DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 have been examined.
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 14-15, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2012/0115539 A1 to Zhang et al. (hereinafter “Zhang”) and US 2022/0039045 A1 to Sun et al. (hereinafter “Sun”).
As per claim 1, Zhang discloses a method, comprising: receiving, by a system comprising a processor, from a device, uplink data packet delay information associated with a first communication of a first uplink data packet from the device to a base station (Zhang Fig. 6 and [0007] FIG. 2 is a signaling flowchart showing an algorithm that sets a time advancement amount in conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 2, when three base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 receive a mobile terminal UE 1 signal, those three base stations each measure the mobile terminal UE 1 propagation delay, and then coordinated reception base stations (non-serving stations) eNB 1 and eNB 3 report measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) to serving station eNB 2, and serving station eNB 2 decides a time advancement amount based on the received propagation delays. The time advancement amount algorithm used by serving station eNB 2 can be generalized using one simple function. [0057] As shown in FIG. 4, in a method for adjusting an uplink time advancement amount in a communication system composed of a mobile terminal and a plurality of base stations according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 measure respectively propagation delays T (1, 1), T (1, 2), and T (1, 3), and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3), from mobile terminal UE 1, after which measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3) are reported to serving station eNB 2 by non-serving stations eNB 1 and eNB 3, and then serving station eNB 2 measures an uplink time advancement amount of that mobile terminal based on received delay and power information, and propagation delay and power information measured by itself, after which serving station eNB 2 reports a decided time advancement amount to mobile terminal UE 1.); and based on the uplink data packet delay information, determining, by the system, a time associated with an uplink grant for a second communication of a second uplink data packet from the device to the base station (Zhang Fig. 4 and [0057] As shown in FIG. 4, in a method for adjusting an uplink time advancement amount in a communication system composed of a mobile terminal and a plurality of base stations according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 measure respectively propagation delays T (1, 1), T (1, 2), and T (1, 3), and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3), from mobile terminal UE 1, after which measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3) are reported to serving station eNB 2 by non-serving stations eNB 1 and eNB 3, and then serving station eNB 2 measures an uplink time advancement amount of that mobile terminal based on received delay and power information, and propagation delay and power information measured by itself, after which serving station eNB 2 reports a decided time advancement amount to mobile terminal UE 1.).
Zhang may not explicitly disclose, but Sun, which is in the same field of endeavor, discloses where the timing advance in associated with an uplink grant for a second transmission (Sun [0153,0164]). The purpose of Sun is to a time synchronization method (Sun [0001]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Sun with Zhang, to improve time synchronization accuracy (Sun [0001,0150]).
As per claim 2, Zhang and Sun disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the time associated with the uplink grant, based on the uplink data packet delay information, mitigates an amount of time delay for the second communication of the second uplink data packet by the device (Zhang Fig. 2 and [0007,0057]).
As per claim 14, Zhang and Sun disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the first uplink data packet or the second uplink data packet is a delay sensitive data packet relating to a factory automation service, a process automation service, an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle-related service, a law enforcement-related service, an emergency-related service, a military-related service, or a smart grid-related service.
Zhang may not explicitly disclose, but Sun, which is in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein the first uplink data packet or the second uplink data packet is a delay sensitive data packet relating to a factory automation service (Sun [0049]), a process automation service, an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle-related service, a law enforcement-related service, an emergency-related service, a military-related service, or a smart grid-related service. The purpose of Sun is to a time synchronization method (Sun [0001]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Sun with Zhang, to improve time synchronization accuracy (Sun [0001,0150]).
As per claim 15, Zhang discloses a system, comprising: a memory that stores computer executable components (Zhang Fig. 6 and [0064]); and a processor that executes computer executable components stored in the memory (Zhang Fig. 6 and [0064]), wherein the computer executable components comprise: a distributed unit that receives, from user equipment, uplink data delay information associated with a first transmission of first uplink data from the user equipment to a base station (Zhang [0007] FIG. 2 is a signaling flowchart showing an algorithm that sets a time advancement amount in conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 2, when three base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 receive a mobile terminal UE 1 signal, those three base stations each measure the mobile terminal UE 1 propagation delay, and then coordinated reception base stations (non-serving stations) eNB 1 and eNB 3 report measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) to serving station eNB 2, and serving station eNB 2 decides a time advancement amount based on the received propagation delays. The time advancement amount algorithm used by serving station eNB 2 can be generalized using one simple function. [0057] As shown in FIG. 4, in a method for adjusting an uplink time advancement amount in a communication system composed of a mobile terminal and a plurality of base stations according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 measure respectively propagation delays T (1, 1), T (1, 2), and T (1, 3), and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3), from mobile terminal UE 1, after which measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3) are reported to serving station eNB 2 by non-serving stations eNB 1 and eNB 3, and then serving station eNB 2 measures an uplink time advancement amount of that mobile terminal based on received delay and power information, and propagation delay and power information measured by itself, after which serving station eNB 2 reports a decided time advancement amount to mobile terminal UE 1.); and a communication manager component that, based on analysis of the uplink data delay information, determines a time of an uplink grant for a second transmission of second uplink data from the user equipment to the base station (Zhang Fig. 4 and [0057] As shown in FIG. 4, in a method for adjusting an uplink time advancement amount in a communication system composed of a mobile terminal and a plurality of base stations according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 measure respectively propagation delays T (1, 1), T (1, 2), and T (1, 3), and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3), from mobile terminal UE 1, after which measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3) are reported to serving station eNB 2 by non-serving stations eNB 1 and eNB 3, and then serving station eNB 2 measures an uplink time advancement amount of that mobile terminal based on received delay and power information, and propagation delay and power information measured by itself, after which serving station eNB 2 reports a decided time advancement amount to mobile terminal UE 1.).
Zhang may not explicitly disclose, but Sun, which is in the same field of endeavor, discloses a time for an uplink grant for a second transmission (Sun [0153,0164]). The purpose of Sun is to a time synchronization method (Sun [0001]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Sun with Zhang, to improve time synchronization accuracy (Sun [0001,0150]).
As per claim 19, Zhang discloses a non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations (Zhang Fig. 6 and [0064]), comprising: receiving, from a device, uplink data packet delay information associated with a first communication of a first uplink data packet from the device to network equipment (Zhang Fig. 6 and [0007] FIG. 2 is a signaling flowchart showing an algorithm that sets a time advancement amount in conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 2, when three base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 receive a mobile terminal UE 1 signal, those three base stations each measure the mobile terminal UE 1 propagation delay, and then coordinated reception base stations (non-serving stations) eNB 1 and eNB 3 report measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) to serving station eNB 2, and serving station eNB 2 decides a time advancement amount based on the received propagation delays. The time advancement amount algorithm used by serving station eNB 2 can be generalized using one simple function. [0057] As shown in FIG. 4, in a method for adjusting an uplink time advancement amount in a communication system composed of a mobile terminal and a plurality of base stations according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 measure respectively propagation delays T (1, 1), T (1, 2), and T (1, 3), and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3), from mobile terminal UE 1, after which measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3) are reported to serving station eNB 2 by non-serving stations eNB 1 and eNB 3, and then serving station eNB 2 measures an uplink time advancement amount of that mobile terminal based on received delay and power information, and propagation delay and power information measured by itself, after which serving station eNB 2 reports a decided time advancement amount to mobile terminal UE 1.); and based on the uplink data packet delay information, determining a time slot of a frame associated with an uplink grant for a second communication of a second uplink data packet from the device to the network equipment (Zhang Fig. 4 and [0057] As shown in FIG. 4, in a method for adjusting an uplink time advancement amount in a communication system composed of a mobile terminal and a plurality of base stations according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, first, base stations eNB 1, eNB 2, and eNB 3 measure respectively propagation delays T (1, 1), T (1, 2), and T (1, 3), and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3), from mobile terminal UE 1, after which measured propagation delays T (1, 1) and T (1, 3) and channel response powers P (1, 1), P (1, 2), and P (1, 3) are reported to serving station eNB 2 by non-serving stations eNB 1 and eNB 3, and then serving station eNB 2 measures an uplink time advancement amount of that mobile terminal based on received delay and power information, and propagation delay and power information measured by itself, after which serving station eNB 2 reports a decided time advancement amount to mobile terminal UE 1.).
Zhang may not explicitly disclose, but Sun, which is in the same field of endeavor, discloses a time slot of a frame associated with an uplink grant for a second communication (Sun [0080-0081,0133,0153,0164]). The purpose of Sun is to a time synchronization method (Sun [0001]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Sun with Zhang, to improve time synchronization accuracy (Sun [0001,0150]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-13, 16-18, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FAIYAZKHAN GHAFOERKHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7161. The examiner can normally be reached Flex.
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FAIYAZKHAN GHAFOERKHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2476
/FAIYAZKHAN GHAFOERKHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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