DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 21 July 2026. Claims 1-7, 10-16, 18, and 22-26 are now pending in the present application and claims 8-9, 17, and 19-21 are canceled. This office action is made Final.
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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
The requirement for restriction is withdrawn in whole and claims are reinstated.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 10-16, 18, 22-24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pedersen (WO 2015/149856 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 18, and 22-23, Pedersen discloses a connection management method, comprising:
determining a connection condition that a User Equipment (UE) (e.g., 105) satisfies { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; Figs. 1-5 ) },
wherein the connection condition comprises a reestablishment condition, and determining the connection condition that the UE satisfies comprises: determining that the UE satisfies the reestablishment condition according to a time at which a serving cell stops service { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5), where the system provides a UE that switches between cells (serving/target) and a cell that is a serving cell can be switched to a target cell (becoming new serving cell) and conditions can change for reestablishing with the previous serving cell (see pg. 10, line 25 - pg, 11, line 25; Figs. 3 & 4) }; and
performing a corresponding Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection operation in response to the connection condition being satisfied { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 2, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the connection condition further comprises a trigger condition; and performing the corresponding RRC connection operation in response to the connection condition being satisfied further comprises: performing a first connection operation in response to the trigger condition being satisfied, wherein the first connection operation comprises establishing or resuming an RRC connection { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 3, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the connection condition further comprises an access prohibition condition; and performing the corresponding RRC connection operation in response to the connection condition being satisfied further comprises: performing a second connection operation in response to the access prohibition condition being satisfied, wherein the second connection operation comprises delaying establishment of an RRC connection, delaying resumption of an RRC connection, not establishing an RRC connection, or not resuming an RRC connection { (see pg. 10, line 30 - pg. 11, line 13; pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 4, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used for instructing the UE to determine the corresponding RRC connection operation according to the connection condition { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 5, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving second indication information, wherein the second indication information is used for instructing the UE to determine a threshold for the RRC connection operation { (see pg. 10, line 30 - pg. 11, line 13; pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 6, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 3, further comprising: returning information indicating an RRC connection establishment failure or resumption failure to a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) through RRC { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 7, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: reporting a parameter for determining an RRC connection operation to an NAS through RRC { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 10, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 3, wherein determining a connection condition that a UE satisfies comprises: determining that the UE satisfies the access prohibition condition according to at least one of the following pieces of information: a time at which a serving cell stops service; a time at which a target cell starts service; ephemeris information; signal quality of a serving cell; a waiting time; an access prohibition time; a time of a coverage hole; a time of a specified operation; access prohibition broadcast information and a corresponding validity time period; access grade broadcast information and a corresponding access prohibition time period; or access grade broadcast information and a corresponding validity time period, wherein the access prohibition time comprises at least one of: an access prohibition start time, an access prohibition duration, or an access prohibition end time; and the waiting time comprises at least one of: a waiting start time, a waiting duration, or a waiting end time { (see pg. 5, lines 14-30; pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claims 11 and 19, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 3, wherein the access prohibition condition comprises at least one of: a current moment being later than a set moment corresponding to a first threshold before a time at which a serving cell stops service; a current moment being earlier than a set moment corresponding to a second threshold before a time at which a target cell starts service; a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) in a serving cell being less than a power threshold; a current moment belonging to a waiting time or an access prohibition time; a service type belonging to a second service type; a current moment belonging to a validity time period corresponding to access prohibition broadcast information; a current moment belonging to an access prohibition time period corresponding to access grade broadcast information; a current moment belonging to a validity time period corresponding to access grade broadcast information; a current moment being later than a set moment corresponding to a third threshold before a start time of a coverage hole; or a current moment being later than a set moment corresponding to a fourth threshold before a start time of a specified operation { (see pg. 5, lines 14-30; pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 12, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 3, further comprising: determining a waiting time required for establishing or resuming an RRC connection or an access prohibition time according to a time of a coverage hole, a time at which a serving cell stops service, a time at which a target cell starts service, or a time of a specified operation, wherein the specified operation comprises at least one of: deactivating an Access Stratum (AS), stopping a measurement, stopping cell selection or reselection, stopping listening for a paging message, stopping Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) selection, or stopping initiating an RRC process { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 13, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 2, wherein determining a connection condition that a UE satisfies comprises: determining that the UE satisfies the trigger condition according to at least one of the following pieces of information: a time at which a serving cell stops service; a time at which a target cell starts service; a result of cell reselection or cell selection; an end time of a coverage hole; or an end time of access prohibition { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 14, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of: a current moment being earlier than a set moment corresponding to a fifth threshold before a time at which a serving cell stops service; a current moment being later than a set moment corresponding to a sixth threshold before a time at which a target cell starts service; cell reselection or cell selection being completed; a current moment being later than a set moment corresponding to a seventh threshold before an end time of a coverage hole; or a current moment being later than a set moment corresponding to an eighth threshold after an end time of access prohibition { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 15, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the parameter for determining the RRC connection operation comprises at least one of: a time at which a serving cell stops service; a time at which a target cell starts service; an access prohibition time; a waiting time; or a UE identity in a paging message { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ) }.
Regarding claim 16, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the reestablishment condition comprises: a current moment belonging to a set range corresponding to the time at which the serving cell stops service { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ), where the system provides a UE that switches between cells (serving/target) and a cell that is a serving cell can be switched to a target cell (becoming new serving cell) and conditions can change for reestablishing with the the previous serving cell (see pg. 10, line 25 - pg, 11, line 25; Figs. 3 & 4) }.
Regarding claim 24, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving system information broadcast, wherein the time at which the serving cell stops service is configured through the system information broadcast { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ), where the system provides a UE that switches between cells (serving/target) and a cell that is a serving cell can be switched to a target cell (becoming new serving cell) and conditions can change for reestablishing with the previous serving cell (see pg. 10, line 25 - pg, 11, line 25; Figs. 3 & 4) } .
Regarding claim 26, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein performing the corresponding RRC connection operation in response to the connection condition being satisfied comprises: in response to the UE satisfying the reestablishment condition, triggering a wireless link failure, and triggering an RRC connection reestablishment process { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ), where the system provides a UE that switches between cells (serving/target) and a cell that is a serving cell can be switched to a target cell (becoming new serving cell) and conditions can change for reestablishing with the previous serving cell (see pg. 10, line 25 - pg, 11, line 25; Figs. 3 & 4) }.
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, 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.
Claim(s) 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pedersen (WO 2015/149856 A1) in view of further support by Atungsiri et al. (hereinafter Atungsiri; US 2021/0119698 A1).
Regarding claim 25, Pedersen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the serving cell is a cell served by a satellite, and the time at which the serving cell stops service comprises a time at which the satellite is about to stop serving a region where the UE is located { (see pg. 2, lines 11-24; pg. 12, line 25 - pg. 13, lines 25; Figs. 1-5 ), where the system provides a UE that switches between cells (serving/target) and a cell that is a serving cell can be switched to a target cell (becoming new serving cell) and conditions can change for reestablishing with the previous serving cell (see pg. 10, line 25 - pg, 11, line 25; Figs. 3 & 4) }. Pedersen inexplicitly disclose having the feature(s) cell served by a satellite. However, in the alternative, the examiner maintains that the feature(s) cell served by a satellite was well known in the art, as taught by Atungsiri.
As further alternative support in the same field of endeavor, Atungsiri discloses the feature(s)
cell (e.g., 202) served by a satellite (e.g., NTN 308, 309) { (see pg. 4, [0041, 0038]; pg. 12, [0155, 0157]; Figs. 2-10), where the system provides communication with satellite (e.g., 308) and cell (e.g., 202) }.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Pedersen as further alternatively supported by Atungsiri to have the feature(s) cell served by a satellite, in order to provide a method and arrangement for improves a continuity of service for communications device which is in a cell provided by a non-terrestrial part, as taught by Atungsiri (see pg. 1, [0011, 0010]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-7, 10-16, 18, and 22-26 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the amended language, new limitations, and/or new claims.
In response to applicant’s arguments, the Examiner respectfully disagrees as the applied reference(s) provide more than adequate support and to further clarify (see the above claims for relevant citations and comments in this section).
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 WILLIE J DANIEL JR whose telephone number is (571)272-7907. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 - 6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Mui can be reached on 571-270-1420. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIE J DANIEL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
WJD,Jr
29 September 2026
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