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 .
This action is in response to the application filed on 05 September 2023.
Claims 1-10, 12, 14-16, 20-22, 24, 27, and 28 are under examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05 September 2023. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 20-22 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (US Publication 2020/0068459).
With respect to claim 1 and 28, Liu teaches A first network node, comprising a memory, processing circuitry and transceiver circuitry, (a communications apparatus 1400 may include: a memory 1401, a processor 1402, a system bus 1403, and a communications interface 1404. The processor 1402, the memory 1401, and the communications interface 1404 are connected by using the system bus 1403, the memory 1401 may be disposed in the processor 1402, and the memory 1401 and the processor 1402 may be implemented by using a chip, paragraph 257) the network node configured to
obtain one or more mobility state related parameters; (the source base station obtains the mobility state information of the terminal device based on a quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within predetermined duration, paragraph 121)
determine mobility state information of a wireless device in a connected mode with the radio access network, based on the one or more mobility state related parameters; (if the quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration is greater than a first predetermined quantity, the source base station determines that the terminal device is in the high mobility state, paragraph 124) and
communicate the determined mobility state information to a second network node. (The source base station sends a cell handover request to the target base station, where the cell handover request includes the mobility state information of the terminal device and a measurement report of the terminal device, paragraph 138)
With respect to claim 2, Liu teaches wherein the mobility state information comprises at least one of: direction of movement; and speed information of the wireless device. (the mobility state information of the terminal device may be at least one of a mobility speed, a mobility direction, and a mobility state, paragraph 140)
With respect to claim 3, Liu teaches wherein the obtained one or more mobility state related parameters are obtained from at least one of: an uplink signal received from the wireless device; information related to downlink reference signals transmitted to the wireless device; and mobility state information obtained through processing previously stored mobility data of the wireless device. (The measurement report herein includes the current measurement report of the terminal device; or the measurement report includes the current measurement report of the terminal device and a historical measurement report of the terminal device, where the current measurement report is equivalent to the measurement report in step S402, and the historical measurement report is a measurement report reported by the terminal device for performing a handover operation before the current handover, paragraph 143)
With respect to claim 4, Liu teaches wherein the obtained one or more mobility state related parameters comprises one or more of: a doppler shift in the uplink signals sent by the wireless device; a timing advanced measured in the uplink signals sent by the wireless device; a number of beam switches and/or the order of switched beams; and an angle of arrival of uplink signals sent by the wireless device. (the source base station obtains the mobility state information of the terminal device based on a quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within predetermined duration, paragraph 121)
With respect to claim 5, Liu teaches wherein obtaining the one or more mobility state related parameters comprises the first network node determining at least one mobility state related parameter. (the source base station obtains the mobility state information of the terminal device based on a quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within predetermined duration, paragraph 121)
With respect to claim 6, Liu teaches wherein the obtained one or more mobility state related parameters are based on a rate of change of DL beamforming changes towards the wireless device. (The current time point herein may alternatively be a time point at which the source base station is triggered to obtain the mobility state information of the terminal device. The quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration may be understood as a quantity of downlink beams traversed in a range from a first position to a second position when the terminal device moves from the first position to the second position in a time period, paragraph 122)
With respect to claim 9, Liu teaches wherein the communicated mobility state information comprises one or more of: a classification of the wireless device mobility state as a relative level of mobility; and a classification of the direction of the wireless device into one of a predefined set of directions. (the mobility state information of the terminal device includes a mobility state, a mobility speed, or a mobility direction. The mobility speed may be a mobility speed of the terminal device or a speed at which the terminal device switches a downlink beam. The mobility state may be a high mobility state, a medium mobility state, or a normal mobility state. The high mobility state means that the terminal device moves at a high speed. The medium mobility state means that the terminal device moves at a medium speed. The normal mobility state means that the terminal device moves at a low speed, paragraph 117)
With respect to claim 10, Liu teaches further comprising: determining the mobility state information periodically; and communicating the determined mobility state information to the second network node periodically. (The report manner is a time trigger type, and includes periodic report and event-triggered report, paragraph 97)
With respect to claim 12, Liu teaches further comprising communicating the determined mobility state to the second network node upon satisfying a criterion, wherein the criterion comprises a threshold. (if the quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration is greater than a first predetermined quantity, the source base station determines that the terminal device is in the high mobility state; if the quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration is less than or equal to a first predetermined quantity and is greater than a second predetermined quantity, the source base station determines that the terminal device is in the medium mobility state, paragraph 124)
With respect to claim 15, Liu teaches wherein the communicated mobility state information comprises one or more of the obtained mobility state related parameters. (the source base station sends, to the target base station, the obtained distance between the terminal device and the source base station and the obtained quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration, and the target base station determines the mobility state of the terminal device based on the distance between the terminal device and the source base station and the quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration. This is not limited in this embodiment of this application. paragraph 146)
With respect to claim 20, Liu teaches A method performed by a second network node comprised in a radio access network, the method comprising
receiving a mobility state information from a first network node for at least one wireless device which is in a connected mode with the radio access network; (The source base station sends a cell handover request to the target base station, where the cell handover request includes the mobility state information of the terminal device and a measurement report of the terminal device, paragraph 138) and
performing one of a mobility management and a radio resource management operation with the at least one wireless device based on the received mobility state information. (the target base station determines the mobility state of the terminal device based on the distance between the terminal device and the source base station and the quantity of downlink beams switched by the terminal device within the predetermined duration, paragraph 146. The target base station allocates the random access resource to the terminal device based on the mobility state information and the measurement report of the terminal device, paragraph 147)
With respect to claim 21, Liu teaches wherein performing the mobility management operation comprises performing one of: a non-conditional handover with the at least one wireless device; a conditional handover with the at least one wireless device; and a dual active protocol stack, DAPS, handover. (The target cell base station determines, based on the received measurement report, whether the terminal device meets a handover condition, paragraph 209)
With respect to claim 22, Liu teaches wherein the mobility state information comprises at least one of a direction of movement classification and a speed classification and the type of handover is selected based on the at least one direction of movement and speed classification, and wherein the mobility state information comprises a direction of movement classification and the handover is performed to a target cell from a subset of available cells based on the direction of movement classification. (in which the beam information in the current measurement report of the terminal device is a beam 3 and a beam 4 is used, and an example in which beam information in the historical measurement report is a beam 1 and a beam 2 is used. In this case, the source base station may determine, based on distribution of the beam 1, the beam 2, the beam 3, the beam 4, and beams of the target base station, the mobility direction of the terminal device, for example, a direction shown by an arrow in FIG. 1. The target base station further obtains the mobility direction of the terminal device on the basis of obtaining the mobility state of the terminal device, and therefore can more accurately allocate the random access resource to the terminal device. For example, when learning of the mobility state and the mobility direction of the terminal device, and the beam information, the target base station allocates, to the terminal device, random access resources corresponding to the beam 3 and the beam 4 and a random access resource corresponding to a beam 5 neighboring to the beam 3 and the beam 4, rather than a random access resource corresponding to a beam 0 neighboring to the beam 1 and the beam 2; or allocates, to the terminal device, random access resources of the beam 4 and a beam 5 neighboring to the beam 4; or allocates, to the terminal device, a random access resource of a beam 5 neighboring to the beam 4. Therefore, the random access resource can be more accurately allocated to the terminal device by using this implementation, paragraph 161)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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(a) 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
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US Publication 2020/0068459) in view of Zhu et al. (US Publication 2023/0269602).
With respect to claim 7, Liu doesn’t teach the one or more parameters are determined based on: for analogue beamforming, the rate of change of CSI-RS beams used for data transmission; and for digital/hybrid beamforming, the rate of change of beamforming vectors and the range of changes in the beamforming vectors
Zhu teaches the one or more parameters are determined based on: for analogue beamforming, the rate of change of CSI-RS beams used for data transmission; and for digital/hybrid beamforming, the rate of change of beamforming vectors and the range of changes in the beamforming vectors. (the base station predicts a subsequent amount of beam change and rate of beam change (a beam adjustment angle and a beam adjustment period) based on the most matching SSB/CSI-RS sending beams occurring one after another in a certain time, paragraph 94)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu with the one or more parameters are determined based on: for analogue beamforming, the rate of change of CSI-RS beams used for data transmission; and for digital/hybrid beamforming, the rate of change of beamforming vectors and the range of changes in the beamforming vectors as taught by Zhu. The motivation for combining Liu and Zhu is to be able to avoid the beam direction of the network device and the terminal deviating from a correct direction, which improves the communication performance
Claims 8 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US Publication 2020/0068459) in view of Pezeshki et al. (US Publication 2021/0336687).
With respect to claim 8, Liu doesn’t teach wherein the mobility state information obtained by processing previously stored mobility data is obtained from a machine learning entity based on at least one of: a doppler shift in the UL signals sent by the wireless device; a timing advanced measured in the uplink signals sent by the wireless device; a number of beam switches and the order of switched beams; an angle of arrival of the uplink signals sent by the wireless device; the wireless device location information; actual speeds of the wireless device; wireless device sensor information; time stamps; and mobility state information reported by the wireless device.
Pezeshki teaches wherein the mobility state information obtained by processing previously stored mobility data is obtained from a machine learning entity based on at least one of: a doppler shift in the UL signals sent by the wireless device; a timing advanced measured in the uplink signals sent by the wireless device; a number of beam switches and the order of switched beams; an angle of arrival of the uplink signals sent by the wireless device; the wireless device location information; actual speeds of the wireless device; wireless device sensor information; time stamps; and mobility state information reported by the wireless device.. (a UE may predict, estimate or otherwise determine (hereinafter used interchangeably where appropriate) the mobility state of the UE for a future period of time and report the predicted mobility state of the UE to a network entity. The UE may predict the mobility state of the UE using a machine learning model trained to predict whether the UE is moving or stationary based on various information, such as sensor data, time information, and location or other position information, among other examples. The UE may additionally or alternatively predict the mobility state of the UE using other contextual information, such as signal quality measurements. The UE may report the predicted mobility state of the UE and position information associated with the UE to a network entity for use by the network entity in identifying beams to use for communications between the UE and the network entity, paragraph 130)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu with the mobility state information obtained by processing previously stored mobility data is obtained from a machine learning as taught by Pezeshki. The motivation for combining Liu and Pezeshki is to be able to allow for reduced monitoring time by a UE and/or free up resources (that would otherwise be used for SSB transmissions) for data transmissions. Additional aspects relate generally to the beam management procedures.
With respect to claim 14, Liu doesn’t teach further comprising determining a predicted value of the wireless device speed or a predicted direction of movement and communicating the mobility state information based on the predicted value
Pezeshki teaches further comprising determining a predicted value of the wireless device speed or a predicted direction of movement and communicating the mobility state information based on the predicted value. (a UE may predict, estimate or otherwise determine (hereinafter used interchangeably where appropriate) the mobility state of the UE for a future period of time and report the predicted mobility state of the UE to a network entity. The UE may predict the mobility state of the UE using a machine learning model trained to predict whether the UE is moving or stationary based on various information, such as sensor data, time information, and location or other position information, among other examples. The UE may additionally or alternatively predict the mobility state of the UE using other contextual information, such as signal quality measurements. The UE may report the predicted mobility state of the UE and position information associated with the UE to a network entity for use by the network entity in identifying beams to use for communications between the UE and the network entity, paragraph 130)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu with the mobility state information obtained by processing previously stored mobility data is obtained from a machine learning as taught by Pezeshki. The motivation for combining Liu and Pezeshki is to be able to allow for reduced monitoring time by a UE and/or free up resources (that would otherwise be used for SSB transmissions) for data transmissions. Additional aspects relate generally to the beam management procedures.
Claims 16 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US Publication 2020/0068459) in view of Abedini et al. (US Publication 2021/0044958).
With respect to claim 16, Liu doesn’t teach further comprising receiving a request for the mobility state information from the second network node, wherein the mobility state information is communicated in a mobility state information reporting message within an F1 application protocol, wherein the first network node is a distributed unit and the second network node is a centralized unit, wherein the first network node is an integrated access and backhaul distributed unit, and wherein the second network node is an integrated access and backhaul centralized unit.
Abedini teaches further comprising receiving a request for the mobility state information from the second network node, wherein the mobility state information is communicated in a mobility state information reporting message within an F1 application protocol, wherein the first network node is a distributed unit and the second network node is a centralized unit, wherein the first network node is an integrated access and backhaul distributed unit, and wherein the second network node is an integrated access and backhaul centralized unit. (MT of the parent node may provide (for example via an RRC message) the mobility state information to a CU of the IAB donor, and the CU of the IAB donor may provide (for example, via an F1-AP message) the mobility state information to the DU of the parent node or may provide (for example, via an RRC message) the mobility state information to the MT of the child node. As another particular example, the DU of the parent node may provide (for example, via an F1-AP message) the mobility state information to the CU of the IAB donor, and the CU of the IAB donor may provide (for example, via an F1-AP message) the mobility state information to the DU of the parent node or may provide (for example, via an RRC message) the mobility state information to the MT of the child node, paragraph 74)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu with wherein the mobility state information is communicated in a mobility state information reporting message within an F1 application protocol as taught by Abedini. The motivation for combining Liu and Abedini is to be able to signaling to support mobile IAB can improve overall performance of the IAB network and increase efficiency of the IAB network (in terms of, for example, resource utilization).
With respect to claim 27, Liu doesn’t teach wherein the second network node is an integrated access and backhaul centralized unit and the first network node is an integrated access and backhaul distributed unit.
Abedini teaches wherein the second network node is an integrated access and backhaul centralized unit and the first network node is an integrated access and backhaul distributed unit. (MT of the parent node may provide (for example via an RRC message) the mobility state information to a CU of the IAB donor, and the CU of the IAB donor may provide (for example, via an F1-AP message) the mobility state information to the DU of the parent node or may provide (for example, via an RRC message) the mobility state information to the MT of the child node. As another particular example, the DU of the parent node may provide (for example, via an F1-AP message) the mobility state information to the CU of the IAB donor, and the CU of the IAB donor may provide (for example, via an F1-AP message) the mobility state information to the DU of the parent node or may provide (for example, via an RRC message) the mobility state information to the MT of the child node, paragraph 74)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu with wherein the mobility state information is communicated in a mobility state information reporting message within an F1 application protocol as taught by Abedini. The motivation for combining Liu and Abedini is to be able to signaling to support mobile IAB can improve overall performance of the IAB network and increase efficiency of the IAB network (in terms of, for example, resource utilization).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US Publication 2020/0068459) in view of Lunden et al. (US Publication 2016/0044569) further in view of Jain et al. (US Publication 2019/0327628).
With respect to claim 24, Liu doesn’t teach wherein the performing a radio resource management operation comprise the second network node configuring or re-configuring a wireless device based on the received mobility state information, and wherein the second network node: configures the wireless device with reporting configurations associated to a handover when the reported mobility state information is classified with a first level of mobility; configures the wireless device with reporting configurations associated to conditional handover when the reported mobility state information is classified with a second level of mobility, wherein the second level of mobility is associated with a greater level of mobility compared to the first level of mobility; configures fewer measurement objects related to high frequencies compared to the number for lower frequencies; and configures fewer measurement objects related to frequencies where only small cells are deployed compared to the number of measurement objects for normal or large cells.
Lunden teaches teach wherein the performing a radio resource management operation comprise the second network node configuring or re-configuring a wireless device based on the received mobility state information, and wherein the second network node: configures the wireless device with reporting configurations associated to a handover when the reported mobility state information is classified with a first level of mobility; configures the wireless device with reporting configurations associated to conditional handover when the reported mobility state information is classified with a second level of mobility, wherein the second level of mobility is associated with a greater level of mobility compared to the first level of mobility; (a periodic report, such as reporting of strongest cells on a carrier (or measurement object), may only be sent by the user equipment, when the user equipment is in a normal MSE condition as specified by the MSE configuration information. For example, the user equipment may trigger an event when one or more cells meet a specified entry condition. But in this case, based on the MSE state, there may be two reporting configurations for an Event A3 with two different entry conditions: one for normal or medium UE mobility state and one for the high UE mobility state. Here, the report would be triggered in different conditions depending on the MSE state allowing separation (for example, the high mobility state user equipment from the normal or medium mobility state). Similarly, different events (for example, Event A3 and/or A5) may be used for triggering events the different MSEs, paragraph 30)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu with configures the wireless device with reporting configurations associated to conditional handover when the reported mobility state information is classified with a second level of mobility, wherein the second level of mobility is associated with a greater level of mobility compared to the first level of mobility as taught by Lunden. The motivation for combining Liu and Lunden is to be able to allowing the restriction of certain measurements and/or event reporting which may prevent a high speed user equipment from measuring and reporting to the network events, which may avoid unnecessary small cell handovers.
Jain teaches configures fewer measurement objects related to high frequencies compared to the number for lower frequencies; and configures fewer measurement objects related to frequencies where only small cells are deployed compared to the number of measurement objects for normal or large cells. ( his process would be subject to a maximum time for response, sometimes sent by the location server 160 (sometimes sent as a quality of service parameter (QOS parameter), such that a very short maximum time for response (such that a scan could not be completed at the higher frequency band) would result in signal measurements only from lower frequency bands or, at least, may result in fewer measurements from the higher frequency band, Paragraph 46)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Liu in view of Lunden with configures fewer measurement objects related to high frequencies compared to the number for lower frequencies; and configures fewer measurement objects related to frequencies where only small cells are deployed compared to the number of measurement objects for normal or large cells as taught by Jain. The motivation for combining Liu, Lunden and Jain is to be able to optimize sending and/or utilizing signal measurements made at higher frequency bands or signal measurements of signals sent from devices at a shorter range.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Chen et al. (US Publication 2024/0214859) discloses a first network entity including RAN equipment (5) in a communication system is disclosed. The method includes obtaining information relating to a mobility state of a UE (3), determining a mobility specific configuration for the UE (3) based on the mobility state, and providing configuration information for configuring the UE (3) with the mobility specific configuration.
Akl et al. (US Publication 2023/0254759) discloses a distributed unit (DU) of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node may receive, from a centralized unit (CU) of an IAB donor, an indication of a mobility state of a child node of the DU. The DU may perform an admission control for the child node based at least in part on the mobility state of the child node. Numerous other aspects are described.
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to ABDULLAHI AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 270-3652. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khalid Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3370. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDULLAHI AHMED/Examiner, Art Unit 2475