DETAILED ACTION
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 .
This Office action is in response to Argument filed on Aug. 10, 2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-18 and 23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claims 19-22 and 24-39 have been canceled.
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 1-18 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cha et al. (2024/0377496).
Regarding claim 1, Cha discloses a method, for use in a wireless communication device connected to a cellular network comprising at least one base station, of facilitating positioning of the wireless communication device (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, process 200, elements 204, 202, 206, fig.3A, process 300, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028], [0050] and its description), wherein the method comprises: obtaining at least one measurement time duration for making measurements of uplink transmission timing errors associated with transmitting of positioning reference signals, each one of the at least one measurement time duration comprising at least one resource set for said transmitting of the positioning reference signals (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-212, fig.3A, process 302, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0050-0051] and its description), transmitting, for reception by the at least one base station of the cellular network, the positioning reference signals during the at least one measurement time duration and using the at least one resource set (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-214, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034] [0050-0052] and its description), and based on the measurements of the uplink transmission timing errors at the wireless communication device during the at least one measurement time duration, providing, to the cellular network, a timing error group report indicative of a change of parameter values of at least one parameter associated with timing error groups during the measurement time duration, wherein each timing error group comprises one or more resources of the at least one resource set having uplink transmission timing errors within a predefined margin (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-220, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034-0036], [0050-0052] and its description).
Regarding claim 2, Cha further discloses wherein said obtaining of the at least one measurement time duration comprises obtaining, from the cellular network, a control message indicative of the at least one measurement time duration (see abstract, fig.2, element 202, steps 216-220., paragraphs [0034-0036] and its description).
Regarding claim 3, Cha further discloses wherein the at least one measurement time duration is obtained multiple times by the wireless communication device (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, fig.2, elements 204, paragraphs [0009-0010], [0017-0018] and its description).
Regarding claim 4, Cha further discloses wherein said obtaining of the at least one measurement time duration comprises calculating a start time and a stop time of the at least one measurement time duration in accordance with a respective repetitive timing schedule(see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, fig.2, elements 204, paragraphs [0009-0010], [0017-0019] and its description).
Regarding claim 5, Cha further discloses wherein the timing error group report is provided to the cellular network in accordance with a reporting ruleset (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, fig.2, elements 204, paragraphs [0009-0010], [0017-0019] and its description).
Regarding claim 6, Cha further comprising: obtaining the reporting ruleset from the cellular network (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-220, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034-0036], [0050-0052] and its description).
Regarding claim 7, Cha further discloses wherein the reporting ruleset defines at least one trigger event triggering said providing of the timing error group report (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-220, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034-0036], [0050-(see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-220, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034-0036], [0050-0052] and its description)0052] and its description).
Regarding claim 8, Cha further discloses wherein the at least one trigger event comprises the change of the at least one parameter value exceeding a predefined threshold (see abstract, paragraph [0005-0006], [0031]).
Regarding claim 9, Cha further discloses wherein the reporting ruleset defines a timing schedule for repeatedly providing the timing error group report (see abstract, paragraph [0032]).
Regarding claim 10, Cha further discloses wherein the timing schedule defines a maximum duration of a time gap between an end of the at least one measurement time duration and said providing of the timing error group report (see abstract, paragraphs [0032-0033]).
Regarding claim 11, Cha further discloses wherein the timing schedule defines a maximum duration of a time gap between at least one resource of the at least one resource set and said providing of the timing error group report (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-220, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034-0036], [0050-0052] and its description).
Regarding claim 12, Cha further discloses wherein the reporting ruleset is obtained multiple times by the wireless communication device (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 106A/106B, 190, fig.2, elements 204, 202, 206, steps 210-214, fig.3A, process 304, paragraphs [0002], [0009-0011], [0021], [0028-0030], [0034] [0050-0052] and its description).
Regarding claim 13, Cha further comprising: obtaining a grouping ruleset defining the parameter or a further parameter associated with the timing error groups (see abstract, fig.1, paragraphs [0002-0003], [0009] and its description).
Regarding claim 14, Cha further discloses wherein the grouping ruleset is obtained from the cellular network (see abstract, paragraph {0002]).
Regarding claim 15, Cha further discloses wherein the at least one parameter or the further parameter defined by the grouping ruleset comprises the predefined margin (see abstract, paragraphs [0002-0006]).
Regarding claim 16, Cha further discloses wherein the at least one parameter associated with the timing error groups comprises associations between the one or more resources of the at least one resource set and the timing error groups (see abstract, paragraph [0002]).
Regarding claim 17, Cha further discloses wherein the at least one parameter associated with the timing error groups comprises the predefined margin of the respective uplink transmission timing errors (see abstract, fig.1, paragraphs [0002-0006] and its description) .
Regarding claim 18, Cha further discloses wherein the at least one parameter comprises identities of one or more resources of the at least one resource set associated with each timing error group (see abstract, fig.2, paragraph [0002-0006], [0010] and its description).
Regarding claim 23, Cha discloses a method, for use in a network node of a cellular network, of positioning a wireless communication device connected to the cellular network based on time-difference of arrival measurements of positioning references signals transmitted by the wireless communication device for reception by at least one base station of the cellular network (see abstract, fig.1, elements 106A/106B, 102, 190, fig.3, process 399, .paragraphs [0002], [0009], [0012], [0021], [0053] and its description), wherein the method comprises: obtaining one or more positioning measurement reports from the at least one base station, the one or more positioning measurement reports being indicative of times of arrival of the positioning reference signals at the at least one base station (see abstract, fig.1, element 106A/106B, 102, fig.3, process 399, paragraphs [0002], [0009], [0012], [0021], [0053] and its description), obtaining a timing error group report indicative of a change of parameter values of at least one parameter associated with timing error groups during a predetermined measurement time duration for making measurements of uplink transmission timing errors when transmitting the positioning reference signals, wherein each timing error group comprises one or more resources of the at least one resource set having uplink transmission timing errors within a predefined margin (see abstract, fig.1, element 106A/106B, 102, 190, fig.3, process 399, steps 310-312, paragraphs [0002], [0009], [0021-0025], [0053-0055] and its description), and determining a position of the wireless communication device based on the timing error group report and the one or more positioning measurement reports (see abstract, fig.1, element 106A/106B, 102, 190, fig.3, process 399, steps 310-314, paragraphs [0002], [0009], [0021-0022], [0053-0056] and its description).
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
When responding to this Office Action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CongVan Tran whose telephone number is (571) 272-7871. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Th.
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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
/CONGVAN TRAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
Prosecution Insights