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 .
Claims 1-3, 5-13 and 15-20 are pending in this office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/3/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant argues that the operations performed by the UE in Zhang after receiving the measurement configuration are different from the operations performed by the terminal device after receiving the third message in amended claim 1. That is, the reporting process in Zhang is different from that in amended claim 1. Therefore, Zhang fails to disclose or teach or suggest the above distinguishing Limitation as recited in amended claim 1 of the present application. Accordingly, it is respectfully submitted that amended claim 1 is patentable over Zhang.
In response the Examiner respectfully submits:
Applicant mentioned in the remarks that “in amended claim 1, before the terminal device receives the third message, the terminal device has obtained the characteristic information of the neighbor cell and/or the characteristic information of the terminal device (i.e., the first information), where the third message indicates that the network device allows the terminal device to transmit the first information, and then once the terminal device receives the third message, the terminal device directly transmits the obtained first information”; however this is not recited in the claim. Therefore, Examiner uses the message S501 in Fig. 5 as the third message as shown in the rejection below.
Regarding claim 3, Applicant argues that, according to the above disclosure, Zhang discloses that the UE capability is used to indicate whether the UE supports reporting of the band information, that is, after the base station determines that the UE supports reporting of the band information according to the UE capability, the base station transmits the RRC message to instruct the UE to report the band information.
However, in claim 3, the terminal device has obtained the first information and waits to transmit the first information to the network device, and then the terminal device transmits the second message to the network device, requesting the network device to allow the transmission of the obtained first information from the terminal device to the network device. From the above analysis, it can be concluded that the function of the UE capability in Zhang is different from that of the second message in claim 3. Therefore, Zhang fails to disclose or teach or suggest the limitation as recited in claim 3 of the present application.
In response the Examiner respectfully submits:
Zhang disclose the UE transmitting the capability to the base station so that the base station can request whether to report the measurement as the capability indicates whether the UE supports the reporting. See [0021]-[0022], [0068] for example.
Regarding claims 7, 8 and 21, Applicant argues that, according to the above disclosure, Zhang discloses that the base station transmits the measurement configuration to the UE, to request the UE to report a CGI of a designated cell, but Zhang does not involve that the UE transmits a message to the network device, to request the network device to transmit the measurement configuration.
However, in claim 7, the terminal device transmits the fourth message to the network device, to request the network device to transmit the configuration information for obtaining the characteristic information of the neighbor cell and/or configuration information for triggering reporting of the characteristic information of the neighbor cell.
In response the Examiner respectfully submits:
Zhang teaches in Fig. 5; [0204]-[0205] that the UE transmits band information and CGI of a neighboring cell indication handover to the neighboring cell so that the base station can configure the UE for measurement.
Regarding claims 10 and 11, Applicant argues that, according to the above disclosure, Zhang discloses that the UE transmits the UE capability to the base station, where the UE capability is used for indicate whether the UE supports reporting of the band information, and Zhang does not involve that the UE transmits the location information of the UE to the base station. However, in claims 10 and 11, the terminal device transmits the location information of the terminal device to the network device, and the capability information of the terminal device includes the frequency band or frequency band combination supported by the terminal device, the bandwidth supported by the terminal device, whether the terminal device supports communication with the non-terrestrial cell, whether the terminal device supports communication with the terrestrial cell, whether the terminal device supports simultaneous communication with the non-terrestrial cell and the terrestrial cell, whether the terminal device supports the DC function, or whether the terminal device supports the CA function.
In response the Examiner respectfully submits:
Claims 10 and 11 have alternative limitations. Examiner selected the capability limitation in claims 10 and 11. See rejection below
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 1-3, 5-13 and 15-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al (US 2021/0051560 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches a wireless communication method, comprising:
obtaining, by a terminal device, characteristic information of a neighbor cell (Zhang: Fig. 5:S502; [0197], UE obtains CGI and band information of a neighboring cell); and
transmitting, by the terminal device, first information to a network device in response to receiving a third message transmitted by the network device, the first information comprising the characteristic information of the neighbor cell and/or characteristic information of the terminal device and the third message indicating that the network device allows the terminal device to transmit the first information (Zhang: Fig. 5:S504; [0193]-[0201]; Step 501 disclose the RRC message that represents the claimed third message).
Regarding claim 12, Zhang teaches a wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a network device, first information transmitted by a terminal device, the first information comprising characteristic information of a neighbor cell and/or characteristic information of the terminal device (Zhang: Fig. 5:S502; [0197], UE obtains CGI and band information of a neighboring cell);
wherein the method further comprises: transmitting, by the network device, a third message to the terminal device, the third message indicating that the network device allows the terminal device to transmit the first information (Zhang: Fig. 5:S501; [0193]-[0201]; Step 501 discloses the RRC message that represents the claimed third message).
Regarding claim 17, Zhang teaches a terminal device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to:
obtain characteristic information of a neighbor cell (Zhang: Fig. 5:S502; [0197], UE obtains CGI and band information of a neighboring cell); and transmit first information to a network device in response to receiving a third message transmitted by the network device, the first information comprising the characteristic information of the neighbor cell and/or characteristic information of the terminal device and the third message indicating that the network device allows the terminal device to transmit the first information (Zhang: Fig. 5:S504; [0193]-[0201]; Step 501 disclose the RRC message that represents the claimed third message).
Regarding claim 20, Zhang teaches a network device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method according to claim 12 (Zhang: Fig. 5:S502; [0197], UE obtains CGI and band information of a neighboring cell).
Regarding claims 2 and 18, Zhang teaches wherein the characteristic information of the neighbor cell comprises at least one of: first indication information, operator-related network identification information of the neighbor cell, Tracking Area (TA) configuration information of the neighbor cell, frequency point configuration information of the neighbor cell, Synchronization Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) information of the neighbor cell, Cell Global Identity (CGI) configuration information of the neighbor cell, Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) configuration information of the neighbor cell, beam configuration information of the neighbor cell, Sub-Carrier Spacing (SCS) configuration information of the neighbor cell, bandwidth configuration information of the neighbor cell, a cell-level signal measurement result of the neighbor cell, or a beam-level measurement result of the neighbor cell (Zhang: Fig. 5:S502; [0197], UE obtains CGI and band information of a neighboring cell), the first indication information indicating whether a terrestrial neighbor cell is near the terminal device and/or whether a neighbor cell not configured by the network device is near the terminal device (Zhang: Fig. 5; [0205], handover decision made; handover to a neighboring cell).
Regarding claims 3, 13 and 19, Zhang teaches transmitting, by the terminal device, a second message to the network device, the second message being used to request the network device to transmit the first information (Zhang: Figs. 4-5; [0189], [0196], UE transmits capability information/second message to report its capability to report band information).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Zhang teaches wherein said transmitting, by the terminal device, the first information to the network device comprises: transmitting, by the terminal device, the first information to the network device in response to receiving a third message transmitted by the network device, the third message indicating that the network device allows the terminal device to transmit the first information (Zhang: Figs. 4-5:S501; [0189], [0193], [0196], UE receives RRC message S501/third message from the base station to report information; UE transmits capability information to report its capability (allow) to report band information).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Zhang teaches receiving, by the terminal device, first configuration information and/or second configuration information transmitted by the network device, the first configuration information being used to configure content included in the first information reported by the terminal device, and the second configuration information being used to configure a format in which the terminal device reports the first information (Zhang: Fig. 5:S501; [0193]-[0194]).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang teaches wherein the first configuration information and/or the second configuration information is transmitted via a third message, the third message indicating that the network device allows the terminal device to transmit the first information (Zhang: Fig. 5:S501; [0193]-[0194]).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Zhang teaches transmitting, by the terminal device, a fourth message to the network device, the fourth message being used to request the network device to configure configuration information for obtaining the characteristic information of the neighbor cell and/or configuration information for triggering reporting of the characteristic information of the neighbor cell (Zhang: Fig. 5; [0204]-[0205] UE transmit band information and CGI of a neighboring cell indication handover to the neighboring cell); and receiving, by the terminal device, third configuration information transmitted by the network device, the third configuration information being used by the terminal device to obtain the characteristic information of the neighbor cell and/or trigger the reporting of the characteristic information of the neighbor cell (Zhang: Fig. 5; [0117], [0205] UE receives downlink ARFCN/configuration for the UE to derive key for accessing the target cell).
Regarding claims 8 and 22, Zhang teaches wherein the fourth message comprises at least one of: second indication information indicating that the terminal device requests a Measurement Gap (MG) configuration; a desired MG configuration of the terminal device; a type of task the terminal device expects to perform; or third indication information indicating that the terminal device desires to leave a current network connection (Zhang: Fig. 5; [0204]-[0205] UE transmit band information and CGI of a neighboring cell indication handover to the neighboring cell).
Regarding claim 9, Zhang teaches wherein the third configuration information comprises at least one of: a Measurement Gap (MG) configuration allowed by the network device; an upper limit on a number of frequency points required by the network device to be measured by the terminal device; an upper limit on a number of cells required by the network device to be measured by the terminal device; or a trigger condition for the terminal device to report the characteristic information of the neighbor cell (Zhang: Fig. 5; [0117], [0193], [0205] UE receives downlink ARFCN/configuration for the UE to derive key for accessing the target cell).
Regarding claim 10, Zhang teaches wherein the characteristic information of the terminal device comprises at least one of: location information of the terminal device; or capability information of the terminal device (Zhang: Fig. 4; S401b; UE capability reported).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang teaches wherein the capability information of the terminal device comprises at least one of: a frequency band or frequency band combination supported by the terminal device; a bandwidth supported by the terminal device (Zhang: Fig. 4:S401b; [0189], the capability information is used to indicate whether the UE supports reporting of the band information of the cell); whether the terminal device supports communication with a non-terrestrial cell; whether the terminal device supports communication with a terrestrial cell; whether the terminal device supports simultaneous communication with a non-terrestrial cell and a terrestrial cell; whether the terminal device supports a Dual Connection (DC) function; or whether the terminal device supports a Carrier Aggregation (CA) function.
Regarding claim 11, Zhang teaches wherein the type of task the terminal device expects to perform comprises: terrestrial neighbor cell search, terrestrial neighbor cell search and terrestrial neighbor cell measurement, non-public network measurement, and neighbor cell search and neighbor cell measurement (this limitation is not required to be taught as it depends on an alternative limitation “type of task the terminal device expects to perform” in claim 8 that was not selected for rejection).
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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/KODZOVI ACOLATSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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