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 .
Priority
2. 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.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on November 10, 2023 and September 13,2024 have been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Specification
4. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
5. 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, 8-9, and 11-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wiacek (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0272649 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wiacek teaches a wireless communication method (Fig.5), comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device (Fig.5 @ 204), first information (read as an SIB with TOA data set(s) (Paragraph(s) [0072]-[0073])) transmitted by a network device (Fig.5 @ 504),
wherein the first information is associated with a first time period (read as TOA data set(s) (Paragraph [0073]); For example, “A TOA data set may include signal physical transmission times (e.g., T0) and/or an update time period tP,”(Paragraph [0073])), and
the first information is used to obtain at least one of:
a first timing value (read as a first physical transmission value (T0) (Paragraph [0073]),
an offset rate of a first timing value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value,
a first frequency offset value,
an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
first ephemeris information,
the first time period, or
one or more time domain positions corresponding to the first time period.
Regarding claim 12, Wiacek teaches a terminal device (Fig(s).1 @ 131-133 and 135, 2A @ 204, 3 @ 204, 5 @ 204, and 7 @ 700), comprising a processor (Fig.7 @ 704) and a memory (Fig.7 @ 706),
wherein the memory (Fig.7 @ 706) has a computer program (read as computer program [0139]) stored thereon, and the processor (Fig.7 @ 704) is configured to invoke and execute the computer program (read as computer program [0139]) stored in the memory (Fig.7 @ 706) to perform:
receiving first information (read as an SIB with TOA data set(s) (Paragraph(s) [0072]-[0073])) transmitted by a network device (Fig.5 @ 504),
wherein the first information is associated with a first time period (read as TOA data set(s) (Paragraph [0073]); For example, “A TOA data set may include signal physical transmission times (e.g., T0) and/or an update time period tP,”(Paragraph [0073])), and
the first information is used to obtain at least one of:
a first timing value (read as a first physical transmission value (T0) (Paragraph [0073])),
an offset rate of a first timing value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value,
a first frequency offset value,
an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
first ephemeris information,
the first time period, or
one or more time domain positions corresponding to the first time period.
Regarding claim 13, Wiacek teaches a network device (Fig(s).1 @ 134, 2A @ 202, 3 @ 202, 5 @ 202, and 7 @ 700), comprising a processor (Fig.7 @ 704) and a memory (Fig.7 @ 706),
wherein the memory (Fig.7 @ 706) has a computer program (read as computer program [0139]) stored thereon, and the processor (Fig.7 @ 704) is configured to invoke and execute the computer program (read as computer program [0139]) stored in the memory (Fig.7 @ 706) to perform:
transmitting first information (read as an SIB with TOA data set(s) (Paragraph(s) [0072]-[0073])) to a terminal device (Fig.5 @ 504),
the first information being associated with a first time period (read as TOA data set(s) (Paragraph [0073]); For example, “A TOA data set may include signal physical transmission times (e.g., T0) and/or an update time period tP,…”(Paragraph [0073]));
wherein the first information is used to obtain at least one of:
a first timing value (read as a first physical transmission value (T0) (Paragraph [0073])),
an offset rate of a first timing value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value,
a first frequency offset value,
an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
first ephemeris information,
the first time period, or
one or more time domain positions corresponding to the first time period, or
the first information comprises at least one of:
a first timing value (read as a first physical transmission value (T0) (Paragraph [0073]-[0074])),
an offset rate of a first timing value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value,
a first frequency offset value,
an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first frequency offset value,
first ephemeris information,
the first time period, or
one or more time domain positions corresponding to the first time period.
Regarding claims 2 and 14, and as applied to claim 1 and 13 above, Wiacek teaches a method and network device (Fig.5) wherein the first information (read as an SIB with TOA data set(s) (Paragraph(s) [0072]-[0073])) being associated with the first time period comprises:
the first information being associated with M time domain positions included in the first time period (read as “LTE frame (10 milliseconds) is exactly 307200 Ts and UE may just add 307200 Ts to the last received frame with T0 to have most current value.”(Paragraph [0039])), where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 (read as 307200 Ts(Paragraph [0039])),
wherein the first information is used to obtain at least one of:
a first timing value corresponding to each of one or more of the M time domain positions (read as a first physical transmission value (T0) (Paragraph [0073])),
an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of one or more of the M time domain positions,
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of one or more of the M time domain positions,
a first frequency offset value corresponding to each of one or more of the M time domain positions,
an offset rate of a first frequency offset value corresponding to each of one or more of the M time domain positions, or
a rate of change of an offset rate of a first frequency offset value corresponding to each of one or more of the M time domain positions,
wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining, by the terminal device (Fig.5 @ 204), first timing values corresponding to the M time domain positions according to the first information (Fig(s).1, 2A, and 5) or
the first information comprises a first timing value corresponding to each of the M time domain positions.
Regarding claim 3, and as applied to claim 2 above, Wiacek teaches a method (Fig.5) wherein the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions. (Fig.5 @ 506)
Regarding claim 4, and as applied to claim 3 above, Wiacek teaches a method (Fig.5) wherein:
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 504, 506); or
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions. (Fig.5 @ 504, 506)
Regarding claim 6, and as applied to claim 2 above, Wiacek teaches a method (Fig.5) further comprising:
determining, by the terminal device, a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position according to the first timing values corresponding to the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 506),
the first time domain position being a time domain position corresponding to the first time period or a time domain position in the first time period. (read as “LTE frame (10 milliseconds) is exactly 307200 Ts and UE may just add 307200 Ts to the last received frame with T0 to have most current value.”(Paragraph [0039]))
Regarding claim 8, and as applied to claim 1 above, Wiacek teaches a method (Fig(s).5 and 6) wherein the first time period is associated with a second length (Fig(s).5 @ 504,506 and 6 @ 640), or a length of the first time period is the second length,
wherein:
the second length is configured by the network device via at least one of
a system message,
an RRC message (read as RRC message (Paragraph [0072])),
a MAC CE, or
DCI; or
the second length is predefined or agreed in a protocol.
Regarding claim 9, and as applied to claim 1 above, Wiacek teaches a method (Fig.5) wherein the first information (read as an SIB with TOA data set(s) (Paragraph(s) [0072]-[0073])) is configured by the network device (Fig.5 @ 204) via at least one of
a system message,
an RRC message (read as RRC message (Paragraph [0072])), or
a MAC CE.
Regarding claim 11, and as applied to claim 1 above, Wiacek teaches a method (Fig.5) further comprising:
obtaining, by the terminal device (Fig.5 @ 204), time domain and/or frequency domain synchronization corresponding to at least one time domain position corresponding to the first time period according to the first information. (Fig.5 @ 504, 506)
Regarding claim 15, and as applied to claim 14 above, Wiacek teaches a network device (Fig.5 @ 202) wherein:
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions and an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions (Fig(s).504, 506); or
the first information comprises a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions and an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions. (Fig(s).504, 506)
Regarding claim 16, and as applied to claim 15 above, Wiacek teaches a network device (Fig.5 @ 202) wherein:
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, and is used to obtain an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 504, 506); or
the first information comprises a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, and an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions. (Fig.5 @ 504, 506)
Regarding claim 17, and as applied to claim 14 above, Wiacek teaches a network device (Fig.5 @ 202) wherein:
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 504, 506); or
the first information comprises a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions. (Fig.5 @ 504, 506)
Regarding claim 18, and as applied to claim 17 above, Wiacek teaches a network device (Fig.5 @ 202) wherein:
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 504,506); or
the first information comprises a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least one of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 504,506); or
the first information is used to obtain a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions (Fig.5 @ 504,506); or
the first information comprises a first timing value corresponding to a first time domain position among the M time domain positions, an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions, and a rate of change of an offset rate of a first timing value corresponding to each of at least two of the M time domain positions. (Fig.5 @ 504,506)
Regarding claim 19, and as applied to claim 13 above, Wiacek teaches a network device (Fig.5 @ 202) wherein the first time period is associated with a second length (Fig(s).5 @ 504,506 and 6 @ 640), or a length of the first time period is the second length,
wherein the second length is configured or agreed in a protocol, or
the second length is configured by the network device (Fig.5 @ 202), wherein the second length is configured by the network device via at least one of
a system message,
an RRC message (read as RRC message (Paragraph [0072])),
a MAC CE, or
DCI; or
the second length is predefined or agreed in a protocol,
wherein the first information is configured by the network device (Fig.5 @ 202) via at least one of
a system message,
an RRC message (read as RRC message (Paragraph [0072])), or
a MAC CE.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 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 of this title, 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.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wiacek (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0272649 A1) in view of 3GPP (“TR 36.763 V.0.0.2”, February 2021).
Regarding claim 10 and 20, and as applied to claim 1 above, Wiacek teaches “A method, apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium are provided for time of arrival (TOA) based correction for uplink channel synchronization at a user equipment (UE). ”(Fig(s).1, 2A, 5, and 7; Abstract)
However, Wiacek fails to explicitly teach wherein the first information is associated with at least one of:
time domain position information,
an ephemeris information format,
ephemeris information,
a group identifier,
a reference signal index,
a cell identifier,
an antenna polarization mode,
a satellite identifier, a serving satellite,
a service time length of the serving satellite,
a satellite to serve,
time at which the satellite to serve starts to serve,
a satellite to stop serving, or
time at which the satellite to stop serving stops serving.
The 3GPP document teaches a method wherein the first information is associated with at least one of:
time domain position information,
an ephemeris information format,
ephemeris information (Ephemeris information (Section 7.3.1.2, page 24)),
a group identifier,
a reference signal index,
a cell identifier,
an antenna polarization mode,
a satellite identifier,
a serving satellite,
a service time length of the serving satellite,
a satellite to serve,
time at which the satellite to serve starts to serve,
a satellite to stop serving, or
time at which the satellite to stop serving stops serving.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for generating ephemeris information in an SI message as taught by the 3GPP document with the devices as taught by Wiacek for the purpose of improving device synchronization in an non-terrestrial network (NTN).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 5 and 7 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 5, and as applied to claim 3 above, the best prior art found during the examination of the present, Wiacek (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0272649 A1) teaches “A method, apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium are provided for time of arrival (TOA) based correction for uplink channel synchronization at a user equipment (UE). ”(Fig(s).1, 2A, 5, and 7; Abstract) in view of the 3GPP (“TR 36.763 V.0.0.2”, February 2021) document teaches “Satellite assistance (e.g. Ephemeris information) and UE location information can be used to help UEs in IoT NTN perform measurement and cell selection/reselection, in addition to PCI and frequency information included in the broadcast system information [3] [10].” (Section 7.3.1.2, page 24), fail to disclose: “… wherein said obtaining, by the terminal device, the first timing values corresponding to the M time domain positions according to the first information comprises:
determining, by the terminal device, the first timing value corresponding to each of the M time domain positions according to:
PNG
media_image1.png
96
480
media_image1.png
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where tᵢ represents an (i+1)-th time domain position among the M time domain positions, i=1, 2...,M-1,
t₀ represents a first time domain position among the M time domain positions,
NTAᵢ₋₁ represents the first timing value corresponding to the time domain position tᵢ₋₁, NTai represents the first timing value corresponding to the time domain position tᵢ, Dᵢ₋₁ represents the offset rate of the first timing value corresponding to tᵢ₋₁, Vᵢ₋₁ represents the rate of change of the offset rate of the first timing value corresponding to tᵢ₋₁, and
δₜ₀ represents a one-way propagation delay from the network device to the terminal device at the time domain position t₀ of the terminal device.”
Regarding claim 7, and as applied to claim 6 above, the best prior art found during the examination of the present, Wiacek (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0272649 A1) teaches “A method, apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium are provided for time of arrival (TOA) based correction for uplink channel synchronization at a user equipment (UE). ”(Fig(s).1, 2A, 5, and 7; Abstract) in view of the 3GPP (“TR 36.763 V.0.0.2”, February 2021) document teaches “Satellite assistance (e.g. Ephemeris information) and UE location information can be used to help UEs in IoT NTN perform measurement and cell selection/reselection, in addition to PCI and frequency information included in the broadcast system information [3] [10].” (Section 7.3.1.2, page 24), fail to disclose: “wherein said determining, by the terminal device, the first timing value corresponding to the first time domain position according to the first timing values corresponding to the M time domain positions comprises:
determining, by the terminal device, the first timing value corresponding to the first time domain position according to:
PNG
media_image2.png
90
420
media_image2.png
Greyscale
wherein the first time domain position is a time domain position before t₀, or the first time domain position is a time domain position after t₀;
wherein t represents the first time domain position, NTA, represents the first timing value corresponding to the first time domain position, NTA₀ represents the first timing value corresponding to the time domain position t₀, t₀ represents the first time domain position among the M time domain positions,
D₀ represents an offset rate of the first timing value corresponding to t₀, V₀ represents a rate of change of the offset rate of the first timing value corresponding to t₀ , and
δₜ₀ represents a one-way propagation delay from the network device to the terminal device at the time domain position t₀ of the terminal device.”
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure:
Deenoo et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2021/0377825 A1) teach “a WTRU may receive a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration with a trigger condition associated with a future time instance or offset thereof.”(Paragraph [0096])
Zhou et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2020/0107299 A1) teach “a user equipment (UE) may receive, via a first carrier, an indication of an offset for scheduling a reference signal on a second carrier, wherein the offset indicates a duration between downlink control information (DCI), that schedules the reference signal, and the reference signal; determine a first numerology of the first carrier and a second numerology of the second carrier; and determine a time offset for the reference signal based at least in part on the offset and at least one of the first numerology, the second numerology, or both the first numerology and the second numerology.”(Paragraph [0096])
Any response to this Office Action should be faxed to (571) 273-8300 or mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Any inquiry concerning this communication or early communications from the Examiner should be directed to Salvador E. Rivas whose telephone number is (571) 270-1784. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 7:00AM to 3:30PM.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Un C. Cho can be reached on (571) 272- 7919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/SALVADOR E RIVAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
February 20, 2026