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
This is response to Application 18/580,027 filed on 01/17/2024 in which claims 13-24, 35-44, 47 and 48 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 13, 14, 16-24, 35-44, 47 and 48 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yilmaz et al. (US 2020/0351968 A1).
1. Regarding claim 13, Yilmaz teaches an apparatus (Fig. 9) comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
receive, by a user device that has been configured for dual connectivity, preconfiguration information including information indicating a signaling radio bearer for a second network node to enable the user device to report failure of a first random access procedure between the user device and a first network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG), via a second random access procedure with the second network node regardless of whether a connection has been established between the user device and the first network node (Paragraph [0063] UE receives second message from master node);
initiate, by the user device, a first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig 2);
detect, by the user device, a failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig. 2 detects a failure);
transmit, by the user device to the second network node via the indicated signaling radio bearer, a radio link failure report indicating the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig. 2 UE provides to a master node via a secondary cell group a first message relating to the detected failure); and
receive, by the user device from the second network node, a message indicating an action to be performed by the user device in response to the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig. 2 UE receives a second message indicating to perform a connection reconfiguration/action).
2. Regarding claim 35, Yilmaz teaches An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
receive, by a second network node configured as a secondary node from a first network
node configured as a master node as part of a dual connectivity for a user device, information requesting the second network node to prepare resources including at least a partially activated signaling radio bearer to enable the user device to communicate a radio link failure report to report a failure of a first random access procedure between the user device and the first network node via the partially activated signaling radio bearer and a second random access procedure of the user device with the second network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG), regardless of whether a connection has been
established between the user device and the first network node;
partially activate, by the second network node, a signaling radio bearer to receive a radio link failure report via the second random access procedure with the user device, regardless of whether a connection has been established between the user device and the first network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG);
transmit, by the second network node to be delivered to the user device, preconfiguration information including at least the signaling radio bearer configuration for the partially activated signaling radio bearer; and
receive, by the second network node from the user device, via the partially activated
signaling radio bearer, a radio link failure report indicating the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig. 2 UE provides to a master node via a secondary cell group a first message relating to the detected failure).
3. Regarding claim 47, Yilmaz teaches an apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
transmit, by a first network node configured as a master node to a second network node
configured as a secondary node as part of a dual connectivity for a user device, information requesting the second network node to prepare resources including at least a partially activated signaling radio bearer to enable the user device to communicate to the second network node a radio link failure report to report a failure of a first random access procedure between the user device and the first network node via the partially activated signaling radio bearer and a second random access procedure of the user device with the second network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG), regardless of whether
a connection has been established between the user device and the first network node;
receive, by the first network node from the second network node, a radio link failure
report originating from the user device and indicating the failure of the first random access procedure between the user device and the first network node (Paragraph [0063] UE receives second message from master node);
transmit, by the first network node to the second network node for forwarding to the user
device, a message indicating an action to be performed by the user device in response to the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig. 2 UE receives a second message indicating to perform a connection reconfiguration/action).
4. Regarding claim 14, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the first network node is configured as a master node, and the second network node is configured as a secondary node as part of dual connectivity for the user device (Paragraphs [0063] and [0064] dual connectivity; master node; secondary node).
5. Regarding claim 16, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the signaling
radio bearer comprises a partially activated signaling radio bearer for the second network node that is activated only for the purpose of enabling the user device to report, to the second network node via the partially activated signaling radio bearer and a message of the second random access procedure, a failure of the first random access procedure between the user device and the first network node, regardless of whether the second network node has received a confirmation from the first network node that a connection has been established between the user device and the first network node, without requiring activation of a data radio bearer for the second network
node for the user device (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG).
6. Regarding claims 17 and 38, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the first network node comprises a target master node, and the second network node comprises a target secondary node, wherein a handover of the user device to the target master node has failed or a connection establishment or a random access procedure of the user device to the target master node has failed (Paragraphs [0063] and [0064] dual connectivity; master node; secondary node; detect failure on the MCG).
7. Regarding claims 18 and 39, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the preconfiguration information comprises a signaling radio bearer configuration for a partially activated signaling radio bearer 3 (SRB3) or split-SRB1, which has been activated for the second network node to accept a random access procedure Msg3 from the user device that includes the radio link failure report, without activating a data radio bearer (DRB) for the second network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG).
8. Regarding claim 19, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the failure of
the first random access procedure with the first network node is detected by the user device during a handover of the user device from a source master cell group (MCG) primary cell (PCell) to a target MCG PCell (Paragraphs [0028] and [0063] PCell of master node; failure of MCG).
9. Regarding claims 20 and 40, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the radio link
failure report comprises at least one of:
a flag indicating the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network
node;
a measurement report including latest measurements performed by the user device with
respect to one or more neighbor cells or network nodes (Paragraph [0028] measurement status of cells among other information); or
a suggested or preferred action to be performed in response to the failure of the first
random access procedure with the first network node.
10. Regarding claims 21 and 41, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the at least one
processor and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to receive
preconfiguration information comprises the at least one processor and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to receive, by the user device, one or more of:
information indicating time-frequency resources to be used by the user device for random access procedure message transmission to the second network node (Fig. 4 Paragraph [0104] random access procedure);
information indicating a random access preamble to be used by the user device for
transmission of a Msg1 or random access preamble of a contention-free random access
procedure with the second network node; or
information indicating a partially activated signaling radio bearer that has been partially
activated to enable the user device to transmit, via the second random access procedure to the second network node, a radio link failure report indicating the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node, wherein the signaling radio bearer may be used to transmit the radio link failure report even though no connection has been established between the user device and the first network node.
11. Regarding claim 22, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the at least onc processor and the
computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to transmit comprises the at least one processor and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit, by the user device to the second network node via Msg3 of the second random access procedure and the signaling radio bearer, the radio link failure report indicating that the first random access procedure with the first network node has failed (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG).
12. Regarding claims 23 and 43, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to transmit comprises the at least one processor and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, by the user device to the second network node via Msg3 of the second random access procedure and the signaling radio bearer, a buffer status report;
receive, by the user device from the second network node based on the buffer status
report, an uplink grant indicating granted resources; and
transmit, by the user device to the second network node via the granted resources and the signaling radio bearer, the radio link failure report indicating the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Paragraph [0028] RLF detected and reported).
13. Regarding claims 24, 44, and 48, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the first
network node comprises a target master node, and the second network node comprises a target secondary node, and wherein the action to be performed by the user device in response to the failure of the first random access procedure comprises at least one of the following:
requesting, by a network node, a measurement report from the user device;
reconfiguring the target secondary node as the master node for the user device, and
releasing dual connectivity for the user device;
swapping the target secondary node with the target master node so as to promote the
target secondary node to be a new master node for the user device and making the target master node to be a new secondary node for the user device, and suspending the new secondary node;
retain the target master node as suspended, and reconfigure radio bearers of target master node to be radio bearers of target secondary node; or
activating radio resource control (RRC) re-establishment to cause the user device to
establish a new connection with a master network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraphs [0063] and [0064] dual connectivity; master node; secondary node).
14. Regarding claim 36, Yilmaz teaches wherein the at least one processor and the
computer program code configured to transmit preconfiguration information comprises the at least one processor and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, by the second network node to be delivered to the user device, preconfiguration information including at least the signaling radio bearer configuration for the partially activated signaling radio bearer, and information identifying a random access preamble to be used by the user device as part of the second random access procedure between the user device and the second network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG).
15. Regarding claim 37, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the at least one processor and the
computer program code are configured to further cause the apparatus to:
transmit, by the second network node to the first network node, the radio link failure
report received from the user device;
receive, by the second network node from the first network node a message indicating the action to be performed by the user equipment after the failure of the first random access procedure for the user device with the first network node; and
transmit, by the second network node to the user device, a message indicating an action to be performed by the user device in response to the failure of the first random access procedure with the first network node (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraphs [0063] and [0064] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG; determines and action).
16. Regarding claim 42, Yilmaz teaches, wherein the at least one
processor and the computer program code configured to receive, by the second network node from the user device, via the partially activated signaling radio bearer, a radio link failure report comprises the at least one processor and the computer program code configured to:
receive, by the second network node from the user device, via a random access procedure Msg3 of the second random access procedure and via the partially activated signaling radio bearer, a radio link failure report (Fig. 2 and 4, Paragraph [0063] UE configured with dual connectivity; split SRB1; detect failure on the MCG).
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 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yilmaz et al. (US 2020/0351968 A1) in view of Huang et al. (US 2021/0127429 A1).
17. Regarding claim 15, Yilmaz does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code are configured to:
the second random access procedure comprises the user device transmitting a first Msg1 to the second network node as part of the second random access procedure with the second network node, at least partially in parallel with the user device transmitting a second Msg1 to the first network node as part of the first random access procedure with the first network node; and
the transmitting the radio link failure report comprises transmitting, by the user device, the radio link failure report to the second network node via the indicated signaling radio bearer and via a Msg3 of the second random access procedure after a failure of the first random access procedure has been detected by the user device.
Huang teaches the second random access procedure comprises the user device transmitting a first Msg1 to the second network node as part of the second random access procedure with the second network node, at least partially in parallel with the user device transmitting a second Msg1 to the first network node as part of the first random access procedure with the first network node; and
the transmitting the radio link failure report comprises transmitting, by the user device, the radio link failure report to the second network node via the indicated signaling radio bearer and via a Msg3 of the second random access procedure after a failure of the first random access procedure has been detected by the user device (Fig. 2b and Paragraphs [0054] to [0056] msg 1; msg3; parallel RACH procedures ).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the second random access procedure comprises the user device transmitting a first Msg1 to the second network node as part of the second random access procedure with the second network node, at least partially in parallel with the user device transmitting a second Msg1 to the first network node as part of the first random access procedure with the first network node; and the transmitting the radio link failure report comprises transmitting, by the user device, the radio link failure report to the second network node via the indicated signaling radio bearer and via a Msg3 of the second random access procedure after a failure of the first random access procedure has been detected by the user device as taught by Huang in the system of Yilmaz for parallel RACH procedures see Paragraph [0054] of Huang.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Wang (US 2022/0369139 A1) Paragraph [0061]
Oztruk et al. (US 2021/0321314 A1) Fig. 9
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANE LEE LO whose telephone number is (571)270-1952. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faruk Hamza can be reached at (571)272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIANE L LO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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