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 .
REMARKS
1. On pages 14-15 of the remark Applicant argued prior art Niu fails to disclose or suggest a UE that includes "one or more processors individually or collectively operable to: receive, from a first network node, access information indicating one or more network nodes and further indicating one or more probability values respectively associated with accessing the one or more network nodes," as recited in claim 1.
In response:
The examiner respectfully disagrees. First examiner notes here that he must give each limitation of its broadest reasonable interpretation. In the claim, Applicant does not further clarify the “probability value”
Prior art Niu at [0120] discloses a primary cell (=a first network node) could broadcast the access factor (or may be referred to as load factor) for the primary cell and/or each assistant cell (=one or more network nodes). [0120] also discloses access factor is determined by the access probability of the primary cell and each assistant cell and a UE select a cell based on the access factor. Since the access factor is determined based on the access probability of a cell and a UE selects a cell based on the access factor, therefore access factor is corresponding to probability value with BRI. If a particular definition of the claim term “provability value” is applied here, then Applicant should define it in the claim and also provide support in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-19, 21-27, 29-40, 42-56 and 59-64 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US 2014/0334310 to Niu et al. (hereinafter Niu)
As to claims 1, 30, 59 and 62, Niu discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, the UE comprising:
one or more memories (Niu; Fig.3); and
one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories (Niu; Fig.3), the one or more processors individually or collectively operable to:
receive, from a first network node, access information indicating one or more network nodes and further indicating one or more probability values respectively associated with accessing the one or more network nodes (Niu; Fig.4: Step 1; [0070]; [0130] discloses the primary cell may broadcast or configure the configuration of the assistant cell in a SIB, for example, in SIB 1, SIB 4, SIB 11, or another SIB format. The primary cell may also broadcast configurations for a list of assistant cells. [0110]-[0112]; [01119]-[0122] discloses the primary cell could broadcast or configure the access factor (or may be referred to as load factor) for the primary cell and/or each assistant cell. The access factor may be determined by the load or access probability of the primary cell or each assistant cell. UE may select primary cell or assistant cell according to the access factor); and
transmit a message to a second network node of the one or more network nodes in accordance with the one or more probability values (Niu; Fig.4; Step 3; discloses the UE may select a cell to complete a subsequent RRC procedure, based on cell selection schemes described in embodiment 3 (i.e., based on measurement result, load information, or traffic type, or uses random selection).
As to claims 2 and 31, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein a first probability value of the one or more probability values associated with the second network node is different than a second probability value of the one or more probability values associated with a third network node of the one or more network nodes (Niu; [0112]-[0126])
As to claims 3 and 32, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein a first probability value of the one or more probability values associated with the second network node is the same as a second probability value of the one or more probability values associated with a third network node of the one or more network nodes (Niu; [0112]-[0126])
As to claims 4 and 33, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to receive, during a system information (SI) modification time period, an indication of a modified set of the one or more probability values (Niu; [0168]-[0169]; [0182]).
As to claims 5 and 34, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
transmit the message during operation of the UE according to a connected mode with the second network node (Niu; Fig.4; Fig.6; Fig.7; [0112]-[0126]); and
maintain the connected mode with the second network node irrespective of receiving additional access information indicating one or more additional probability values (Niu; Fig.4; Fig.6; Fig.7; [0112]-[0126]).
As to claims 6 and 35, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to receive the access information via unicast messaging (Niu; Fig.4: [0086]; discloses of receiving a message by the UE from a primary cell corresponding to unicast message).
As to claims 7 and 36, the rejection of claim 6 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the second network node is a non-anchor node associated with the UE (Niu; Fig.4 shows assistant cell corresponding to non-anchor node)
As to claims 8 and 37, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to receive the access information via broadcast, groupcast, or multicast messaging, and wherein the second network node is an anchor node associated with the UE (Niu; Fig.4; [0070] discloses a UE receiving broadcast message. Here Niu is applied for the 1st alternative)
As to claims 9 and 38, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
initiate a threshold quantity of first random access channel (RACH) procedures with the second network node (Niu; [0174]-[0179]) ; and
in accordance with detecting a RACH failure associated with the threshold quantity of first RACH procedures to the second network node, initiate a second RACH procedure to the first network node or to a third network node of the one or more network nodes (Niu; [0174]-[0179]).
As to claims 10 and 39, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more probability values are associated with a UE type of the UE (Niu; [0112]-[0126])
As to claims 11 and 40, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
receive an indication of a quality of service (QoS) metric associated with at least one of the one or more network nodes (Niu; [0117]-[0118]); and
transmit the message further in accordance with the QoS metric (Niu; [0117]-[0118])
As to claims 12 and 41, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the access information further indicates whether a UE type is eligible to communicate with the second network node, and wherein the UE is associated with the UE type (Niu; [0079]-[0093])
As to claims 13 and 42, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more probability values are associated with one of a set of anchor nodes or a set of non-anchor nodes, and wherein the access information further includes another set of probability values associated with the other of the set of anchor nodes or the set of non-anchor nodes (Niu; Fig.4; [0112]-[0126] discloses a primary cell corresponding to anchor node and assistant cell corresponding to non-anchor cell and also discloses SIB and RRC message includes load information, traffic condition and access probability of the primary cell and assistant cells)
As to claims 14 and 43, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the access information further indicates one or more threshold signal strength values respectively associated with the one or more network nodes, and wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to transmit the message further in accordance with the one or more threshold signal strength values (Niu; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167])
As to claims 15 and 44, the rejection of claim 14 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
receive a random access channel (RACH) configuration associated with the second network node (Niu; [0032]; [0150]; [0174]-[0178]); and
transmit the message further in accordance with the RACH configuration, wherein the RACH configuration is in accordance with a coverage area that is associated with the second network node (Niu; [0032]; [0150]; [0174]-[0178]).
As to claims 16 and 45, the rejection of claim 14 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more probability values are indicated in accordance with the one or more threshold signal strength values (Niu; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167])
As to claims 17 and 46, the rejection of claim 14 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to transmit the message in accordance with a conditional handover (CHO) from the first network node to the second network node and further in accordance with the one or more threshold signal strength values (Niu; [0112]-[0126] discloses a UE that handed over from primary cell to assistant cell when the access probability of the assistant cell is higher than the primary cell corresponding to conditional handover)
As to claims 18 and 47, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
initiate a threshold quantity of first random access channel (RACH) procedures with the first network node (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]) ,
wherein the first network node is an anchor node associated with the UE (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]),
wherein transmitting the message includes initiating a second RACH procedure with the second network node in accordance with detecting a RACH failure associated with the threshold quantity of first RACH procedures (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]), and
wherein the second network node is a non-anchor node associated with the UE (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]).
As to claims 19 and 48, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
after receiving the access information and prior to transmitting the message (Fig.4; [0032]; [0149]-[0150]; [0184]) :
transmit a random access channel (RACH) preamble to the first network node; and receive a RACH message from the first network node indicating a RACH redirection instruction (Fig.4; [0032]; [0149]-[0150]; [0184]); and
transmit the message further in accordance with the RACH redirection instruction (Fig.4; [0032]; [0149]-[0150]; [0184]).
As to claims 21 and 50, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the first network node (Niu; Fig. 4; [0112]-[0126]) ; and
receive an RRC message indicating one or more selection criteria for the UE (Niu; Fig. 4; [0112]-[0126])
As to claims 22 and 51, the rejection of claim 21 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the RRC message is one of an RRC release message, an RRC suspend configuration message, or a paging message (Niu;[0128])
As to claims 23 and 52, the rejection of claim 21 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
after transmitting the message, detect a failure associated with a random access channel (RACH) procedure associated with the second network node (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]); and
in accordance with the one or more selection criteria and the failure associated with the RACH procedure, reinitiate the RACH procedure with the first network node or with another network node (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]).
As to claims 24 and 53, the rejection of claim 23 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more selection criteria include a ranking of non-anchor nodes for the RACH procedure, and wherein the non-anchor nodes include the second network node (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167])
As to claims 25 and 54, the rejection of claim 24 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more selection criteria further include an expiration time associated with the ranking of the non-anchor nodes (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]; [0185]-[0194]).
As to claims 26 and 55, the rejection of claim 24 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more selection criteria further include a timestamp associated with the ranking of the non-anchor nodes, and wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to determine expiration of the ranking of the non-anchor nodes in accordance with the timestamp (Niu; [0112]-[0126]; [0174]-[0178]; [0115]; [0125]; [0156]-[0158]; [0167]; [0185]-[0194])
As to claims 27 and 56, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the one or more processors are further individually or collectively operable to:
receive a downlink control information (DCI) message indicating one or more non-anchor nodes including the second network node (Niu; [0144]-[0145]); and
transmit the message further in accordance with the indication (Niu; [0144]-[0145]).
As to claims 29, the rejection of claim 27 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the DCI message includes a short message field indicating whether the UE is to transmit the message with the second network node (Niu; [0112]-[0126] discloses of sending RACH to an assistant cell based on the information received from the primary cell)
As to claims 60 and 63, the rejection of claim 59 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the access information includes a system information block of type one (SIB1) message associated with the network node, the SIB1 message including a probability vector indicating the one or more probability values (Niu; [0070] discloses the primary cell may broadcast or configure the configuration of the assistant cell in a SIB, for example, in SIB 1, SIB 4, SIB 11, or another SIB format. The primary cell may also broadcast configurations for a list of assistant cells. [0120] discloses the primary cell could broadcast or configure the access factor (or may be referred to as load factor) for the primary cell and/or each assistant cell. The access factor may be determined by the load or access probability of the primary cell or each assistant cell. UE may select primary cell or assistant cell according to the access factor. The primary cell may broadcast the access factor of the primary cell and each candidate cell).
As to claims 61 and 64, the rejection of claim 59 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Niu discloses wherein the access information includes:
a first system information block of type one (SIB1) message associated with the network node and including a first probability value of the one or more probability values that is associated with the network node (Niu; [0070] discloses the primary cell may broadcast or configure the configuration of the assistant cell in a SIB, for example, in SIB 1, SIB 4, SIB 11, or another SIB format. The primary cell may also broadcast configurations for a list of assistant cells. [0120] discloses the primary cell could broadcast or configure the access factor (or may be referred to as load factor) for the primary cell and/or each assistant cell. The access factor may be determined by the load or access probability of the primary cell or each assistant cell. UE may select primary cell or assistant cell according to the access factor. The primary cell may broadcast the access factor of the primary cell and each candidate cell); and
a second SIB1 message associated with a second network node and including a second probability value of the one or more probability values that is associated with the second network node (Niu; [0070] discloses the primary cell may broadcast or configure the configuration of the assistant cell in a SIB, for example, in SIB 1, SIB 4, SIB 11, or another SIB format. The primary cell may also broadcast configurations for a list of assistant cells. [0120] discloses the primary cell could broadcast or configure the access factor (or may be referred to as load factor) for the primary cell and/or each assistant cell. The access factor may be determined by the load or access probability of the primary cell or each assistant cell. UE may select primary cell or assistant cell according to the access factor. The primary cell may broadcast the access factor of the primary cell and each candidate cell).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. 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.
2. 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.
Claims 20 and 49 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US 2014/0334310 to Niu et al. (hereinafter Niu) in view of U.S. Publication No, US 2022/0124514 to Lee et al. (hereinafter Lee)
As to claims 20 and 49, Niu discloses of transmitting RACH preamble to a network and receiving RACH response message, but fails to discloses wherein the RACH message is msg2. However, Lee discloses
wherein the RACH message is one of a message of type two (msg2) associated with a RACH procedure or a message of type four (msg4) associated with the RACH procedure (Lee; [0148];[0326] discloses the UE receives RACH msg2 from a network device)
It is obvious for a person of ordinary skilled in the art to combine the teachings before the effective filing date of the invention. One would be motivated to combine the teachings in order to use a particular communication protocol (i.e LTE, NR)
4. Claims 28 and 57 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US 2014/0334310 to Niu et al. (hereinafter Niu) in view of U.S. Publication No, US 2025/0039728 to Martin et al. (hereinafter Martin)
As to claims 28 and 57, Niu discloses DCI, but fails to disclose DCI includes P-RNTI. However, Martin discloses
wherein the DCI message includes a reserved field scrambled with a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) such that it indicates an identity of the second network node or an access index associated with the second network node (Martin; [0090] discloses a WTRU monitor short messages transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI).
It is obvious for a person of ordinary skilled in the art to combine the teachings before the effective filing date of the invention. One would be motivated to combine the teachings in order to perform neighboring cell measurements and cell (re-) selection or acquire system information
5. Claim 65 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US 2014/0334310 to Niu et al. (hereinafter Niu) in view of U.S. Publication No, US 2023/0140473 to Paredes et al. (hereinafter Paredes)
As to claim 65, Niu discloses a UE receives access probability of a cell, but fails to disclose wherein the one or more probability values are a plurality of probability values having a sum that is less than or equal to one hundred percent. However, Paredes discloses
wherein the one or more probability values are a plurality of probability values having a sum that is less than or equal to one hundred percent (Paredes; [0147]-[0148] discloses a UE receives signal that indicates predicting UE 22 mobility from a particular cell, cell i, to other cells at a given future time period according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 shows that there is a 38% probability that the UE 22 will move to cell l, a 5% probability that the UE 22 will move to cell m, a 32% probability that the UE 22 will move to cell j, a 15% probability that the UE 22 will move to cell k and a 10% probability that the UE 22 will move to yet other cells. Here the sum is (38%+5%+32%+15%+10%=100%))).
It is obvious for a person of ordinary skilled in the art to combine the teachings before the effective filing date of the invention. One would be motivated to combine the teachings in order to perform neighboring cell selection based on probability value that is indicated by percentage.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/FAISAL CHOUDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478