DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 3, 18-19, 23-46, and 49-52 have been cancelled.
Status of Claims
2. This Office Action is in response to the application filed on 06/04/2026. Claims 1-2, 4-14, 16-27, 20-22, and 47-48 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
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 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.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant's arguments filed 06/04/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that D1 does not disclose the “during a cell reselection process, determining whether to perform a measurement restriction on a cell on frequency point outside a reselection candidate list”.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. D1 discloses during cell selection and reselection process receives various inputs to make a measurement decisions or not (see Fig. 1.1-1). The figure is re-produced for your convenience.
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In addition, D1 teaches cell selection/reselection (see Table 4.2.1). A portion of the table is re-produced for your convenience.
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In addition, to the above figure and table, D1 teaches in change request section.
Reason for change:
1. White list and whitelist
2. Black list and blacklist
Explain the corresponding changes:
1 . White list is changed to Allow List and whitelist to allow-list
2. Black list is changed to Block List and blacklist to block-list
Therefore, at least for the above teachings disclose the broad limitation “during a cell reselection process, determining whether to perform a measurement restriction on a cell on frequency point outside a reselection candidate list”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #113 Electronic Elbonia, 25 January-5 February 2021; R2-2101079, provided by the applicant, Hereafter (D1).
For claim 1 D1 teaches a method of cell reselection measurement (4.2 Table “cell reselection measurements”), executed by a terminal device, and the method comprising:
during a cell reselection process, determining whether to perform a measurement restriction on a cell or frequency point outside a reselection candidate list (4.2 Table “cell reselection measurements…perform measurements needed to support cell reselection based on the forbidden list, CSG allow list” and Cell Reselection evaluation process…NOTE 6: “UE shall not consider any block (black) listed cells as candidate for cell reselection…For cell reselection to NR operating with shared spectrum channel access, the UE shall consider only the allow (white) listed cells, if configured in SIB24, as candidates for cell reselection.”).
For claim 2 D1 teaches the method, wherein the measurement restriction comprises any of the following:
not performing measurement (5.2.4.5 “Cell Reselection Criteria: the UE shall not perform cell reselection”),
performing measurement relaxation (5.2.4.2 “Measurement rules for cell re-selection: If the UE supports relaxed monitoring…”, 5.2.4.12.0 “Relaxed monitoring measurement rules”), and
adding the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list to a reselection blacklist cell (4.2 Table “cell reselection measurements…perform measurements needed to support cell reselection based on the forbidden list, CSG allow list”).
For claim 4 D1 teaches the method, wherein the determining whether to perform the measurement restriction on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list comprises:
determining whether to perform the measurement restriction on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list according to a protocol agreement (5.2.3.3 “cell selection rules (protocols)” and 5.2.4.2 “Measurement rules for cell reselection”); or,
determining whether to perform the measurement restriction on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list according to first indication information sent by a network device (4.2 “cell reselection and detect and synchronize to a broadcast channel. Receive and handle broadcast information”).
For claim 5 D1 teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the according to first indication information sent by the network device comprises:
receiving the first indication information by a broadcast system messages in a serving cell (4.2 “cell reselection and detect and synchronize to a broadcast channel. Receive and handle broadcast information”); or,
For claim 6 D1 teaches the method, further comprising:
determining an active duration of the measurement restriction according to second indication information of the network device (5.2.4.3 “cell reselection during time period TCRmax (active duration)”);
or,
For claim 7 D1 teaches the method according to claim 2, wherein performing measurement relaxation comprises determining at least one of following measurement parameters:
number of measurements (5.2.4.3 “number of cell reselections during time period TCRmax (active duration)”);
or
measurement period (5.2.4.3 “cell reselection during time period TCRmax (active duration)”).
For claim 8 D1 teaches the method according to claim 7, further comprising:
performing at least one measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list in each measurement period (5.2.4.3 “cell reselection during time period TCRmax (active duration)”).
For claim 9 D1 teaches the method according to claim 7, further comprising:
determining the measurement parameters according to third indication information of the network device (5.2.3.1 “cell parameters, from previously received measurement control information elements or from previously detected cells” and 5.2.4.2 “the UE shall use parameters provided by the serving cel”);
or,
For claim 10 D1 teaches the method according to claim 7, wherein:
or,
the measurement parameters corresponding to different cells are different or same (5.2.3.2 “Cell Selection Criterion: UE may check the S criteria of a cell using parameter values stored from a different cell of this higher priority PLMN”);
or,
or,
For claim 11 D1 teaches the method according to claim 8, wherein the performing at least one measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list in each measurement period comprises:
in response to any measurement period being aligned with a discontinuous reception DRX cycle, performing at least one measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the r selection candidate list in the any measurement period (7.1 “When DRX is used the UE needs only to monitor one PO per DRX cycle… System Information DRX parameters stored in the UE shall be updated locally in the UE whenever the DRX parameter values are changed in SI.”);
or,
For claim 12 D1 teaches the method, wherein the terminal device is configured with extended DRX (7.1 “UE specific extended DRX”) and the method further comprises:
in a case that it is determined to perform measurement restriction on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list (as discussed in claim 1), in response to determining that there is a paging time window PTW within an active duration of the measurement restriction, performing at least one measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list in the DRX cycle of the PTW (7.1 “paging cycle outside the PTW”).
For claim 13 D1 teaches the method according to claim 12, wherein, the in response to determining that there is the paging time window PTW within the active duration of the measurement restriction, performing at least one measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list in the DRX cycle of the PTW, comprises:
in response to determining that one PTW exists within the active duration of the measurement restriction, performing at least one measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list in the DRX cycle of the one PTW (7.1 “a default DRX value broadcast in system information” and as discussed in claim 1);
or,
For claim 14 the method, wherein the terminal device is configured with extended DRX, and the method further comprises:
in a case that it is determined to perform measurement restriction on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list, in response to determining that there is no paging time window PTW within an active duration of the measurement restriction, not performing measurement on the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list (7.1 “a default DRX value broadcast in system information” and as discussed in claim 1).
For claim 16 D1 teaches a method of cell reselection measurement, executed by a network device (as discussed in claim 1), and the method comprising:
sending first indication information to a terminal device, wherein the first indication information is configured to indicate whether to perform a measurement restriction on a cell or frequency point outside a reselection candidate list during a cell reselection process (Fig.1-1 “selection/resection indication to user” and 5.2.4.2 “the UE shall use parameters provided by the serving cel”).
For claim 17 D1 teaches the method, wherein the measurement restriction comprises any of the following:
not performing measurement (as discussed in claim 1) ,
performing measurement relaxation (as discussed in claim 1), and
adding the cell or frequency point outside the reselection candidate list to a reselection blacklist cell (as discussed in claim 1).
For claim 20 D1 teaches the method further comprising:
sending second indication information to the terminal device, wherein the second indication information is configured to indicate an active duration of the measurement restriction (5.2.4.3 “cell reselection during time period TCRmax (active duration)”).
For claim 21 D1 teaches the method, further comprising:
sending third indication information to the terminal device, wherein the third indication information is configured to indicate measurement parameters, and wherein the measurement parameters comprise at least one of following:
number of measurements (5.2.4.3 “number of cell reselections during time period TCRmax (active duration)”); or
measurement period (5.2.4.3 “cell reselection during time period TCRmax (active duration)”).
For claim 22 D1 teaches the method according to claim 21, wherein:
or,
or,
the measurement parameters corresponding to terminal device in different states are different or same (scope “the Idle Mode procedures defined in this specification are also applicable for a UE in RRC INACTIVE state unless specified otherwise”); or,
For claim 47 D1 teaches a communication apparatus, comprising a processor and a memory, a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor executes the computer program stored in the memory, to cause the apparatus to execute a method of cell reselection measurement, executed by a terminal device (scope “UE”), and the method comprising:
during a cell reselection process, determining whether to perform a measurement restriction on a cell or frequency point outside a reselection candidate list (as discussed in clam 1).
For claim 48 D1 teaches a communication apparatus, comprising a processor and a memory, a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor executes the computer program stored in the memory, to cause the apparatus to execute the method according claim 16 (as discussed in claim 16, claim 1, and claim 47).
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jiang (US 2021/0167874 A1) and You et al. (US 2022/0167231 A1).
7. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David M OVEISSI whose telephone number is (571)270-3127. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8Am-5PM.
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, Jeffrey Rutkowski can be reached at (571) 270 - 1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MANSOUR OVEISSI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415
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