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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Examiner has thoroughly reviewed applicant’s arguments but firmly believes the cited reference to reasonably and properly meet the claimed limitations i.e. receive, via the one or more transceivers, from a user equipment, timing advance information associated with a serving cell and one or more network mobility measurements associated with one or more neighbor cells on intra-carrier frequencies. Examiner respectfully direct the Application to paragraphs 0064, 0068 and 0143, Tripathi et al where disclose, the 5G/NR communication system is considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 28 GHz or 60 GHz bands and For example, aspects of the present disclosure may also be applied to deployment of 5G communication systems, 6G or even later releases which may use terahertz (THz) bands. A frequency or bandwidth (BW) unit is referred to as a resource block (RB). One RB includes a number of sub-carriers (SCs) and the overall process of intra-handover (fig. 16-17) user traffic transfer when the UE returns to the source cell to resume data transfer after sending a RA preamble at time t7 as shown in FIG. 5B. In FIG. 5B, ST is the switching time taken by the UE from one gNB/eNB to another gNB/eNB. In paragraphs 0126, Tripathi et al disclose, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance (i.e., TA), signal strength measurements e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR, elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) (i.e., mobility measurements). The gNB may indicate in Location Report as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable and the gNBs may provide the UE-reported measurements to the AMF (and to the Location Server or a similar entity directly or indirectly) to enable other entities to determine the UE location. In paragraphs 0129, Tripathi et al also disclose, the UE provides one or more of these NTN measurements for the serving cell and the neighbor cells: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR, elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). Example LPPa/NPPa messages include E-CID Measurement Initiation Response, E-CID Measurement Report, and OTDOA Information Response. The “MeasuredResults” IE can contain the UE location and UE measurements. Furthermore, in paragraphs 0125, Cheema et al disclose, the target UE can report TA positioning location measurements and location estimates to the location server via LPP, e.g., via exchanging a ProvideLocationInformation LPP message. This message may contain information that is requested by the location server in RequestLocationInformation LPP message and additional information that is relevant to a target UE and information regarding the reference signals on which measurements are performed. For example, if PRS are used, then information about PRS ID and PRS resource ID can be used to identify a DL-PRS resource. If another RS or signal type is used, then the corresponding ID information identifying the measurement of that resource may be signaled. The different downlink measurements, including downlink PRS RSRP, downlink RSTD, and UE Rx-Tx time difference required for the supported RAT-dependent positioning techniques are shown in Table 4. The measurement configurations may include four (4) pair of downlink RSTD measurements performed per pair of cells, and each measurement is performed between a different pair of downlink PRS resources or resource sets with a single reference timing; and eight (8) downlink PRS reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements can be performed on different downlink PRS resources from the same cell.
Additionally, the examiner has given the claim language its broadest reasonable interpretation. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Applicant always has the opportunity to amend the claims during prosecution, and broad interpreted by the examiner reduces the possibility that the claim, once issued, will be interpreted more broadly than is justified. In re Prater, 415 F.2d 1393, 1404-05, 162 USPQ 541, 550-51 (CCPA 1969). One cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., Inc., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Examiner’s Note: The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply. "The use of patents as references is not limited to what the patentees describe as their own inventions or to the problems with which they are concerned. They are part of the literature of the art, relevant for all they contain." In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33,216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275,277 (CCPA 1968)). A reference may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill the art, including nonpreferred embodiments (see MPEP 2123). Therefore, Applicant, in preparing the response, must fully consider the entire disclosure of the cited references as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, including the context of the cited passages as taught by the prior art disclosed by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tripathi et al (20220046490) in view of Cheema et al (20260113722).
Regarding claim 1, Tripathi et al discloses, a position estimation entity, comprising (abstract, fig. 1-23):
one or more memories (230, fig. 2, 360, fig. 2); one or more transceivers (210, fig. 2, 310, fig. 2); and one or more processors (225, fig. 2, 340, fig. 2) communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to:
receive, via the one or more transceivers, from a user equipment (UE, fig. 11), timing advance (e.g., Timing Advance) information associated with a serving cell (i.e., serving cell) and one or more network mobility measurements associated with one or more neighbor cells (i.e., neighbor cells) on intra-carrier frequencies (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable);
determine a position estimate of the UE based on the TA information and the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, the gNB estimates the UE location based on the UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA).
Tripathi et al does not specifically disclose transmit, via the one or more transceivers, the position estimate to the UE.
In the same field of endeavor, Cheema et al discloses transmit, via the one or more transceivers, the position estimate to the UE (Table 4, ¶ 0069, 0103-0104, 0125, At step 5c, the AMF 508 returns a location service response to the UE 104 and includes any needed results, such as a location estimate for the UE). Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claim invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device of Tripathi et al by specifically adding feature in order to enhance system performance to the equipment provides a set of signaling and procedural enhancements to enable support of TA-based positioning procedures on a non-terrestrial network supported network and measurement reporting procedures for TA based positioning as application and configuration aspects of procedures for single and multiple satellite systems and achieves accurate and efficient determination of device location as taught by Cheema et al.
Regarding claims 2, 25, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the determination comprises: determine an initial position estimate of the UE based on the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, specifies the GNSS-based UE location e.g., latitude, longitude, elevation, uncertainty, and so on in the enhanced “User Location Information.”); and determine the position estimate of the UE by modifying the initial position estimate based on the TA information (¶ 0126, specifies the GNSS-based UE location (e.g., latitude, longitude, elevation, uncertainty, and so on) in the enhanced “User Location Information.” In the first approach, such UE location may be the location reported by the UE based on its GNSS capability. In the second approach, the UE location may be based on the GNSS-based location of the reference point in the cell (e.g., cell center) and the UE's estimate of its own location relative to the reference point. In the third approach, the gNB estimates the UE location based on the UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements (e.g., Timing Advance). In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location).
Regarding claims 3, 15, 26, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the position estimate is based on a cell centroid associated with the serving cell (¶ 0133-0134, 0264, 0266-0267, the support for the distance estimation may be optional or mandatory for the UE. the distance can be estimated to be (i) between the center of the serving cell on the ground and the current UE location or (i) between the satellite and the current UE location. In one possible implementation, the speed of light and the TA can be used to estimate the distance. Such distance estimation can be used for GNSS-capable UEs and non-GNSS-capable UEs. The UE may support TA-based distance estimation only, GNSS-derived location-based distance estimation only, or both.).
Regarding claims 4,16, 27, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Cheema et al discloses, wherein the cell centroid comprises coordinate information (¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claims 5, 17, 28, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Cheema et al discloses, wherein the coordinate information comprises latitude information, longitude information, terrain altitude information, or any combination thereof (¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claims 6, 18, 29, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Cheema et al discloses, wherein the coordinate information is based on crowd-sourced measurement information (¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claims 7, 19, 30, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the position estimate is based on a function of the coordinate information and a scaling factor (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable and Cheema et al discloses ¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claims 8, 20, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the scaling factor is based on the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable and Cheema et al discloses ¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claims 9, 21, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the function defines coordinate weights based on an inverse squared exponent of the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable and Cheema et al discloses ¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claims 10, 22, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the position estimate is based on a radius relative to the serving cell that is defined as a function of the TA information (¶ 0123, 0132, the cell may be modeled as a circle, and, in such case the center of the cell and the cell radius are provided specified. In another approach, the cell is modeled as an ellipse where the center, the semi-major axis, and semi-minor axis are specified. In an example embodiment of the disclosure, such characteristics of the elliptical cell i.e., the center, the semi-major axis or the major axis, and semi-minor axis or the minor axis are broadcast by the gNB in operation F11S3 along with other information such as one or more TAIs. The cell may be modeled as one rectangle or one inner and one outer rectangle, and centers and sides are specified. In another approach, the AMF builds the (potentially time-based) relationship between the NCGI and one or more Tracking Area IDs (TAIs) using the information received from suitable gNBs).
Regarding claims 11, 23, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the position estimate is set on the radius, with an Azimuth based on a boresight angle of the serving cell, or wherein the position estimate is derived by projecting a cell centroid of associated with the serving cell onto the radius, or wherein the position estimate is derived by projecting the position estimate onto the radius, or wherein the position estimate is derived as a function of both projecting the cell centroid onto the radius and projecting the position estimate onto the radius, or any combination thereof (¶ 0123,0132, the cell may be modeled as a circle, and, in such case the center of the cell and the cell radius are provided specified. In another approach, the cell is modeled as an ellipse where the center, the semi-major axis, and semi-minor axis are specified. In an example embodiment of the disclosure, such characteristics of the elliptical cell (i.e., the center, the semi-major axis or the major axis, and semi-minor axis or the minor axis) are broadcast by the gNB in operation F11S3 along with other information such as one or more TAIs. The cell may be modeled as one rectangle or one inner and one outer rectangle, and centers and sides are specified. In another approach, the AMF builds the (potentially time-based) relationship between the NCGI and one or more Tracking Area IDs (TAIs) using the information received from suitable gNBs).
Regarding claims 12, 14, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, wherein the one or more network mobility measurements comprise one or more reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, one or more Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) measurements, one or more signal to noise ratio (SNR) measurements, or any combination thereof (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable and Cheema et al discloses ¶ 0133, Location estimates: The target user may also report its location estimates in a configured format e.g., latitude and longitude and/or using one or more geographic shapes such as Ellipsoid Point, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Circle, Ellipsoid Point with uncertainty Ellipse, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with uncertainty ellipse, Polygon, Ellipsoid Point with Altitude, Ellipsoid Point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, High Accuracy Ellipsoid point with altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid, Ellipsoid Arc, or combinations thereof).
Regarding claim 13, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, a user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories;
one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination (fig. 2-3, see claim 1 for detail), configured to:
determine timing advance (TA) information associated with a serving cell (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable);
perform one or more network mobility measurements associated with one or more neighbor cells on intra-carrier frequencies (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable);
report, to a position estimation entity, the TA information and the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable); and
receive, from the position estimation entity, a position estimate of the UE in response to the reporting of the TA information and the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable. In addition, the gNB may provide the UE-reported measurements to the AMF (and to the Location Server or a similar entity directly or indirectly) to enable other entities to determine the UE location).
Tripathi et al does not specifically disclose transmit, via the one or more transceivers, the position estimate to the UE.
In the same field of endeavor, Cheema et al discloses transmit, via the one or more transceivers, the position estimate to the UE (¶ 0069, 0103-0104, At step 5c, the AMF 508 returns a location service response to the UE 104 and includes any needed results, such as a location estimate for the UE). Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claim invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device of Tripathi et al by specifically adding feature in order to enhance system performance to the equipment provides a set of signaling and procedural enhancements to enable support of TA-based positioning procedures and achieves accurate and efficient determination of device location as taught by Cheema et al.
Regarding claim 24, Tripathi et al and Cheema et al disclose in claim 1, further Tripathi et al discloses, a method of operating a position estimation entity, comprising:
receiving, from a user equipment (UE), timing advance (TA) information associated with a serving cell and one or more network mobility measurements associated with one or more neighbor cells on intra-carrier frequencies (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable. In addition, the gNB may provide the UE-reported measurements to the AMF (and to the Location Server or a similar entity directly or indirectly) to enable other entities to determine the UE location);
determining a position estimate of the UE based on the TA information and the one or more network mobility measurements (¶ 0126, UE-reported measurements and any gNB-made or gNB-consolidated measurements e.g., Timing Advance. In all these approaches, the gNB can make use of one or more of the following UE-reported measurements for the serving cell and/or neighbor cells to validate the UE-reported location and/or to estimate the UE location by itself: Timing Advance, signal strength measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR), elevation angles, and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). The gNB may indicate in Location Report (as part of User Location Information or as an additional Information Element) how it has estimated or obtained the UE location. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable. Furthermore, the gNB may indicate if it has validated the UE-reported location where applicable. In addition, the gNB may provide the UE-reported measurements to the AMF (and to the Location Server or a similar entity directly or indirectly) to enable other entities to determine the UE location).
Tripathi et al does not specifically disclose transmit, via the one or more transceivers, the position estimate to the UE.
In the same field of endeavor, Cheema et al discloses transmit, via the one or more transceivers, the position estimate to the UE (¶ 0069, 0103-0104, At step 5c, the AMF 508 returns a location service response to the UE 104 and includes any needed results, such as a location estimate for the UE). Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claim invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device of Tripathi et al by specifically adding feature in order to enhance system performance to the equipment provides a set of signaling and procedural enhancements to enable support of TA-based positioning procedures and achieves accurate and efficient determination of device location as taught by Cheema et al.
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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/KHAWAR IQBAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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