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 .
Response to Amendment
This is in response to an amendment/response filed 7/28/2026.
Claim 2 has been cancelled.
Claim 21 has been added.
Claims 1 and 3-21 are now pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/28/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 8-10 of the remarks, in regard to the amended claim 1, the Applicant disagrees with the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao et al. US 20240015686 (hereinafter “Rao”) in view of Michalopoulos et al. US 20250071722 (hereinafter “Michalopoulos”)
Specifically, the Applicant remarks:
Michalopoulos fails to teach or suggest "transmit, to a location server, an indication of a need for an on-demand [PRS], wherein the indication requests an on-demand PRS configuration from a pre-defined set of on-demand PRS configurations". In Michalopoulos, there is no such pre-defined set.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Regarding (1), the argument is not persuasive because the UE receives "information indicating the plurality of PRS configurations" [0159] and the UE sends a request that "can indicate just a subset of the PRS configurations indicated by the node apparatus" [0161]. Since the "information indicating the plurality of PRS configurations" is sent to the UE, these configurations must be "pre-defined" or already existing and the UE determines and requests for at least one, suitable PRS configuration based on this information.
On page 9-10 of the remarks, in regard to the dependent claims, the Applicant states that the claims are allowable at least due to the deficiencies of the ground of rejection applied to the independent claims.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
The Examiner kindly refer the Applicant to the reasoning pertaining to the independent claims, detailed above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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, 11-13, and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao et al. US 20240015686 (hereinafter “Rao”) in view of Michalopoulos et al. US 20250071722 (hereinafter “Michalopoulos”)
As to claim 1 and 12 (claim 12 is the method claim for the UE in claim 1):
Rao discloses:
A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: transmit, to a location server, an indication of a need for an on-demand positioning reference signal (PRS), (“The WTRU 202 may send 216 on-demand PRS indication to the network, via gNB 204, to request a PRS configuration based on configured triggering conditions.”, Rao [0077])
receive, from the location server, the on-demand PRS configurations; (“A WTRU 202 may receive 208 an LPP with one or more allowed PRS configurations and higher layer (HL) triggers conditions from a gNB 204.”, Rao [0077])
transmit, to the location server, a first additional on-demand PRS request; (“In other embodiments, a WTRU may initiate an on-demand request for changing and/or updating the PRS configuration. In one example of WTRU-initiated on demand PRS, the WTRU may send an on-demand request to a network (i.e. gNB in RAN or LMF) to request for updating/changing the PRS configuration.”, Rao [0097]) (Examiner’s Note: the WTRU can send another request to change or update a PRS configuration)
and receive, from the location server, a set of on-demand PRS configuration parameters (“In one example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request upon determining the suitability of the received initial, (e.g. first) PRS configuration for the WTRU based on measurements performed by the WTRU. For example, the WTRU may perform measurements on the PRS received from the set of TRPs/gNBs in the initial PRS configuration. The WTRU may then determine whether updated information related to the initial PRS configuration (e.g. change in the resource, resource set or TRPs) may be needed based on the measurements. As an example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request for updating the PRS configuration upon determining the measurements made using the initial PRS configuration are below/above certain configured threshold. In another example, the WTRU may indicate information in the on-demand request that may not be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may be detectable and measurable by the WTRU, such as resource information or TRP/gNB IDs. Likewise, the WTRU may indicate in the on-demand request a revised PRS configuration for removing/pruning certain attributes (e.g. a TRP/gNB) that may be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may not be suitable for making positioning measurements (e.g. measured RSRP is below a threshold for a certain configured duration). The WTRU may then receive the updated configuration after the RAN/LMF performs changes to the PRS configuration (i.e. upon reconfiguring the indicated TRPs/gNBs via NRPPa signaling) based on the on-demand PRS request sent by WTRU.”, Rao [0098])
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
wherein the indication requests an on-demand PRS configuration from a pre-defined set of on-demand PRS configurations;
However, Michalopoulos further teaches indication for ODPRS configurations which includes:
wherein the indication requests an on-demand PRS configuration from a pre-defined set of on-demand PRS configurations; (“In some examples when the UE 110 makes the UE-initiated ODPRS request it can also include one or more reasons for requesting alternative PRS configurations. The reasons could be QoS requirements, a need for higher accuracy or any other suitable requirements.”, Michalopoulos [0154]) (“In the example of FIG. 6 the request made by the UE 110 does not need to include all of the alternative PRS configurations that have been indicated by the node apparatus 120. In some examples the request made by the UE 110 can indicate just a subset of the PRS configurations indicated by the node apparatus 120. The UE 110 can limit the request to include only the PRS configurations that are suitable for the UE 110 and can disregard the other PRS configurations.”, Michalopoulos [0161])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 3:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication is accompanied by a request for a set of desired on-demand PRS configuration parameters or a subset of on-demand PRS configuration parameters belonging to a larger set.
However, Michalopoulos further teaches indication for ODPRS configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication is accompanied by a request for a set of desired on-demand PRS configuration parameters or a subset of on-demand PRS configuration parameters belonging to a larger set. (“In some examples when the UE 110 makes the UE-initiated ODPRS request it can also include one or more reasons for requesting alternative PRS configurations. The reasons could be QoS requirements, a need for higher accuracy or any other suitable requirements.”, Michalopoulos [0154]) (“In the example of FIG. 6 the request made by the UE 110 does not need to include all of the alternative PRS configurations that have been indicated by the node apparatus 120. In some examples the request made by the UE 110 can indicate just a subset of the PRS configurations indicated by the node apparatus 120. The UE 110 can limit the request to include only the PRS configurations that are suitable for the UE 110 and can disregard the other PRS configurations.”, Michalopoulos [0161])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 4:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the first additional on-demand PRS request comprises a set of one or more indices, each referencing a corresponding pre-defined PRS configuration.
However, Michalopoulos further teaches indication for ODPRS configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the first additional on-demand PRS request comprises a set of one or more indices, each referencing a corresponding pre-defined PRS configuration. (“The order of preference of the PRS configurations can be indicated by the UE 110 using any suitable notations. In some examples the UE 110 can use a predefined index value to refer to an alternative PRS configurations or a specific order of PRS configurations. This can reduce the message overhead. The predefined index can be defined by the network apparatus 130 or by any other suitable entity. For example, a mapping between the reasons and an index or indicator can be as given in the following table:”, Michalopoulos [0163])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 5:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 4, wherein the set of one or more indices is ordered according to preference or priority.
However, Michalopoulos further teaches indication for ODPRS configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 4, wherein the set of one or more indices is ordered according to preference or priority. (“The order of preference of the PRS configurations can be indicated by the UE 110 using any suitable notations. In some examples the UE 110 can use a predefined index value to refer to an alternative PRS configurations or a specific order of PRS configurations. This can reduce the message overhead. The predefined index can be defined by the network apparatus 130 or by any other suitable entity. For example, a mapping between the reasons and an index or indicator can be as given in the following table:”, Michalopoulos [0163])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 6:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 4, wherein the set of one or more indices is ordered from the highest to lowest on-demand PRS configuration.
However, Michalopoulos further teaches indication for ODPRS configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 4, wherein the set of one or more indices is ordered from the highest to lowest on-demand PRS configuration. (“The order of preference of the PRS configurations can be indicated by the UE 110 using any suitable notations. In some examples the UE 110 can use a predefined index value to refer to an alternative PRS configurations or a specific order of PRS configurations. This can reduce the message overhead. The predefined index can be defined by the network apparatus 130 or by any other suitable entity. For example, a mapping between the reasons and an index or indicator can be as given in the following table:”, Michalopoulos [0163])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 7:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication further indicates a certain time or a certain location associated with the need for the on-demand PRS.
However, Michalopoulos further teaches indication for ODPRS configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication further indicates a certain time or a certain location associated with the need for the on-demand PRS. (“In some examples the information indicating the configurations and their order of preference can be generic for all UEs 110 within an area. In other examples the configurations and their order of preference can be specific to a subset of UEs 110. The subset could be determined based on location, slice preferences, UE category, positioning requirement or any other suitable criteria. In some cases the information relating to the configurations and the order of preference might only be available for the subset of UEs 110”, Michalopoulos [0123]) (“The reasons for the order of preference of the PRS configurations and the criteria for defining the reasons can be predefined by the network 100, the operator, a specification or any other suitable entity. For instance, the threshold value for defining a low signal strength can be predefined. In some examples such threshold values can be dependent on the positioning service requirement dictated by a specific use case or application. The cause can be indicated by the UE 110 via a predefined index value.”, Michalopoulos [0164]) (Examiner’s Note: positioning service requirement maps to “certain location”)
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 11:
Rao discloses:
The UE of claim 1, wherein, to indicate the need for an on-demand PRS configuration at a specific time or area, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit a long-term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) message indicating UE-initiated on-demand PRS capability or a device type, or both. (“In other embodiments, a WTRU may initiate an on-demand request for PRS. In one embodiment of a WTRU-initiated on demand PRS, the WTRU may send an on-demand request to the network (i.e. gNB in RAN or LMF) for requesting the transmission of PRS based on the PRS configuration information received and available at the WTRU. The on-demand request sent by the WTRU may be applicable for both DL-PRS and UL-SRSp transmission. Specifically, in the case of DL-PRS, the WTRU may request for the DL transmission of PRS whereas in the case of UL-SRSp the WTRU may request for activation/initialization of UL SRSp to be transmitted by the WTRU. The WTRU-initiated on demand PRS may contain and may be identified with an ID. The WTRU may send the on demand PRS as a standalone message and/or included along with other messages (e.g. in the LPP procedure) such as in the location information or in measurement report, for example.”, Rao [0095]) (“The WTRU may send the on-demand request for transmission of PRS upon receiving the initial PRS configuration either via a LPP assistance data transfer procedure or RRC signaling (e.g. broadcast or dedicated RRC signaling).”, Rao [0096])
As to claim 13 and 20 (claim 20 is the method claim for the network entity in claim 13):
Claim 13 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 1 from the perspective of the network entity.
As to claim 15:
Rao discloses:
The network entity of claim 13, wherein the indication comprises one or more of the following: downlink (DL) PRS configuration parameters, a DL PRS periodicity, a DL PRS resource bandwidth, DL PRS quasi-co-location (QCL) information, a DL PRS resource repetition factor, a number of DL PRS symbols per DL PRS resource, a DL PRS comb size, DL PRS frequency layers, a DL PRS on indicator, a DL PRS off indicator, or a combination thereof. (“a WTRU may initiate an on-demand request for PRS. In one embodiment of a WTRU-initiated on demand PRS, the WTRU may send an on-demand request to the network (i.e. gNB in RAN or LMF) for requesting the transmission of PRS based on the PRS configuration information received and available at the WTRU. The on-demand request sent by the WTRU may be applicable for both DL-PRS and UL-SRSp transmission.”, Rao [0095]) (“In one embodiment, a WTRU may receive from an LMF a list of sets of PRS parameters where each set is comprised of the aforementioned PRS parameters (e.g., comb values, number of symbols, repetition factor, periodicity, PRS resource ID, PRS resource set ID, bandwidth). The WTRU may choose a set from the configured list of sets of parameters and determine to request the once one or more triggering conditions are satisfied.”, Rao [0136])
As to claim 16:
Rao discloses:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: determine whether the pre-defined set of on-demand PRS configurations satisfies a set of positioning requirements of the UE; and transmit the first additional on-demand PRS request based on the pre-defined set of on-demand PRS configurations failing to satisfy one or more positioning requirements of the UE. (“In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to dynamically send a reconfiguration/on-demand request for a reference signal (RS) configuration, such as a PRS and/or SRS for positioning (SRSp) configuration that enables the WTRU to satisfy the positioning related QoS requirements, which may include high accuracy and low latency requirements among potential others. The embodiments described herein may be used to request other types of RSs as well, for example, a RS which may or may not be dedicated for positioning.”, Rao [0072]) (“In one example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request upon determining the suitability of the received initial, (e.g. first) PRS configuration for the WTRU based on measurements performed by the WTRU. For example, the WTRU may perform measurements on the PRS received from the set of TRPs/gNBs in the initial PRS configuration. The WTRU may then determine whether updated information related to the initial PRS configuration (e.g. change in the resource, resource set or TRPs) may be needed based on the measurements. As an example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request for updating the PRS configuration upon determining the measurements made using the initial PRS configuration are below/above certain configured threshold. In another example, the WTRU may indicate information in the on-demand request that may not be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may be detectable and measurable by the WTRU, such as resource information or TRP/gNB IDs. Likewise, the WTRU may indicate in the on-demand request a revised PRS configuration for removing/pruning certain attributes (e.g. a TRP/gNB) that may be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may not be suitable for making positioning measurements (e.g. measured RSRP is below a threshold for a certain configured duration). The WTRU may then receive the updated configuration after the RAN/LMF performs changes to the PRS configuration (i.e. upon reconfiguring the indicated TRPs/gNBs via NRPPa signaling) based on the on-demand PRS request sent by WTRU.”, Rao [0098])
As to claim 17:
Rao discloses:
The UE of claim 16, wherein the set of on-demand PRS configuration parameters satisfies the one or more positioning requirements. (“In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to dynamically send a reconfiguration/on-demand request for a reference signal (RS) configuration, such as a PRS and/or SRS for positioning (SRSp) configuration that enables the WTRU to satisfy the positioning related QoS requirements, which may include high accuracy and low latency requirements among potential others. The embodiments described herein may be used to request other types of RSs as well, for example, a RS which may or may not be dedicated for positioning.”, Rao [0072]) (“In one example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request upon determining the suitability of the received initial, (e.g. first) PRS configuration for the WTRU based on measurements performed by the WTRU. For example, the WTRU may perform measurements on the PRS received from the set of TRPs/gNBs in the initial PRS configuration. The WTRU may then determine whether updated information related to the initial PRS configuration (e.g. change in the resource, resource set or TRPs) may be needed based on the measurements. As an example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request for updating the PRS configuration upon determining the measurements made using the initial PRS configuration are below/above certain configured threshold. In another example, the WTRU may indicate information in the on-demand request that may not be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may be detectable and measurable by the WTRU, such as resource information or TRP/gNB IDs. Likewise, the WTRU may indicate in the on-demand request a revised PRS configuration for removing/pruning certain attributes (e.g. a TRP/gNB) that may be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may not be suitable for making positioning measurements (e.g. measured RSRP is below a threshold for a certain configured duration). The WTRU may then receive the updated configuration after the RAN/LMF performs changes to the PRS configuration (i.e. upon reconfiguring the indicated TRPs/gNBs via NRPPa signaling) based on the on-demand PRS request sent by WTRU.”, Rao [0098])
As to claim 18:
Rao discloses:
The network entity of claim 13, wherein the first additional on-demand PRS request corresponding to one or more positioning requirements of the UE. (“In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to dynamically send a reconfiguration/on-demand request for a reference signal (RS) configuration, such as a PRS and/or SRS for positioning (SRSp) configuration that enables the WTRU to satisfy the positioning related QoS requirements, which may include high accuracy and low latency requirements among potential others. The embodiments described herein may be used to request other types of RSs as well, for example, a RS which may or may not be dedicated for positioning.”, Rao [0072]) (“In one example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request upon determining the suitability of the received initial, (e.g. first) PRS configuration for the WTRU based on measurements performed by the WTRU. For example, the WTRU may perform measurements on the PRS received from the set of TRPs/gNBs in the initial PRS configuration. The WTRU may then determine whether updated information related to the initial PRS configuration (e.g. change in the resource, resource set or TRPs) may be needed based on the measurements. As an example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request for updating the PRS configuration upon determining the measurements made using the initial PRS configuration are below/above certain configured threshold. In another example, the WTRU may indicate information in the on-demand request that may not be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may be detectable and measurable by the WTRU, such as resource information or TRP/gNB IDs. Likewise, the WTRU may indicate in the on-demand request a revised PRS configuration for removing/pruning certain attributes (e.g. a TRP/gNB) that may be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may not be suitable for making positioning measurements (e.g. measured RSRP is below a threshold for a certain configured duration). The WTRU may then receive the updated configuration after the RAN/LMF performs changes to the PRS configuration (i.e. upon reconfiguring the indicated TRPs/gNBs via NRPPa signaling) based on the on-demand PRS request sent by WTRU.”, Rao [0098])
As to claim 19:
Rao discloses:
The network entity of claim 18, wherein the set of on-demand PRS configuration parameters satisfies the one or more positioning requirements. (“In some embodiments, the WTRU may be configured to dynamically send a reconfiguration/on-demand request for a reference signal (RS) configuration, such as a PRS and/or SRS for positioning (SRSp) configuration that enables the WTRU to satisfy the positioning related QoS requirements, which may include high accuracy and low latency requirements among potential others. The embodiments described herein may be used to request other types of RSs as well, for example, a RS which may or may not be dedicated for positioning.”, Rao [0072]) (“In one example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request upon determining the suitability of the received initial, (e.g. first) PRS configuration for the WTRU based on measurements performed by the WTRU. For example, the WTRU may perform measurements on the PRS received from the set of TRPs/gNBs in the initial PRS configuration. The WTRU may then determine whether updated information related to the initial PRS configuration (e.g. change in the resource, resource set or TRPs) may be needed based on the measurements. As an example, the WTRU may send the on-demand request for updating the PRS configuration upon determining the measurements made using the initial PRS configuration are below/above certain configured threshold. In another example, the WTRU may indicate information in the on-demand request that may not be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may be detectable and measurable by the WTRU, such as resource information or TRP/gNB IDs. Likewise, the WTRU may indicate in the on-demand request a revised PRS configuration for removing/pruning certain attributes (e.g. a TRP/gNB) that may be part of the initial PRS configuration, but may not be suitable for making positioning measurements (e.g. measured RSRP is below a threshold for a certain configured duration). The WTRU may then receive the updated configuration after the RAN/LMF performs changes to the PRS configuration (i.e. upon reconfiguring the indicated TRPs/gNBs via NRPPa signaling) based on the on-demand PRS request sent by WTRU.”, Rao [0098])
Claim(s) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Michalopoulos, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhou et al. US 20210345232 (hereinafter “Zhou”)
As to claim 8:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit, to the location server, a maximum number of supported pre-defined downlink (DL) PRS configurations or a device type.
However, Michalopoulos teaches a UE indicating a number of PRS configurations that are suitable for the UE (“In some examples the request made by the UE 110 can indicate just a subset of the PRS configurations indicated by the node apparatus 120. The UE 110 can limit the request to include only the PRS configurations that are suitable for the UE 110 and can disregard the other PRS configurations.”, Michalopoulos [0161])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
The combination of Rao and Michalopoulos as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit, to the location server, a maximum number of supported
However, Zhou further teaches limited number of stored configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit, to the location server, a maximum number of supported (“For example, a base station or a UE or both may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs (e.g., a maximum number of configured PCIs) for inter-cell mobility operations.”, Zhou [0005]) (“In some wireless communications systems, the number of PCI configurations 215 UE 115-a may store may be limited to conserve memory. In some cases, the number of PCI configurations 215 (e.g., a maximum number of PCI configurations) a UE 115 may store may be statically configured (e.g., based on one or more predefined rules). In some cases, a network entity, such as a base station, TRP 210, access point, etc., may configure (e.g., via control or configuration signaling) a number of PCI configurations 215 that UE 115-a may store. In some implementations, the number of PCI configurations 215 UE 115-a may store may be based on a capability of UE 115-a. For example, UE 115-a may determine its capability, such a memory storage capability, and transmit a capability report to the network entity.”, Zhou [0060])
Rao, Zhou, and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to exchanging network configurations.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include limited number of stored configurations as described in Zhou as modified by Michalopoulos and Rao. By modifying the method to include limited number of stored configurations as taught by Zhou, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]), improved configuration management (Zhou [0027]), and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 9:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 8, wherein the maximum number is signaled by a single value that corresponds to an amount of pre-defined on-demand PRS configurations that the UE is capable of storing.
However, Michalopoulos teaches a UE indicating a number of PRS configurations that are suitable for the UE (“In some examples the request made by the UE 110 can indicate just a subset of the PRS configurations indicated by the node apparatus 120. The UE 110 can limit the request to include only the PRS configurations that are suitable for the UE 110 and can disregard the other PRS configurations.”, Michalopoulos [0161])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
The combination of Rao and Michalopoulos as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 8, wherein the maximum number is signaled by a single value that corresponds to an amount of
However, Zhou further teaches limited number of stored configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 8, wherein the maximum number is signaled by a single value that corresponds to an amount of UE is capable of storing. (“For example, a base station or a UE or both may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs (e.g., a maximum number of configured PCIs) for inter-cell mobility operations.”, Zhou [0005]) (“In some wireless communications systems, the number of PCI configurations 215 UE 115-a may store may be limited to conserve memory. In some cases, the number of PCI configurations 215 (e.g., a maximum number of PCI configurations) a UE 115 may store may be statically configured (e.g., based on one or more predefined rules). In some cases, a network entity, such as a base station, TRP 210, access point, etc., may configure (e.g., via control or configuration signaling) a number of PCI configurations 215 that UE 115-a may store. In some implementations, the number of PCI configurations 215 UE 115-a may store may be based on a capability of UE 115-a. For example, UE 115-a may determine its capability, such a memory storage capability, and transmit a capability report to the network entity.”, Zhou [0060])
Rao, Zhou, and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to exchanging network configurations.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include limited number of stored configurations as described in Zhou as modified by Michalopoulos and Rao. By modifying the method to include limited number of stored configurations as taught by Zhou, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]), improved configuration management (Zhou [0027]), and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
Claim(s) 10, 14, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Michalopoulos, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. US 20250081148 (hereinafter “Zhang”)
As to claim 10:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive, from the location server, a maximum number of supported on-demand PRS configurations.
However, Michalopoulos teaches receiving plurality of PRS configurations for ODPRS (on-demand PRS) request (“The UE 110 receives the information indicating the plurality of PRS configurations and can use this information to generate an ODPRS request 601 indicating a plurality of PRS configurations. The UE 110 can use the information received to determine which PRS configurations can be used and determine an order of preference of the PRS configurations. The ODPRS request 601 can then contain an indication of these PRS configurations and the order for the preference.”, Michalopoulos [0159])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
The combination of Rao and Michalopoulos as described above does not explicitly teach:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive, from the location server, a maximum number of supported
However, Zhang further teaches receiving a number of supported PRS configurations which includes:
The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive, from the location server, a maximum number of supported (“On a side of a UE, a method for determining a PRS resource provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: [0019] obtaining a list of available PRS configuration information pre-configured by an LMF; and [0020] transmitting a PRS resource configuration request to the LMF based on the list of available PRS configuration information pre-configured by the LMF.”, Zhang [0018])
Rao, Zhang, and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to exchanging network configurations.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include receiving a number of supported PRS configurations as described in Zhang as modified by Michalopoulos and Rao. By modifying the method to include receiving a number of supported PRS configurations as taught by Zhang, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]), improved configuration management (Zhang [0018]), and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 14:
Rao as described above does not explicitly teach:
The network entity of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the location server to transmit an actual maximum number of supported pre-defined downlink (DL) PRS configurations to the UE, wherein the actual maximum number is based on a location server deployment.
However, Michalopoulos teaches receiving plurality of PRS configurations for ODPRS (on-demand PRS) request (“The UE 110 receives the information indicating the plurality of PRS configurations and can use this information to generate an ODPRS request 601 indicating a plurality of PRS configurations. The UE 110 can use the information received to determine which PRS configurations can be used and determine an order of preference of the PRS configurations. The ODPRS request 601 can then contain an indication of these PRS configurations and the order for the preference.”, Michalopoulos [0159])
Rao and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to enabling network positioning.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include indication for ODPRS configurations as described in Michalopoulos into Rao. By modifying the method to include indication for ODPRS configurations as taught by Michalopoulos, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]) and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
The combination of Rao and Michalopoulos as described above does not explicitly teach:
The network entity of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the location server to transmit an actual maximum number of supported pre-defined downlink (DL) PRS configurations to the UE, wherein the actual maximum number is based on a location server deployment.
However, Zhang further teaches receiving a number of supported PRS configurations which includes:
The network entity of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the location server to transmit an actual maximum number of supported pre-defined downlink (DL) PRS configurations to the UE, wherein the actual maximum number is based on a location server deployment. (“The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for determining PRS configuration information, to realize flexibly and dynamically configure the DL-PRS according to the UE requirement, improve the network efficiency, and ensure the positioning accuracy.”, Zhang [0017])(“On a side of a UE, a method for determining a PRS resource provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: [0019] obtaining a list of available PRS configuration information pre-configured by an LMF; and [0020] transmitting a PRS resource configuration request to the LMF based on the list of available PRS configuration information pre-configured by the LMF.”, Zhang [0018]) (Examiner’s Note: it’s not clear what is exactly meant by “based on a location server deployment” or LMF deployment in this context)
Rao, Zhang, and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to exchanging network configurations.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include receiving a number of supported PRS configurations as described in Zhang as modified by Michalopoulos and Rao. By modifying the method to include receiving a number of supported PRS configurations as taught by Zhang, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]), improved configuration management (Zhang [0018]), and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
As to claim 21:
The combination of Rao and Michalopoulos as described above does not explicitly teach:
The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting an actual maximum number of supported pre-defined downlink (DL) PRS configurations to the UE, wherein the actual maximum number is based on a location server deployment.
However, Zhang further teaches receiving a number of supported PRS configurations which includes:
The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting an actual maximum number of supported pre-defined downlink (DL) PRS configurations to the UE, wherein the actual maximum number is based on a location server deployment. (“The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for determining PRS configuration information, to realize flexibly and dynamically configure the DL-PRS according to the UE requirement, improve the network efficiency, and ensure the positioning accuracy.”, Zhang [0017])(“On a side of a UE, a method for determining a PRS resource provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: [0019] obtaining a list of available PRS configuration information pre-configured by an LMF; and [0020] transmitting a PRS resource configuration request to the LMF based on the list of available PRS configuration information pre-configured by the LMF.”, Zhang [0018]) (Examiner’s Note: it’s not clear what is exactly meant by “based on a location server deployment” or LMF deployment in this context.)
Rao, Zhang, and Michalopoulos are analogous because they pertain to exchanging network configurations.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include receiving a number of supported PRS configurations as described in Zhang as modified by Michalopoulos and Rao. By modifying the method to include receiving a number of supported PRS configurations as taught by Zhang, the benefits of improved latency (Michalopoulos [0107]), improved configuration management (Zhang [0018]), and improved positioning accuracy (Rao [0075]) are achieved.
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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/A.C.K./
Examiner
Art Unit 2471
/SUJOY K KUNDU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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