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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection.
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.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AGIWAL et al. (US 2022/0150975 A1; hereinafter "AGIWAL"), in view of Park et al. (US 2020/0351730 A1; hereinafter “Park”).
Regarding claim 1, AGIWAL teaches a cell handover method (FIG. 17), comprising: receiving indication information from a source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703 (e.g., a gNB)), wherein the indication information indicates a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state and cell handover ([0170] In a case of handover, the UE is configured with a list of TCI states for a target cell, [0202] Information (e.g. an indication to skip RACH) in reconfigurationWithSync IE included RRCReconfiguration message indicates that the UE 1701 shall skip RACH towards a target cell 1705);
initiating random access to a target cell according to the indication information ([0174], [0178] the UE performs random access if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable).
However, AGIWAL does not teach receiving first response information from the target cell based on the random access, the first response information being received using a target beam selected based on the indication information.
In an analogous art, Park teaches receiving first response information from the target cell based on the random access, the first response information being received using a target beam selected based on the indication information (FIG. 12; [0282] a UE receives, from a base station, a random access response (Msg2 1230), [0278]-[0280] For the random access procedure, a UE selects at least one of an SS block or a CSI-RS with an RSRP above a threshold, [0281] transmits a random access preamble via a PRACH occasion associated with the selected SS block or the selected CSI-RS, [0282] thereafter monitors the PDCCH of the cell for the random access response identified by the RA-RNTI while the response window is running such that the random access response is transmitted by the base station to the UE via a downlink reception beam corresponding to the previously selected SS block or CSI-RS).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify a random access response as taught by Park within the parameters of AGIWAL. One would have been motivated to do so in order to enable operation of wireless communication systems efficiently through recovery from radio link failure (Park [0035]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the first TCI state indicates a first reference signal ([0169] One DL RS (SSB or CSI-RS) is RRC configured per TCI state. A UE identifies its beam information based on the DL RS in the indicated TCI state); and
the initiating random access to the target cell according to the indication information includes ([0174], [0178] the UE performs random access if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable): initiating the random access to the target cell based on a first random access resource associated with the first reference signal ([0198] In a case of RACH-less handover, for beam alignment, pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s). A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the method (FIG. 17) further comprises: receiving an association relationship between a random access resource and a first reference signal from the source cell ([0198] pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s), [0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703. The RRCReconfiguration message includes a pre-allocated UL grant configuration and information (i.e., SSB ID/CSI-RS ID) about an SSB/CSI-RS(s) associated with the pre-allocated UL grants);
wherein the initiating random access to the target cell according to the indication information includes ([0174], [0178] the UE performs random access if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable): initiating the random access to the target cell based on the indication information by using a first random access resource associated with the first reference signal ([0174] If a RACH-less handover is configured and if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable, the UE performs random access, [0198] A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the using the first random access resource ([0198] the pre-allocated UL grants) includes using a random access preamble ([0161] FIG. 14, in a two-step RACH, a channel structure of the msgA includes a PRACH preamble and a PUSCH carrying a payload 1410 and 1420).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the method (FIG. 17) further comprises:
receiving a configuration of a random access resource of the target cell ([0202] In FIG. 17, UE receiving the RRCReconfiguration message includes a pre-allocated UL grant configuration (parameters indicate periodically occurring UL grants) which contains the configuration for the pre-allocated UL grant to be used in the target cell 1705), wherein the configuration of the random access resource is used to determine the random access resource of the target cell ([0198] pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s). A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS);
wherein the initiating random access to the target cell according to the indication information includes ([0174], [0178] the UE performs random access if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable): initiating the random access to the target cell according to the indication information by using the random access resource ([0174] If a RACH-less handover is configured and if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable, the UE performs random access).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein there is an association relationship between a plurality of reference signals of the target cell and a plurality of random access resources, and the first reference signal is one of the plurality of reference signals ([0198] In FIG. 17 step 1710 and 1720, pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s). A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the receiving the indication information from the source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703 (e.g., a gNB)) includes receiving one or more of the following: an identifier of a random access resource ([0148] In FIG. 12, the UE receives the msgB including the random access preamble identifier (RAPID) in the fallback information matches the random access preamble index of the PRACH preamble transmitted by the UE) or an identifier of the target beam ([0069] beam information (e.g. one or more DL TX beam ID(s))).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the receiving the identifier of the target beam ([0069] DL TX beam ID) includes receiving one or more of the following: an identifier of a TCI state ([0053] One DL RS (SSB or CSI-RS) is RRC configured per TCI state. A UE identifies its beam information based on the DL RS in the indicated TCI state).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the receiving the identifier of the random access resource ([0148] In FIG. 12 step 1230 and 1240) includes receiving a random access preamble ([0089] In FIG. 6A, received by the UE 601 includes a random access preamble identifier (RAPID) corresponding to the PRACH preamble).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the method (FIG. 17) further comprises: receiving configuration information from the source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703),
wherein the configuration information includes a physical layer measurement configuration ([0202] includes information (i.e., SSB ID/CSI-RS ID) about an SSB/CSI-RS(s) associated with the pre-allocated UL grants, [0177] an activated TCI state based on an SSB ID/CSI RS ID of a target cell included in a last measurement report), and the physical layer measurement configuration includes synchronization signal block (SSB) information of a neighboring cell ([0173] The gNB configures the single TCI state based on an SSB ID/CSI RS ID of the target cell included in a last measurement report); and
measuring a SSB of the neighboring cell according to the physical layer measurement configuration ([0203] In FIG. 17, the UE 1701 measures the SS-RSRP/CSI-RSRP of SSB/CSI-RS(s) associated with the pre-allocated UL grants in step 1720); and reporting a SSB measurement result of the neighboring cell to the source cell ([0173] based on an SSB ID/CSI RS ID of the target cell included in a last measurement report, [0185] the UE reports according to the measurement configuration).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the receiving the indication information from the source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703) includes receiving the indication information carried by a medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) ([0169] For PDCCH beam indication, a set of TCI states are RRC configured per CORESET. One TCI state amongst these based on which UE determines the PDCCH beam is indicated by a MAC CE).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein receiving the indication information from the source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703) that indicates the first TCI state ([0169] the indicated TCI state) includes receiving the indication information from the source cell that indicates one or more of the following:
an identifier of a TCI status ([0169] One DL RS (SSB or CSI-RS) is RRC configured per TCI state. A UE identifies its beam information based on the DL RS in the indicated TCI state).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the receiving the indication information from the source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703) includes receiving the indication information used to instruct to activate the first TCI state ([0176] a gNB indicates an activated TCI state (i.e., the gNB signals an activated TCI state ID in a reconfiguration message) amongst a list of TCI states configured for a target cell).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the method (FIG. 17) further comprises:
in response to the first response information returned by the target cell being received, returning second response information to the source cell ([0187] The source gNB issues a Handover Request message to the target gNB, [0197] A handover command optionally provides pre-allocated UL grants for transmitting the RRCReconfigurationComplete and/or UL data),
wherein the second response information indicates that the first TCI state is successfully activated ([0176] a gNB indicates an activated TCI state (i.e., the gNB signals an activated TCI state ID in a reconfiguration message) amongst a list of TCI states configured for a target cell).
Regarding claim 15, AGIWAL teaches a communication apparatus (FIG. 20 the terminal 2000), comprising:
a transceiver (FIG. 20 transceiver 2010), configured to receive indication information from a source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703 (e.g., a gNB)), wherein the indication information indicates to activate a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state and cell handover ([0170] In a case of handover, the UE is configured with a list of TCI states for a target cell, [0202] Information (e.g. an indication to skip RACH) in reconfigurationWithSync IE included RRCReconfiguration message indicates that the UE 1701 shall skip RACH towards a target cell 1705); and
a processor (FIG. 20 a processor 2010), configured to: initiate random access to a target cell according to the indication information ([0174], [0178] the UE performs random access if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable).
However, AGIWAL does not teach wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive first response information from the target cell based on the random access, the first response information being received using a target beam selected based on the indication information.
In an analogous art, Park teaches wherein the transceiver ([0212] a transceiver) is further configured to receive first response information from the target cell based on the random access, the first response information being received using a target beam selected based on the indication information (FIG. 12; [0282] a UE receives, from a base station, a random access response (Msg2 1230), [0278]-[0280] For the random access procedure, a UE selects at least one of an SS block or a CSI-RS with an RSRP above a threshold, [0281] transmits a random access preamble via a PRACH occasion associated with the selected SS block or the selected CSI-RS, [0282] thereafter monitors the PDCCH of the cell for the random access response identified by the RA-RNTI while the response window is running such that the random access response is transmitted by the base station to the UE via a downlink reception beam corresponding to the previously selected SS block or CSI-RS).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify a random access response as taught by Park within the parameters of AGIWAL. One would have been motivated to do so in order to enable operation of wireless communication systems efficiently through recovery from radio link failure (Park [0035]).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the first TCI state indicates a first reference signal ([0169] One DL RS (SSB or CSI-RS) is RRC configured per TCI state. A UE identifies its beam information based on the DL RS in the indicated TCI state); and
the processor (FIG. 20 a processor 2010) is further configured to initiate the random access to the target cell based on a first random access resource associated with the first reference signal ([0198] In a case of RACH-less handover, for beam alignment, pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s). A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the transceiver (FIG. 20 transceiver 2010) is further configured to:
receive an association relationship between a random access resource and a first reference signal from the source cell ([0198] pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s), [0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703. The RRCReconfiguration message includes a pre-allocated UL grant configuration and information (i.e., SSB ID/CSI-RS ID) about an SSB/CSI-RS(s) associated with the pre-allocated UL grants); and
initiate the random access to the target cell based on the indication information by using a first random access resource associated with the first reference signal ([0174] If a RACH-less handover is configured and if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable, the UE performs random access, [0198] A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS).
Regarding claim 18, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein:
the transceiver (FIG. 20 transceiver 2010) is further configured to receive a configuration of a random access resource of the target cell ([0202] In FIG. 17, UE receiving the RRCReconfiguration message includes a pre-allocated UL grant configuration (parameters indicate periodically occurring UL grants) which contains the configuration for the pre-allocated UL grant to be used in the target cell 1705),
wherein the configuration of the random access resource is used to determine the random access resource of the target cell ([0198] pre-allocated UL grants signaled in a handover command may be associated with one or more SSB/CSI RS(s). A UE selects an SSB/CSI RS and then transmit in a UL grant corresponding to the selected SSB/CSI RS); and
the processor (FIG. 20 a processor 2010) is further configured to initiate the random access to the target cell according to the indication information by using the random access resource ([0174] If a RACH-less handover is configured and if an SSB ID/CSI RS ID indicated by a TCI state is not suitable, the UE performs random access).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein the indication information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the target beam ([0069] beam information (e.g. one or more DL TX beam ID(s))).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of AGIWAL and Park, specifically AGIWAL teaches wherein:
the transceiver (FIG. 20 transceiver 2010) is further configured to receive configuration information from the source cell ([0202] a UE 1701 receives an RRCReconfiguration message from a source cell 1703), wherein the configuration information includes a physical layer measurement configuration ([0202] includes information (i.e., SSB ID/CSI-RS ID) about an SSB/CSI-RS(s) associated with the pre-allocated UL grants, [0177] an activated TCI state based on an SSB ID/CSI RS ID of a target cell included in a last measurement report), and
the physical layer measurement configuration includes synchronization signal block (SSB) information of a neighboring cell ([0173] The gNB configures the single TCI state based on an SSB ID/CSI RS ID of the target cell included in a last measurement report); and
the processor (FIG. 20 a processor 2010) is further configured to measure a SSB of the neighboring cell according to the physical layer measurement configuration ([0203] In FIG. 17, the UE 1701 measures the SS-RSRP/CSI-RSRP of SSB/CSI-RS(s) associated with the pre-allocated UL grants in step 1720); and
the transceiver (FIG. 20 transceiver 2010) is further configured to report a SSB measurement result of the neighboring cell to the source cell ([0173] based on an SSB ID/CSI RS ID of the target cell included in a last measurement report, [0185] the UE reports according to the measurement configuration).
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2019/0297547 A1 (Deenoo et al.) discloses a method and apparatus for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring.
US 2021/0360497 A1 (Lu et al.) discloses a cell handover method, a terminal device, and a network device that can implement cell handover.
US 2023/0379769 A1 (RAMACHANDRA et al.) discloses a method of operating a user equipment, UE, according to some embodiments includes receiving a handover.
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 THEODORE IM whose telephone number is (571)270-1955. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM ET.
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/T.I./ Examiner, Art Unit 2413
/UN C CHO/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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