Tion) same azimuth
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 8/3/2026 has been entered.
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) 1, 3-5, 7-8, 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gummadi et al. (hereinafter Gummadi)(US 2021/0048502).
Regarding claim 1, Gummadi teaches a positioning information reporting method performed by a terminal device or a chip of a terminal device, comprising: obtaining, angle assistance information from a location management network element(item 730 in Fig. 7; also P[0077], LMF may send the UE assistance message; including the AODs of each PRS transmission),
wherein the angle assistance information indicates an angle at which a signal sent by an access network element is to be measured by the terminal device(P[0094], assistance data may include angle of departure; location measurement of directed beam transmissions);
measuring based on the angle assistance information, the signal sent by the access network element to obtain a measurement result(P[0094], location measurement of AoA of each directed beam); and
sending provide location information to the location management network element, wherein the provide location information comprises the measurement result wherein the angle assistance information further indicates an angle of a straight line between the access network element and the terminal device and comprises azimuth angle information and/or zenith angle information, the azimuth angle information indicates an included angle on a horizontal plane and between the access network element and the terminal device, and the zenith angle information indicates an included angle between a zenith direction and a direction of the access network element relative to the terminal device(P[0004], LOS path arrive at UE in single straight line path; P[0026], the use of AoD may be used to identify directed beams that are line of sight (LOS); P[0031], range of horizontal angles (also referred to as azimuth) and range of vertical angles (also referred to as angle of elevation); P[0032], AOD may be defined by the horizontal and vertical angles).
Regarding claim 3, Gummadi teaches the method according to claim 2, wherein the azimuth angle information comprises: an azimuth angle value, an azimuth angle range, a first value, preset azimuth angle value information, and/or preset azimuth angle range information; and the azimuth angle range is obtained by adding or subtracting the azimuth angle value and the first value, the preset azimuth angle value information indicates the azimuth angle value, and the preset azimuth angle range information indicates the azimuth angle range(P[0031], A “beamformed PRS” or “PRS beam” may provide PRS signal coverage over a narrow range of contiguous horizontal angles (also referred to as angles of azimuth) and/or a narrow range of contiguous vertical angles (also referred to as angles of elevation). For example, PRS transmission might be directed through a range of horizontal angles between θ and (θ+α) degrees clockwise from North and/or between a range of vertical angles between Φ and (Φ+β) degrees above (or below) a horizontal plane. Outside these angles, PRS transmission may still be present (e.g. due to imperfect antenna array characteristics) but may have a reduced signal power of at least X dB below the center of the beam (at azimuth (θ+0.5 α) and/or elevation (Φ+0.5β)). For example, X may be 3, a may be 10 degrees and/or β may be 10 degrees. PRS within these angles may be referred to as part of a PRS beam and outside these angles as not part of the PRS beam. A PRS with the center horizontal and/or vertical angles ((θ+0.5α) and/or (Φ+0.5β) respectively) may be referred to as the center PRS).
Regarding claim 4, Gummadi teaches the method according to claim 2, wherein the zenith angle information comprises: a zenith angle value, a zenith angle range, second value, preset zenith angle value information, and/or preset zenith angle range information; and the zenith angle range is obtained by adding or subtracting the zenith angle value and the second value, the preset zenith angle value information indicates the zenith angle value, and the preset zenith angle range information indicates the zenith angle range(P[0031] A “beamformed PRS” or “PRS beam” may provide PRS signal coverage over a narrow range of contiguous vertical angles (also referred to as angles of elevation). For example, PRS transmission might be directed through a range of vertical angles between Φ and (Φ+β) degrees above (or below) a horizontal plane. Outside these angles, PRS transmission may still be present (e.g. due to imperfect antenna array characteristics) but may have a reduced signal power of at least X dB below the center of the beam and elevation (Φ+0.5β)). For example β may be 10 degrees. PRS within these angles may be referred to as part of a PRS beam and outside these angles as not part of the PRS beam. A PRS with the center vertical angles ((θ+0.5α) and/or (Φ+0.5β) respectively) may be referred to as the center PRS)
Regarding claim 17, Gummadi teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein: the provide location information further comprises indication information corresponding to the measurement result; and the indication information indicates whether an angle corresponding to the measurement result is within an angle indicated by the angle assistance information(P[0023], transmission spans a narrow range of angles (5 degrees of azimuth) using a directional beam using beam forming; P[0031]; P[0077], AOD of each PRS transmission; signal measurements; assistance data provided to UE; P[0094], assistance data may include AoD of each directed beam).
Regarding claim 19, Gummadi teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein: the measuring, by the terminal device based on the angle assistance information, of the signal sent by the access network element to obtain the measurement result comprises: measuring, in an angle indicated by the angle assistance information, the signal sent by the access network element, to narrow down an angle search range of the terminal device(P[0078], AoA measurements for directed beams; P[0094], AoD is provided to UE as assistance data).
Claims 5, 7-8 and 18 are rejected for the same reason as set forth in claims 1,3-4 and 17 respectively.
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.
Claim(s) 9, 11-13, 15-16, 20-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gummadi et al. (hereinafter Gummadi)(US 2021/0048502) in view of Xiao et al. (hereinafter Xiao)(US 2022/0279310).
Regarding claim 9, Gummadi teaches a positioning information reporting method performed by a terminal device or a chip of a terminal device, comprising: obtaining, angle assistance information from a location management network element(item 730 in Fig. 7; also P[0077], LMF may send the UE assistance message; including the AODs of each PRS transmission),
wherein the angle assistance information indicates an angle at which a signal sent by an access network element is to be measured by the terminal device(P[0094], assistance data may include angle of departure; location measurement of directed beam transmissions);
measuring based on the angle assistance information, the signal sent by the access network element to obtain a measurement result(P[0094], location measurement of AoA of each directed beam); and
sending provide location information to the location management network element, wherein the provide location information comprises the measurement result wherein the angle assistance information further indicates an angle of a straight line between the access network element and the terminal device and comprises azimuth angle information and/or zenith angle information, the azimuth angle information indicates an included angle on a horizontal plane and between the access network element and the terminal device, and the zenith angle information indicates an included angle between a zenith direction and a direction of the access network element relative to the terminal device(P[0004], LOS path arrive at UE in single straight line path; P[0026], the use of AoD may be used to identify directed beams that are line of sight (LOS); P[0031], range of horizontal angles (also referred to as azimuth) and range of vertical angles (also referred to as angle of elevation); P[0032], AOD may be defined by the horizontal and vertical angles).
Gunnarson did not teach specifically obtaining by a second terminal device angle assistance information from a first terminal device. However, Xiao teaches in an analogous art obtaining by a second terminal device angle assistance information from a first terminal device(Fig. 1; P[0036-0040]; P[0033], positioning assistance information includes AoA, AoD, ZoD, ZoA; P[0045], positioning assistance information may include angle of departure, angle of arrival, zenith angle of arrival). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the method of obtaining by a second terminal device angle assistance information from a first terminal device in order to have improved flexibility.
Regarding claim 11, Gummadi in view of Xiao teaches the method according to claim 10, wherein the azimuth angle information further indicates an angle of a straight line between the first terminal device and the second terminal device and comprises: an azimuth angle value, an azimuth angle range, a first value, preset azimuth angle value information, and/or preset azimuth angle range information; and the azimuth angle range is obtained by adding or subtracting the azimuth angle value and the first value, the preset azimuth angle value information indicates the azimuth angle value, and the preset azimuth angle range information indicates the azimuth angle range (Gummadi: (P[0031], A “beamformed PRS” or “PRS beam” may provide PRS signal coverage over a narrow range of contiguous horizontal angles (also referred to as angles of azimuth) and/or a narrow range of contiguous vertical angles (also referred to as angles of elevation). For example, PRS transmission might be directed through a range of horizontal angles between θ and (θ+α) degrees clockwise from North and/or between a range of vertical angles between Φ and (Φ+β) degrees above (or below) a horizontal plane. Outside these angles, PRS transmission may still be present (e.g. due to imperfect antenna array characteristics) but may have a reduced signal power of at least X dB below the center of the beam (at azimuth (θ+0.5 α) and/or elevation (Φ+0.5β)). For example, X may be 3, a may be 10 degrees and/or β may be 10 degrees. PRS within these angles may be referred to as part of a PRS beam and outside these angles as not part of the PRS beam. A PRS with the center horizontal and/or vertical angles ((θ+0.5α) and/or (Φ+0.5β) respectively) may be referred to as the center PRS; Xiao: P[0034], horizontal azimuth angle).
Regarding claim 12, Gummadi in view of Xiao teaches the method according to claim 10, wherein the zenith angle information comprises: a zenith angle value, a zenith angle range, another value, preset zenith angle value information, and/or preset zenith angle range information; and the zenith angle range is obtained by adding or subtracting the zenith angle value and the another value, the preset zenith angle value information indicates the zenith angle value, and the preset zenith angle range information indicates the zenith angle range(Gummadi: P[0031] A “beamformed PRS” or “PRS beam” may provide PRS signal coverage over a narrow range of contiguous vertical angles (also referred to as angles of elevation). For example, PRS transmission might be directed through a range of vertical angles between Φ and (Φ+β) degrees above (or below) a horizontal plane. Outside these angles, PRS transmission may still be present (e.g. due to imperfect antenna array characteristics) but may have a reduced signal power of at least X dB below the center of the beam and elevation (Φ+0.5β)). For example β may be 10 degrees. PRS within these angles may be referred to as part of a PRS beam and outside these angles as not part of the PRS beam. A PRS with the center vertical angles ((θ+0.5α) and/or (Φ+0.5β) respectively) may be referred to as the center PRS; Xiao: P[0033], zenith angle; ZoD, ZoA; P[0034], pitch angle).
Claims 13-16 are rejected for the same reason as set forth in claims 9-12 respectively.
Regarding claim 20, Gummadi teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein: the measuring, by the terminal device based on the angle assistance information, of the signal sent by the access network element to obtain the measurement result is performed to narrow down an angle search range of the terminal device(Gummadi: P[0078], AoA measurements for directed beams; P[0094], AoD is provided to UE as assistance data).
Regarding claim 21, Gummadi in view of Xiao teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein: the provide location information further comprises indication information corresponding to the measurement result; and the indication information indicates whether an angle corresponding to the measurement result is within an angle indicated by the angle assistance information (Gummadi: P[0023], transmission spans a narrow range of angles (Gummadi: 5 degrees of azimuth) using a directional beam using beam forming; P[0031]; P[0077], AOD of each PRS transmission; signal measurements; assistance data provided to UE; P[0094], assistance data may include AoD of each directed beam).
Claims 22 is rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 21.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 8/3/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/MUTHUSWAMY G MANOHARAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
