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 is responsive to Application 18/580,034 filed in which claims 1-11, 23-27 and 33-35 are presented for examination.
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.
Claims 1-4, 5-9, 23-27 and 33-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhou et al (US 2022/0039006 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zhou teaches a method in a central network node in communication with a plurality of wireless devices, WDs, via one or more cell network nodes (Zhou: Figs. 1 and 4; UEs, network nodes 406, 408; central node 404), the method comprising:
configuring a set of cells to be included in a wide area configuration for a WD (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], base station 404 transmits cells configuration to UE 402); and
sending a wide area cell configuration signal to the WD, the wide area cell configuration signal including configurations for each cell in a predefined wide area, the predefined wide area being a collection of cells (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], base station 404 transmits cells configuration to UE 402; predefined area 410), the configurations including setup, resume and hand over configurations (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0070], [0084], RRC connections exchange between base station and UE comprise RRC setup, release and mobility/handover configuration information) and resource allocations for an active wide area including a subset of cells of the collection of cells of the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], [0087], base station 404 transmits cells configuration of active cells in 520 to UE 402; [0098] resource configuration transmitted to the UEs).
Regarding claim 23, Zhou teaches a method in a cell network node, in communication with a central network node and a wireless device, WD (Zhou: Figs. 1 and 4; UEs, network node 408; central node 404), the method comprising:
sending wide area cell configuration information to the central network node, the wide area cell configuration information including cell configurations for each cell in a predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0087], node 506 reports cell measurement from the UE to central base station; predefined area 410);
receiving an indication whether the WD is in a wide area cell configuration configured by the central network node (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0087]-[0089] ,base station 404 determines active cells 506 in set 520) and
when the WD is in the predefined wide area, configuring the WD with wide area cell configuration information for each cell in the predefined wide area, the wide area cell configuration information including setup, resume and hand over configurations (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0070], [0084], RRC connections exchange between base station and UE comprise RRC setup, release and mobility/handover configuration information) and resource allocations for an active wide area including a subset of cells of the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], [0087], base station 404 transmits cells configuration of active cells in 520 to UE 402; [0098] resource configuration transmitted to the UEs).
Regarding claim 33, Zhou teaches a method in a wireless device, WD, configured to communicate with a cell network node, the cell network node being in communication with a central network node (Zhou: Figs. 1 and 4; UEs, network nodes 406, 408; central node 404), the method comprising:
receiving a cell configuration signal from the cell network node, the cell configuration signal including cell configuration information for each of a plurality of cells in a predefined wide area configured by the central network node (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], base station 404 transmits cells configuration to UE 402); and
storing the cell configuration information to establish or resume communication with the cell network node or another cell network node serving a cell of the plurality of cells in the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0070], [0084], RRC connections exchange between base station and UE comprise RRC setup, release and mobility/handover configuration information) as long as the WD is connected to at least one of the cells in the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], [0087], base station 404 transmits cells configuration of active cells in 520 to UE 402; [0098] resource configuration transmitted to the UEs).
Regarding claim 2, Zhou teaches wherein the wide area cell configuration signal excludes resource reservations for cells in the predefined wide area that are not in the active wide area (Zhou: Fig. 6; [0098], excluding cells for which PUCCH resource has not been transmitted).
Regarding claims 3 and 24, Zhou teaches wherein the subset of cells include neighboring cells, a neighboring cell being a cell which may be entered by the WD directly from a current cell without the WD first entering another cell to maintain communication (Zhou: Fig. 4; [0098], neighboring cells in the area 420).
Regarding claim 5, Zhou teaches wherein a configuration for a cell is determined by a respective cell network node serving the cell and received by the central network node (20) from the respective cell network node, for at least one cell in the set of cells (Zhou: Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Zhou teaches wherein configuring the set of cells includes determining whether to include a particular cell in the set of cells based at least in part on whether the particular cell is a neighboring cell of a current cell of the WD, a neighboring cell being a cell which may be entered by the WD directly from a current cell without the WD first entering another cell to maintain communication (Zhou: Fig. 4; [0098], active cells with neighboring cells in the area 420).
Regarding claim 7, Zhou teaches wherein configuring the set of cells includes determining whether to include a particular cell in the set of cells based at least in part on whether the particular cell is a cell where the WD (22) is predicted to be (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0083], [0098], reconfiguring the active set based on the movement of the UE).
Regarding claim 8, Zhou teaches wherein a number of cells included in the set of cells depends at least in part a number of WDs (22) having predictable movement to a limited set of locations (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0083], [0098], reconfiguring the active set based on the movement of the UE).
Regarding claim 9, Zhou teaches wherein a number of cells included in the set of cells depends at least in part on a number of WDs being served by cell network nodes serving the set of cells (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0083], [0098], reconfiguring the active set based on the movement of the UE).
the WD (22) for an area served by a set of cell network nodes (16) serving the set of cells.
Regarding claim 25, Zhou teaches notifying the central network node (20) when the WD (22) enters a cell of the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0083], [0098], reconfiguring the active set based on the movement of the UE).
Regarding claims 26 and 35, Zhou teaches determining a reduced message exchange for establishing and/or and resuming communication with the WD when the WD enters or is within a cell of the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], [0087], base station 404 transmits cells configuration of active cells in 520 to UE 402; [0098] resource configuration transmitted to the UEs and reconfiguring the active set based on the movement of the UE).
Regarding claim 27, Zhou teaches notifying the central network node (20) when the WD (22) leaves a cell of the predefined wide area (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0083], [0098], reconfiguring the active set based on the movement of the UE).
Regarding claim 34, Zhou teaches sending a request to obtain the cell configuration signal, wherein the cell configuration signal from the cell network node is responsive to the request (Zhou: Figs. 4-6; [0080], [0087], [0098]).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al (US 2022/0039006 A1) in view of Zhao et al (US 2015/0215903 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Zhou does not explicitly disclose wherein a plurality of cells in the set of cells have a same resource allocation.
Zhao teaches wherein a plurality of cells in the set of cells have a same resource allocation (Zhao: [0257], eNBs of type 1 share the same set of resources).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhou wherein a plurality of cells in the set of cells have a same resource allocation as disclosed by Zhao to provide a system for resource selection for device-to-device communication (Zhao: Abstract).
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al (US 2022/0039006 A1) in view of Kim et al (US 2022/0053388 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Zhou does not explicitly disclose wherein a number of cells included in the set of cells depends at least in part on a capability of the WD.
Kim teaches wherein a number of cells included in the set of cells depends at least in part on a capability of the WD (Kim: [0111] depending of the capabilities of the UE, a set of cells are formed together).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhou wherein a number of cells included in the set of cells depends at least in part on a capability of the WD as disclosed by Kim to provide a system for mobility management (Kim: Abstract).
Regarding claim 11, Zhou in view of Kim teaches sending to at least one cell network node an indication to release resources allocated to the WD for an access served by a set of cell network nodes serving the set of cells (Kim: [0200], the source cell sends a release handover indication with the cell A and cell C).
Conclusion
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/KODZOVI ACOLATSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478