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 statements (IDS) submitted on July 19, 2024; September 9, 2025; and November 24, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 8, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The rejection under 101 is now withdrawn as the Applicant amended claim 46 to overcome this rejection.
The Applicant argues that Fujishiro is silent regarding that the “Target Config Info” includes the candidate cell configuration index corresponding to the configuration. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
It is noted that the phrase “candidate cell configuration index” is broadly and reasonably interpreted as any identifier, pointer or indicator that is used to distinguish among multiple possibilities (e.g., a table index, or an ID). In this case, and as the Applicant points out, paragraphs 0078-0079 of Fujishiro discloses that the “Target Config List” includes the “Target Config Info” including configuration information for each candidate cell. Because the “Target Config Info” identifies configuration information for each corresponding candidate cell, this teaching reads on “candidate cell configuration index corresponding to the configuration” of claim language because the “Target Config Info” indicates and distinguish the configuration information for different candidate cell.
The Applicant further argues that Koskela is silent regarding any transmission of the candidate cell configuration index of a target cell of the list of candidate cell, and further is silent regarding that the MAC CE command received from the base station comprises the candidate cell configuration index of the target cell of the list of candidate cells and the TCI state of the target cell. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Koskela discloses in paragraphs 0086-0088 the information characterizing the beam measurements related to the non-serving cell N-SRVC as the candidate cells of claim language. Paragraph 0089 further discloses that the base station instructs the UE via L1 signaling and L2 signaling CMD to switch to the non-serving cell N-SRVC. Paragraph 0091 also discloses that the base station uses MAC signaling (e.g., MAC CE) for activating a TCI state and triggering a handover of the UE to the non-serving cell N-SRVC. Thus, this teaching of Koskela reads on “the base station uses MAC CE command indicating the switch to the non-serving cell N-SRVC, which is the “candidate cell configuration index” of claim language, and activating the TCI state, which is the “TCI state of the target cell” of claim language.
Lastly, the Applicant argues that Fujishiro is silent regarding use of the MAC CE command and function description about the MAC CE command. It is noted that the Applicant improperly attacks the references individually. Even though Fujishiro does not expressly disclose the use of MAC CE; however, one of ordinary skill in the art would conceptualize and recognize the use of known MAC CE, and making it an obvious substitute or enhancement for the triggering mechanism.
Based on the above discussion, it should be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art and the Applicant that the combination of Fujishiro and Koskela still reads on the argued features. Thus, the Examiner maintains previous rejections.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-5, 11, 22, 25-26, 35, 37-39, and 43-46 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujishiro (US 2022/0014987) in view of Koskela et al. (hereinafter “Koskela”, US 2023/0096338).
Regarding claims 1, and 35, Fujishiro discloses a method for wireless communication, and a first wireless communication apparatus (i.e., UE 100 as shown in Figs. 1 & 7) comprising:
receiving, by user equipment (UE) from a base station (i.e., UE 100 and eNB 200 as shown in Figs. 1 & 7), a configuration message that includes a list of candidate cells each with a configuration and a candidate cell configuration index corresponding to the configuration (i.e., receiving by the UE 100 from source eNB 200S including a “Target Config list” that is a list of configuration information for each candidate cell as described in paragraphs 0059, and 0078-0079); and
sending a communication to the target cell based on the MAC CE command and the configuration of the target cell (i.e., sending a communication in S112-S116 of Fig. 6, and as described in paragraphs 0098-0104).
Fujishiro, however, does not expressly disclose:
sending, to the base station, a measurement report that comprises a Layer 1 (“L1”) measurement for at least one of the list of candidate cells; and
receiving, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) command comprising the candidate cell configuration index of a target cell of the list of candidate cells, and a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state of the target cell.
In a similar endeavor, Koskela discloses a base station and user equipment. Koskela also discloses:
sending, to the base station, a measurement report that comprises a Layer 1 (“L1”) measurement for at least one of the list of candidate cells (i.e., base station 400 receives measurement report REP from the UE 200 comprising information characterizing the beam measurements related to the non-serving cell N-SRVC, which is the candidate cells of claim language, as described in paragraphs 0086-0088); and
receiving, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) command (i.e., the UE 200 receives an instruction from base station 100 to switch to the non-serving cell N-SRVC as described in paragraphs 0089-0090) comprising the candidate cell configuration index of a target cell of the list of candidate cells, and a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state of the target cell (i.e., the MAC CE signaling is used for instructing including TCI state as described in paragraphs 0091, and 0158-0159).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to get the UE get handover to another cell without service interruption.
With further regard to claims 35, and 46, Koskela also discloses the first wireless communications apparatus (i.e., UE 200 as shown in Fig. 2) comprising a processor (i.e., a processor 202) and a memory (i.e., 204), and a computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the method according to claim 1 (i.e., a program instructions 206 is stored in the memory 204 as described in paragraph 0122).
Regarding claims 4, 25, 37, and 44, Fujishiro and Koskela disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above. Fujishiro also discloses wherein the MAC CE command further comprises at least one of a timing advance (TA) value or a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) identification (ID) related to the target cell (i.e., a timing advance as described in paragraph 0102).
Regarding claims 5, 26, 38, and 45, Fujishiro and Koskela disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above. Fujishiro also discloses wherein the configuration message comprises at least one of a physical cell identity (“PCI”), reference signal (“RS”) ID related to a candidate cell, or a transmission configuration indicator (“TCI”) state ID related to the candidate cell (i.e., physical cell identifier as described in paragraph 0079).
Regarding claims 11, and 39, Fujishiro and Koskela disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above. Fujishiro also discloses wherein further comprising at least one of:
applying a stored cell configuration of the target cell; or
performing a mobility from a current serving cell to the target cell (i.e., performing a handover as described in Abstract); or
starting a timer for the mobility upon triggering Layer 1 (L1)/L2-based inter-cell mobility, wherein the timer is a radio resource control ("RRC") layer timer T304.
Regarding claims 22, and 43, Fujishiro discloses a method for wireless communication, and a second wireless communications apparatus (i.e., eNB 200 as shown in Figs. 1 & 7) comprising:
sending, by a base station to user equipment (UE) (i.e., UE 100 and eNB 200 as shown in Figs. 1 & 7), a configuration message that includes a list of candidate cells each with a configuration and a candidate cell configuration index corresponding to the configuration (i.e., receiving by the UE 100 from source eNB 200S including a “Target Config list” that is a list of configuration information for each candidate cell as described in paragraphs 0059, and 0078-0079); and
receiving a communication at the target cell, based on the MAC CE command and the configuration of the target cell (i.e., receiving a communication in S112-S116 of Fig. 6, and as described in paragraphs 0098-0104).
Fujishiro, however, does not expressly disclose:
receiving, from the UE, a measurement report that comprises a Layer 1 (“L1”) measurement for at least one of the list of candidate cells; and
sending, to the UE, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) command comprising the candidate cell configuration index of a target cell of the list of candidate cells, and a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state of the target cell.
In a similar endeavor, Koskela discloses a base station and user equipment. Koskela also discloses:
receiving, from the UE, a measurement report that comprises a Layer 1 (“L1”) measurement for at least one of the list of candidate cells (i.e., base station 400 receives measurement report REP from the UE 200 comprising information characterizing the beam measurements related to the non-serving cell N-SRVC, which is the candidate cells of claim language, as described in paragraphs 0086-0088);
sending, to the UE, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) command (i.e., the UE 200 receives an instruction from base station 100 to switch to the non-serving cell N-SRVC as described in paragraphs 0089-0090 comprising the candidate cell configuration index of a target cell of the list of candidate cells, and a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state of the target cell (i.e., the MAC CE signaling is used for instructing including TCI state as described in paragraphs 0091, and 0158-0159).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to get the UE get handover to another cell without service interruption.
With further regard to claim 43, Koskela also discloses the second wireless communications apparatus (i.e., a base station 100 as shown in Fig. 1) comprising: a processor (i.e., a processor 102) and a memory (i.e., a memory 104), wherein the processor is configured to read code from the memory (i.e., a program 106 instructions stored in the memory 104 as described in paragraph 0086).
Claim(s) 13 and 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujishiro in view of Koskela, and further in view of Zhang et al. (hereinafter “Zhang”, US 2022/0377622).
Regarding claims 13, and 40, Fujishiro and Koskela disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above, but do not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Zhang discloses a method for low layer inter-cell mobility management. Zhang also discloses wherein the timer is stopped when a L1/L2-based inter-cell mobility is informed as successful completion (i.e., when the handover is successful, the system stops the confirmation timer as described in paragraph 0085).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to enable the network to release the network resources.
Claim(s) 14 and 41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujishiro in view of Koskela, and further in view of Kim (US 2023/0397284).
Regarding claims 14, and 41, Fujishiro and Koskela disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above, but do not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Kim discloses a method and apparatus for managing link in wireless communication. Kim also discloses at least one of:
determining a failure for the mobility, based on expiration of the timer (i.e., UE declares RLF upon failure of handover when T304 timer expires as described in paragraph 0059); or
selecting another cell among the candidate cells to perform the mobility to the selected another cell.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to enable the network to optimize a cell area.
Claim(s) 17 and 42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujishiro in view of Koskela, and further in view of Tseng et al. (hereinafter “Tseng”, US 2023/0344508).
Regarding claims 17, and 42, Fujishiro and Koskela disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above, but do not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Tseng discloses a method of non-terrestrial network assistance information update procedure and related device. Tseng also discloses
removing a stored candidate cell configuration upon entering an IDLE state or upon receiving a RRC release message including an indication of a suspension of a RRC connection (i.e., the gNB can remove/suspend the candidate cells and corresponding trigger conditions/parameters via another RRC messages as described in paragraph 0096, and as shown in Table 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to ensure the UE could re-evaluate the network environment and select the best possible serving cell for optimal connection.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAYNE CAI whose telephone number is (571)272-7798. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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/Wayne H Cai/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644
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