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
Claim Status
1. This is in response to application filed on 5/29/2024 in which claims 1-3, 7-8, 13, 15, 17, 20, 25-27, 30, 32, 37-38, 44, 47 and 50 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 13, 15, 25-27, 30, 32, 37 and 44 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Wei et al., (US 2020/0278451), (hereinafter, Wei) in view of Khoshkholgh Dashtaki et al., (US 2023/0099762), (hereinafter, Dashtaki).
Regarding claim 1, Wei discloses a wireless communication method, performed by a user equipment (UE) (= UE 104 receiving positioning information via a SIB, see [0041]), comprising:
transmitting to a base station (BS) a first message, comprising at least one of:
timing information associated with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning information of the UE or system information, the system information including at least one of timing advance (TA) information or satellite positioning information, the timing information indicating a time period for the UE to update the GNSS position information or retrieve the system information, or an instruction, to the BS, associated with the time period when the UE updates the GNSS positioning information or retrieves the system information (= receiving the SIB comprising each of the types of positioning information and data indicate of the temporal validity of the positioning information of each type from the network; and validity durations may be specified by agencies operating GNSS, see [0042]; and if updated positioning information is not currently being broadcasted, then then UE 104 transmits a request for the updated positioning information to be transmitted by base station 101, see [0047]).
Wei explicitly fails to disclose the claimed limitation of:
“updating at least one of the GNSS positioning information or the system information during the time period”.
However, Dashtaki which is an analogous art equivalently discloses the claimed limitations of:
“updating at least one of the GNSS positioning information or the system information during the time period” (= wireless device may start the second validity period based on receiving new satellite ephemeris parameters; or after receiving new common TA see [00315-16]; and the wireless device may update the current TA value, see [0317]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Dashtaki with Wei for the benefit of achieving a communication system that includes a mechanism to maintain valid GNSS data to ensure proper NTN operation.
Regarding claim 2, as mentioned in claim 1, Wei further discloses the method wherein the timing information associated the GNSS positioning information or the system information comprises at least one of: a time when the UE obtains the GNSS positioning information, a time when the UE receives the system information, an index indicating a transmission time of the system information, a starting time of a timer associated with the GNSS positioning information or a timer associated with the system information, a value of one or more of the timers, a remaining time before the system information expires, a time difference between the UE receives the system information and applies the system information, or a time difference between the BS transmitting the system information and the UE receiving the system information (= validity data comprises a time stamp indicating a date/time of transmission of the SIB, see [0043-44]).
Regarding claim 3, as mentioned in claim 1, Wei further discloses the method wherein the timing information is indicative of a valid time duration of the GNSS positioning information and the system information and the method further comprises starting a timer associated with the valid time duration after the UE receives one or more of the GNSS positioning information or the system information (see, [0043]).
Regarding claim 7, as mentioned in claim 1, Wei further discloses the method wherein the instruction is transmitted when at least one of the following conditions is met: the UE is determined to be out-of-synchronization with the BS within a first time duration; the system information will be expired within a second time duration; a timer associated with the system information will reach a first threshold value within a third time duration; the UE retrieves the system information or will retrieves the system information within a fourth time duration; the GNSS positioning information will be expired within a fifth time duration; a timer associated with the GNSS positioning information will reach a second threshold value within a sixth time duration; or the UE initiates to obtain an updated GNSS positioning information or will obtain the updated GNSS positioning information within a seventh time duration (see, [0047 and 0050]).
Regarding claim 13, as mentioned in claim 1, Wei further discloses that the method further comprising; starting updating the GNSS positioning information or retrieving the system information at a predetermined time duration after transmitting the first message comprising the instruction to the BS, or receiving an acknowledgement message from the BS in response to the BS receiving the first message, and updating the GNSS positioning information or retrieving the system information after the acknowledgement message is received and a timer associated with at least one of the system information or the GNSS positioning information reaches a threshold (= updated position information, see, [0047]).
Regarding claim 15, as mentioned in claim 1, Wei further discloses that the method further comprising sending another timing information associated with the GNSS positioning information to a core network connected to the BS, wherein the other timing information associated with the GNSS positioning information is derived from the timing information and comprises at least one of a valid time length of the GNSS positioning information; a remaining time before the GNSS positioning information expires; or a starting time of the GNSS positioning information (see, [0044 and 0047]).
Regarding claim 25, Wei discloses a wireless communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a first base station (BS) from a user equipment (UE), a first message comprising at least one of timing information associated with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning information of the UE or system information, the system information including at least on of timing advance (TA) information or satellite positioning information, the timing information indicating a time period for the UE to update the GNSS position information or retrieve the system information, or an instruction to the BS associated with the time period when the UE updates the GNSS positioning information or the system information (= receiving the SIB comprising each of the types of positioning information and data indicate of the temporal validity of the positioning information of each type from the network; and validity durations may be specified by agencies operating GNSS, see [0042]; and if updated positioning information is not currently being broadcasted, then then UE 104 transmits a request for the updated positioning information to be transmitted by base station 101, see [0047]).
Wei explicitly fails to disclose the claimed limitation of:
“transmitting the system information to UE to update its system information; and configuring the UE after the time period”.
However, Dashtaki which is an analogous art equivalently discloses the claimed limitations of:
“transmitting the system information to UE to update its system information; and configuring the UE after the time period” (= wireless device may acquire updated satellite ephemeris information based on determining that the second validity period has expired; acquires un updated common TA based on determining validity period has expired, see [0316]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Dashtaki with Wei for the benefit of achieving a communication system that includes a mechanism to maintain valid GNSS data to ensure proper NTN operation.
Regarding claim 26, as mentioned in claim 25, Wei further discloses that the method further comprising transmitting a second message to a second BS, to which the UE will establish connection, the second message comprising the timing information (see, [0043]).
Regarding claim 27, as mentioned in claim 26, Wei further discloses the method wherein the second message comprises: at least one of: a remaining time before the system information expires; a value of a timer associated with the system information; a starting time of the timer; a threshold value of the timer; a remaining time before the timer reach the threshold value; a valid time length of the system information; or a starting time of the system information, or at least one of: a valid time length of the GNSS positioning information; a remaining time before the GNSS position information expires; or a starting time of the GNSS position information (see, [0043, 0044 and 0047]).
Regarding claim 30, as mentioned in claim 25, Wei further discloses the method wherein the second message comprises: at least one of: a remaining time before the system information expires; a value of a timer associated with the system information; a starting time of the timer; a threshold value of the timer; a remaining time before the timer reach the threshold value; a valid time length of the system information; or a starting time of the system information, or at least one of: a valid time length of the GNSS positioning information; a remaining time before the GNSS position information expires; or a starting time of the GNSS position information (see, [0043, 0044 and 0047]).
Regarding claim 32, as mentioned in claim 25, Wei further discloses the method wherein the timing information associated the GNSS positioning information or the system information and the system information is indicative of a valid time duration of the GNSS positioning information and comprises at least one of: a time when the UE obtains the GNSS positioning information, a time when the UE receives the system information, an index indicating a transmission time of the system information, a starting time of a timer associated with the GNSS positioning information or a timer associated with the system information, a value of one or more of the timers, a remaining time before the system information expires, a time difference between the UE receives the system information and applies the system information, or a time difference between the BS transmitting the system information and the UE receiving the system information (see, [0043, 0044 and 0047]).
Regarding claim 37, as mentioned in claim 25, Wei further discloses the method wherein the instruction is transmitted when at least one of the following conditions is met: the UE is determined to be out-of-synchronization with the BS within a first time duration; the system information will be expired within a second time duration; a timer associated with the system information will reach a first threshold value within a third time duration; the UE retrieves the system information or will retrieves the system information within a fourth time duration; the GNSS positioning information will be expired within a fifth time duration; a timer associated with the GNSS positioning information will reach a second threshold value within a sixth time duration; or the UE initiates to obtain an updated GNSS positioning information or will obtain the updated GNSS positioning information within a seventh time duration (see, [0043, 0044 and 0047]).
Regarding claim 44, as mentioned in claim 25, Wei further discloses that the method further comprising receiving another timing information associated with the GNSS positioning information and sending a corresponding timing information in a payload establishment/change request message or an initial context setup response message to a core network, wherein the other timing information associated with the GNSS positioning information is derived from the timing information and comprises at least one of: a valid time length of the GNSS positioning information; a remaining time before the GNSS positioning information expires; or a starting time of the GNSS positioning information (see, [0043, 0044 and 0047]).
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 8, 17, 20, 38, 47 and 50 are 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
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. Liberg et al., (US 2022/0104084) teaches UE, network node and method for enabling GNSS measurements.
b. Wang et al., (US 2020/0186236) teaches GNSS-assisted wireless communication.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KWASI KARIKARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8566. The examiner can normally be reached M-Frid: 8am-4pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Appiah can be reached on 571-272-7904. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Kwasi Karikari/
Primary Examiner: Art Unit 2641.
Prosecution Insights