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 .
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0121710 to Cheng et al.
As concerns claim 1, a cell reselection method, comprising:
determining, by a terminal device (0006), a target network slice group (0090-slice groups);
determining, by the terminal device, at least one candidate cell (0062-0064; 0081) based on the target network slice group (0090), wherein a frequency (0090- slice groups, supported slices on a frequency in a cell) corresponding to the candidate cell supports the target network slice group (0090- slice groups, supported slices on a frequency in a cell); and
performing, by the terminal device, the cell reselection based on the at least one candidate cell (0094-cell reselection; 0096); comprising: selecting, when a priority of the network slice group corresponding to a first cell in the at least one candidate cell is less than or equal to a priority of the network slice group corresponding to a second cell in the at least one candidate cell (0100-frequency priority, neighbor frequency with highest frequency priority), a cell for the cell reselection based on a criterion other than a priority of the network slice group (0076-ranking criterion; BRI in light of applicant’s specification paragraph 0260-“R criterion”; 0078-ranking value).
As concerns claim 8, a communication apparatus, comprising: a first determining unit circuit (0043-controller/processor to perform techniques) configured to determine a target network slice group (0090-slice groups); a second determining unit circuit (0043-controller/processor to perform techniques) configured to determine at least one candidate cell (0062-0064; 0081) based on the target network slice group (0090), wherein a frequency (0090- slice groups, supported slices on a frequency in a cell) corresponding to the candidate cell supports (0090- slice groups, supported slices on a frequency in a cell) the target network slice group; and a cell reselection unit circuit (0043-controller/processor to perform techniques) configured to perform a cell reselection (0094-cell reselection; 0096) based on the at least one candidate cell comprising: selecting, when a priority of the network slice group corresponding to a first cell in the at least one candidate cell is less than or equal to a priority of the network slice group corresponding to a second cell in the at least one candidate cell (0100-frequency priority, neighbor frequency with highest frequency priority), a cell for the cell reselection based on a criterion other than a priority of the network slice group (0076-ranking criterion; BRI in light of applicant’s specification paragraph 0260-“R criterion”; 0078-ranking value).
As concerns claim 15, an apparatus, comprising: a processor (0006); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium (0006) including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to carry out a method including comprising: determining, by a terminal device (0006), a target network slice group (0090-slice groups); determining, by the terminal device, at least one candidate cell (0062-0064; 0081) based on the target network slice group (0090), wherein a frequency (0090- slice groups, supported slices on a frequency in a cell) corresponding to the candidate cell supports (0090- slice groups, supported slices on a frequency in a cell) the target network slice group; and performing, by the terminal device, a cell reselection (0094-cell reselection; 0096) based on the at least one candidate cell comprising: selecting, when a priority of the network slice group corresponding to a first cell in the at least one candidate cell is less than or equal to a priority of the network slice group corresponding to a second cell in the at least one candidate cell (0100-frequency priority, neighbor frequency with highest frequency priority), a cell for the cell reselection based on a criterion other than a priority of the network slice group (0076-ranking criterion; BRI in light of applicant’s specification paragraph 0260-“R criterion”; 0078-ranking value).
As concerns claims 2, 9 and 16, the invention according to claims 1, 8 and 15, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the terminal device, first system information from an access network device (Fig. 4, 110) of a serving cell in which the terminal device is located, wherein the first system information comprises at least one of a network slice group supported by a frequency corresponding to the serving cell (0117-supported slice on a frequency in a cell) or a first priority of the network slice group supported by the frequency corresponding to the serving cell.
As concerns claims 3, 10 and 17, the invention according to claims 1, 8 and 15, wherein the method comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, system information from an access network device (Fig. 4, 110) of a serving cell in which the terminal device is located, wherein the system information comprises at least one of a network slice group supported by a frequency corresponding to a neighboring cell (0100-identify neighbor frequency, switch to neighbor frequency) or (conditional statement, thus not all limitations need be chosen/addressed) a priority of the network slice group supported by the frequency corresponding to the neighboring cell, the system information comprises indication information corresponding to the network slice group supported by the frequency corresponding to the neighboring cell, and the indication information indicates whether the serving cell supports the network slice group supported by the frequency corresponding to the neighboring cell.
As concerns claims 4, 11 and 18, the invention according to claims 2, 9 and 16, wherein the system information comprises a second priority (0100-priority) of a network slice group supported by a frequency corresponding to a neighboring cell (0100-frequency priority, neighbor frequency with highest frequency priority).
As concerns claims 5, 12 and 19, the invention according to claims 2, 10 and 17, wherein the system information is at least one of the following: system information block (SIB) 1 (0114-SIB; Fig. 4), a SIB 2, a SIB 3, a SIB 4, a SIB 5, or a newly defined SIB.
As concerns claims 6, 13 and 20, the method according to claims 3, 10 and 17, wherein the determining of the at least one candidate cell based on the target network slice group comprises: determining the at least one candidate cell in the neighboring cell based on the target network slice group and the network slice group supported by the frequency corresponding to the neighboring cell (0100-identify neighbor frequency, switch to neighbor frequency).
As concerns claims 7, the method according to claim 1, wherein the performing, by the terminal device, the cell reselection based on the at least one candidate cell comprises: selecting, by the terminal device, a to-be-camped-on cell based on the at least one candidate cell (Fig. 5-6, 8; 0082); determining, by the terminal device, whether the to-be-camped-on cell meets a reselection condition (Fig. 5-6, 8; 0006-reselection based on slice information; 0006-0008); and reselecting the to-be-camped-on cell when the to-be-camped-on cell meets the reselection condition (Fig. 5-6, 8; 0006-0008; 0054-0056).
As concerns claim 14, the apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cell reselection unit circuit comprises: a selection sub unit sub-circuit (0043-controller/processor to perform techniques) configured to select a to-be-camped-on cell based on the at least one candidate cell (Fig. 5-6, 8; 0082); a determining sub unit sub-circuit (0043-controller/processor to perform techniques) configured to determine whether the to-be-camped-on cell meets a reselection condition (Fig. 5-6, 8; 0006-reselection based on slice information; 0006-0008); and a reselection subunit sub-circuit (0043-controller/processor to perform techniques) configured to reselect the to-be-camped-on cell when the to-be-camped-on cell meets the reselection condition (Fig. 5-6, 8; 0006-0008; 0054-0056).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 3, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant’s arguments are directed to newly amended claim limitations that have been addressed in the rejection cited above.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN B WALSH whose telephone number is (571)272-7063. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-3:30 pm.
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/JOHN B WALSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2451