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 .
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
2. Applicant’s arguments, (see pages 9-13), filed on the 22nd of June 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of Claims 1-8, 12-16 and 31 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Publication No.: US 2021/0360493 A1 to Shrestha et al. (Shrestha), in view of Publication No.: US 2021/0306869 A1 to Wei et al. (Wei) as disclosed in the IDS, Claim 9 and 10 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shrestha, in view of Wei as disclosed in the IDS and further in view of Publication No.: US 2025/0294522 A1 to Ai et al. (Ai), Claim 11 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shrestha, in view of Wei as disclosed in the IDS and further in view of Publication No.: US 2013/0107721 A1 to Wang et al. (Wang), Claims 17-20 and 33 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Publication No.: US 2021/0306869 A1 to Wei et al. (Wei) as disclosed in the IDS, Claims 21-23 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei, in view of Publication No.: US 2025/0294522 A1 to Ai et al. (Ai) and Claim 24 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei, in view of Publication No.: US 2021/0360493 A1 to Shrestha et al. (Shrestha).have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the above rejection(s) has been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
3. Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 20 recites ‘wherein the is sent in a broadcast message’, it appears that that the claim limitation(s) is incomplete. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-3, 5-8, 11-21, 24, 31 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Publication No.: US 2021/0360493 A1 to Shrestha et al. (Shrestha).
As to Claims 1 and 31, Shrestha discloses a user equipment, UE, comprising: processing circuitry configured to (Fig. 9, ‘processor 940’, ¶ 0209):
receive, from a first cell of a non-terrestrial network, NTN, a set of one or more system information parameters (‘receiving a set of SIBs common to a set of cells of an NTN, the set of SIBs indicating one or more parameters common to the set of cells for communications with the set of cells, receiving a first SIB associated with a first cell of the set of cells of the NTN, the first SIB including cell-specific information indicating a first set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the first cell, and communicating with the first cell using the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a first sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that are common to the set of cell’, ¶ 0008);
receive, from a second cell of the NTN, an indication to use, for the second cell, the set of one or more system information parameters received from the first cell (‘receiving a second SIB associated with a second cell of the set of cells of the NTN, the second SIB including second cell-specific information indicating a second set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the second cell and communicating with the second cell using the second set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a second sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that may be common to the set of cells’, ¶ 0020).
As to Claim 2, Shrestha further discloses based on the indication, determining not to acquire the set of one or more system information parameters from the second cell based on the UE having received the set of one or more system information parameters from the first cell (‘in additional or alternative aspects, the satellite 120-b and the UE 115-b illustrated in Fig. 3 may address issues associated with SIB acquisition by supporting communications which enable the UE 115-b to acquire a set of SIBs which are usable for communicating with a set of cells 310 of the NTN, and subsequently acquiring only cell-specific parameters associated with a new cell upon entering the new cell. By using SIBs in such a manner, the UE 115-b need not acquire a full set of SIBs each time it enters a new cell, and may instead rely on previously-acquired SIBs’, ¶ 0123).
As to Claim 3, Shrestha further discloses based on the indication, using at least one parameter within the set of system information parameters received from the first cell to determine whether the UE can camp in the second cell (‘in some aspects, the UE 115-b may determine whether or not to perform the update (e.g., SI update) to the set of parameters associated with, or to initiate a random access procedure with, the first cell 310-a. The UE 115-b may determine whether or not to perform the update to the set of parameters associated with, or to initiate a random access procedure with, the first cell 310-a based on an expected duration until a cell reselection procedure (e.g., expected duration until a cell reselection procedure with the second cell 310-b), an expected duration that the UE 115-b is expected to remain within the first cell 310-a, a position (e.g., location) of the UE 115-b within the NTN, whether a random access procedure has been initiated or completed, or any combination thereof’, ¶ 0107).
As to Claim 5, Shrestha further discloses based on the indication, using at least one parameter within the set of one or more system information parameters received from the first cell for performing an operation associated with at least one of camping, cell selection, and cell reselection in the second cell (‘in some aspects, the UE 115-b may determine whether or not to perform the update (e.g., SI update) to the at least one cell-specific parameter of the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with, or to initiate a random access procedure with, the first cell 310-a. The UE 115-b may determine whether or not to perform the update to the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with, or to initiate a random access procedure with, the first cell 310-a based on an expected duration until a cell reselection procedure (e.g., expected duration until a cell reselection procedure with the second cell 310-b), an expected duration that the UE 115-b is expected to remain within the first cell 310-a, a position (e.g., location) of the UE 115-b within the NTN, whether a random access procedure has been initiated or completed, or any combination thereof’, ¶ 0132).
As to Claim 6, Shrestha further discloses wherein the set of one more system information parameters comprises essential system information (‘receiving a set of SIBs common to a set of cells of an NTN, the set of SIBs indicating one or more parameters common to the set of cells for communications with the set of cells, receiving a first SIB associated with a first cell of the set of cells of the NTN, the first SIB including cell-specific information indicating a first set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the first cell, and communicating with the first cell using the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a first sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that are common to the set of cell’, ¶ 0008).
As to Claim 7, Shrestha further discloses wherein the indication from the second cell is received in a broadcast message (‘receiving a set of SIBs common to a set of cells of an NTN, the set of SIBs indicating one or more parameters common to the set of cells for communications with the set of cells, receiving a first SIB associated with a first cell of the set of cells of the NTN, the first SIB including cell-specific information indicating a first set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the first cell, and communicating with the first cell using the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a first sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that are common to the set of cell’, ¶ 0008).
As to Claim 8, Shrestha further discloses wherein the indication from the second cell is received in a Master Information Block, MIB (‘in some cases, the UE may acquire a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a master information block (MIB) associated with the second cell, where the SIB and/or the MIB indicates whether the first SIB associated with the first cell is also usable for communications with the second cell. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may determine whether the first SIB associated with the first cell is still valid or usable for communications with the second cell based on whether the first SIB was received during a validity period associated with the first SIB’, ¶ 0055).
As to Claim 11, Shrestha further discloses wherein the indication from the second cell comprises a tracking area code of the second cell that is the same as a tracking area code of the first cell (‘in some cases, the set of cells may include the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b. The UE 115-b may identify which cells 305 are associated with the common SIBs based on geographic coverage areas, tracking areas (e.g., TACs), and the like. The set of SIBs may include an indication of a set of PIDs associated with the set of cells. For example, in cases where the set of cells includes the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b, the set of SIBs may include a first PID associated with the first cell 310-a and a second PID associated with the second cell 310-b’, ¶ 0124).
As to Claim 12, Shrestha further discloses wherein the indication from the second cell comprises a system information area identifier of the second cell that is the same as a system information area identifier of the first cell (‘in some cases, the set of cells may include the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b. The UE 115-b may identify which cells 305 are associated with the common SIBs based on geographic coverage areas, tracking areas (e.g., TACs), and the like. The set of SIBs may include an indication of a set of PIDs associated with the set of cells. For example, in cases where the set of cells includes the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b, the set of SIBs may include a first PID associated with the first cell 310-a and a second PID associated with the second cell 310-b’, ¶ 0124).
As to Claim 13, Shrestha further discloses wherein the system information area identifier of the second cell is received in scheduling information associated with a system information block, SIB (‘in some cases, the set of cells may include the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b. The UE 115-b may identify which cells 305 are associated with the common SIBs based on geographic coverage areas, tracking areas (e.g., TACs), and the like. The set of SIBs may include an indication of a set of PIDs associated with the set of cells. For example, in cases where the set of cells includes the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b, the set of SIBs may include a first PID associated with the first cell 310-a and a second PID associated with the second cell 310-b’, ¶ 0124).
As to Claim 14, Shrestha further discloses receiving, from the second cell, a second set of one or more system information parameters that the UE requires for camping, cell selection, or cell reselection in the second cell, the second set comprising a subset of essential system information that is configured differently in the second cell than in the first cell (The UE 115-b may communicate with the second cell 310-b based on performing a reselection procedure with the second cell 310-b, determining that the first set of parameters associated with the first cell 310-a are usable for communicating with the second cell 310-b, or any combination thereof’, ¶ 0117).
As to Claim 15, Shrestha further discloses wherein the first cell and the second cell are associated with a network node, and the set of system information parameters and the indication are received from the network node (‘at 1605, the base station may communicate with a UE via first cell of an NTN using a set of parameters associated with the first cell. At 1610, the base station may transmit a control message associated with a second cell of the NTN, the control message including an indication that the set of parameters associated with the first cell is usable for communicating with the second cell’, ¶s 0264-0265).
As to Claim 16, Shrestha further discloses wherein; the set of system information parameters is received from a first network node associated with the first cell; and the indication is received from a second network node associated with the second cell (‘in some cases, the first UE 115-b may perform a handoff procedure (e.g., cell reselection procedure) between the first cell 310-a and the second cell 310-b between Time 1 and Time 2. The UE 115-b may communicate with the first cell 310-a at Time 1 based on a first SIB (e.g., a first set of parameters indicated by the first SIB). In some cases, at Time 2, the UE 115-b may acquire a second SIB associated with the second cell 310-b in order to communicate with the second cell 310-b using the second SIB (e.g., second set of parameters indicated by the second SIB)’, ¶ 0098).
As to Claims 17 and 33, Shrestha discloses a network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to (Fig. 11, ‘the device 1105 may include a
receiver 1110, a communications manager 1115, and a transmitter 1135. The device 1105 may also include a processor’, ¶ 0225);
send, to a user equipment, UE (Figs. 1-3, ‘a UE may receive a set of SIBs
indicating a set of parameters which are common to a set of cells of an NTN’, ¶ 0007), an indication to use, in the cell, a set of one or more system information parameters previously received by the UE for use in another cell (‘in additional or alternative aspects, the satellite 120-b and the UE 115-b illustrated in Fig. 3 may address issues associated with SIB acquisition by supporting communications which enable the UE 115-b to acquire a set of SIBs which are usable for communicating with a set of cells 310 of the NTN, and subsequently acquiring only cell-specific parameters associated with a new cell upon entering the new cell. By using SIBs in such a manner, the UE 115-b need not acquire a full set of SIBs each time it enters a new cell, and may instead rely on previously-acquired SIBs’, ¶ 0123).
As to Claim 18, Shrestha further discloses based on the indication, determining not to send the set of one or more system information parameters to the UE (‘in additional or alternative aspects, the satellite 120-b and the UE 115-b illustrated in Fig. 3 may address issues associated with SIB acquisition by supporting communications which enable the UE 115-b to acquire a set of SIBs which are usable for communicating with a set of cells 310 of the NTN, and subsequently acquiring only cell-specific parameters associated with a new cell upon entering the new cell. By using SIBs in such a manner, the UE 115-b need not acquire a full set of SIBs each time it enters a new cell, and may instead rely on previously-acquired SIBs’, ¶ 0123).
As to Claim 19, Shrestha further discloses wherein the set of one more system information parameters comprises essential system information (‘receiving a set of SIBs common to a set of cells of an NTN, the set of SIBs indicating one or more parameters common to the set of cells for communications with the set of cells, receiving a first SIB associated with a first cell of the set of cells of the NTN, the first SIB including cell-specific information indicating a first set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the first cell, and communicating with the first cell using the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a first sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that are common to the set of cell’, ¶ 0008).
As to Claim 20, Shrestha further discloses wherein the is sent in a broadcast message (‘receiving a set of SIBs common to a set of cells of an NTN, the set of SIBs indicating one or more parameters common to the set of cells for communications with the set of cells, receiving a first SIB associated with a first cell of the set of cells of the NTN, the first SIB including cell-specific information indicating a first set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the first cell, and communicating with the first cell using the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a first sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that are common to the set of cell’, ¶ 0008).
As to Claim 21, Shrestha further discloses wherein the indication is sent in a Master Information Block, MIB (‘in some cases, the UE may acquire a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a master information block (MIB) associated with the second cell, where the SIB and/or the MIB indicates whether the first SIB associated with the first cell is also usable for communications with the second cell. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may determine whether the first SIB associated with the first cell is still valid or usable for communications with the second cell based on whether the first SIB was received during a validity period associated with the first SIB’, ¶ 0055).
As to Claim 24, Shrestha further discloses wherein the one or more system information parameters comprises a signal strength threshold for determining whether the UE can camp in the second cell (‘the UE 115-b may be configured to determine (e.g., select) whether to communicate with the second cell 310-b or the third cell based on any characteristics or parameters associated with the second cell 310-b and/or third cell including signal-to-noise (SNR) values, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) values, reference signal received power (RSRP) values, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) values, or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 115-b may determine to communicate with (e.g., perform an attachment procedure or cell resection procedure with) the second cell 310-b or the third cell based on whether the set of parameters associated with the first cell 310-a are usable for communicating with the second cell 310-b, the third cell, or both. For instance, the UE 115-b may determine that the set of parameters associated with the first cell 310-a (e.g., the SIB(s) associated with the first cell 310-a) are usable for communications with the second cell 310-b, but are not usable for communications with the third cell’, ¶ 0113).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shrestha, in view of Publication No.: US 2020/0322856 A1 to Wang et al. (Wang).
As to Claim 4, Shrestha does not expressly disclose wherein the at least one parameter comprises a threshold, and wherein determining whether the UE can camp in the second cell comprises determining that a signal strength in the second cell is greater than the threshold.
However, Wang discloses wherein the at least one parameter comprises a threshold, and wherein determining whether the UE can camp in the second cell comprises determining that a signal strength in the second cell is greater than the threshold (‘for example, the UE may be monitoring and evaluating one or more neighboring cells while camping on the serving cell prior to reselecting to camp on the first candidate cell. The UE may have determined that a subset of the neighboring cells have receive signal measurements (e.g., RSRP or RSRQ) higher than signal measurements (e.g., RSRP or RSRQ) of the serving cell for some time periods. In other words, the neighboring cells in the subset have receive signal measurements that are qualified for starting a cell reselection timer (e.g., with a t-Reselection expiration duration) for cell reselection evaluation’, ¶ 0142).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide ‘wherein the at least one parameter comprises a threshold, and wherein determining whether the UE can camp in the second cell comprises determining that a signal strength in the second cell is greater than the threshold’ as disclosed by Wang into Shrestha so as to effectively reselect cells while camping in different cells in wireless communication system, Wang ¶ 0006.
8. Claims 9, 10, 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shrestha, in view of Publication No.: US 2025/0294522 A1 to Ai et al. (Ai).
As to Claim 9, Shrestha does not expressly disclose wherein the MIB comprises a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator.
However, Ai discloses wherein the MIB comprises a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator (‘thus the BS may indicate in system information the current H-SFN which is used for synchronization of timing between UE and BS. If the BS includes all bits or partial bits of H-SFN in the MIB of a cell, a UE operating in eDRX can acquire H-SFN quickly without reading a complete SIB1 message to get the H-SFN information’, ¶ 0091).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide ‘wherein the MIB comprises a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator’ as disclosed by Ai into Shrestha so as to effectively schedule cell reselection in wireless communication system, Ai ¶ 0007.
As to Claim 10, Shrestha does not expressly disclose determining that the MIB does not include a hyper subframe number, H-SFN indicator; and based on the MIB not including the H-SFN, keeping track of H-SFN cycles at the UE and/or acquiring system information to confirm or update the H-SFN cycles.
However, Ai discloses determining that the MIB does not include a hyper subframe number, H-SFN indicator (‘if the BS includes all bits or partial bits of H-SFN in the MIB of a cell, a UE operating in eDRX can acquire H-SFN quickly without reading a complete SIB1 message to get the H-SFN information. But then there will be no enough space in current MIB message’, ¶ 0091); and based on the MIB not including the H-SFN, keeping track of H-SFN cycles at the UE and/or acquiring system information to confirm or update the H-SFN cycles (‘a UE operating in eDRX may update system information according to following rules. First, when the UE receives an indicator which indicates system information modification for eDRX UE via a downlink control information (DCI) or a paging message, the UE acquires updated system information at the next eDRX acquisition period boundary. An eDRX acquisition period is a time period whose boundary is determined by a predefined rule, e.g. H-SFN mod N=0, where H-SFN is the hyper system frame number, and N is the length of eDRX acquisition period’, ¶ 0029).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide ‘determining that the MIB does not include a hyper subframe number, H-SFN indicator; and based on the MIB not including the H-SFN, keeping track of H-SFN cycles at the UE and/or acquiring system information to confirm or update the H-SFN cycles’ as disclosed by Ai into Shrestha so as to effectively schedule cell reselection in wireless communication system, Ai ¶ 0007.
As to Claim 22, Shrestha does not expressly disclose wherein the MIB comprises a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator.
However, Ai discloses wherein the MIB comprises a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator (‘thus the BS may indicate in system information the current H-SFN which is used for synchronization of timing between UE and BS. If the BS includes all bits or partial bits of H-SFN in the MIB of a cell, a UE operating in eDRX can acquire H-SFN quickly without reading a complete SIB1 message to get the H-SFN information’, ¶ 0091).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide ‘wherein the MIB comprises a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator’ as disclosed by Ai into Shrestha so as to effectively schedule cell reselection in wireless communication system, Ai ¶ 0007.
As to Claim 23 Shrestha does not expressly disclose wherein the MIB does not include a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator, and wherein the absence of the H-SFN indicator in the MIB indicates that the UE is to keep track of H-SFN cycles and/or acquire system information to confirm or update the H-SFN cycles.
However, Ai discloses wherein the MIB does not include a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator (‘if the BS includes all bits or partial bits of H-SFN in the MIB of a cell, a UE operating in eDRX can acquire H-SFN quickly without reading a complete SIB1 message to get the H-SFN information. But then there will be no enough space in current MIB message’, ¶ 0091); and wherein the absence of the H-SFN indicator in the MIB indicates that the UE is to keep track of H-SFN cycles and/or acquire system information to confirm or update the H-SFN cycles (‘a UE operating in eDRX may update system information according to following rules. First, when the UE receives an indicator which indicates system information modification for eDRX UE via a downlink control information (DCI) or a paging message, the UE acquires updated system information at the next eDRX acquisition period boundary. An eDRX acquisition period is a time period whose boundary is determined by a predefined rule, e.g. H-SFN mod N=0, where H-SFN is the hyper system frame number, and N is the length of eDRX acquisition period’, ¶ 0029).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide ‘wherein the MIB does not include a hyper subframe number, H-SFN, indicator, and wherein the absence of the H-SFN indicator in the MIB indicates that the UE is to keep track of H-SFN cycles and/or acquire system information to confirm or update the H-SFN cycles’ as disclosed by Ai into Shrestha so as to effectively schedule cell reselection in wireless communication system, Ai ¶ 0007.
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GBEMILEKE J ONAMUTI whose telephone number is (571)270-5619. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/GBEMILEKE J ONAMUTI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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