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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1, 4-6, 9-11, 14-16, 19, 20 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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, 4-6, 9-11, 14-16, 19, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by Shrestha et al. (U.S. Patent Application Number: 2022/0132383).
Consider claim 1; Shrestha discloses a method of a user equipment (UE) for a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the method comprising:
receiving, from a network (e.g. satellite) (par. 70, lines 3-13), a system information block (SIB) indicating a first type of a neighbouring cell for a cell reselection (par. 72, lines 11-20), wherein the first type of the neighbouring cell is an NTN or a terrestrial network (TN) [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)]; and
performing, based on the SIB (par. 72, lines 11-20), a measurement on the neighbouring cell for the cell reselection (par. 92, lines 4-8),
wherein the SIB includes ephemeris information (e.g. time) on the neighbouring cell (par. 72, lines 11-20; par. 86, lines 1-7).
Consider claim 4; Shrestha discloses the SIB further includes different information based on a second type of a serving cell [e.g. neighbor cells (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second type of the serving cell comprising is an NTN or a TN [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)].
Consider claim 5; Shrestha discloses receiving, from the network (e.g. satellite) (par. 70, lines 3-13), a second SIB [e.g. SIB 5 (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second SIB includes third information on a time instance for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell and fourth information on a location for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell (par. 86, lines 1-7; par. 92, lines 4-8).
Consider claim 6; Shrestha discloses a method of a network entity, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a user equipment (UE) (par. 72, lines 11-20), a system information block (SIB) indicating a first type of a neighbouring cell for a cell reselection (par. 72, lines 11-20), wherein the first type of the neighbouring cell is an NTN or a terrestrial network (TN) [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)],
wherein the SIB is for a measurement on the neighbouring cell for the cell reselection (par. 92, lines 4-8), and
wherein the SIB includes ephemeris information (e.g. time) on the neighbouring cell (par. 72, lines 11-20; par. 86, lines 1-7).
Consider claim 9; Shrestha discloses the SIB further includes different information based on a second type of a serving cell [e.g. neighbor cells (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second type of the serving cell comprising is an NTN or a TN [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)].
Consider claim 10; Shrestha discloses transmitting, to the UE (par. 72, lines 11-20), a second SIB [e.g. SIB 5 (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second SIB includes third information on a time instance for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell (par. 86, lines 1-7; par. 92, lines 4-8), and fourth information on a location for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell (par. 86, lines 1-7; par. 92, lines 4-8).
Consider claim 11; Shrestha discloses a user equipment (UE) for a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the UE comprising:
a transmitter (par. 55, lines 12-19);
a receiver (par. 55, lines 12-19); and
at least one processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver (par. 55, lines 12-19), and configured to:
receive, from a network (e.g. satellite) (par. 70, lines 3-13), a system information block (SIB) indicating a first type of a neighbouring cell for a cell reselection (par. 72, lines 11-20), wherein the first type of the neighbouring cell is an NTN or a terrestrial network (TN) [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)]; and
perform, based on the SIB (par. 72, lines 11-20), a measurement on the neighbouring cell for the cell reselection (par. 92, lines 4-8),
wherein the SIB includes ephemeris information (e.g. time) on the neighbouring cell (par. 72, lines 11-20; par. 86, lines 1-7).
Consider claim 14; Shrestha discloses the SIB further includes different information based on a second type of a serving cell [e.g. neighbor cells (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second type of the serving cell comprising is an NTN or a TN [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)].
Consider claim 15; Shrestha discloses receiving, from the network (e.g. satellite) (par. 70, lines 3-13), a second SIB [e.g. SIB 5 (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second SIB includes third information on a time instance for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell and fourth information on a location for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell (par. 86, lines 1-7; par. 92, lines 4-8).
Consider claim 16; Shrestha discloses a network entity, the network entity comprising:
a transmitter (par. 56, lines 16-22);
a receiver (par. 56, lines 16-22); and
at least one processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver (par. 56, lines 16-22), and configured to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE) (par. 72, lines 11-20), a system information block (SIB) indicating a first type of a neighbouring cell for a cell reselection (par. 72, lines 11-20), wherein the first type of the neighbouring cell is an NTN or a terrestrial network (TN) [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)],
wherein the SIB is for a measurement on the neighbouring cell for the cell reselection (par. 92, lines 4-8), and
wherein the SIB includes ephemeris information (e.g. time) on the neighbouring cell (par. 72, lines 11-20; par. 86, lines 1-7).
Consider claim 19; Shrestha discloses the SIB further includes different information based on a second type of a serving cell [e.g. neighbor cells (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second type of the serving cell comprising is an NTN or a TN [e.g. NTN (par. 73, lines 1-10)].
Consider claim 20; Shrestha discloses transmitting, to the UE (par. 72, lines 11-20), a second SIB [e.g. SIB 5 (par. 72, lines 11-20)], wherein the second SIB includes third information on a time instance for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell (par. 86, lines 1-7; par. 92, lines 4-8), and fourth information on a location for determining when to start the measurement on the neighbouring cell (par. 86, lines 1-7; par. 92, lines 4-8).
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
extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
Examiner should be directed to Joel Ajayi whose telephone number is (571) 270-1091. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 7:30am to 5:00pm and Friday 7:30am to 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Anderson can be reached on (571) 272-4177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/JOEL AJAYI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646