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 .
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) 26 and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rasool (US 20230412257) in view of Xu (US 20220141710).
With respect to independent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 26/28, Rasool teaches A method performed by a core network node ([0045 and Fig.1], “core networks”) ... the method comprising:
receiving ([0045], “core networks ... may indicate to serving NTN cell 430 relevant information about one or more of its neighbor HAPS/LEO experiencing an RTT change.” It would suggested the core network obtains “the relevant information” from the neighbor HAPS in the first place, in order to forward the “relevant information” to the “serving NTN cell 430.”), from a base station operating a cell ([0052], “neighbor HAPS/LEO” is a “NTN cell 440.”), information relating to a cell category associated with the cell ([0052], the relevant information is related to the “neighbor HAPS/LEO.”); and
sending the information to a further base station ([0052], “serving NTN cell 430”) operating a neighbor cell ([0052 and Fig.4], the “serving NTN cell 430” is a neighboring cell to the “neighbor NTN cell 440.”)),
wherein the cell category includes a Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) cell ([0052], “neighbor HAPS/LEO” is a “NTN cell 440.”).
However, Rasool does not specifically disclose for mobility management.
In an analogous art, Xu discloses A method performed by a core network node for mobility management ([0249 and Fig.10], AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function)) , the method comprising:
receiving ([0249], “after receiving the Uplink RAN Configuration Transfer, the AMF determines ... the target is an NR type base station according to the Target gNB ID and the TAI in the message.”), from a base station operating a cell ([Fig.10], Ng-eNB), information relating to a cell category associated with the cell ([0249], “an NR type base station”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Rasool to specify AMF as taught by Xu. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to rout traffic according to base station type.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 19-22, 24-25, 27 and 29-30 is/are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims filed on 04/16/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection in instant Office action does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the Applicant’s arguments.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/ZHIREN QIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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