DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-8, 12-14, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki et al (US 20260101298) in view of Cheng et al (WO 2024035488).
As to claim 1 Maleki discloses a method of a terminal, comprising: receiving on-demand synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission configuration information from a first base station to which the terminal is connected (Maleki ¶0049-1st sentence- the UE asks and/or is configured to ask for one or more of on-demand SSB, SIB1, MIB or other SIBs to be transmitted from a first cell such as, for example, from a first network node associated with the first cell.); and receiving an on-demand SSB from a second base station based on the on-demand SSB transmission configuration information (Maleki ¶0050- 1st sentence- a first network node associated with the first cell asks a second network node associated with the second cell to provide one or more of the information (e.g., SSB, MIB, SIB1, and/or OSI).
Maleki however is silent wherein the on-demand SSB transmission configuration information includes channel state information (CSI) configuration information. However in an analogous art Cheng remedies this deficiency: Cheng ¶0037- 5th sentence- the multiple bits may comprise one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Cell Defining SSB (CD-SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Non Cell Defining SSB (Non CD- SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure CSI-RS, and/or another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure TRS, etc.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Maleki with that of Cheng for the purpose of a resource for reporting CSI generated based on a measurement result of on-demand SSB.
As to claim 2 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein capability information includes a numerology of the second base station. (Maleki ¶0075- when the first network node 55 is providing SSB for a second cell and the gNB1 55 and gNB2 65A are not co-located, the NW configuration may indicate that frequency synchronization obtained from the first cell is valid for the second cell for UEs whose vehicular speed is below a threshold, where the threshold may depend on the frequency band, the second cell numerology,.).
As to claim 3 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the on-demand SSB resource information includes at least one of time resource information for on-demand SSB transmission (Maleki ¶0058-penultimate sentence- The timing for when the UE is allowed to transmit such request may be tied to a certain reference point or reference signal of the first or second network node), or periodicity information for on-demand SSB transmission (Maleki ¶0170- the first network node is configured to operate at a first SSB periodicity, the second network node associated with the second cell is configured to operate at a second SSB periodicity, and the second SSB periodicity is longer than the first SSB periodicity.).
As to claim 4 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 3, wherein the time resource information includes at least one of a system frame number (SFN) (Maleki ¶0058- last sentence- Example of such references are, System Frame Number (SFN) of the first cell 60 or second cell 70A-B, or in relation to timing of an SSB, or SSB-alike, a discovery signal or any other reference signal.).
As to claim 6 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the on-demand SSB transmission indication is information indicating activation of the second base station (Maleki ¶0060- 1st and 2nd sentence- in the context of FIG. 1, the transmission of SSB from the cell 70B associated with gNB3 65B or another second network node is activated or deactivated by the network. For example, when the SSB transmissions from the cell 70B associated with gNB3 65B is enabled or activated (through information received by the first network node 55), the UE is able to directly access gNB3 65B).
As to claim 7 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the CSI configuration information includes information on a resource for reporting CSI generated based on a measurement result of the on-demand SSB (Cheng ¶0037- 5th sentence- the multiple bits may comprise one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure …. CSI-RS,). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Maleki and Cheng for the purpose of reporting CSI based on on-demand SSB measurement results.
As to claim 8 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the on-demand SSB is a cell defining SSB or non-cell defining SSB (Cheng ¶0037- 5th sentence- the multiple bits may comprise one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Cell Defining SSB (CD-SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Non Cell Defining SSB (Non CD- SSB). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Maleki and Cheng for the purpose of indicating cell defining or non-cell defining SSBs.
As to claim 12 Maleki discloses a method of a first base station, comprising: generating on-demand synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission configuration information; and transmitting the on-demand SSB transmission configuration information a terminal, wherein an on-demand SSB based on the on-demand SSB transmission configuration information is transmitted from the second base station to the terminal (Maleki ¶0018- a first network node associated with a first cell is provided for transmitting on-demand information. The first network node is adapted to receive a request for on-demand information for a second cell. The request is received from a UE or a second network node associated with the second cell. The first network node is adapted to perform at least one of: transmitting the on-demand information for the second cell to the UE, and transmitting, to the second network node associated with the second cell, an indication to send the on-demand information for the second cell to the UE.. Maleki ¶0049-1st sentence; Maleki ¶0050- 1st sentence).
Maleki however is silent where on-demand SSB includes channel state information (CSI) configuration information. However in an analogous art Cheng remedies this deficiency: Cheng ¶0037- 5th sentence- the multiple bits may comprise one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Cell Defining SSB (CD-SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Non Cell Defining SSB (Non CD- SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure CSI-RS, and/or another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure TRS, etc.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Maleki with that of Cheng for the purpose of a resource for reporting CSI generated based on a measurement result of on-demand SSB.
As to claim 13 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 12, wherein capability information includes a numerology of the second base station (Maleki ¶0075- when the first network node 55 is providing SSB for a second cell and the gNB1 55 and gNB2 65A are not co-located, the NW configuration may indicate that frequency synchronization obtained from the first cell is valid for the second cell for UEs whose vehicular speed is below a threshold, where the threshold may depend on the frequency band, the second cell numerology,.).
As to claim 14 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose method according to claim 12, wherein the on-demand SSB resource information includes at least one of time resource information for on-demand SSB transmission (Maleki ¶0058-penultimate sentence- The timing for when the UE is allowed to transmit such request may be tied to a certain reference point or reference signal of the first or second network node), or periodicity information for on-demand SSB transmission (Maleki ¶0170- the first network node is configured to operate at a first SSB periodicity, the second network node associated with the second cell is configured to operate at a second SSB periodicity, and the second SSB periodicity is longer than the first SSB periodicity.).
As to claim 17 Maleki disclose the method of a second base station, comprising: receiving on-demand synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission configuration information from a first base station; and transmitting an on-demand SSB to a terminal based on the on-demand SSB transmission configuration information (Maleki ¶0018- a first network node associated with a first cell is provided for transmitting on-demand information. The first network node is adapted to receive a request for on-demand information for a second cell. The request is received from a UE or a second network node associated with the second cell. The first network node is adapted to perform at least one of: transmitting the on-demand information for the second cell to the UE, and transmitting, to the second network node associated with the second cell, an indication to send the on-demand information for the second cell to the UE; Maleki ¶0049- 1st and 2nd sentences- the first cell provides one or more of the information (SSB/MIB/SIB1/OSI) itself on behalf of the second cell.).
Maleki however is silent where wherein the on-demand SSB transmission configuration information includes channel state information (CSI) configuration information. However in an analogous art Cheng remedies this deficiency: Cheng ¶0037- 5th sentence- the multiple bits may comprise one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Cell Defining SSB (CD-SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure on-demand Non Cell Defining SSB (Non CD- SSB), another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure CSI-RS, and/or another one or more bits indicating UE capability to measure TRS, etc.). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Maleki with that of Cheng for the purpose of a resource for reporting CSI generated based on a measurement result of on-demand SSB.
As to claim 18 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 17, wherein capability information includes a numerology of the second base station. (Maleki ¶0075- when the first network node 55 is providing SSB for a second cell and the gNB1 55 and gNB2 65A are not co-located, the NW configuration may indicate that frequency synchronization obtained from the first cell is valid for the second cell for UEs whose vehicular speed is below a threshold, where the threshold may depend on the frequency band, the second cell numerology,.).
As to claim 19 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose method according to claim 17, wherein the on-demand SSB resource information includes at least one of time resource information for on-demand SSB transmission (Maleki ¶0058-penultimate sentence- The timing for when the UE is allowed to transmit such request may be tied to a certain reference point or reference signal of the first or second network node), or periodicity information for on-demand SSB transmission (Maleki ¶0170- the first network node is configured to operate at a first SSB periodicity, the second network node associated with the second cell is configured to operate at a second SSB periodicity, and the second SSB periodicity is longer than the first SSB periodicity.
Claim(s) 5 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki in view of Cheng and further in view of Abedini et al (US 20230354224).
As to claim 5 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 3, however silent wherein the frequency resource information includes information on a synchronization raster. However in an analogous art Abedini remedies this deficiency: (Abedini ¶0111- 1st and 2nd sentence - on-demand SSBs may not be transmitted on synchronization rasters to avoid confusion by legacy UEs (e.g., UEs that are configured to receive periodic SSBs). Here, the synchronization raster indicates a center frequency that may be used by the UE to search for the SSB when explicit signaling of the SSB position is not present.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng with that of Abedini for the purpose of avoid confusion by legacy UEs (Abedini ¶0111- 1st sentence).
As to claim 9 the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng disclose the method according to claim 1, however silent wherein the on-demand SSB is received at a frequency position other than a synchronization raster (Abedini ¶0111-1st and 2nd sentences- on-demand SSBs may not be transmitted on synchronization rasters to avoid confusion by legacy UEs (e.g., UEs that are configured to receive periodic SSBs). Here, the synchronization raster indicates a center frequency that may be used by the UE to search for the SSB when explicit signaling of the SSB position is not present). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the combined teachings of Maleki and Cheng with that of Abedini for the purpose of aiding UEs to search for SSBs (Abedini ¶0111- 2nd sentence).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10, 11, 15, 16, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al- Method for Transmitting Synchronization Signal Block and Communication Apparatus- EP 4181453 A1, ¶0197, Table 4.
Lei et al – Techniques to Facilitate Priority Rules for Measurement Based on Cell- Defining and/ or Non- Cell Defining SSBs- US 20250007665, ¶0106, ¶0116.
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/DERRICK V ROSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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