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 Objections
Claim(s) 1 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, the Examiner suggests changing to “… transmitting, by the UE, first SCG failure information based on initiating the[[SCG]] failure information procedure ...” Appropriate correction(s) is/are required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 8 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang (US 20230371109) in view of LIU (US 20230189383), and further in view of PURKAYASTHA (US 20220225457).
With respect to independent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 1/14, Jang teaches A method comprising:
initiating ([0110], “the UE may detect an above-described BFD ... in a state where the SCG is deactivated,” wherein the BFD is Beam Failure Detection.), by a user equipment (UE), a first secondary cell group([0110], the UE detects beam failure when “signal of a beam transmitted by the PSCell is lost.”) while an SCG is deactivated ([0109], “the UE may receive a command to deactivate the currently active SCG from the MCG (1j-05.” And [0110], “UE may detect an above-described BFD ... in a state where the SCG is deactivated.”), wherein the SCG comprises the PSCell ([0110], “the UE may detect an above-described BFD, in which the signal of a beam transmitted by the PSCell is lost.”);
transmitting, by the UE, first SCG failure information based on initiating the([0110], “If the UE detects a BFD of the PSCell,” then the UE may report the detected Beam Failure Detection (BFD). And [0112], “UE informs the MCG that a BFR of the corresponding PSCell has occurred ... and the information transmitted through the BFR MAC CE may be delivered to the SCG.”).),
wherein an SCG transmission is not suspended based on the first SCG failure information procedure being initiated due to the beam failure of the PSCell while the SCG is deactivated ([0110-0112], since the UE reports the beam failure situation while the SCG is deactivated, so the SCG transmission is not suspended.);
However, Jang does not teach initiating, by the UE, a second SCG failure information procedure upon a failure related to the SCG, based on the SCG transmission being not suspended; and transmitting, by the UE, second SCG failure information based on initiating the second SCG failure information procedure, wherein an SCG transmission is suspended based on the second SCG failure information being not initiated due to a beam failure of the PSCell while the SCG is deactivated.
In an analogous art, PURKAYASTHA teaches initiating, by a user equipment (UE), a first secondary cell group([0065], BFD) while an SCG is deactivated ([0065], “the UE may perform BFD reference signal measurements on the PSCell while the UE is operating in the SCG deactivated state.”) ...
transmitting, by the UE, first SCG failure information ([0067], “the UE may transmit the SCG failure information message based at least in part on the BFD.”) based on initiating the([0066], “the UE may determine the BFD based at least in part on the BFD reference signal measurements not satisfying a threshold.”),
wherein an SCG transmission is not suspended based on the first SCG failure information procedure being initiated due to the beam failure of the PSCell while the SCG is deactivated ([0067], “the UE may transmit the SCG failure information message based at least in part on the BFD” while the SCG is deactivated. Since the UE can transmit the SCG failure information message, so the SCG transmission is not suspended.);
initiating ([0071], “the UE may receive, from the master node, an RRC reconfiguration based at least in part on the SCG failure information message transmitted to the master node. The RRC reconfiguration may indicate ... an updated RLM configuration that includes an updated set of RLM reference signals for the UE to measure.” And [0073], “the RRC reconfiguration may include an information element (IE) associated with ... reporting of measurement results including beam measurements based at least in part on detection of the PSCell RLF.”), by the UE, a second SCG failure information procedure ([0071-0073], after transmitted SCG failure information message in step 310, second measurement for the “updated set of RLM reference signals for the UE to measure.”) upon a failure related to the SCG ([0073], “PSCell RLF”), based on the SCG transmission being not suspended ([0073], “reporting of measurement results including beam measurements based at least in part on detection of the PSCell RLF,” SCG transmission is not suspended.); and
transmitting, by the UE, second SCG failure information based on initiating the second SCG failure information procedure ([0073], “reporting of measurement results including beam measurements based at least in part on detection of the PSCell RLF.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Jang to specify perform second measurement as taught by PURKAYASTHA. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to update measurement result.
However, the combination of Jang and PURKAYASTHA does not teach wherein an SCG transmission is suspended based on the second SCG failure information being not initiated due to a beam failure of the PSCell while the SCG is deactivated.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches wherein an SCG transmission is suspended based on the second SCG failure information ([0077], “Upon reception of the RRC message, the UE can deactivate the SCG and stops DL/UL data transmission.” And [0078], “When T310 timer expires, the UE can declare RLF on PSCell, then the UE can send SCGFailureInformation report to MN.” In other words, transmission of the SCG failure report is suspended until T310 timer expires.) being not initiated due to a beam failure of the PSCell ([0078], RLF is not the same as beam failure.) while the SCG is deactivated ([0077], “Upon reception of the RRC message, the UE can deactivate the SCG,” wherein the SCG is Second Cell Group.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Jang to specify suspending SCG transmission as taught by Liu. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to wait until a timer is expired in order to avoid collision.
With respect to dependent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 3, PURKAYASTHA teaches failure related to the SCG comprises at least one of:
a radio link failure (RLF) on the ([0073], “reporting of measurement results including beam measurements based at least in part on detection of the PSCell RLF.”); an execution failure of a mobility command for the cell group; a configuration failure of the cell group; an integrity check failure for the cell group; or consistent uplink listen-before-talk (LBT) failures on the cell group for operation with an unlicensed band.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Jang to specify perform second measurement as taught by PURKAYASTHA. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to update measurement result.
Regarding claim(s) 5, Jang teaches wherein the first failure information informs that the beam failure is detected on the cell group ([0112], “UE informs the MCG that a BFR of the corresponding PSCell has occurred ... and the information transmitted through the BFR MAC CE may be delivered to the SCG.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Liu to specify reporting to a MCG and SCG when in a state where the CSG is deactivated as taught by Jang. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to report beam failure detection.
Regarding claim(s) 8, PURKAYASTHA teaches wherein the second SCG failure information is initiated upon the UE informs that the failure related to the SCG is detected ([0073], “reporting of measurement results including beam measurements based at least in part on detection of the PSCell RLF.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Jang to specify perform second measurement as taught by PURKAYASTHA. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to update measurement result.
Regarding claim(s) 13, Jang teaches wherein the UE is in communication with at least one of a mobile device, a network ([Fig.1]), or autonomous vehicles other than the UE.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang in view of PURKAYASTHA and Liu, and further in view of PURKAYASTHA (US 20220007446), hereinafter PURKAYASTHA2.
Regarding claim(s) 12, PURKAYASTHA2 teaches wherein the deactivated state comprises a state in which the UE does not monitor a control channel on the SCG ([0052], “When a UE is operating in the SCG deactivated state, the UE may refrain from monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the PSCell.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Jang to specify SCG deactivated state as taught by PURKAYASTHA2. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to save energy.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims filed on 06/08/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection in instant Office action does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the Applicant’s arguments.
Conclusion
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.
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/ZHIREN QIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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