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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on June 28, 2024, February 28, 2025 and May 28, 2028 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CATT: “Reducing the Service Interruption for IAB”, 3PGG DRAFT; R3-206296 (hereinafter CATT).
Regarding claim 1, CATT discloses an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a parent node of the IAB-node before migration uses first donor-DU and a parent node of the IAB-node after the migration uses second donor-DU, the first donor-DU belongs to first donor-CU, and the second donor-DU belongs to second donor-CU, the IAB-node comprising:
a receiver configured to, before an IAB-MT of the IAB-node performs handover, receive configuration information transmitted by the first donor-CU, wherein the configuration information at least comprises a first transport network layer (TNL) address anchored at the second donor-DU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses migration concept of inter-CU migration); and
a processor circuitry configured to apply the configuration information when the IAB-MT completes the handover (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses CU configure channel, rout and mapping rules along target path for descendant nodes).
Regarding claim 2, CATT discloses the receiver receives the configuration information via a radio resource control message (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses RRC message).
Regarding claim 3, CATT discloses a child IAB-node of the IAB-node receives configuration information via a radio resource control message transmitted by the first donor-CU, and the configuration information at least comprises a first transport network layer (TNL) address of the child IAB-node anchored at the second donor-DU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 4, CATT discloses the configuration information at least further comprises: a BH RLC channel on a target path, a BAP routing ID configuration for traffic on the target path (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 5, CATT discloses the configuration information is transmitted by the second donor-CU to the first donor-CU by using a handover request acknowledge, and is transmitted by the first donor-CU to a parent node of the IAB-MT by using a UE context modification request, and is transmitted by the parent node to the IAB-MT by using a RRC configuration (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 6, CATT discloses before the IAB-MT of the IAB-node performs handover, the receiver receives the configuration information transmitted by the first donor-CU, the configuration information being used for configuring replacing a second TNL address anchored at the first donor-DU with the first TNL address anchored at the second donor-DU; wherein each of the first TNL addresses and the second TNL addresses are used for at least one of F1 user plane data, F1 control plane data or non-F1 data of the IAB-node or a child node (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 7, CATT discloses an IAB-DU of the IAB node maintains F1 connection with the first donor-CU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 8, CATT discloses a method by an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node which is included a communication system, the communication system includes a first parent node using first donor-DU before migration, a second parent node using second donor-DU after the migration, the first donor-DU belongs to first donor-CU, and the second donor-DU belongs to second donor-CU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses migration concept of inter-CU migration), the method comprising:
receiving, before an IAB-MT of the IAB node performs handover, configuration information transmitted by the first donor-CU, the configuration information comprising a transport network layer (TNL) address anchored to the second donor-DU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses migration concept of inter-CU migration); and
applying the TNL address when the IAB-MT completes the handover (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses CU configure channel, rout and mapping rules along target path for descendant nodes).
Regarding claim 9, CATT discloses an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system, including an IAB-donor and an IAB-node;
wherein a parent node of an IAB-node before migration uses first donor-DU and a parent node of the LAB-node after the migration uses second donor-DU, the first donor-DU belongs to first donor-CU, and the second donor-DU belongs to second donor-CU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses migration concept of inter-CU migration);
before an IAB-MT of the LAB-node performs handover, the IAB-node receives configuration information transmitted by the first donor-CU, the configuration information comprising a transport network layer (TNL) address anchored to the second donor-DU (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses migration concept of inter-CU migration); and applies the TNL address when the IAB-MT completes the handover (see page 2 and 3 [Inter-CU migration, section 1 and 2] and fig. 1 and 2 discloses CU configure channel, rout and mapping rules along target path for descendant nodes).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
The following prior art are cited to show a method, which is considered pertinent to the claimed invention:
Wei et al (US Pat. No. 12,375,999) directed toward route selection for IAB node migration.
Teyeb et al (US Pat. Pub. No. 2023/0247495) directed toward IAB node handover in inter-CU migration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LITON MIAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3124. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 7:30am -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, Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached on 571-272-7915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LITON MIAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
Prosecution Insights