DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 02/06/2024, in which claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
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, 10, 11-13, 14-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 102 (a) (2) as being anticipated by XING et al. (hereinafter, “XING”; WO20210310046).
In response to claim 1,
XING teaches a random access resource selection method, performed by a terminal and comprising: receiving configuration information sent by a network side device (paragraph 150, using a random access method for a random access type is interpreted as performing a random access resource selection, paragraph 151, information for configuring association with random access opportunities are equated to random access resources, terminal device is equated to a terminal, configuration information with a first threshold or second threshold is equated to configuration information, sending by a network device is equated to send by a network side, paragraph 153, receiving by a terminal is equated to receiving configuration),
wherein the configuration information is used to indicate an association relationship between a random access resource configured by the network side device and a first characteristic (paragraph 151,configuration information with a first threshold or second threshold is equated to configuration information, information for configuring association with random access opportunities are equated to random access resources, paragraph 157, using a 2 step random access is equated to first characteristic, paragraph 151,sending by the network device is read as configured by the network device, paragraphs 157-158 and 165, steps 905 and 908, sending a 2-step random access by the network device based on the random access transmission opportunities selected by the terminal using the first threshold is interpreted as the configuration information or the first threshold is used indicate an association relationship between a random access opportunities and the 2 step random access); and
selecting a random access resource based on the configuration information and a second characteristic supported by the terminal (paragraph 151, information for configuring association with random access opportunities are equated to random access resources, paragraph 159, using 4-step random access is equated to second characteristic, paragraphs 157-158 and 166, selecting in paragraph 166 is read as selecting and supporting by the terminal, selecting 4 step random access opportunities by the terminal as described in paragraph 166 based on the first threshold on step 905 in paragraphs 157-158 explicitly teaches this limitation),
wherein the random access resource comprises at least one of the following: a downlink reference signal, a carrier, a bandwidth part, a random access type (paragraph 150, selecting a random access type explicitly teaches using a random access type (2 step random access in paragraph 157 or a 4 step random access in paragraph 159 are random access type and part of random access resource)), a random access preamble, a random access preamble group, and a random access occasion.
In response to claims 2, 11,14 and 19,
XING teaches wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following: a downlink reference signal associated with a random access resource corresponding to the first characteristic; random access resource allocation information corresponding to the first characteristic, comprising at least one of temporal position information, frequency position information, code domain information, and power domain information; information about enabling the first characteristic; priority information corresponding to the first characteristic;
a measurement threshold for random access resource selection (paragraph 151, information for configuring association with random access opportunities are equated to random access resources, paragraphs 157-158, and 165, a SSB measurement threshold as discusses in paragraphs 157-158 is equated to a measurement threshold, using the measurement threshold for selecting a 2 step (in step 905 ,paragraphs 157-158) and using the 2 step random access for random access for selecting a random access opportunities (in step 908, paragraph 165) explicitly teaches using the measurement threshold for random access resource selection); and
a configuration parameter for a random access procedure (paragraph 151, configuration information with a first threshold or second threshold is also equated to a configuration parameter for a random access procedure),
wherein the measurement threshold or the configuration parameter has an association relationship with the first characteristic (paragraph 157, using a 2 step random access is equated to a first characteristic, paragraphs 157-158, step 905, the SSB measurement threshold is equated to a measurement threshold, using the measured SSB threshold (to compare with the first threshold) for determine the random access type in step 905 explicitly teaches the measurement threshold has an association relationship with the first characteristic).
In response to claims 3, 12, 15 and 20,
XING teaches wherein the first characteristic comprises at least one of small data transmission (SDT), a reduced capability (RedCap) NR device, coverage enhancement (CovEnh), radio access network slicing (RAN slicing), two-step random access (2-step RA), and four-step random access (4-step RA) (paragraph 157 and 159, using a 2 step random access (in paragraph 157) or using 4 step random access (in paragraph 159) is interpreted as using two-step random access (2-step RA), and four-step random access (4-step RA)) .
In response to claim 10,
XING teaches a random access resource configuration method, performed by a network side device and comprising:
sending configuration information to a terminal (paragraph 150, using a random access method for a random access type is interpreted as performing a random access resource selection, paragraph 151, information for configuring association with random access opportunities are equated to random access resources, terminal device is equated to a terminal, configuration information with a first threshold or second threshold is equated to configuration information, sending by a network device is equated to send by a network side),
wherein the configuration information is used to indicate an association relationship between a random access resource configured by the network side device and a first characteristic(paragraph 151,configuration information with a first threshold or second threshold is equated to configuration information, information for configuring association with random access opportunities are equated to random access resources, paragraph 157, using a 2 step random access is equated to first characteristic, paragraph 151,sending by the network device is read as configured by the network device, paragraphs 157-158 and 165, steps 905 and 908, sending a 2-step random access by the network device based on the random access transmission opportunities selected by the terminal using the first threshold is interpreted as the configuration information or the first threshold is used indicate an association relationship between a random access opportunities and the 2 step random access); and
the random access resource comprises at least one of the following: a downlink reference signal, a carrier, a bandwidth part, a random access type (paragraph 150, selecting a random access type explicitly teaches using a random access type (2 step random access in paragraph 157 or a 4 step random access in paragraph 159 are random access type and part of random access resource)), a random access preamble, a random access preamble group, and a random access occasion.
In response to claim 13,
XING teaches a terminal, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or an instruction that is stored in the memory and that is executable on the processor, wherein when the program or the instruction is executed by the processor (paragraphs 204-205 teach this limitation),
steps of a random access resource selection method are implemented, the random access resource selection method comprises: receiving configuration information sent by a network side device, wherein the configuration information is used to indicate an association relationship between a random access resource configured by the network side device and a first characteristic; and selecting a random access resource based on the configuration information and a second characteristic supported by the terminal, wherein the random access resource comprises at least one of the following: a downlink reference signal, a carrier, a bandwidth part, a random access type, a random access preamble, a random access preamble group, and a random access occasion (these limitations are identical to claim 1, therefore, these limitations are rejected as claim 1).
In response to claim 18,
XING teaches a network side device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or an instruction that is stored in the memory and that is executable on the processor, wherein when the program or the instruction is executed by the processor (paragraph 207, 212, and 215 together teach this limitation),
steps of the random access resource configuration method according to claim 10 are implemented (these limitations are interpreted as the limitations of claim 10, therefore, these limitations are rejected as claim 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 and 16-17 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.
As for dependent claims 4 and 16, these claims are objected, because there is no prior art in the record that teaches claims limitation “wherein the step of selecting a random access resource based on the configuration information and a second characteristic supported by the terminal comprises: selecting the random access resource based on the configuration information, the second characteristic supported by the terminal, and a random access resource selection rule, wherein the random access resource selection rule comprises at least one of the following: determining a target carrier based on a first selection rule for a carrier, and determining a target bandwidth part based on the target carrier and a second selection rule for a bandwidth part; determining the target bandwidth part based on the second selection rule for a bandwidth part, and determining a target random access type based on the target bandwidth part and a third selection rule for a random access type; determining a target downlink reference signal based on a fourth selection rule for a downlink reference signal; determining a target random access preamble group based on a fifth selection rule for a random access preamble group; determining the target random access type based on the third selection rule for a random access type, determining the target downlink reference signal based on the fourth selection rule for a downlink reference signal, determining the target random access preamble group based on the fifth selection rule for a random access preamble group, and determining a target random access preamble based on the target random access type, the target downlink reference signal, the target random access preamble group, and a sixth selection rule for a random access preamble; and determining the target random access type based on the third selection rule for a random access type, determining the target downlink reference signal based on the fourth selection rule for a downlink reference signal, and determining a target random access occasion based on the target random access type, the target downlink reference signal, and a seventh selection rule for a random access occasion.”
The closets reasonable prior art in the record XING et al. (WO20210310046) teaches from paragraphs 151to 168 about selecting a 2 step random access or a 4 step random access type based on some threshold measurement value, but he fails to teach the cited limitation.
Claims 5-8 are objected because these claims depend on claim 4.
Claim 17 is objected because it depends on claim 16.
As for dependent claim 9, this claim is objected, because there is no prior art in the record that teaches claims limitation “wherein after the step of selecting a random access resource, the method further comprises: performing a random access procedure; performing a random access type fallback when a random access type selected by the terminal comprises a RAN slicing or SDT type and a preset fallback condition is satisfied in an ongoing random access procedure, and resetting the target random access type; and reselecting a random access resource based on the target random access type.”
The closets reasonable prior art in the record XING et al. (WO20210310046) teaches from paragraphs 151to 168 about selecting a 2 step random access or a 4 step random access type based on some threshold measurement value, but he fails to teach the cited limitation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
20220367796………………………………..paragraph 22.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABUSAYEED HAQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-7252. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am -7:30 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faruk Hamza can be reached at 571-272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ABUSAYEED M HAQUE/Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466