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 office action is in response to the amendment filed on 06/23/2026. Claims 1-2, 6, 8, 11-13, 17, 21-22 are pending in this application and have been considered below.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-2, 6, 8, 11-13, 17, 21-22 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection because of the amendment changes the scope of the invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6, 8, 11-13, 17, 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2022/0070752 A1) (Kim herein after).
Re Claim 1, Kim discloses a cell handover method, comprising:
performing, by a terminal, a cell handover according to a conditional handover (CHO) command (UE may receive a conditional handover command [0182]), and identifying, by the terminal, indication signaling in the cell handover, wherein the indication signaling is configured to indicate at least one candidate target cell and a rule for the terminal performing the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]); and
determining, by the terminal, based on the rule, a target cell of the cell handover from the at least one candidate target cell (UE may perform the candidate cell measurement according to the handover condition i.e. measurement event for the each candidate cell. [0190]);
wherein the rule comprises a handover priority based rule and a signal quality strength based rule (cell priority may be used to indicate which cell is more efficient to perform mobility among the candidate cells in terms of the network side. In other case, the network may not provide cell priority information at all, then the UE may prioritize all candidate cells based on the each cell's measured quality (e.g., signal quality, signal strength, channel quality, channel state, RSRP, RSRQ) obtained by measurements on the candidate cells for handover [0185]),
wherein determining, based on the rule, the target cell of the cell handover from the at least one candidate target cell comprises:
determining a plurality of preferential target cells have a highest handover priority among the at least one candidate target cell (UE may check the cell priority of the first target cell when the UE decide the first target cell for handover. The UE may check whether the first target cell has the highest cell priority among the candidate cells for handover [0192]), and determining a preferential target cell with a highest signal quality strength among the plurality of preferential target cells as the target cell, based on a signal quality strength of each of the plurality of preferential target cells (UE may regard the cell A as a new target cell because, before expiry of the waiting timer, the cell A which is the related to the highest cell priority or cell priority higher than that of cell B in the list of the candidate cells satisfied the handover condition. Then, instead of the cell B, the UE may try to access to the cell A for handover [0216]).
Kim discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches determining a preferential target cell in the same embodiment. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed the utilize the various embodiment taught by Kim to achieve the same expected result of the claimed invention and to further improve wireless communication handover efficiency.
Re Claim 2, Kim discloses the cell handover method according to claim 1, wherein the indication signaling comprises conditional reconfiguration signaling and conditional re-adding module list signaling (UE may receive a RRC message to perform conditional handover (i.e. RRC reconfiguration including conditional handover command). The conditional handover command and/or the RRC message may include information on one and more candidate cells as a list (e.g. cell A, cell B and cell C), each candidate cell's handover condition(s), and handover validity timer [0213]), the conditional reconfiguration signaling is configured to indicate the at least one candidate target cell, and the conditional re-adding module list signaling is configured to indicate the rule for the terminal performing the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]).
Re Claim 6, Kim discloses a cell handover method, comprising:
determining, by a network device, at least one candidate target cell and a rule, wherein the rule is used for a terminal to determine a target cell of a cell handover from the at least one candidate target cell (network may provide additional condition such as offset value or threshold for the source cell's signal quality as one of the waiting condition [0187]); and
transmitting, by the network device, indication signaling to the terminal, so that the terminal performs the cell handover according to a conditional handover (CHO) command (UE may receive a conditional handover command [0182]) and determines the indication signaling in the cell handover, wherein the indication signaling is configured to indicate the at least one candidate target cell and the rule for the terminal performing the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]);
wherein the rule comprises a handover priority based rule and a signal quality strength based rule (cell priority may be used to indicate which cell is more efficient to perform mobility among the candidate cells in terms of the network side. In other case, the network may not provide cell priority information at all, then the UE may prioritize all candidate cells based on the each cell's measured quality (e.g., signal quality, signal strength, channel quality, channel state, RSRP, RSRQ) obtained by measurements on the candidate cells for handover [0185]),
wherein the rule is used for the terminal to determine the target cell of the cell handover from the at least one candidate target cell in a manner of:
determining a plurality of preferential target cells have a highest handover priority among the at least one candidate target cell (UE may check the cell priority of the first target cell when the UE decide the first target cell for handover. The UE may check whether the first target cell has the highest cell priority among the candidate cells for handover [0192]), and determining a preferential target cell with a highest signal quality strength among the plurality of preferential target cells as the target cell, based on a signal quality strength of each of the plurality of preferential target cells (UE may regard the cell A as a new target cell because, before expiry of the waiting timer, the cell A which is the related to the highest cell priority or cell priority higher than that of cell B in the list of the candidate cells satisfied the handover condition. Then, instead of the cell B, the UE may try to access to the cell A for handover [0216]).
Kim discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches determining a preferential target cell in the same embodiment. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed the utilize the various embodiment taught by Kim to achieve the same expected result of the claimed invention and to further improve wireless communication handover efficiency.
Re Claim 8, Kim discloses the cell handover method according to claim 6, wherein the indication signaling comprises conditional reconfiguration signaling and conditional re-adding module list signaling (i.e. RRC reconfiguration including conditional handover command). The conditional handover command and/or the RRC message may include information on one and more candidate cells as a list (e.g. cell A, cell B and cell C), each candidate cell's handover condition(s), and handover validity timer [0213]), the conditional reconfiguration signaling is configured to indicate the at least one candidate target cell, and the conditional re-adding module list signaling is configured to indicate the rule for the terminal performing the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]).
Re Claim 11, Kim discloses a terminal, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories for storing instructions executable by the one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
perform a cell handover according to a conditional handover (CHO) command (UE may receive a conditional handover command [0182]), and identify indication signaling in the cell handover, wherein the indication signaling is configured to indicate at least one candidate target cell and a rule for the terminal performing the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]); and
determine, based on the rule, a target cell of the cell handover from the at least one candidate target cell (UE may perform the candidate cell measurement according to the handover condition i.e. measurement event for the each candidate cell. [0190]);
wherein the rule comprises a handover priority based rule and a signal quality strength based rule (cell priority may be used to indicate which cell is more efficient to perform mobility among the candidate cells in terms of the network side. In other case, the network may not provide cell priority information at all, then the UE may prioritize all candidate cells based on the each cell's measured quality (e.g., signal quality, signal strength, channel quality, channel state, RSRP, RSRQ) obtained by measurements on the candidate cells for handover [0185]);
when determining, based on the rule, the target cell of the cell handover from the at least one candidate target cell, the one or more processors are configured to:
determine a plurality of preferential target cells have a highest handover priority among the at least one candidate target cell (UE may check the cell priority of the first target cell when the UE decide the first target cell for handover. The UE may check whether the first target cell has the highest cell priority among the candidate cells for handover [0192]), and determine a preferential target cell with a highest signal quality strength among the plurality of preferential target cells as the target cell, based on a signal quality strength of each of the plurality of preferential target cells (UE may regard the cell A as a new target cell because, before expiry of the waiting timer, the cell A which is the related to the highest cell priority or cell priority higher than that of cell B in the list of the candidate cells satisfied the handover condition. Then, instead of the cell B, the UE may try to access to the cell A for handover [0216]).
Kim discloses the claimed invention except explicitly teaches determining a preferential target cell in the same embodiment. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed the utilize the various embodiment taught by Kim to achieve the same expected result of the claimed invention and to further improve wireless communication handover efficiency.
Re Claim 12, Kim discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein instructions in the storage medium (storage medium [0225]), when executed by one or more processors of a terminal (processors [0225]), enable the terminal to perform the cell handover method according to claim 1.
Re Claim 13, Kim discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein instructions in the storage medium (storage medium [0225]), when executed by one or more processors of a terminal (processors [0225]), enable the terminal to perform the cell handover method according to claim 6.
Re Claim 17, Kim discloses the terminal according to claim 11, wherein the indication signaling comprises conditional reconfiguration signaling and conditional re-adding module list signaling (UE may receive a RRC message to perform conditional handover (i.e. RRC reconfiguration including conditional handover command). The conditional handover command and/or the RRC message may include information on one and more candidate cells as a list (e.g. cell A, cell B and cell C), each candidate cell's handover condition(s), and handover validity timer [0213]), the conditional reconfiguration signaling is configured to indicate the at least one candidate target cell, and the conditional re-adding module list signaling is configured to indicate the rule for the terminal performing the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]).
Re Claim 21, Kim discloses a network device, comprising: one or more processors (processors [0225]); and one or more memories (storage medium [0225]) for storing instructions executable by the one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the cell handover method according to claim 6.
Re Claim 22, Kim discloses the network device according to claim 11, wherein a cell handover is performed by the terminal according to a conditional handover (CHO) command (UE may receive a conditional handover command [0182]) and the at least one candidate target cell and the rule are determined in the cell handover (conditional handover command may include a list of one or more candidate cells for a handover; conditional handover command may include one or more following information to perform the conditional handover: Cell priority(s) [0182]-[0185]).
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 KENNETH T LAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1862. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah S. Wang can be reached at (571) 272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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