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 .
Claim Interpretation
The claim limitation “entry point” is used throughout the claims, for example line 6 of Claim 1. An “entry point” in the context of a random access procedure is not a term of art with a well-known definition. Upon review of the Specification, examiner was not able to identify an explicit definition or description of what an entry point is as claimed other than the fact that it includes “random access configuration” (e.g. in Claim 1) and may be associated with particular service requirements such as latency, mobility, or the like (e.g. in Fig 6). It is unclear whether the entry point refers to, for example, time resource(s), frequency resource(s), some combination therein, or some other resource used to facilitate a random access procedure.
For the sake of moving prosecution forward, examiner is interpreting an “entry point” as an uplink resource sent to a UE/terminal for the purpose of performing transmitting an initial random access preamble. Examiner respectfully requests that applicant clarifies the meaning of entry point on the record.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “most reliable” in claim 2 (as well as Claim 11) is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “most reliable” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. There is no indicated criteria (e.g. throughput, latency, congestion, etc.) through which to determine what resource is most reliable over the other available resources. Examiner respectfully requests that applicant better define the criteria to ascertain reliability in order to render Claims 2 and 11 definite.
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)(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) 1-5 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Guo (US 2023/0388871 A1).
Guo Fig. 13, recreated below, teaches a random access procedure in which UE receives an initial message indicating candidate target cells (i.e. uplink random access resources i.e. entry points), and then initiates a 4-way handshake based on a selected target cell.
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Regarding Claim 1, Guo teaches the below limitation(s):
An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory, said at least one memory stored with computer program code thereon (Guo Fig 56 processor 5610 and memory 5620), 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 configurations for a plurality of entry points for initial random access from an access point, each entry point including a random access configuration (Fig 13 UE receives configuration of candidate target cells (i.e. UL resource i.e. entry point));
determine random access resources for one or more entry points supported by the access point (Fig 13 UE performs evaluation of candidate cells based on L1/L2 measurement and selection of target cell (i.e. entry point)); and
initiate, based on one or more criteria relating to properties of the apparatus or a network, at least one random access process with at least one of said entry points of the access point (Fig 13 UE transmits random access preamble on selected cell (i.e. entry point)),
wherein one of the plurality of entry points is a primary entry point and one or more of the plurality of entry points are secondary entry points, the primary entry point corresponding to a fall-back configuration supported by multiple cells ([0450] even if a separate RACH configuration (i.e. "second entry point") is received for early TA acquisition, CFRA resource (i.e. "primary entry point") can still be configured as a fall-back RACH resource when early TA acquisition fails).
Regarding Claim 2, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein random access configuration for the primary entry point is determined from among most reliable available random access resources (Fig 13 UE performs evaluation of candidate cells based on L1/L2 measurement and selection of target cell (i.e. entry point), which examiner is interpreting measurement and cell selection as performing selection based on some measured condition associated with reliability (e.g. QoS)).
Regarding Claim 3, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein random access configuration for the one or more secondary entry points are determined based on one or more criteria relating to the properties of the apparatus or the network (Guo [0450] even if a separate RACH configuration (i.e. "second entry point") configuration is received for early TA acquisition, CFRA resource (i.e. "primary entry point") can still be configured as a fall-back RACH resource when early TA acquisition fails, wherein examiner is interpreting "early TA acquisition fails" as a criteria relating to the properties of the apparatus/network).
Regarding Claim 4, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to: receive the configurations for the plurality of entry points for initial random access in a broadcast message or in a multicast message (Guo [0074] network may share the multiple cell identities (i.e. entry points) broadcast; see also [0543] which teaches UE communicating on an AM Multicast/Broadcast Service (MBS) Radio Bearer (MRB)).
Regarding Claim 5, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to: receive an indication about activation or deactivation of at least one secondary entry point (Guo Fig 15 teaches activating/deactivating PSCells; Fig 17 teaches activation of SCGs; Fig 21-22 teach TCI state activation/deactivation MAC CEs).
Regarding Claim 7, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to: carry out only one random access process with only one of said entry points at a time (Guo Fig 13 random access preamble (i.e. RA process) is sent on the selected RA resource i.e. entry point; see also Table 6.2-1 DCI field comprises UL/SUL indicator bit field which indicates usage of non-supplementary uplink (i.e. first entry point) or supplementary uplink (i.e. second entry point) or indicates SS/PBCH that shall be used to determine the RACH occasion (i.e. entry point), which examiner is interpreting as indication to use one of said entry points).
Regarding Claim 8, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to: carry out multiple random access processes with one or more of said entry points simultaneously (Guo [0462] UE may be able to support simultaneous transmission (Tx) toward source cell and a candidate cell; [0466] UE may support simultaneous UL Tx toward two cells (i.e. entry points)).
Regarding Claim 9, Guo teaches the below limitation(s):
A method comprising:
receiving, by an apparatus, configurations for a plurality of entry points for initial random access from an access point, each entry point including a random access configuration (Guo Fig 13 UE receives configuration of candidate target cells (i.e. UL resource i.e. entry point));
determining, by the apparatus, random access resources for one or more entry points supported by the access point (Fig 13 UE performs evaluation of candidate cells based on L1/L2 measurement and selection of target cell (i.e. entry point)); and
initiating, based on one or more criteria relating to properties of the apparatus or a network, at least one random access process with at least one of said entry points of the access point (Fig 13 UE transmits random access preamble on selected cell (i.e. entry point)),
wherein one of the plurality of entry points is a primary entry point and one or more of the plurality of entry points are secondary entry points, the primary entry point corresponding to a fall-back configuration supported by multiple cells ([0450] even if a separate RACH configuration (i.e. "second entry point") is received for early TA acquisition, CFRA resource (i.e. "primary entry point") can still be configured as a fall-back RACH resource when early TA acquisition fails).
Regarding Claim 10, Guo teaches the below limitation(s):
An access point comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory, said at least one memory stored with computer program code thereon (Guo Fig 56 processor 5610 and memory 5620), the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the access point at least to:
determine configurations for a plurality of entry points for initial random access for one or more user equipment, each entry point including a random access configuration (Fig 13 UE performs evaluation of candidate cells based on L1/L2 measurement and selection of target cell (i.e. entry point));
transmit the configurations supported by the access point to the one or more user equipment (Fig 13 UE receives configuration of candidate target cells (i.e. UL resource i.e. entry point)),
wherein one of the plurality of entry points is a primary entry point and one or more of the plurality of entry points are secondary entry points, the primary entry point corresponding to a fall-back configuration supported by multiple cells ([0450] even if a separate RACH configuration (i.e. "second entry point") is received for early TA acquisition, CFRA resource (i.e. "primary entry point") can still be configured as a fall-back RACH resource when early TA acquisition fails); and
perform at least one random access process with at least one user equipment using at least one of said entry points indicated by said user equipment (Fig 13 UE transmits random access preamble on selected cell (i.e. entry point)).
Regarding Claim 11, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 10.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein random access configuration for the primary entry point is determined from among most reliable available random access resources (Guo Fig 13 UE performs evaluation of candidate cells based on L1/L2 measurement and selection of target cell (i.e. entry point), which examiner is interpreting measurement and cell selection as performing selection based on some measured condition associated with reliability (e.g. QoS)).
Regarding Claim 12, Guo teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 10.
Guo further teaches the below limitation(s):
determine random access configuration for the one or more secondary entry points based on one or more criteria relating to the properties of the user equipment or a network (Guo [0450] even if a separate RACH configuration (i.e. "second entry point") configuration is received for early TA acquisition, CFRA resource (i.e. "primary entry point") can still be configured as a fall-back RACH resource when early TA acquisition fails, wherein examiner is interpreting "early TA acquisition fails" as a criteria relating to the properties of the apparatus/network).
Regarding Claim 13, Guo teaches the below limitation(s):
A method performed by an access point, comprising:
determining configurations for a plurality of entry points for initial random access for one or more user equipment, each entry point including a random access configuration (Guo Fig 13 UE performs evaluation of candidate cells based on L1/L2 measurement and selection of target cell (i.e. entry point));
transmitting the configurations supported by the access point to the one or more user equipment (Fig 13 UE receives configuration of candidate target cells (i.e. UL resource i.e. entry point)),
wherein one of the plurality of entry points is a primary entry point and one or more of the plurality of entry points are secondary entry points, the primary entry point corresponding to a fall-back configuration supported by multiple cells ([0450] even if a separate RACH configuration (i.e. "second entry point") is received for early TA acquisition, CFRA resource (i.e. "primary entry point") can still be configured as a fall-back RACH resource when early TA acquisition fails); and
performing at least one random access process with at least one user equipment using at least one of said entry points indicated by said user equipment (Fig 13 UE transmits random access preamble on selected cell (i.e. entry point)).
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo (US 2023/0388871 A1) in view of Qi (US 2021/0298088 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, Guo discloses the limitation(s) of Claim 5.
Guo does not disclose the below limitation(s): wherein said indication comprises a flag for each configured secondary entry point to indicate the activation or the deactivation.
In the same field of endeavor of random access handshake procedure(s), Qi does disclose the below limitation(s): wherein said indication comprises a flag for each configured secondary entry point to indicate the activation or the deactivation (Qi [0044] flag indicating IAB RACH (i.e. RA resource i.e. entry point) is activated).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the aforementioned apparatus to include a flag that indicates whether or not a resource for random access is activated as taught by Qi. The suggestion/motivation to do so would have been to indicate activation status of a resource to prevent transmission of RA preamble onto a resource that is deactivated. Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Guo and Qi to obtain the invention, as specified in the instant claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAWN D MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-8599. The examiner can normally be reached M-TR 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles C Jiang can be reached at (571) 270-7191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAWN D MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412