [ ... ]
if the UE detects a Radio Link failure (RLF) and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration (Xie discloses a reporting method upon detection of a radio link failure, Page 3, Paragraphs 105-106, radio link failure [RLF] report, as well as a stored conditional handover configuration in Page 1, Paragraph 3, conditional handover; Pages 2-3, Paragraphs 70-91, terminal, information of a connection failure or a secondary cell addition failure; Fig. 2, element 4, conditional handover command sent from serving cell to terminal) set time information in a RLF report to a time that has elapsed between reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF (Page 3, Paragraphs 92-104, information of the failure, time difference, reception of the conditional handover configuration by the terminal and failure detection). See pages 2 and 3 of the Office Action.
Applicant respectfully disagrees with the above assertion.
Specifically, amended claim 3 emphasizes that "in a case that the UE detects an RLF and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between a reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF.” That is, the configuration recited in amended claim 3 provides the following example.
In a Conditional Handover (CHO) scheme, the UE might receive a CHO configuration for a candidate cell I at a time Tl, for a candidate cell 2 at a time T2, and for a candidate cell 3 at a time T3, followed by the detection of a Radio Link Failure (RLF) at a time T4.
Accordingly, in this scenario, the feature "a time that has elapsed between reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF" corresponds to the time interval between T3 and T4.
By contrast, the cited paragraph [0095] of Xie and paragraph [0106] of Jiang state:
[0095] a time difference between when the terminal receives a conditional handover configuration or a conditional handover configuration sent by the network device and when the second conditional handover fails;
[0106] In some embodiments, the second handover information includes but is not limited to: a time interval between a time when receiving the preset handover command and a time when the radio link failure occurs.
According to the above, Xie and Jiang merely describe a time difference based on the time of handover failure. However, neither Xie nor Jiang describes a concept of using the "latest" configuration as the starting point for the time measurement.
Therefore, neither Xie nor Jiang teaches, discloses, or suggests, at least, "in a case that the UE detects an RLF and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between a reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF," as recited in amended claim 3.
Furthermore, amended claim 3 also emphasizes that "in a case that the UE has stored therein the conditional handover configuration and detects a failure of a handover procedure corresponding to the conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure."
By contrast, in the cited paragraph [0095] of Xie and paragraph [0106] of Jiang, it is clear that there is no description, in Xie and Jiang, discloses or suggests a time difference based on a start of a handover procedure.
Therefore, neither Xie nor Jiang teaches, discloses, or suggests, at least, "in a case that the UE has stored therein the conditional handover configuration and detects a failure of a handover procedure corresponding to the conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure," as recited in amended claim 3.
Applicant’s arguments are fully considered, however found to be not persuasive for at least the following reasons:
The example provided describing multiple conditional handover configurations received at different time (T1, T2, T3) (Applicant’s remarks, Pages 5-8) is not commensurate with the scope of the claim. The Examiner gives the claim its broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification, thus a single received conditional handover configuration constitutes the latest conditional handover configuration unless a subsequent configuration is received.
In regards to the limitation “include time information in an RLF report”, Xie discloses an information reporting method performed by a terminal device, wherein the terminal may report information of the failure related time differences, such as a conditional handover configuration or a conditional handover configuration sent by the network device and when the second conditional handover fails; or a time difference between when the terminal receives the conditional handover configuration or the conditional handover configuration sent by the network device and when the connection failure occurs, for example (Xie, Page 3, Paragraphs 92-103, information of the failure, time difference, reception of the conditional handover configuration by the terminal and failure detection).
Jiang discloses, in regards to a method of conditional handover of a UE, when determining the target cell that meets the handover condition based on the handover decision parameter corresponding to each target cell, a preset timer is started and a cell handover operation from a current serving cell to the target cell that meets the handover condition is executed. When unsuccessfully executing the cell handover operation, first handover information is recorded in a radio link failure-report, where the first handover information is used for reporting to the base station. An execution failure of the cell handover operation may be interpreted as meaning that the preset timer has expired when the UE has not successfully switched to the target cell, or a radio link failure occurs in the process of handover, and so on. The first handover information includes but is not limited to any one or a combination of two or more: a type of connection failure being a conditional handover failure, a time interval between a time when receiving the preset handover command and a time when unsuccessfully executing the cell handover operation, a time interval between a time when starting the preset timer and a time when unsuccessfully executing the cell handover operation, and cell identity information of the target cell that executes the cell handover operation. When a radio link failure occurs before determining the target cell that meets the handover condition based on the handover decision parameter corresponding to each target cell, second handover information is recorded in the radio link failure-report and used for reporting to the base station. The second handover information may include, for example, a time interval between a time when receiving the preset handover command and a time when the radio link failure occurs (Jiang, Page 4, Paragraphs 102-109, UE enabled to start preset timer, in a case of radio link failure, UE can accurately record handover information of the conditional handover, first handover information, second handover information).
In regards to the limitation, “for in a case that the UE has stored the conditional handover configuration and detects failure of a handover procedure…”, Xie discloses the information reporting method performed by a terminal device wherein the terminal may report failure information related to a conditional handover failure (Xie, Pages 2-3, Paragraphs 70-91 and Paragraphs 92-103, information reporting method, information of the failure related time difference).
Jiang discloses when unsuccessfully executing a cell handover operation, first handover information is recorded in a radio link failure-report, where the first handover information is used for reporting to the base station. An execution failure of the cell handover operation may be interpreted as meaning that the preset timer has expired when the UE has not successfully switched to the target cell, or a radio link failure occurs in the process of handover, and so on. The first handover information includes but is not limited to any one or a combination of two or more: a type of connection failure being a conditional handover failure, a time interval between a time when receiving the preset handover command and a time when unsuccessfully executing the cell handover operation, a time interval between a time when starting the preset timer and a time when unsuccessfully executing the cell handover operation, and cell identity information of the target cell that executes the cell handover operation (Jiang, Page 4, Paragraphs 104-106).
In regards to the limitation, “…sets the time information to a time elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure”, Xie discloses using receipt of the latest conditional handover configuration as the initial timing reference Additionally, the information reporting method of Xie discloses that the UE receives and stores a conditional handover configuration, in an RLF report, elapsed time beginning and subsequently determines elapsed time from receipt of that configuration when reporting a radio link failure or conditional handover failure (Xie, Page 3, Paragraphs 95-96, information of the failure related time difference).
Jiang discloses that once a handover condition is satisfied, a handover procedure Is initiated by starting a preset timer, which defines the start of the handover procedure, and then a handover operation is executed. The handover procedure further includes the UE recording timing information referenced to the start of the preset timer and the handover operation. Jiang further discloses recording timing information referenced to the start of the preset timer and unsuccessful execution of the handover operation, thus demonstrating that the UE records the initiation of the handover procedure as a timing event for failure reporting (Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 102-117)
Applicant’s argument is not persuasive because Xie in view of Jiang teaches the receipt of the conditional handover configuration, the start of the handover procedure, and the reporting of elapsed timing information associated with conditional handover failures. In the absence of any subsequently received conditional handover configuration, the received configuration is necessarily the latest conditional handover configuration available to the UE. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine the elapsed time between receipt of the conditional handover configuration and initiation of the handover procedure as Xie and Jiang utilize these timing events to generate diagnostic information for conditional handover optimizing. Determining the interval between two expressly identified events would have been no more than the predictable use of known timing information to obtain an additional diagnostic metric for the same purpose of improving conditional handover performance.
Therefore, for at least the reasons set forth above, the rejection made under 35 U.S.C. §103 over the prior arts of record, Xie in view of Jiang, with regards to claims 3-5 are remained proper and therefore maintained.
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 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie et al., US 2022 0400415 A1 (hereinafter “Xie”) in view of Jiang, US 2020 0045602 A1 (hereinafter “Jiang”).
Regarding Claim 3, Xie teaches a user equipment (UE) (Page 9, Paragraphs 290-291, Fig. 5, terminal information reporting apparatus 50, transceiver module 51), comprising:
a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor and storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor (Page 9, Paragraph 289, Fig. 4, terminal 40, processor 42, memory 43; Page 12, Paragraph 371), cause the UE to:
include time information in a Radio Link failure (RLF) report (Xie discloses an information reporting method performed by a terminal device, wherein the terminal may report information of the failure related time differences, Page 3, Paragraphs 92-103, information of the failure, time difference, reception of the conditional handover configuration by the terminal and failure detection), wherein:
in a case that the UE detects an RLF and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration (Xie discloses a reporting method upon detection of a radio link failure, Page 3, Paragraphs 105-106, radio link failure [RLF] report, as well as a stored conditional handover configuration in Page 1, Paragraph 3, conditional handover; Pages 2-3, Paragraphs 70-91, terminal, information of a connection failure or a secondary cell addition failure; Fig. 2, element 4, conditional handover command sent from serving cell to terminal), the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between a reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF (Page 3, Paragraphs 92-104, information of the failure, time difference, reception of the conditional handover configuration by the terminal and failure detection), and
in a case that the UE has stored therein the conditional handover configuration and detects a failure of a handover procedure corresponding to the conditional handover configuration (Xie discloses the information reporting method performed by a terminal device wherein the terminal may report failure information related to a conditional handover failure, Pages 2-3, Paragraphs 70-103, information reporting method, information of the failure related time difference), the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure (Xie discloses using receipt of the latest conditional handover configuration as the initial timing reference and that the UE receives and stores a conditional handover configuration in an RLF report, determines elapsed time from receipt of configuration when reporting a radio link failure or conditional handover failure, Page 3, Paragraphs 95-96, information of the failure related time difference).
Xie fails to fully teach the limitation:the UE detects an RLF (Xie does not expressly disclose a method for RLF detection method)
However, Jiang further teaches the limitation:
the UE detects a Radio Link failure (RLF) (Jiang, Page 5, Paragraphs 122-134, Fig. 5, apparatus for cell handover, modules 410-480)
Although Xie addresses the remaining limitations of claim 3, Jiang demonstrates the following limitations of a user equipment (UE) (Jiang, Page 3, Paragraph 76, Fig. 1B, UE 20), comprising:
a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor and storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor (Jiang, Pages 5-6, Paragraphs 135-138, 146, and 149, Fig. 6, apparatus 600, processing component 602, memory 604, communication component 616), cause the UE to:
include time information in a Radio Link failure (RLF) report (Jiang, Pag 4, Paragraphs 102-109, UE enabled to start preset timer, in a case of radio link failure, UE can accurately record handover information of the conditional handover, first handover information, second handover information), wherein:
in a case that the UE detects an RLF and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration, (Jiang, Pages 2-3, Paragraph 63, UE does not execute cell handover immediately when receiving the conditional handover command, only when a target tell meets a handover condition; Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 95-110, Fig. 2-3, conditional handover of the UE), the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between a reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF (Jiang, Page 4, Paragraphs 95-96, Steps 210, preset handover command; Paragraphs 97-109, Steps 220-270, radio link failure detection, information recording in the radio link-failure report), and
in a case that the UE has stored therein the conditional handover configuration and detects a failure of a handover procedure corresponding to the conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure (Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 104-110, execution failure of the cell handover operation interpretation, first handover information ,second handover information, time information, time interval).
Jiang and Xie are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of hand-off or reselection arrangements of wireless communication. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine the elapsed time between receipt of the conditional handover configuration and initiation of the handover procedure as the information reporting method of Xie and the cell handover method of Jiang utilize these timing events to generate diagnostic information for conditional handover optimizing. Determining the interval between two expressly identified events would have been no more than the predictable use of known timing information to obtain an additional diagnostic metric for the same purpose of improving conditional handover performance. Doing so would enable a communication device with an enhanced ability to detect failure in a conditional handover configuration scenario.
Regarding Claim 4, Xie in view of Jiang teaches a reporting method performed by a user equipment (UE) (Xie, Pages 6-7, Paragraphs 213-240, Fig. 1, Steps 11-12, UE reporting method; Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 95-110, Fig. 2-3, conditional handover of the UE, Steps 210-270, Paragraphs 111-117, Steps 310-320), the reporting method comprising:
including time information in a Radio Link failure (RLF) report (Xie, Page 3, Paragraphs 92-103, information of the failure, time difference, reception of the conditional handover configuration by the terminal and failure detection; Jiang, Page 4, Paragraphs 102-109, UE enabled to start preset timer, in a case of radio link failure, UE can accurately record handover information of the conditional handover, first handover information, second handover information), wherein:
in a case that the UE detects an RLF and has stored therein a conditional handover configuration (Xie, Pages 6-7, Paragraphs 214-228, Step 11, reporting, from the UE to a network device, information of a connection failure; Jiang, Paragraphs 95-96, Steps 210, preset handover command), the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between a reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF (Xie, Pages 6-7, Paragraph 215-218, connection failure type, information; Paragraph 219-227, time difference; Page 7, Paragraphs 230-240, Step 12, reporting measurement information of the cell, source cell, target cell, candidate target cell; Page 7, Paragraph 234, radio link failure [RLF] report; Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 95-96, Steps 210, preset handover command; Paragraphs 97-109, Steps 220-270, radio link failure detection, information recording in the radio link-failure report; Paragraphs 105-110, time information, time interval), and
in a case that the UE has stored therein the conditional handover configuration and detects a failure of a handover procedure corresponding to the conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure (Xie, Pages 2-3, Paragraphs 70-103, information reporting method, information of the failure related time difference; Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 104-110, execution failure of the cell handover operation interpretation, first handover information ,second handover information, time information, time interval).
Regarding Claim 5, Xie in view of Jiang teaches a base station apparatus (Xie, Page 3, Paragraph 104, source base station; Jiang, Page 3, Paragraph 76, Fig. 1B, eNB 10), comprising:
a processor; and a memory in communication with the processor and storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the base station to:
transmit a conditional handover configuration to a user equipment (UE) (Xie, Page 10-11, Paragraph 318, Paragraph 343, Fig. 6, network device, processor 62, memory 63; Page 12, Paragraph 371), thereby causing the UE to:
transmit a conditional handover configuration to User Equipment (UE) (Xie, Page 3, Paragraph 104, source base station, target base station to which the terminal is handed over; Page 10, Paragraphs 318, transceiver 61; Jiang, Pages 3-4, Paragraph 62, Fig. 1A, Step 110, handover command transmitted by a base station to UE; Paragraph 95-96, preset handover command transmitted by a base station), thereby causing the UE to:
store the conditional handover configuration (Xie, Page 1, Paragraph 3, conditional handover; Jiang, Page 3, Paragraph 63, UE does not execute cell handover immediately when receiving the conditional handover command, only when a target tell meets a handover condition); and
include time information in a Radio Link Failure (RLF) report (Xie, Page 3, Paragraphs 92-103, information of the failure, time difference, reception of the conditional handover configuration by the terminal and failure detection; Jiang, Page 4, Paragraphs 102-109, UE enabled to start preset timer, in a case of radio link failure, UE can accurately record handover information of the conditional handover, first handover information, second handover information), wherein:
the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between a reception of a latest conditional handover configuration and the detection of the RLF (Xie, Pages 6-7, Paragraphs 213-240, Fig. 1, Steps 11-12; Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 95-110, Fig. 2-3, conditional handover of the UE, Steps 210-270, Paragraphs 111-117, Steps 310-320), and
in a case that the UE detects a failure of a handover procedure corresponding to the conditional handover configuration, the UE sets the time information to a time that has elapsed between the reception of the latest conditional handover configuration and a start of the handover procedure (Xie, Pages 2-3, Paragraphs 70-103, information reporting method, information of the failure related time difference; Jiang, Pages 4-5, Paragraphs 104-110, execution failure of the cell handover operation interpretation, first handover information, second handover information, time information, time interval).
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 GABRIELLE N DAI whose telephone number is (571)272-6693. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thu. 8:30am - 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, AKWASI SARPONG can be reached at (571) 270-3438. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GABRIELLE N DAI/Examiner, Art Unit 2681
/AKWASI M SARPONG/SPE, Art Unit 2681
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