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 in response to Applicant’s preliminary amendment filed on 2/1/2024.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (US 2024/0039587 A1; hereafter LIU).
With respect to claim 1, LIU discloses an apparatus (120 in FIG. 1; 202 in FIG. 2; 301 in FIG. 3; 504 in FIG. 5) comprising
at least one processor (1704 in FIG. 17), and at least one memory (1706 in FIG. 17) including computer program code (paragraph [0650]),
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) of a wireless communication network, an indication for transmitting a random-access preamble (512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524 in FIG. 5) to a second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) of the wireless communication network after a beam switch (512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524 in FIG. 5) from a source beam (Beam0 in FIG. 11) of the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) to a target beam (Beam1 in FIG. 11) of the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7); and
transmit the random-access preamble (512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524 in FIG. 5) to the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) after the beam switch (512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524 in FIG. 5).
With respect to claim 2, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the indication received from the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) indicates to wait for a message from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) before transmitting the random-access preamble to the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7);
wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive the message from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7), wherein the random-access preamble (paragraph [0099]. , [0121]) is transmitted to the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) in response to the reception of the message from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 3, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the message refers to a physical downlink control channel order (paragraph [0099]).
With respect to claim 4, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive, from the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7), a transmission configuration indicator state switch command comprising a request for switching to a transmission configuration indicator state (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) associated with the target beam of the second transmission and reception point;
wherein the indication for transmitting the random-access preamble to the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) is comprised in or received together with the transmission configuration indicator state switch command (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) received from the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7); and
perform the beam switch based on the transmission configuration indicator state switch command by switching to the transmission configuration indicator state (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) associated with the target beam of the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 5, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the indication for transmitting the random-access preamble to the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) is indicated by a control resource set identifier (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) or a transmission configuration indicator state identifier received from the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 6, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive a timing advance value (paragraph [0076]) from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) in response to the transmission of the random-access preamble; and
transmit data to the second transmission and reception point based at least partly on the timing advance value (paragraph [0076]) received from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 7, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the timing advance value is comprised in a timing advance command (paragraph [0076]) or in a random-access response (paragraph [0099]) received from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 8, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) and the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) are located at different physical positions.
With respect to claim 9, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) and the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) are associated with a first cell (Cell0 in FIG. 4) of the wireless communication network.
With respect to claim 10, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) is associated with a first cell of the wireless communication network (210 in FIG. 2), and the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) is associated with a second cell (230 in FIG. 2) of the wireless communication network.
With respect to claim 11, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) comprises a first remote radio head (paragraph [0649]) of the wireless communication network, and the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) comprises a second remote radio head (paragraph [0649]) of the wireless communication network.
With respect to claim 12, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to any preceding claim 1, wherein the apparatus is comprised in a terminal device (120 in FIG. 1; 202 in FIG. 2; 301 in FIG. 3; 504 in FIG. 5).
With respect to claim 13, LIU discloses an apparatus (300 in FIG. 3; 500 in FIG. 5; comprising at least one processor (1704 in FIG. 17), and
at least one memory (1706 in FIG. 17) including computer program code (paragraph [0650]), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to a terminal device (120 in FIG. 1; 202 in FIG. 2; 301 in FIG. 3; 504 in FIG. 5), via a first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7), an indication for transmitting a random-access preamble (512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524 in FIG. 5) to a second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) after a beam switch from a source beam of the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) to a target beam of the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7); and
receive the random-access preamble (512, 514, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524 in FIG. 5) from the terminal device via the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 14, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the indication transmitted to the terminal device indicates to wait for a message from the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) before transmitting the random-access preamble to the second transmission and reception point; wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
transmit the message to the terminal device via the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7), wherein the random-access preamble (paragraph [0099]) is received from the terminal device in response to the transmission of the message (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) via the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 15, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the message refers to a physical downlink control channel order (paragraph [0099]).
With respect to claim 16, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
transmit, to the terminal device, via the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7), a transmission configuration indicator state switch command comprising a request for switching to a transmission configuration indicator state associated (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) with the target beam of the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7);
wherein the indication for transmitting the random-access preamble (paragraph [0099]. , [0121]) to the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) is comprised in or transmitted together with the transmission configuration indicator state switch command (paragraph [0194] and [0412]) transmitted via the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 17, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the indication for transmitting the random-access preamble is indicated by a control resource set identifier or a transmission configuration indicator state identifier (paragraph [0194] and [0412]).
With respect to claim 18, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine a timing advance value (paragraph [0076]) based at least partly on the random-access preamble received from the terminal device; and transmit the timing advance value to the terminal device (paragraph [0076]) via the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7).
With respect to claim 19, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the timing advance value is transmitted in a timing advance command (paragraph [0076]) or in a random-access response (paragraph [0099] , [0121]).
With respect to claim 20, LIU further discloses an apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first transmission and reception point (TRP0 in FIG. 3; TRP0 in FIG. 5; TRP0 in FIG. 7) and the second transmission and reception point (TRP1 in FIG. 3; TRP1 in FIG. 5; TRP1 in FIG. 7) are located at different physical positions (CELL0 in FIG. 4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian T O'Connor whose telephone number is (571)270-1081. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri Flex 10am-6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Mui can be reached at 571-270-1420. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN T O CONNOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465 January 8, 2026