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 .
Claims 1-20 are subject under 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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang (2022003896 A1), hereafter referred as Wang.
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a cell handover method (see para 0130 “performs cell handover measurement based on the measurement”), comprising:
obtaining, by a network side device, first information (see para 0132 “503: The terminal sends a measurement report.”); and
scheduling, by the network side device, cell handover according to the first information (See para 0134 “The network device makes a cell handover decision based on the measurement report”), wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following: measurement results of a first serving cell and at least one first cell, or scheduling information (see para 0013 “the measurement indication may include the measurement moment of one or more cells, where the one or more cells include the serving cell, and a plurality of cells mean two or more cells.”); the first cell is a neighboring cell of the first serving cell, or a second serving cell of a terminal; and the first serving cell and the at least one first cell are cells sharing an auxiliary device.
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.
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 2, 12, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (2022003896 A1), hereafter referred as Wang in view of Wang (US 20200196225), hereafter referred as Wang’225.
Regarding claim 15, Wang teaches a cell handover method, comprising:
obtaining, by a terminal, measurement results of a first serving cell and at least
one first cell of the terminal see para 0132 “503: The terminal sends a measurement report.”; see para 0060 “when the terminal moves to an overlapping signal coverage area of the cell 2 and the cell 3, namely, a point A in FIG. 1, the terminal needs to be handed over from the cell 2 to the cell 3)[ it is known in the art that handover is based on the measurement of both serving and the second cell]; and
performing, by the terminal, cell handover based on the measurement results of
the first serving cell and the at least one first cell (See para 0134 “If it is determined that cell handover needs to be performed, the network device sends, to the terminal, a cell handover indication that indicates the terminal to perform cell handover”), wherein
the first cell is a neighboring cell of the first serving cell, or a second serving cell
of the terminal (see para 0060 “when the terminal moves to an overlapping signal coverage area of the cell 2 and the cell 3, namely, a point A in FIG. 1, the terminal needs to be handed over from the cell 2 to the cell 3. Because the cell 2 and the cell 3 both belong to the signal coverage area of the first network device, handover from the cell 2 to the cell 3 is cell handover”); and
Wang doesn’t teach the first serving cell and the at least one first cell are cells sharing an auxiliary device.
Wang’225 teaches the first serving cell and the at least one first cell are cells sharing an auxiliary device(see para 0398 “he relay node A can establish a dual connectivity with the base station 1 and the base station 2, or the relay node A can be handed over from the base station 1 to the base station 2”; see para0408 “configuration information used by the relay node for measuring the cel”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art at the time of invention to combine determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, and a working status of the auxiliary device, to perform cell handover in the system of Wang . The motivation is to improve service quality (Wang’225: see para 0043)
Regarding claim 19, Wang teaches A network side device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor( See para 069-0171 “a network device 900 includes: [0170] a receiver 901, a transmitter 902, a processor 903, and a memory 904…. The memory 904 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor 903.”), wherein the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the network side device to perform:
obtaining, by a terminal, measurement results of a first serving cell and at least
one first cell of the terminal see para 0132 “503: The terminal sends a measurement report.”; see para 0060 “when the terminal moves to an overlapping signal coverage area of the cell 2 and the cell 3, namely, a point A in FIG. 1, the terminal needs to be handed over from the cell 2 to the cell 3)[ it is known in the art that handover is based on the measurement of both serving and the second cell]; and
performing, by the terminal, cell handover based on the measurement results of
the first serving cell and the at least one first cell (See para 0134 “If it is determined that cell handover needs to be performed, the network device sends, to the terminal, a cell handover indication that indicates the terminal to perform cell handover”), wherein
the first cell is a neighboring cell of the first serving cell, or a second serving cell
of the terminal (see para 0060 “when the terminal moves to an overlapping signal coverage area of the cell 2 and the cell 3, namely, a point A in FIG. 1, the terminal needs to be handed over from the cell 2 to the cell 3. Because the cell 2 and the cell 3 both belong to the signal coverage area of the first network device, handover from the cell 2 to the cell 3 is cell handover”); and
Wang doesn’t teach the first serving cell and the at least one first cell are cells sharing an auxiliary device.
Wang’225 the first serving cell and the at least one first cell are cells sharing an auxiliary device(see para 0398 “he relay node A can establish a dual connectivity with the base station 1 and the base station 2, or the relay node A can be handed over from the base station 1 to the base station 2”; see para0408 “configuration information used by the relay node for measuring the cel”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art at the time of invention to combine determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, and a working status of the auxiliary device, to perform cell handover in the system of Wang. The motivation is to improve service quality (Wang’225: see para 0043)
Regarding claim 20, Wang teaches a terminal, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, steps of the cell handover method according to claim 15 are implemented. (See para 0176 “, a terminal 1000 includes:[0177] a receiver 1001, a transmitter 1002, a processor 1003, and a memory 1004” para 0178 “The memory 1004 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor 1003. A)
Regarding claim 16, Wang teaches sending, by the terminal, the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell to a network side device, the measurement results being used by the network side device to schedule cell handover (see para 0019 “ after the terminal performs the cell handover measurement, the terminal may send a measurement report to the network device… terminal may directly trigger a cell handover procedure based on the measurement report to perform cell handover”); and
performing, by the terminal, cell handover according to a handover indication
message sent by the network side device (see para 0019 “the network device makes a cell handover decision, or the terminal may directly trigger a cell handover procedure based on the measurement report to perform cell handover.”)
Regarding claim 17, Wang teaches determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, to perform cell handover see para 0019 “ after the terminal performs the cell handover measurement, the terminal may send a measurement report to the network device… terminal may directly trigger a cell handover procedure based on the measurement report to perform cell handover”); and
performing, by the terminal, cell handover according to a handover indication
message sent by a network side device, the handover indication message being sent by the network side device according to a handover request sent by the terminal see para 0019 “the network device makes a cell handover decision, or the terminal may directly trigger a cell handover procedure based on the measurement report to perform cell handover.”).
Regarding claim 2, 18, Wang doesn’t teach he determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, to perform cell handover comprises: determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, and a working status of the auxiliary device, to perform cell handover.
Wang’225 teaches the determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, to perform cell handover comprises: determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, and a working status of the auxiliary device, to perform cell handover (see para 0266” information carried in the configuration information may include, for example, and without limitation, at least one of the following: [0267] identification information of the relay node,.., identification information of a cell that supports the access of the relay node.”; see para 0398 “he relay node A can establish a dual connectivity with the base station 1 and the base station 2, or the relay node A can be handed over from the base station 1 to the base station 2”; see para0408 “configuration information used by the relay node for measuring the cel”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art at the time of invention to combine determining, by the terminal according to the measurement results of the first serving cell and the at least one first cell, and a working status of the auxiliary device, to perform cell handover in the system of Wang. The motivation is to improve service quality (Wang’225: see para 0043)
Regarding claim 12, Wang doesn’t teach sending, by the network side device, measurement configuration information of each third cell to the terminal, the measurement configuration information comprising at least one of the following: a reference signal, a measurement period, a measurement time window, or a quantity of measurements.
Wang’225 teaches sending, by the network side device, measurement configuration information of each third cell to the terminal, the measurement configuration information comprising at least one of the following: a reference signal, a measurement period, a measurement time window, or a quantity of measurements (see para 0408 “configuration information used by the relay node for measuring the cell ( for example , Measurement Timing Configuration , which can be used to indicate the configuration information used when measuring the cell”; see para 0613 “transmitting , by the first node , configuration information”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine sending, by the network side device, measurement configuration information of each third cell to the terminal in the system of Wang. The motivation is to improve service quality (Wang’225: see para 0043).
9. Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (2022003896 A1), hereafter referred as Wang in view of Shah (US 9264961 A1)
Regarding claim 13, Wang doesn’t teach sending, by the network side device, timing advance (TA) to the terminal, the TA being used by the terminal to perform communication on the first serving cell and each first cell.
Shah teaches sending, by the network side device, timing advance (TA) to the terminal, the TA being used by the terminal to perform communication on the first serving cell and each first cell. ( see col 2 lines 53-56 “ The target base station may then transmit in its access response to the UE an indication of the determined timing advance, as a particular timing-advance value”; see col 3 lines 18-22 “source base station then directs the UE to hand over to the target base station, the source base station may then provide the UE with an indication of the timing advance provided by the target base station”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine sending, by the network side device, measurement configuration information of each third cell to the terminal in the system of Wang. The motivation is to improve communication (Shah : see col 3 lines 8-9)
10. Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (2022003896 A1), hereafter referred as Wang in view of Stojanovski (US 20190357101 A1)
Regarding claim 14, Wang doesn’t teach receiving, by the network side device, indication information sent by the terminal, the indication information being used for indicating that the terminal directly communicates with the network side device; and
sending, by the network side device, a notification message to a network side
device of each first cell, the notification message being used for indicating the network side device of each first cell to disconnect from the terminal.
Stojanovski teaches receiving, by the network side device, indication information sent by the terminal, the indication information being used for indicating that the terminal directly communicates with the network side device (see para 0104 “the eNB 903 may receive another path switch trigger message that indicates a switch from the indirect communication to direct communication.”); and
sending, by the network side device, a notification message to a network side
device of each first cell, the notification message being used for indicating the network side device of each first cell to disconnect from the terminal (see para 0192 “As an alternative, the source eNB 903 may send an RRC Release message with an indication of redirection to another eNB 903.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine receiving the indication information being used for indicating that the terminal directly communicates with the network side device the system of Wang. The motivation is to improve efficiency ( Stojanovski: see para 0130 )
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/PAMIT KAUR/Examiner, Art Unit 2416