DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is a response to Preliminary Amendment made to an Application No. 18/694,196 filed on 03/21/2024 in which claim 3 is amended and new claim 5 is added. Accordingly, claims 1-5 are currently pending for examination.
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 .
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.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 03/21/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Examiner has considered the reference(s) listed on the Information Disclosure Statement submitted on 03/21/2024 and 04/23/2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 recites acronyms such as “TA” in line 2. For clarity, it is suggested to spell out the specified acronyms in at least the first time it is mentioned in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “a reception unit…, and a control unit…” in claim 1.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of this instant specification, the published specification ¶ [0139] recites “the transmission unit 210 and the reception unit 220 may be referred to as a transmitter and a receiver, respectively.” and ¶ [0159] recites “For example, the above-described control unit 140, control unit 240, and the like, may be implemented by the processor 1001.”
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by CHEN et al. (US 2022/0053555 A1) hereinafter “Chen”.
Regarding claims 1 and 4, Chen discloses Claim 1 of a terminal that performs a communication with a base station via a satellite (see FIG. 1 and 2; see ¶ [0197]), the terminal comprising: and Claim 4 of a communication method performed by a terminal that performs a communication with a base station via a satellite (see FIG. 1 and 2; see ¶ [0197]), the communication method comprising:
a reception unit (see FIG. 16; see ¶ [0223], a communication interface) configured to receive a parameter for updating a timing advance value for the communication with the base station from the base station (see FIG. 7; see ¶ [0150-51], the access network sends a TA adjustment parameter to the terminal device and the TA adjustment parameter is used to indicate a TA adjustment of the terminal device); and
a control unit (see FIG. 14; see ¶ [0197], a processor) configured to change a method of updating the timing advance value when the parameter is updated (see FIG. 7; see ¶ [0152-53], after receiving the TA adjustment parameter sent by the access network device, the terminal device determines to adjust the TA, the terminal needs to determine the TA scaling factor, the subcarrier spacing parameter, and the first TA required for calculating the TA).
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses wherein the timing advance value includes a first TA value that is to be updated according to an estimation based on the parameter received from the base station and a second TA value that is to be updated based on information received from the base station, and the control unit changes a method of updating the first TV value when the parameter is updated (see ¶ [0153-55], the first TA may be the initial TA, or the first TA may be a TA obtained after the initial TA is adjusted and the terminal device jointly determines a second TA based on the TA adjustment parameter, the TA scaling factor, the subcarrier spacing parameter, and the first TA).
Regarding claims 3 and 5, Chen discloses wherein the timing advance value includes a first TA value that is to be updated according to an estimation based on the parameter received from the base station and a second TA value that is to be updated based on information received from the base station, and the control unit changes a method of updating the second TV value when the parameter is updated (see ¶ [0153-55] [0158], determining that the TA of the terminal device needs to be adjusted, the terminal device determines the TA scaling factor, the subcarrier spacing parameter, and the first TA, to jointly adjust the first TA to obtain the second TA. When the terminal device determines the second TA, an adjustment that may be adjusted based on the first TA).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WANG et al. (US 2022/0263570 A1) teaches a method includes that a device receives a first common timing advance (TA) parameter and a first common TA change amount calculation parameter, where the first common TA parameter is used to obtain a first common TA, and the first common TA change amount calculation parameter is used to update the first common TA to obtain an updated common TA (see Abstract).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of the action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7241. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
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, Yemane Mesfin can be reached at (571) 272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462