DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
This action is in response to communications filed on 2/2/2024.
Claims 1-15 were canceled via preliminary amendment. Claims 16-31 were added via preliminary amendment. Claims 16-31 have been examined and are rejected.
Priority
This application is a 371 of PCT/US2022/039153 and claims provisional priority to 63/249,338 filed 9/28/2021 and 63/228,920 filed 8/3/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/2/2024 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 § 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 of this title, 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 16-17, 20, 24-25, & 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min (US 2024/0121736 A1) in view of Zou et al. (US 2023/0388953 A1) in view of Min (US 2023/0300917 A1), hereinafter referenced as Min’917.
With regard to Claim 16, Min teaches:
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), comprising: a processor configured to:
determine that a trigger condition associated with the path is satisfied; (when the gNB Rx-Tx time difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, the gNB Rx-Tx time difference may be transmitted to the UE with the ReferenceTimeInfo using SIB or DLInformationTransfer which may be interpreted as an indication of implicit propagation delay compensation to the UE, or alternatively the gNB may send an explicit propagation delay compensation indication to the UE [Min: 0111; 0104]);
receive a downlink (DL) RS associated with the path and transmit an uplink (UL) RS associated with the path, wherein the DL RS and the UL RS are associated with the RS pair; (UE receives a DL-RS from the gNB, and UE transmits an UL-RS to the gNB [Min: 0044-46; 0062]);
receive, from a base station, a Rx-Tx time difference value for the path; (the gNB acquires the gNB Rx-Tx time difference using UL-RS and DL-RS, and reports the acquired gNB Rx-Tx time difference to the UE 200 [Min: 0108]);
determine a propagation delay (PD) for the path based on: a timing of the received DL RS, a timing of the transmitted UL RS, and the received Rx-Tx time difference value; (the UE obtains the UE Rx-Tx time difference using the UL-RS and the DL-RS and calculates the propagation delay using the calculated UE Rx-Tx time difference and the received gNB Rx-Tx time difference [Min: 0109; 0082; Fig. 6]);
and based on the determined PD for the path, apply a propagation delay compensation (PDC) to a UL transmission associated with the path, wherein the PDC is based on the determined PD; (UE performs propagation delay compensation based on the calculated propagation delay by adjusting the time information for the NR system or TSN according to the propagation delay amount of the radio section [Min: 0110]).
However, Min does not explicitly teach:
receive configuration information identifying a reference signal (RS) pair associated with a path.
In a similar field of endeavor involving propagation delay compensation, Zou discloses:
receive configuration information identifying a reference signal (RS) pair associated with a path; (the network can configure an RTT-request with one or more pairs of DL and UL references signals to use for RTT measurement that can be linked to one report configuration [Zou: 0042; 0057]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min in view of Zou in order to receive configuration information identifying a reference signal (RS) pair associated with a path in the system of Min.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min with Zou as doing so would allow the UE to perform delay measurements according to the received configuration information.
However, Min-Zou does not teach (where underlining indicates the portion of each limitation not taught):
and based on the determined PD meeting a threshold for the path, apply a propagation delay compensation (PDC) to a UL transmission associated with the path, wherein the PDC is based on the determined PD.
In a similar field of endeavor involving measuring propagation delay using RX-TX time difference, Min’917 discloses:
and based on the determined PD meeting a threshold for the path, apply a propagation delay compensation (PDC) to a UL transmission associated with the path, wherein the PDC is based on the determined PD; (the terminal determines whether the propagation delay time is greater than a predetermined threshold, and if so the terminal performs propagation delay compensation based on the TA command [Min’917: 0066]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min-Zou in view of Min’917 in order to apply a propagation delay compensation (PDC) when the propagation delay time is greater than a predetermined threshold in the system of Min-Zou.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min-Zou with Min’917 as doing so would reduce unnecessary signaling in instances in which the propagation delay is within an acceptable tolerance range.
With regard to Claim 17, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches:
The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the path is associated with at least one of: a bandwidth part (BWP), a carrier, a transmission/reception point (TRP), a cell, a beam, a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state, or a link type; (For Multi-RTT, UE position is estimated based on measurements performed at both UE and TRPs, wherein the measurements performed at the UE and TRPs are UE/gNB Rx−Tx time difference measurements (and optionally DL-PRS-RSRP and UL-SRS-RSRP) of DL-PRS and UL-SRS, which are used by a Location Management Function (LMF) to determine the RTTs [Zou: 0007; 0029]).
With regard to Claim 20, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches:
The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the determined PD meets the threshold for the path based on a PD value being above or below a threshold value; (the terminal determines whether the propagation delay time is greater than a predetermined threshold, and if so the terminal performs propagation delay compensation based on the TA command [Min’917: 0066]).
With regard to Claims 24-25 & 28, they appear substantially similar to the limitations recited by claims 16-17 & 20 and consequently do not appear to teach or further define over the citations provided for said claims. Accordingly, claims 24-25 & 28 are rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claims 16-17 & 20.
Claims 18-19, 21, 23, 26-27, 29, & 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min (US 2024/0121736 A1) in view of Zou et al. (US 2023/0388953 A1) in view of Min (US 2023/0300917 A1) as applied to Claims 16 above, and further in view of Chien (US 2022/0240208 A1).
With regard to Claim 18, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches the WTRU of claim 16, but doe not teach:
wherein the trigger condition is associated with at least one of: a parameter of the path being changed, a PDC validity time expiring, or a PDC failure occurring.
In a similar field of endeavor involving determining propagation delay compensation, Chien discloses:
wherein the trigger condition is associated with at least one of: a parameter of the path being changed, a PDC validity time expiring, or a PDC failure occurring; (the TA value is determined based on the location of the UE, wherein to ensure the previously derived TA value is still valid, the UE may determine the validity of the TA value for propagation delay compensation based on the following conditions given by the gNB: 1) a location of the UE relative to the serving gNB which exceeds a range/threshold; 2) change of a beam from the gNB to the UE which exceeds a range/threshold of the beam direction; 3) received signal strength such as RSRP, RSRQ, or RSRI; 4) a predetermined period of time kept by a PD compensation timer [Chien: 0097-105]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min-Zou-Min’917 in view of Chien in order to utilize a trigger condition associated with at least one of: a parameter of the path being changed, a PDC validity time expiring, or a PDC failure occurring in the system of Min-Zou-Min’917.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min-Zou-Min’917 with Chien as doing so would allow the network to provide specific conditions in which the TA becomes invalid, thereby allowing UE to monitor TA validity by checking the provided conditions and triggering a propagation delay update when the existing TA becomes invalid.
With regard to Claim 19, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches the WTRU of claim 16, but does not teach:
wherein the trigger condition is associated with at least one of: a random access (RA) procedure; a BWP or a subcarrier spacing (SCS) change; a reception of a signal associated with a propagation delay information exchange (PDIE); a UL listen before talk (LBT) failure detection; beam switching; a UL transmission type or UL transmission priority; a location and speed of the WTRU; a cross-layer indication; a request from the WTRU; radio link failure (RLF); or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) ACK feedback.
In a similar field of endeavor involving determining propagation delay compensation, Chien discloses:
wherein the trigger condition is associated with at least one of: a random access (RA) procedure; a BWP or a subcarrier spacing (SCS) change; a reception of a signal associated with a propagation delay information exchange (PDIE); a UL listen before talk (LBT) failure detection; beam switching; a UL transmission type or UL transmission priority; a location and speed of the WTRU; a cross-layer indication; a request from the WTRU; radio link failure (RLF); or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) ACK feedback; (the gNB may provide pre-configured conditions that trigger PD compensation at the UE that may indicate: 1) a range or a threshold value for TA; 2) a subcarrier spacing (SCS) value of the serving cell; 3) a range or a threshold of received signal strength indicative of a long distance from the gNB; 4) a geographic location, such as a GPS location, or a beam direction [Chien: 0087-92]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min-Zou-Min’917 in view of Chien in order to utilize a trigger condition associated with at least one of: a random access (RA) procedure; a BWP or a subcarrier spacing (SCS) change; a reception of a signal associated with a propagation delay information exchange (PDIE); a UL listen before talk (LBT) failure detection; beam switching; a UL transmission type or UL transmission priority; a location and speed of the WTRU; a cross-layer indication; a request from the WTRU; radio link failure (RLF); or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) ACK feedback in the system of Min-Zou-Min’917.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min-Zou-Min’917 with Chien as doing so would allow the gNB to control specific conditions in which propagation delay compensation will be triggered based on known network requirements and acceptable timing error (e.g. a higher subcarrier spacing results in timing errors becoming more impactful, thereby necessitating stricter propagation delay compensation).
With regard to Claim 21, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches the WTRU of claim 16, but does not teach:
wherein the PDC comprises a first PDC value, and the first PDC value is determined to be valid if: a second PDC value is not received or calculated; the WTRU remains connected to a TRP; the WTRU remains stationary; or the WTRU remains within an area.
In a similar field of endeavor involving determining propagation delay compensation, Chien discloses:
wherein the PDC comprises a first PDC value, and the first PDC value is determined to be valid if: a second PDC value is not received or calculated; the WTRU remains connected to a TRP; the WTRU remains stationary; or the WTRU remains within an area; (the TA value is determined based on the location of the UE, wherein to ensure the previously derived TA value is still valid, the UE may determine the validity of the TA value for propagation delay compensation based on the following conditions given by the gNB: 1) a location of the UE relative to the serving gNB which exceeds a range/threshold; 2) change of a beam from the gNB to the UE which exceeds a range/threshold of the beam direction; 3) received signal strength such as RSRP, RSRQ, or RSRI; 4) a predetermined period of time kept by a PD compensation timer [Chien: 0097-105]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min-Zou-Min’917 in view of Chien in order to determine a first PDC value as valid if: a second PDC value is not received or calculated; the WTRU remains connected to a TRP; the WTRU remains stationary; or the WTRU remains within an area in the system of Min-Zou-Min’917.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min-Zou-Min’917 with Chien as doing so would allow the network to provide specific conditions in which the TA becomes invalid, thereby allowing UE to monitor TA validity by checking the provided conditions and triggering a propagation delay update when the existing TA becomes invalid.
With regard to Claim 23, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches the WTRU of claim 16, but does not teach:
wherein the PDC is applied to the UL transmission associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle length or a DRX configuration.
In a similar field of endeavor involving determining propagation delay compensation, Chien discloses:
wherein the PDC is applied to the UL transmission associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle length or a DRX configuration; (to ensure the previously derived TA value is still valid, the UE may determine the validity of the TA value for propagation delay compensation based on: 4) a predetermined period of time kept by a PD compensation timer that comprises a time duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle [Chien: 0097-105]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min-Zou-Min’917 in view of Chien in order to apply the PDC to the UL transmission associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle length or a DRX configuration in the system of Min-Zou-Min’917.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min-Zou-Min’917 with Chien as doing so would allow the propagation delay compensation to remain valid for one DRX cycle, which reflects uncertainty regarding undetected timing changes that can occur when the UE is a sleep phase of DRX (e.g. the UE moving out of TA validity range while asleep).
With regard to Claims 26-27, 29, & 31, they appear substantially similar to the limitations recited by claims 18-19, 21, & 23 and consequently do not appear to teach or further define over the citations provided for said claims. Accordingly, claims 26-27, 29, & 31 are rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claims 18-19, 21, & 23.
Claims 22 & 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min (US 2024/0121736 A1) in view of Zou et al. (US 2023/0388953 A1) in view of Min (US 2023/0300917 A1) as applied to Claims 16 above, and further in view of Cha et al. (US 2022/0174641 A1).
With regard to Claim 22, Min-Zou-Min’917 teaches the WTRU of claim 16, but does not teach:
wherein the processor is further configured to perform measurements on a neighboring cell and measurement reporting as a function of the Rx-Tx time difference value.
In a similar field of endeavor involving determining propagation delay based on reference signals, Cha discloses:
wherein the processor is further configured to perform measurements on a neighboring cell and measurement reporting as a function of the Rx-Tx time difference value; (WTRU may perform measurements on neighboring cells and measurement reporting associated with (e.g., as a function of) the Rx-Tx time difference value, wherein the Rx-Tx time value-based trigger may be associated with the WTRU and serving cell, the WTRU and neighboring cell, or a combination of the two [Cha: 0267]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Min-Zou-Min’917 in view of Cha in order to perform measurements on a neighboring cell and measurement reporting as a function of the Rx-Tx time difference value in the system of Min-Zou-Min’917.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Min-Zou-Min’917 with Cha as doing so would allow propagation delay to be measured on each link in a multi-cell environment, thereby enabling multi-path propagation delay compensation.
With regard to Claim 30, it appears substantially similar to the limitations recited by claim 22 and consequently does not appear to teach or further define over the citations provided for said claim. Accordingly, claim 30 is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 22.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Yang et al. (US 2023/0276421 A1) which teaches if the UE determines that an Rx-Tx time difference or a downlink pathloss change exceeds a predefined threshold, the UE can transmit the Rx-Tx time difference to the base station, wherein the base station may determine whether the time difference information exceeds a predefined threshold, and that a propagation delay compensation may be needed [0087].
In the case of amendments, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and support, for ascertaining the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AUSTIN J MOREAU whose telephone number is (571) 272-5179. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 - 6:00 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Gillis can be reached on 571-272-7952. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AUSTIN J MOREAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2446