DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the amendment filed on 4/16/2026 in which claims 1-23 are pending.
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 filed 4/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
“A configuration for causing the apparatus to associate a special cell with the primary secondary cell of the secondary node”
The arguments state; “In DaSilva, the UE receives information that enables it to make a determination about measurement events- the UE must separately determine the association between the SpCell and the PSCell.”
The UE uses the information it receives from the MN to determine which target PSCell to switch to and how to connect to the target cell when a measurement event occurs.
(pg. 7 line 24- pg. 8 line 3 where the method comprises receiving, from a network node, a message including a conditional PSCell change configuration, the message including, for at least one target candidate, a target candidate configuration and an execution condition associated to a measurement event.)
The target cell is considered the special cell.
Therefore the rejection to the claims is maintained.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 20, 21, and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DaSilva et al. (WO2022240334A1); as cited in the IDS filed on 7/23/2024.
As to claims 20 and 23, DaSilva teaches an apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: (Fig.6 shows a UE 600 with a memory and processor as described on pg. 46 line 23.)
connect to a master node and a secondary node in a dual connectivity network, wherein the secondary node comprises a primary secondary cell; (Fig. 2 shows a UE is in DC with a MN and a S-SN pg. 8 lines 19-26 Other embodiments of the techniques described herein include a method at a network node operating as Master Node for a UE in Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC))
receive, from the master node, a configuration for causing the apparatus to associate a special cell with the primary secondary cell of the secondary node; (pg. 8 lines 19-26 the method comprising transmitting to the UE a message including a CPC configuration comprising i) a target candidate configuration (per target candidate); ii) an execution condition associated to a measurement event (e.g., Conditional A3, Conditional A5), per target candidate, and including information enabling the UE to determine that the measurement event is based on at least one measurement type (e.g., RSRP) of the SpCell of the Second Cell Group. Fig. 2 step 4a, RRCReconfiguration)
monitor a target primary secondary cell for a condition; and when the condition has been met, report to the master node. (pg. 7 line 24- pg. 8 line 3 Thus, some embodiments of the techniques described herein include a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for conditional reconfiguration, where the method comprises receiving, from a network node, a message including a conditional PSCell change configuration, the message including, for at least one target candidate, a target candidate configuration and an execution condition associated to a measurement event. This example method further comprises determining that the measurement event is based on a measurement of an SpCell of an SCG, for the user equipment, and performing measurements on the SpCell of the SCG. This example method further comprises evaluating the execution condition, based on the measurements of the SpCell of the SCG, to determine whether to perform reconfiguration according to the target candidate configuration. Pg. 8 lines 16-18 This method may further comprise, upon fulfillment of the execution condition(s), applying the target candidate configuration, executing CPC, and transmitting an RRC Reconfiguration Complete to the network.)
As to claim 21, DaSilva teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the reporting to the master node comprises reporting one or more measurements; reporting execution of a cell change by the apparatus. (. Pg. 8 lines 16-18 This method may further comprise, upon fulfillment of the execution condition(s), applying the target candidate configuration, executing CPC, and transmitting an RRC Reconfiguration Complete to the network.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-19 and 22 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The amendment; “embed the information element and the configuration for the user equipment in a first reconfiguration message received from a target secondary node; recited in independent claims 1 and 22 are not taught by the prior art and would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
DaSilva WO2022240334A1 shows in figure 2 in between steps 4 and 4a. the MN generates CPC and includes the new execution condition (IE) and the SCG MeasConfig and then in step 4a sends the generate CPC to the UE in a RRCReconfiguration message but it is not shown that the RRCReconfiguration message is from a target secondary node.
Da Silva US 20230209425 A1 [0101] FIG. 6 illustrates another example signaling diagram for signaling between a UE, master SN, and a target node for providing the UE’s current SN configuration and conditional reconfiguration, according to certain embodiments; but does not teach the allowable limitation of the instant application.
Conclusion
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.
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/Elton Williams/Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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