sNotice 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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)–(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement submitted on 6/9/24 has been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449 form).
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 7 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Damnjanovic (US 2021/0385708) in view of Yang (US 20050272426)
Regarding claim 1 and 17, Damnjanovic teaches a method for a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving, by a transceiver ([0112] Fig. 15; a transceiver 1508), a pre-configuration of the UE, a pre-configuration message from a base station in a wireless network before a cell switch command is received, wherein the pre- configuration message includes configuration for one or more candidate cells, and wherein the UE is connected with a first cell (Fig. 9, Step 2 where UE receives L1/L2 configuration; [0086] “the UE may be configured (via an RRC reconfiguration message) at step 2 with a set of cells for L1/L2 mobility”; see also Step 702 in Fig. 7 “[0076] at block 702, by a UE receiving signaling configuring the UE with a set of cells that support PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling and with a measurement configuration for the set of cells. For example, the UE may be configured, via RRC signaling, with a set of cells as described in more detail with respect to the examples of FIGS. 10A and 10B. In some examples, the cells of the set of cells may belong to a common timing advance group (TAG).”);
performing layer-1 (L1) measurements for the one or more candidate cells based on the pre-configuration message (“[0076] at block 702, by a UE receiving signaling configuring the UE with a set of cells that support PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling and with a measurement configuration for the set of cells; [0088] “the UE may also receive a measurement configuration for the cells. The UE performs measurements according to the configuration, at step 4”);
sending an L1 measurement report to the base station (Fig. 9 Step 5 UE sending L1/L2 measurement reports [0088] “the UE may also receive a measurement configuration for the cells. The UE performs measurements according to the configuration, at step 4. In some cases, these measurements may be L1/L2 types of measurements. The UE may report these measurements at step 5”; also item 704 in Fig. 7);
receiving the cell switch command carried in a MAC control element (CE) indicating to switch from the first cell to a second cell, wherein the second cell is one of the one or more candidate cells indicated in the pre-configuration message ([0089] Based on the measurement reports, the network (e.g., the MAC layer in the DU) may make a decision to transfer/move (e.g., handover) the UE to a one of the cells in the set using L1/L2 signaling, at step 6. In this case, the network may make a decision to transfer/move (e.g., handover) the UE to a target cell” [0091] the target cell (a newly activated cell) may be prepared for the UE once the L1/L2 mobility command is sent to the UE (at step 6)”).
Damnjanovic does not explicitly teach performing a downlink (DL) synchronization towards the one or more candidate cells and an uplink (UL) time alignment with the one or more candidate cell.
In an analogous art, Yang teaches performing a downlink (DL) synchronization towards the one or more candidate cells ([0017] “in step A, the mobile terminal performs the measurement by receiving and detecting a downlink pilot timeslot of adjacent cells, maintaining the downlink signal synchronization with each candidate handover target base station”) and
an uplink (UL) time alignment with the one or more candidate cell ([0043] “the mobile terminal also maintains open-loop or closed-loop uplink synchronization with the target base station; [0057] When variation .DELTA. is measured, changing of starting time t.sub.u of uplink pilot timeslot (UpPTS) of the mobile terminal can be acquired with requirement of maintaining synchronization, and this new starting time t.sub.u=t.sub.u0+N.times.5 ms-2.DELTA. (including a .DELTA. delayed by downlink pilot timeslot and another .DELTA. delayed by the uplink pilot timeslot which is about to take place), as is shown in FIG. 5B. [0058] Since a TD-SVDMA system is a time division duplex, transmission conditions of uplink and downlink are the same, precision of this open-loop or closed-loop is quite accurate. The above-mentioned measuring procedure will be performed more than once, and variation value .DELTA. used for timing modification will also be updated in time”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Damnjanovic's teaching of handover process to also include Yang's teaching of downlink (DL) synchronization and UL time alignment in order to necessarily coordinate transmissions between devices and avoid interference.
Regarding claim 2 and 18, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teaches a method of claim 1, wherein receiving the pre-configuration message before receiving the cell switch command carried in the MAC CE (Damnjanovic, Fig. 9; step 1 of receiving the RRC Reconfig. Occurs before the cell switch command of step 6).
However, Damnjanovic does not explicitly teach the DL synchronization is performed before receiving the cell switch command. Yang teaches the DL synchronization is performed before receiving the cell switch command (see Fig. 3; Synchronization at step C which occurs before the Switch command at Step (3)). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Damnjanovic's teaching of handover process to also include Yang's teaching pre-synchronization before handover command so that right after the handover, the system can immediately communicate and not have to have additional delay for synchronization.
Regarding claim 4 and 19, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teach method of claim 1, wherein the UL time alignment is performed upon receiving the pre-configuration message and before receiving the cell switch command carried in the MAC CE (Damnjanovic, Fig. 9; step 1 of receiving the RRC Reconfig. Occurs before the cell switch command of step 6; Yang see Fig. 3; Synchronization at step C which occurs before the Switch command at Step (3); [0043] “the mobile terminal also maintains open-loop or closed-loop uplink synchronization with the target base station; [0057] When variation .DELTA. is measured, changing of starting time t.sub.u of uplink pilot timeslot (UpPTS) of the mobile terminal can be acquired with requirement of maintaining synchronization, and this new starting time t.sub.u=t.sub.u0+N.times.5 ms-2.DELTA. (including a .DELTA. delayed by downlink pilot timeslot and another .DELTA. delayed by the uplink pilot timeslot witch is about to take place), as is shown in FIG. 5B”.)
Regarding claim 7, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teach the method of claim 1, wherein the UL time alignment is performed upon detecting one or more conditions being satisfied based on the L1 (PHY layer) measurement (Damnjanovic “[0076] at block 702, by a UE receiving signaling configuring the UE with a set of cells that support PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling and with a measurement configuration for the set of cells; [0088] “the UE may also receive a measurement configuration for the cells. The UE performs measurements according to the configuration, at step 4”);
Claim(s) 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Damnjanovic (US 2021/0385708) in view of Yang (US 20050272426) further in view of Yang (US 20120106460)
Regarding claim 3, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teach the method of claim 1, is performed based on the pre-configuration message (Damnjanovic, Fig. 9; step 1 of receiving the RRC Reconfig.) except for wherein the DL synchronization involves performing finer tracking.
In an analogous art, Yang teaches the DL synchronization involves performing finer tracking ([0066] “the resynchronization for the target DL CC includes the acquisition of a downlink synchronization through a synchronization signal (e.g., SCH). The reconfiguration/resynchronization for the target DL CC may be performed during a predetermined number of subframes in order to ensure user equipment operation (e.g., control of a local oscillator, tracking frequency offsets..”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Damnjanovic's teaching of handover and Yang's teaching of synchronization to also include Yang's teaching of DL synchronization involves performing finer tracking in order to ensure user equipment operation (as taught by Yang [0066]).
Claim(s) 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Damnjanovic (US 2021/0385708) in view of Yang (US 20050272426) further in view of Quan (US 2014/0357275)
Regarding claim 5, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teach the method of claim 1, except wherein the UL time alignment is performed through a random access (RA) procedure towards the second cell.
In an analogous art, Quan teaches the UL time alignment is performed through a random access (RA) procedure towards the second cell ([0215] before the target base station sends the handover command, the UE may be instructed to execute the random access process, so as to achieve uplink synchronization between the UE and the target base station.” [0131] “the UE may also be handed over to the target cell in a random access manner”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Damnjanovic's teaching of handover and Yang's teaching of synchronization to also include Quan's teaching of random access (RA) in order to provide optimal use of network resources and allowing the system to handover large number of users without causing congestion.
Regarding claim 6, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teach the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a command from the wireless network to initiate the UL time alignment with the second cell or with the one or more candidate cells. In an analogous art, Quan receiving a command from the wireless network to initiate the UL time alignment with the second cell or with the one or more candidate cells ([0215] before the target base station sends the handover command, the UE may be instructed to execute the random access process, so as to achieve uplink synchronization between the UE and the target base station.” [0131] “the UE may also be handed over to the target cell in a random access manner”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Damnjanovic's teaching of handover and Yang's teaching of synchronization to also include Quan's teaching of random access (RA) in order to provide optimal use of network resources and allowing the system to handover large number of users without causing congestion.
Claim(s) 8 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Damnjanovic (US 2021/0385708) in view of Yang (US 20050272426) further in view of Park (US 20150049753 A1)
Regarding claim 8 and 20, Damnjanovic in view of Yang teach the method of claim 1, except wherein the UL time alignment is performed without an RA procedure when the UE obtained a timing advance group (TAG) of the second cell and a timing advance timer (TAT) associated with the second cell is running.
In an analogous art, Park teaches the UL time alignment is performed without an RA procedure when the UE obtained a timing advance group (TAG) of the second cell and a timing advance timer (TAT) associated with the second cell is running (“[0130] When adjusting uplink time alignment (or synchronization) for a UE with a plurality of serving cells configured for CA, at least one of the following principles may be applied: [0131] Each TAG may be configured to have different TAT values; [0132] A TAG containing a primary serving cell (PCell) is referred to as a primary TAG (pTAG), and a TAG containing only at least one secondary serving cell (SCell) is referred to as a secondary TAG (sTAG or secTAG); [0133] When the UE firstly adjust a time alignment on a SCell which belongs to a sTAG…The UE may not start a random access procedure on the SCell without the command from the base station even if it is necessary [0136] The UE may select any serving cell among activated serving cells of sTAG and use the selected serving cell as a timing reference cell; [0137] The timing reference cell may be used to adjust time alignment through a random access procedure).”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Damnjanovic's teaching of handover and Yang's teaching of synchronization to also include Park’s teaching of TAT and TAG as they are essential in making sure the UL transmission from the UE is synchronized.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s election without traverse of 1-8 and 17-20 of Invention I in the reply filed on 11/05/2025 is acknowledged.
Conclusion
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/DUNG L LAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2646
/MATTHEW D. ANDERSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2646