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 .
DETAILED ACTION
a. Claims 1-20 in the present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA :
- claims 1-4, 6, 8, 10-12, and 20 are amended
b. This is a final action on the merits based on Applicant’s claims submitted on 04/06/2026.
Response to Arguments
Regarding claims 2 and 6 previously rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b), claims 2 and 6 have been amended according to the examiner's recommendation and thus the previous rejection has been withdrawn.
Regarding Independent claims previously rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103, Applicant's arguments, see “However, Applicant respectfully submits that Chen fails to disclose or suggest, at least, "obtain settings that define durations of segments comprised in a transmission period, wherein the segments comprise at least one transmission segment and at least one segment for a timing advance adjustment," as recited in claim 1.” on page 11, filed on 04/06/2026, with respect to Chen (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2024/0057005), have been fully considered but are moot, over the limitations of “perform the timing advance adjustment after a transmission segment of the at least one transmission segment”. Said limitations are newly added to the amended Claim 1 and have been addressed in instant office action, as shown in section 35 USC 103 rejection below, with newly identified prior art teaching from newly found reference Zhu US Pub 2024/0137916 (hereinafter “Zhu”), in combination with previously applied reference Chen, thus rendering said Applicant’s arguments moot.
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 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.
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.
Claims 1, 7-12, 15, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. US Pub 2024/0057005, claiming foreign application priority 2021-04-27 (hereinafter “Chen”), and in view of Zhu US Pub 2024/0137916 (hereinafter “Zhu”).
Regarding claim 1 (Currently Amended)
Chen discloses an apparatus (“terminal device 1, 2” in Fig. 7 or “the communication apparatus 1200 is applied to a terminal device” in Fig. 12; [0210]) comprising:
at least one processor (“processor 1210” in Fig. 12; [0210]);
and at least one memory including a computer program code (“The memory 1220 stores the computer program, the computer program or instructions, and/or the data that are used for implementing the function of the terminal device” [0210]; Fig. 12), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
obtain settings that define durations of segments (“a quantity of times that a terminal device with a low speed adjusts the timing advance TA value” [0008]) comprised in a transmission period (“In at least one embodiment, the first message includes at least one of uplink data and a random access preamble. In response to the first message including the uplink data, the first information includes first transmission duration. Alternatively, in response to the first message including the random access preamble, the first information includes second transmission duration. Alternatively, in response to the first message including the uplink data and the random access preamble, the first information includes the first transmission duration and the second transmission duration. The first transmission duration is maximum consecutive transmission duration of the uplink data, and the second transmission duration is maximum consecutive transmission duration of the random access preamble.” [0015]),
Chen does not specifically teach wherein the segments comprise at least one transmission segment and at least one segment for a timing advance adjustment; transmit an uplink transmission to an access node comprised in a non- terrestrial network, during the at least one transmission segment; and perform the timing advance adjustment after a transmission segment of the at least one transmission segment.
In an analogous art, Zhu discloses wherein the segments comprise at least one transmission segment and at least one segment for a timing advance adjustment (“generating a timing advance for each time segment according to the open-loop uplink timing advance and the closed-loop uplink timing advance for each time segment; and adjusting a transmission time of one of the plurality of time segments of the uplink signal according to a corresponding timing advance for the one of the plurality of time segments” [Abstract]);
transmit an uplink transmission to an access node comprised in a non-terrestrial network (“At block 202, the position information of the satellite and/or the velocity information of the satellite corresponding to each time segment are obtained.” [0061]), during the at least one transmission segment (“A method for transmitting an uplink signal is performed by a terminal device, and includes: dividing a transmission time of the uplink signal into a plurality of time segments according to a duration;” [Abstract]); and
perform the timing advance adjustment after a transmission segment of the at least one transmission segment (“the transmission time of one time segment of the uplink signal is adjusted according to the timing advance corresponding to the one time segment.” [0049]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Chen’s method for performing timing advance adjustment in a satellite communication, to include Zhu’s method for transmitting an uplink signal to a satellite network, in order to adjust a transmission time of one of the plurality of time segments of the uplink signal according to a corresponding timing advance for the one of the plurality of time segments (Zhu [Abstract]). Thus, a person of ordinary skill would have appreciated the ability to incorporate Zhu’s method for transmitting an uplink signal to a satellite network into Chen’s method for performing timing advance adjustment in a satellite communication since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Regarding claim 7
Chen, as modified by Zhu, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 1,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is further caused to transmit an indication indicating its location (“The second parameter includes at least one of the following: location information of a serving cell of the terminal device, location information of a serving beam of the terminal device, or location information of the terminal device.” [0023]) to the access node (“network device” [0023]).
Regarding claim 8 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 1,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is further caused to obtain, from the access node, an indexed table (i.e. “table” [0178]) comprising the settings that define, for an estimated elevation angle of the apparatus (“the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on location information of the terminal device and a satellite ephemeris parameter. For example, the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on an orbital status or six orbital parameters, and the location information of the terminal device.” [0178]), the durations of the segments comprised in the transmission period (“The terminal device determines the quantity of time units of the random access preamble sequence and the quantity of time units of the uplink data by searching a table. Optionally, the terminal device determines the orbital altitude of the satellite based on the ephemeris parameter, and determine the quantity of time units of the random access preamble sequence and the quantity of time units of the uplink data based on the orbital altitude and elevation angle of the satellite by searching a table.” [0178]).
Regarding claim 9
Chen, as modified by Zhu, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 8,
Chen further discloses wherein the settings further define timing advance values to be applied in each segment (“a relationship between an orbital altitude of a satellite and a quantity of time units is defined based on impact of a minimum elevation angle on timing advance TA. In Example 3, a quantity of time units of a random access preamble sequence and a quantity of time units of uplink data is determined based on the orbital altitude of the satellite and the elevation angle of the satellite.” [0169].
Regarding claim 10 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 8,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is further caused to obtain, from the access node (i.e. “network”), an indication of an index of the indexed table (“after the terminal device accesses the network, the satellite sends the system information to the terminal device by using the higher layer signaling, and the terminal device determines, based on the system information, corresponding transmission duration for transmitting the uplink data by searching a table.” [0155]) that corresponds to the settings that define, for the estimated elevation angle of the apparatus (“the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on location information of the terminal device and a satellite ephemeris parameter. For example, the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on an orbital status or six orbital parameters, and the location information of the terminal device.” [0178]), the durations of the segments comprised in the transmission period (“The terminal device determines the quantity of time units of the random access preamble sequence and the quantity of time units of the uplink data by searching a table. Optionally, the terminal device determines the orbital altitude of the satellite based on the ephemeris parameter, and determine the quantity of time units of the random access preamble sequence and the quantity of time units of the uplink data based on the orbital altitude and elevation angle of the satellite by searching a table.” [0178]).
Regarding claim 11 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 1,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is comprised in a terminal device (“The communication apparatus 1200 provided in this embodiment is applied to the terminal device to complete the method performed by the terminal device” [0212]; Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 12 (Currently Amended)
Chen discloses an apparatus (“the communication apparatus 1200 is applied to a network device. Specifically, the communication apparatus 1200 is a network device, or is an apparatus that supports the network device to implement a function of the network device in any one of the foregoing embodiments.” [0211]; Fig. 12) comprising:
at least one processor (“processor 1210” in Fig. 12; [0211]);
and at least one memory (“memory 1220” in Fig. 12; [0211]) including a computer program code (“the computer program stored in the memory 1220, to complete the method performed by the network device in any one of the foregoing embodiments” [0211]), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
define an indexed table (i.e. “table” [0178]) that defines, for a terminal device (“terminal device 1, 2” in Fig. 7 or “the communication apparatus 1200 is applied to a terminal device” in Fig. 12; [0210]), a setting that defines durations of segments (“a quantity of times that a terminal device with a low speed adjusts the timing advance TA value” [0008]) comprised in a transmission period (“In at least one embodiment, the first message includes at least one of uplink data and a random access preamble. In response to the first message including the uplink data, the first information includes first transmission duration. Alternatively, in response to the first message including the random access preamble, the first information includes second transmission duration. Alternatively, in response to the first message including the uplink data and the random access preamble, the first information includes the first transmission duration and the second transmission duration. The first transmission duration is maximum consecutive transmission duration of the uplink data, and the second transmission duration is maximum consecutive transmission duration of the random access preamble.” [0015]), and wherein the indexed table comprises a plurality of ranges of elevation angles with corresponding settings (“the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on location information of the terminal device and a satellite ephemeris parameter. For example, the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on an orbital status or six orbital parameters, and the location information of the terminal device.” [0178]);
obtain an indication regarding an index (i.e. “table” [0155]) that defines the setting that is applicable to an elevation angle of the terminal device (“after the terminal device accesses the network, the satellite sends the system information to the terminal device by using the higher layer signaling, and the terminal device determines, based on the system information, corresponding transmission duration for transmitting the uplink data by searching a table.” [0155]);
schedule a transmission, wherein the transmission is an uplink transmission (“the first message includes at least one of uplink data and a random access preamble” [0015]); and
receive the transmission from the terminal device according to the setting that is applicable to the elevation angle of the terminal device (“the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on location information of the terminal device and a satellite ephemeris parameter. For example, the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on an orbital status or six orbital parameters, and the location information of the terminal device.” [0178]).
Chen does not specifically teach wherein the segments comprise at least one transmission segment and at least one segment for timing advance adjustment.
In an analogous art, Zhu discloses wherein the segments comprise at least one transmission segment and at least one segment for timing advance adjustment (“generating a timing advance for each time segment according to the open-loop uplink timing advance and the closed-loop uplink timing advance for each time segment; and adjusting a transmission time of one of the plurality of time segments of the uplink signal according to a corresponding timing advance for the one of the plurality of time segments” [Abstract]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Chen’s method for performing timing advance adjustment in a satellite communication, to include Zhu’s method for transmitting an uplink signal to a satellite network, in order to adjust a transmission time of one of the plurality of time segments of the uplink signal according to a corresponding timing advance for the one of the plurality of time segments (Zhu [Abstract]). Thus, a person of ordinary skill would have appreciated the ability to incorporate Zhu’s method for transmitting an uplink signal to a satellite network into Chen’s method for performing timing advance adjustment in a satellite communication since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Regarding claim 15
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to obtain, from the terminal device, an indication indicating the location of the terminal device.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 15 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claim 7. Therefore apparatus claim 15 corresponds to apparatus claim 7 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claim 7 rejection above.
Regarding claim 19
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is comprised in an access node that is comprised in a non-terrestrial network.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 19 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claim 12. Therefore apparatus claim 19 corresponds to apparatus claim 12 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claim 12 rejection above.
Regarding claim 20 (Currently Amended)
A method comprising:
obtaining settings that define, for an estimated elevation angle of a terminal device with a serving satellite, durations of segments comprised in a transmission period, wherein the segments
comprise at least one transmission segment and at least one segment for a timing advance adjustment;
transmitting an uplink transmission to an access node comprised in a non-terrestrial network, during the at least one transmission segment; and
performing the timing advance adjustment after a transmission segment of the at least one transmission segment.
The scope and subject matter of method claim 20 is drawn to the method of using the corresponding apparatus claimed in claim 1. Therefore method claim 20 corresponds to apparatus claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claim 1 rejection above.
Claims 2-6, 13-14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, in view of Zhu, and further in view of Kim et al. US Pub 2020/015350 (hereinafter “Kim”).
Regarding claim 2 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 1,
Chen further discloses wherein the obtained settings (i.e. timing advance values) are defined for the an estimated elevation angle (“Refer to FIG. 10B. The impact of the elevation angle of the satellite on the timing advance TA.” [0170])
Chen and Zhu do not specifically teach wherein the obtained settings are defined for an azimuth angle of the apparatus.
In an analogous art, Kim discloses wherein the obtained settings are defined for an azimuth angle of the apparatus (“When the position of the satellite and the terminal (or earth station) is expressed in ECEF coordinates, the azimuth and elevation, which direct the satellite, may be determined.” [0164]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Chen’s method for performing timing advance adjustment in a satellite communication, as modified by Zhu, to include Kim’s method for timing adjustment and beam management for a mobile base station, in order to perform a handover for a satellite base station (Kim [Abstract]). Thus, a person of ordinary skill would have appreciated the ability to incorporate Kim’s method for timing adjustment and beam management for a mobile base station into Chen’s method for performing timing advance adjustment in a satellite communication since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Regarding claim 3 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu and Kim, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 2,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is further caused to estimate the elevation angle of the apparatus to the a serving satellite of the apparatus (“the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on location information of the terminal device and a satellite ephemeris parameter. For example, the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on an orbital status or six orbital parameters, and the location information of the terminal device.” [0178]).
Regarding claim 4 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu and Kim, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 3,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is further caused to estimate the elevation angle based on a location of the apparatus obtained from a satellite ephemeris (“the terminal device determines the elevation angle of the satellite based on location information of the terminal device and a satellite ephemeris parameter.” [0178]).
Kim further discloses a location of the apparatus obtained from a global navigation satellite system (“a geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO) satellite” [0186]).
Regarding claim 5
Chen, as modified by Zhu and Kim, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 3,
Chen further discloses wherein the apparatus is further caused to transmit an indication (i.e. “uplink data”) indicating the estimated elevation angle to the access node (“The terminal transmits uplink data to the satellite base station, or encodes the uplink data by using channel coding, and the encoded uplink data is transmitted to the satellite base station after constellation modulation.” [0113]).
Regarding claim 6 (Currently Amended)
Chen, as modified by Zhu and Kim, previously discloses the apparatus according to claim 5,
Chen further discloses wherein the indication comprises an index (e.g. “table”) transmitted by the access node (i.e. “satellite base station 1, 2” in Fig. 7), and wherein the index defines a setting of the obtained settings that is applicable to an elevation angle of the apparatus (“The terminal device determines the quantity of time units of the random access preamble sequence and the quantity of time units of the uplink data by searching a table. Optionally, the terminal device determines the orbital altitude of the satellite based on the ephemeris parameter, and determine the quantity of time units of the random access preamble sequence and the quantity of time units of the uplink data based on the orbital altitude and elevation angle of the satellite by searching a table.” [0178]).
Regarding claim 13
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the setting is defined for the elevation angle and an azimuth angle of the terminal device.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 13 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claim 2. Therefore apparatus claim 13 corresponds to apparatus claim 2 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claim 2 rejection above.
Regarding claim 14
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to transmit the indexed table to the terminal device.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 14 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claim 6. Therefore apparatus claim 14 corresponds to apparatus claim 6 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claim 6 rejection above.
Regarding claim 16
The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to estimate the elevation angle and an azimuth angle of the terminal device based on the location of the terminal device and satellite ephemeris data.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 16 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claims 2 and 4. Therefore apparatus claim 16 corresponds to apparatus claims 2 and 4 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claims 2 and 4 rejections above.
Regarding claim 17
The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine, based on the indexed table, settings corresponding to the estimated elevation angle and the estimated azimuth angle and to transmit information regarding the settings corresponding to the estimated elevation angle to the terminal device.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 17 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claims 2 and 10. Therefore apparatus claim 17 corresponds to apparatus claims 2 and 10 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claims 2 and 10 rejections above.
Regarding claim 18
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to obtain, from the terminal device, an estimation of the elevation angle and an estimation of an azimuth angle, or obtain the indication regarding the index that defines the setting that is applicable to the elevation angle of the terminal device.
The scope and subject matter of apparatus claim 18 are similar to the scope and subject matter as claimed in apparatus claims 2 and 10. Therefore apparatus claim 18 corresponds to apparatus claims 2 and 10 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in claims 2 and 10 rejections 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 CHUONG M NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8184. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00am - 6:30pm.
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/CHUONG M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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