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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on DATE1, DATE2, and DATE3 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are 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, 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujishiro et al., US 2019 0037449 A1 (hereinafter “Fujishiro”) in view of Liao, US 2022 0086741 A1 (hereinafter “Liao”).
Regarding Claim 1, Fujishiro teaches a wireless communication method comprising:
transmitting, by a first wireless communication node to a second wireless communication node (Page 4, Paragraph 80, Fig. 7, Step C, Mass-Handover Request, target eNB, source eNB), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) grouping information,
wherein the UAV grouping information comprises at least one of a group identifier or UAV Group Authorized Information (Fujishiro discloses a group identifier [G-RNTI] in Page 4, Paragraph 81, related to a group of user equipment devices [Figs. 1-2, UE 100-1, UE 100-2, UE 100-3]).
Fujishiro fails to fully teach the limitation:
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) grouping information
However, Liao further teaches the limitation:
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) grouping information (Liao, Page 2, Paragraph 54-55, Fig. 1, unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV], UAV controller)
Although Fujishiro addresses the remaining limitations of claim 1, Liao demonstrates the following limitations of a wireless communication method comprising:
transmitting, by a first wireless communication node to a second wireless communication node, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) grouping information (Liao, Page 10, Paragraphs 233-234, two or more RAN nodes 1611 configured to communicate with one another),
wherein the UAV grouping information comprises at least one of a group identifier or UAV Group Authorized Information (Liao, Page 4, Paragraph 112, Fig. 6, Step 1, UAS operation service authorization by sending the group identifier).
Liao and Fujishiro are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of services specially adapted for vehicles within wireless communication networks. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Fujishiro to incorporate the teachings Liao for a wireless communication method comprising unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) grouping information. Doing so would logically incorporate unmanned aerial vehicles into the group handover method as they are vehicles capable of sending and receiving wireless communication signals.
Regarding Claim 11, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches a wireless communication method comprising:
receiving, by a second wireless communication node from a first wireless communication node, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) grouping information,
wherein the UAV grouping information comprises at least one of a group identifier or UAV Group Authorized Information (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraph 80-81, source eNB, target eNB, G-RNTI; Liao, Page 4, Paragraph 112, Fig. 6, group identifier; Page 10, Paragraphs 233-234, RAN node communication configuration).
Regarding Claim 16, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches a wireless communication method comprising:
receiving, by a third wireless communication node from a second wireless communication node, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) related information,
wherein the UAV related information comprises at least one of: a group identifier, UAV Group Authorized Information, a UAV identifier, or UAV Differentiation Information (Fujishiro, Pages 2-7, Paragraph 27, Paragraph 80-81, source eNB, target eNB, G-RNTI; Paragraph 117, MME; Liao, Page 4, Paragraph 112, Fig. 6, group identifier; Page 10, Paragraphs 233-234, RAN node communication configuration). Regarding Claim 2, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the UAV Group Authorized Information indicates whether a UAV is authorized to work in a group (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraph 80-81, Fig. 7, group handover acknowledge message; Liao, Page 3, Paragraphs 65-66, UAS operation authorization parameters).
Regarding Claim 3, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication node is configured to receive UAV information, and transmit the UAV grouping information according to the UAV information (Fujishiro, Pages 3-4, Paragraphs 65-71, Fig. 7, Step A-C, UE 100, eNB, measurement report, group identifier, handover request; Liao, Page 3, Paragraphs 67-68, registration and authentication procedures).
Regarding Claim 4, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein the UAV information comprises at least one of a UAV identifier or UAV Differentiation Information (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraphs 71-74, group identifier of each of the UE, group ID; Liao, Page 3, Paragraphs 67-68, registration and authentication procedures).
Regarding Claim 5, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 4. Fujishiro does not teach the wireless communication method of claim 5. Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 5, wherein the UAV Differentiation Information comprises at least one of a scheduled communication time, a stationary indication, a power consumption level, flight path information, or flight height information (Liao, Page 4, Paragraph 112, UAS operation policy).
Regarding Claim 6, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein the UAV information is received from the second wireless communication node, and the UAV information is transmitted via a Radio Access Network (RAN) Configuration Update message, a Handover Required message, a Path Switch Request message, a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Session Resource Modify Indication message, an Initial UE Message message, or an Uplink Non-access stratum (NAS) Transport message (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraph 71-74, group handover request message; Liao, Page 3, Paragraphs 68-69, authorization parameters).
Regarding Claim 7, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein the UAV information is received from the second wireless communication node, and the UAV grouping information is transmitted via a RAN Configuration Update Acknowledge message, a Handover Command message, a Path Switch Request Acknowledge message, a PDU Session Resource Modify Confirm message, or a Downlink Non-access stratum (NAS) Transport message (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraphs 80-81, handover request acknowledge message; Liao, Page 3, Paragraphs 68-69, authorization parameters).
Regarding Claim 8, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein the UAV information is received from a UAV, and the UAV grouping information is transmitted via an Initial User Equipment (UE) Context Setup Request message, a Handover Request message, a Downlink RAN Configuration Transfer message, or a Downlink Non-access stratum (NAS) Transport message (Fujishiro, Page 3, Paragraphs 65, Fig. 7, Step A, UE 100, eNB, measurement report, group identifier; Liao, Page 26, Paragraph 353, Initial Context Setup Request Message).
Regarding Claim 9, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 8. Fujishiro does not teach the wireless communication method of claim 9. Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein the UAV information is received from the UAV via NAS signaling (Liao, Page 24, Paragraph 335, NAS messaging).
Regarding Claim 10, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication node is configured to receive a response message from the second wireless communication node, and the response message is transmitted via an Initial User Equipment (UE) Context Setup Response message or a Handover Request Acknowledgement message (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraph 80-81, source eNB, target eNB, handover request acknowledge message; Liao, Page 4, Paragraphs 122-123, response message).
Regarding Claim 12, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 11, wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to transmit UAV information to the first wireless communication node, and receive the UAV grouping information in response to the UAV information (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraph 71-81, Fig. 7, Steps C-E, group handover request message, group handover acknowledge message; Liao, Page 4, Paragraphs 112-113, service request message, group identifier; Page 10, Paragraphs 233-234).
Regarding Claim 13, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 11, wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to transmit UAV related information to a third wireless communication node, and the UAV related information comprises at least one of: a group identifier, UAV Group Authorized Information, a UAV identifier, or UAV Differentiation Information (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraphs 71-74, group handover request message, group identifier of each of the UE, group ID; Liao, Pages 3-4, Paragraphs 65-66, UAS operation authorization parameters).
Regarding Claim 14, Fujishiro teaches the wireless communication method of claim 13, wherein the UAV related information is transmitted via a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) Configuration Update message, a Handover Request message, or a Retrieve User Equipment (UE) Context Request message (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraph 71-74, Fig. 7, Step C, handover request message).
Regarding Claim 15, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 13, wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to receive a response message from the third wireless communication node, and the response message is transmitted via a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) Configuration Acknowledge message, a Handover Request Acknowledge message, or a Retrieve UE Context Response message (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraphs 80-81, Fig. 7, Step E, handover request acknowledge message; Liao, Pages 3-4, Paragraph 74, operation status update, Paragraphs 122-123).
Regarding Claim 17, Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 16, wherein the third wireless communication node is configured to transmit a response message to the second wireless communication node, and the response message is transmitted via a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) Configuration Acknowledge message, a Handover Request Acknowledge message, or a Retrieve User Equipment (UE) Context Response message (Fujishiro, Page 4, Paragraphs 80-81, handover request acknowledge message; Liao, Pages 3-4, Paragraph 74, operation status update, Paragraph 122-123; Page 10, Paragraphs 233-234).
Regarding Claim 18, it differs from Claim 1 only in that it is a wireless communication node, comprising:
a communication unit; and a
processor configured to the perform the wireless communication method of Claim 1. (Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches a wireless communication node comprising a communication unit and a processor in Fujishiro, Pages 2-4, Paragraphs 35-37, Fig. 1, evolved Node-B 200-1, Paragraphs 42-46, Fig. 3, eNB, transmitter, receiver, controller, memory and Liao, Pages 8-9, Paragraphs 218-221, node; Page 15, Paragraphs 265-268, Fig. 19, infrastructure equipment 1900, processor, memory, communication module 1915). It recites similar limitations as in Claim 1 and Fujishiro in view of Liao discloses them.
Regarding Claim 19, it differs from Claim 11 only in that it is a wireless communication node, comprising:
a communication unit; and a
processor configured to the perform the wireless communication method of Claim 11. (Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches a wireless communication node comprising a communication unit and a processor in Fujishiro, Pages 2-4, Paragraphs 35-37, Fig. 1, evolved Node-B 200-1, Paragraphs 42-46, Fig. 3, eNB, transmitter, receiver, controller, memory and Liao, Pages 8-9, Paragraphs 218-221, node; Page 15, Paragraphs 265-268, Fig. 19, infrastructure equipment 1900, processor, memory, communication module 1915). It recites similar limitations as in Claim 11 and Fujishiro in view of Liao discloses them.
Regarding Claim 20, it differs from Claim 16 only in that it is a wireless communication node, comprising:
a communication unit; and a
processor configured to the perform the wireless communication method of Claim 16. (Fujishiro in view of Liao teaches a wireless communication node comprising a communication unit and a processor in Fujishiro, Pages 2-4, Paragraphs 35-37, Fig. 1, evolved Node-B 200-1, Paragraphs 42-46, Fig. 3, eNB, transmitter, receiver, controller, memory and Liao, Pages 8-9, Paragraphs 218-221, node; Page 15, Paragraphs 265-268, Fig. 19, infrastructure equipment 1900, processor, memory, communication module 1915). It recites similar limitations as in Claim 16 and Fujishiro in view of Liao discloses them.
Conclusion
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/GABRIELLE N DAI/Examiner, Art Unit 2681
/AKWASI M SARPONG/SPE, Art Unit 2681 2/9/2026