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
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 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) 72-89 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
CATT: "Discussion on L1 inter-cell beam measurement and indication", 3GPP DRAFT; R2-2209397 (from IDS filed by Applicant on 7/3/25) in view of Farag US 20220263616
72. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:
receiving a MAC control element with the apparatus, where the MAC control element comprises information regarding a list of mobility candidate target cells (CATT: Fig. 1, MAC CE transmission indicating candidate cells); and
based, at least partially, upon the receiving of the MAC control element, an operation with the information (CATT: Fig. 1, measuring the candidate cells).
CATT merely disclose the term “memory”
Farag teaches the term memory (Farag: fig. 2, unit 230 [0016])
Farag further teaches receiving a MAC control element with the apparatus, where the MAC control element comprises information regarding a list of mobility candidate target cells and based, at least partially, upon the receiving of the MAC control element, an operation with the information (Farag: [0163], [0400-0403] : a subset Y of entities is indicated by a MAC CE wherein an entity is a candidate cell)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into CATT’s invention in order to receiving TCI state code points activated by a medium access control-control element (MAC CE) and updating one or more spatial filters for at least one of the DL channels and the UL channels based on the determined TCI stat, as taught by Farag.
73. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the information comprises at least one of: the list, and where the operation comprises using the list for transmission configuration indication (TCI) activation or indication; or a filtering condition, and where the operation comprises using the filtering condition to filter the list of mobility candidate target cells into a smaller filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2 the candidate list is a smaller list than the per-configured candidate list; Farag: [0400-0403]).
74. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the list of mobility candidate target cells comprises at least one of: a list of identifications of mobility candidate target cells, or at least one mobility candidate target cell configuration, or a list of identifications used to indicate mobility candidate target cells (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Farag: [0400-0403]).
75. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 74, where the list of identifications used to indicate mobility candidate target cells comprises a physical cell identifier (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Farag: [0400-0403]).
76. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the list of mobility candidate target cells comprises a current serving cell for the user equipment (Farag: [0158, 0400-0403] associated with a serving cell).
77. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform considering the list of mobility candidate target cells provided in the MAC control element as the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells by the user equipment for transmission configuration indication (TCI) activation or indication (CATT: section 2.1 dynamical adjustment of candidate cells; Farag: [0400-0403]).
78. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the operation comprises at least one of: forming the filtered list of the TCI states considering transmission configuration indication (TCI) states from a common pool of the TCI states of mobility candidate target cells only associated with the mobility candidate target cells indicated in the MAC control element; or updating or overriding an earlier list of the of the mobility candidate target cells with the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells; or adding at least a portion of the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells with at least a portion of an earlier list of the of the mobility candidate target cells to form an at least partially combined list; or limiting a number of the mobility candidate target cells on the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells based upon a predetermined parameter; or limiting a number of the mobility candidate target cells on the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells based upon a predetermined parameter; or limiting a number of the mobility candidate target cells on the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells based upon a predetermined parameter (CATT: section 2.2, Option 1, b; Farag: [0307, 0400-0403]).
79. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 78, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform using the filtered list of the TCI states as reference for a further transmission configuration indication TCI activation or/and indication for triggered mobility (LTM) (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2 to link the TCIs to the cells; Farag: [0400-0403]).
80. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 78, where the predetermined parameter is a number (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.2; Farag: fig. 22 [0400-0408]).
81. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the MAC control element is configured to be used for a unified transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation and/or deactivation (Farag: [0096-0097, 0179] unified TCI).
82. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the information is a candidate cell index in the MAC control element, where the index comprises a list of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states associated with the indicated mobility candidate target cells to be considered for use by the user equipment (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Farag: fig. 20-22 [0207, 0400-0401] TCIStatePoolIndex).
83. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 82, where the candidate cell index is used as a reference list from which the TCI states to be activated or indicated (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Farag: fig. 20-22 [0207, 0400-0401] TCIStatePoolIndex).
84. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the information comprises a field of the MAC control element which indicates a bit-map (fig. 21 [0208-0216] bitmap).
85. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 84, where a number of bits of the bit-map equals a number of configured ones of the mobility candidate target cells (Farag: fig. 21 [0208-0216] bitmap).
86. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 84, where the mobility candidate target cells are ordered in an order of associated triggered mobility IDs and an 'i'th candidate cell in the order is linked with an 'i' bit in the bit-map in the MAC control element (Farag: fig. 21 [0208-0216] bitmap).
87. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 84, where a one ("1") value of a bit in the bit-map indicates that a TCI state of a respective candidate cell is selected for the reference list (Farag: [0208-0166] bitmap).
88. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the information comprises an indication whether filtering provides an active filtering list of transmission configuration indication (TCI) state for the MAC control element based transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation with at least one of: beam indication for one or more LTM candidate cells, intra cell beam management; inter-cell beam management; or a combination of one or more of the above (Farag: [0228] beam indication).
89. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of: when the MAC control element is a filtering MAC CE which is received by the user equipment, the user equipment considers any activated transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be not activated; or when the MAC control element is a filtering MAC CE which is received by the user equipment, the user equipment considers any activated transmission configuration indication (TCI) states than a serving cell transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be not activated; or determining whether the MAC control element comprises the information, and not performing the operation when the user equipment determines that the MAC control element does not comprises the information; determining whether the MAC control element is received by the user equipment, and performing a predetermined process when the user equipment determines that the MAC control element is not received by the user equipment; or determining whether the MAC control element is received by the user equipment, and performing a predetermined process when the user equipment determines that the MAC control element is not received by the user equipment; or when the user equipment determines that the filtering MAC control element is not provided, the user equipment assumes that a list of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states, that can be referred for the transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation MAC control element, to be the transmission configuration indication (TCI) states that are associated with a current serving cell to be filtered or considered for the activation (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Farag: [0219] always activated and do not need MAC CE activation).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 72-83, 88-89 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
CATT: "Discussion on L1 inter-cell beam measurement and indication", 3GPP DRAFT; R2-2209397 (from IDS filed by Applicant on 7/3/25) in view of Martin US 20260067759
72. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:
receiving a MAC control element with the apparatus, where the MAC control element comprises information regarding a list of mobility candidate target cells (CATT: Fig. 1, MAC CE transmission indicating candidate cells); and
based, at least partially, upon the receiving of the MAC control element, an operation with the information (CATT: Fig. 1, measuring the candidate cells).
CATT merely disclose the term “memory”
Martin teaches the term memory (Martin: fig. 1B, unit 130, 132)
Martin further teaches receiving a MAC control element with the apparatus, where the MAC control element comprises information regarding a list of mobility candidate target cells and based, at least partially, upon the receiving of the MAC control element, an operation with the information (Martin: [0005, 0133] receive the configuration information indicating the plurality of mobility candidate cells)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into CATT’s invention in order to determine which of the plurality of measurement configurations are to be activated and which of the plurality of measurement configurations are not to be activated upon performing mobility, as taught by Martin.
73. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the information comprises at least one of: the list, and where the operation comprises using the list for transmission configuration indication (TCI) activation or indication; or a filtering condition, and where the operation comprises using the filtering condition to filter the list of mobility candidate target cells into a smaller filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2 the candidate list is a smaller list than the per-configured candidate list; Martin: abstract).
74. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the list of mobility candidate target cells comprises at least one of: a list of identifications of mobility candidate target cells, or at least one mobility candidate target cell configuration, or a list of identifications used to indicate mobility candidate target cells (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Martin: abstract).
75. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 74, where the list of identifications used to indicate mobility candidate target cells comprises a physical cell identifier (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Martin: [0088] PCI).
76. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the list of mobility candidate target cells comprises a current serving cell for the user equipment (Martin: fig. 6 [0132] current serving cell).
77. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform considering the list of mobility candidate target cells provided in the MAC control element as the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells by the user equipment for transmission configuration indication (TCI) activation or indication (CATT: section 2.1 dynamical adjustment of candidate cells).
78. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the operation comprises at least one of: forming the filtered list of the TCI states considering transmission configuration indication (TCI) states from a common pool of the TCI states of mobility candidate target cells only associated with the mobility candidate target cells indicated in the MAC control element; or updating or overriding an earlier list of the of the mobility candidate target cells with the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells; or adding at least a portion of the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells with at least a portion of an earlier list of the of the mobility candidate target cells to form an at least partially combined list; or limiting a number of the mobility candidate target cells on the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells based upon a predetermined parameter; or limiting a number of the mobility candidate target cells on the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells based upon a predetermined parameter; or limiting a number of the mobility candidate target cells on the filtered list of the mobility candidate target cells based upon a predetermined parameter (CATT: section 2.2, Option 1, b; Martin: fig. 5 [0094]).
79. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 78, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform using the filtered list of the TCI states as reference for a further transmission configuration indication TCI activation or/and indication for triggered mobility (LTM) (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2 to link the TCIs to the cells; Martin: [0130] LTM).
80. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 78, where the predetermined parameter is a number (CATT: section 2.2, Option 1, b; Martin: fig. 5 [0094, 0112]).
81. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the MAC control element is configured to be used for a unified transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation and/or deactivation (Martin: [0088] unified TCI).
82. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the information is a candidate cell index in the MAC control element, where the index comprises a list of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states associated with the indicated mobility candidate target cells to be considered for use by the user equipment (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Martin: [0112] list of mobility area indexes).
83. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 82, where the candidate cell index is used as a reference list from which the TCI states to be activated or indicated (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Martin: [0112] list of mobility area indexes).
88. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the information comprises an indication whether filtering provides an active filtering list of transmission configuration indication (TCI) state for the MAC control element based transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation with at least one of: beam indication for one or more LTM candidate cells, intra cell beam management; inter-cell beam management; or a combination of one or more of the above (Martin: [0087] inter-cell beam management).
89. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 72, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of: when the MAC control element is a filtering MAC CE which is received by the user equipment, the user equipment considers any activated transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be not activated; or when the MAC control element is a filtering MAC CE which is received by the user equipment, the user equipment considers any activated transmission configuration indication (TCI) states than a serving cell transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be not activated; or determining whether the MAC control element comprises the information, and not performing the operation when the user equipment determines that the MAC control element does not comprises the information; determining whether the MAC control element is received by the user equipment, and performing a predetermined process when the user equipment determines that the MAC control element is not received by the user equipment; or determining whether the MAC control element is received by the user equipment, and performing a predetermined process when the user equipment determines that the MAC control element is not received by the user equipment; or when the user equipment determines that the filtering MAC control element is not provided, the user equipment assumes that a list of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states, that can be referred for the transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation MAC control element, to be the transmission configuration indication (TCI) states that are associated with a current serving cell to be filtered or considered for the activation (CATT: Fig. 1, section 2.1 & 2.2; Martin: [0092] not to be activated upon performing mobility).
Claim(s) 84-87 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
CATT-Martin further in view of Farag US 20220263616
84. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 73, where the information comprises a field of the MAC control element which indicates a bit-map (Farag: fig. 21 [0208-0216] bitmap).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into CATT’s invention in order to receiving TCI state code points activated by a medium access control-control element (MAC CE) and updating one or more spatial filters for at least one of the DL channels and the UL channels based on the determined TCI stat, as taught by Farag.
85. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 84, where a number of bits of the bit-map equals a number of configured ones of the mobility candidate target cells (Farag: fig. 21 [0208-0216] bitmap).
86. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 84, where the mobility candidate target cells are ordered in an order of associated triggered mobility IDs and an 'i'th candidate cell in the order is linked with an 'i' bit in the bit-map in the MAC control element (Farag: fig. 21 [0208-0216] bitmap).
87. (Previously Presented) The apparatus as claimed in claim 84, where a one ("1") value of a bit in the bit-map indicates that a TCI state of a respective candidate cell is selected for the reference list (Farag: [0208-0166] bitmap).
Response to Arguments
Remark(s)
Applicant's remark(s) filed on 6/29/26 have been fully considered.
Claims 72-89 are drawn to the elected Group I.
Claims 90-91 are withdrawn/deleted from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention, without traverse.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sulaiman Nooristany whose telephone number is (571) 270-1929. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9 to 5. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Jeffrey Rutkowski, can be reached on (571) 270-1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/SULAIMAN NOORISTANY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415
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