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 action is in response to the application filed on August 28, 2024
Claims 1-20 are under examination.
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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rudolf et al. (US: 2025/0038909 A1) in view of Kim (US: 2023/0345425A1).
As per Claim 1 Rudolf teaches a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:
one or more memories (Paragraph 0051 multiple transceivers 210a-210n, a controller/processor 225, a memory 230, ); and
one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
receive layer-1/2-triggered mobility (LTM)-based configurations of one or more neighbor cells (Paragraph 0153-0155 the L1/L2 triggered mobility (LTM) feature, a serving cell change is enabled via L1/L2 signaling. Latency during cell level mobility, overhead and interruption time may be reduced. LTM is a procedure in which a gNB receives L1 measurement report(s) from a UE. ); and from one or more first slot at which the network node transmits a respective physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that triggers a respective random access channel (RACH) communication to respective neighbor cells of the one or more neighbor cells to one or more second slots where the UE supports transmission of the respective RACH communication to the respective neighbor cell, or a set of interruption information associated with delay from the one or more second slots to one or more third slots where the UE supports normal operations for communications with the respective neighbor cell in association with transmitting random access channel (RACH) communications associated with respective configurations of the LTM-based configurations of the one or more neighbor cells (Paragraph 00157, 0188, 0209, 0211 the PDCCH order triggering a random-access preamble transmission to an LTM candidate cell, the UE adjusts the UL transmit timing for a RACH transmission in a slot based on a value. RACH based LTM, the UE may consider that LTM to the target cell is successfully completed when the random-access procedure is successfully completed. For RACH-less LTM, the UE may consider that LTM is successfully completed when the UE determines that the target cell has successfully received its first UL data transmission. For example, an LTM candidate cell configuration and/or an LTM reference configuration for the intra- or inter-frequency neighbor cell may be provided to the UE using a higher layer parameter(s) LTM Candidate Cell Configuration).
Rudolf does not explicitly disclose a set of interruption
However, Kim from an analogous art similarly teaches a set of interruption (Paragraph 0089, 0095, 0388, 0395 UE performs data activity like DL-SCH reception during Type4Gap. A Type4Gap 1E-05 consists of two interruption periods 1E-09) and one measurement period 1E-07. The second gap starts at a second slot, the second slot is determined based at least in part on the first subframe and the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the second slot is or is not within the first subframe. the third gap starts at a first slot of the first subframe. During the interruption periods, UE performs gap operation 2. During the measurement period 1E-07, UE performs gap operation 3. A Type4Gap can be called NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap). The second gap 1F-17 occurs at subframe #4 of SFN 528 and continues 32 msec. Since gap number is 2, only two gaps occur..);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Rudolf to include the teaching of Kim so the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration message, the RRCReconfiguration message includes a second gap configuration information or one or more third gap configuration information and one or more measurement object configuration information.. (See Kim Paragraph 0388).
As per Claim 2 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a request for the one or more of the set of one or more latencies or the set of interruption information (Paragraph 0153, 0209 With reference to Rel-18 L1/L2 based inter-cell mobility enhancements, or the L1/L2 triggered mobility (LTM) feature, a serving cell change is enabled via L1/L2 signaling. Latency during cell level mobility, overhead and interruption time may be reduced. A transmit timing adjustment value may be signaled to the UE resulting in a delayed UL transmission to the LTM candidate cell. For example, for a CFRA preamble resource for LTM Early TA acquisition configured in a non-SBFD slot such as a normal UL slot, a default transmit timing adjustment value may be determined by the UE resulting in UL transmit timing based on DL reference timing with respect to the LTM candidate cell.).
Rudolf does not explicitly disclose a set of interruption
However, Kim from an analogous art similarly teaches a set of interruption (Paragraph 0089, 0095, 0388, 0395 UE performs data activity like DL-SCH reception during Type4Gap. A Type4Gap 1E-05 consists of two interruption periods 1E-09) and one measurement period 1E-07. The second gap starts at a second slot, the second slot is determined based at least in part on the first subframe and the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the second slot is or is not within the first subframe. the third gap starts at a first slot of the first subframe. During the interruption periods, UE performs gap operation 2. During the measurement period 1E-07, UE performs gap operation 3. A Type4Gap can be called NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap). The second gap 1F-17 occurs at subframe #4 of SFN 528 and continues 32 msec. Since gap number is 2, only two gaps occur..);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Rudolf to include the teaching of Kim so the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration message, the RRCReconfiguration message includes a second gap configuration information or one or more third gap configuration information and one or more measurement object configuration information.. (See Kim Paragraph 0388).
As per Claim 3 Rudolf –Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit an indication of a capability to transmit the indication of the one or more of the set of one or more latencies or the set of interruption information (Paragraph 0005, 0064 a set of information bits, applies coding (such as a low-density parity check (LDPC) coding), and modulates the input bits (such as with Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) or Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency-domain modulation symbols. The method includes receiving first information for a first candidate subband full-duplex (SBFD) configuration associated with a first L1/L2-Triggered Mobility (LTM) candidate cell or reference configuration, receiving second information for a second candidate SBFD configuration associated with a second LTM candidate cell or reference configuration, and determining a value of an SBFD indicator. The method further includes selecting an SBFD configuration of an LTM candidate cell based on the first information when the value is associated with the first LTM candidate cell or reference configuration or the second information when the value is associated with the second LTM candidate cell or reference configuration; and receiving a downlink signal based on the SBFD configuration of the LTM candidate cell. ).
Rudolf does not explicitly disclose a set of interruption
However, Kim from an analogous art similarly teaches a set of interruption (Paragraph 0089, 0095, 0388, 0395 UE performs data activity like DL-SCH reception during Type4Gap. A Type4Gap 1E-05 consists of two interruption periods 1E-09) and one measurement period 1E-07. The second gap starts at a second slot, the second slot is determined based at least in part on the first subframe and the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the second slot is or is not within the first subframe. the third gap starts at a first slot of the first subframe. During the interruption periods, UE performs gap operation 2. During the measurement period 1E-07, UE performs gap operation 3. A Type4Gap can be called NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap). The second gap 1F-17 occurs at subframe #4 of SFN 528 and continues 32 msec. Since gap number is 2, only two gaps occur..);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Rudolf to include the teaching of Kim so the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration message, the RRCReconfiguration message includes a second gap configuration information or one or more third gap configuration information and one or more measurement object configuration information.. (See Kim Paragraph 0388).
As per Claim 4 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, based at least in part on the indication of the one or more of the set of one or more latencies or the set of interruption information, an indication to transmit the RACH communication to at least one of the one or more neighbor cells (Paragraph 0006, 0157 The value of the SBFD indicator is from a set of identifier values associated with a set of transmit-receive points (TRPs).. UE has had to perform a random-access procedure on the LTM target cell, i.e., RACH based LTM, the UE may consider that LTM to the target cell is successfully completed when the random-access procedure is successfully completed. For RACH-less LTM, the UE may consider that LTM is successfully completed when the UE determines that the target cell has successfully received its first UL data transmission. ).
Rudolf does not explicitly disclose a set of interruption
However, Kim from an analogous art similarly teaches a set of interruption (Paragraph 0089, 0095, 0388, 0395 UE performs data activity like DL-SCH reception during Type4Gap. A Type4Gap 1E-05 consists of two interruption periods 1E-09) and one measurement period 1E-07. The second gap starts at a second slot, the second slot is determined based at least in part on the first subframe and the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the second slot is or is not within the first subframe. the third gap starts at a first slot of the first subframe. During the interruption periods, UE performs gap operation 2. During the measurement period 1E-07, UE performs gap operation 3. A Type4Gap can be called NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap). The second gap 1F-17 occurs at subframe #4 of SFN 528 and continues 32 msec. Since gap number is 2, only two gaps occur..);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Rudolf to include the teaching of Kim so the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration message, the RRCReconfiguration message includes a second gap configuration information or one or more third gap configuration information and one or more measurement object configuration information.. (See Kim Paragraph 0388).
As per Claim 5 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit the RACH communication to at least one of the one or more neighbor cells (Paragraph 01860157 For example, an LTM candidate cell configuration and/or an LTM reference configuration for the intra-or inter-frequency neighbor cell may be provided to the UE using higher layer parameter(s) LTM Candidate Cell Configuration and/or LTM Reference Configuration. UE has had to perform a random-access procedure on the LTM target cell, i.e., RACH based LTM, the UE may consider that LTM to the target cell is successfully completed when the random-access procedure is successfully completed. For RACH-less LTM, the UE may consider that LTM is successfully completed when the UE determines that the target cell has successfully received its first UL data transmission. ).
As per Claim 6 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors, to transmit the RACH communication, are configured to transmit the RACH communication at a time that is offset from an indication to transmit the RACH communication by an amount of time that is at least as long as a latency associated with the at least one of the one or more neighbor cells (Paragraph 0150, 0167, 0210, 0211 A single measurement window offset, and measurement duration are configured per intra-frequency measurement object. when the gNB issues a Cell Switch MAC CE command to initiate the LTM procedure, RACH-based LTM on the target cell could then be initiated separately for non-SBFD and SBFD slots/symbols on the target cell with support for SBFD operation, the UE adjusts the UL transmit timing for a RACH transmission in a slot based on a value. For example, the SBFD timing indicator may be represented as absolute or relative timing offset value(s) or may be associated with an earlier, with a default or with a later UL transmission timing ).
As per Claim 7 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, after transmitting the RACH communication and based at least in part on the indication of the one or more of the set of one or more latencies or the set of interruption information, a communication via a serving cell (Paragraph 0092, 0211 an example process 1500 for determining an UL transmit timing for random access channel (RACH) preamble transmission to an LTM candidate cell triggered by PDCCH order according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, the DL or Joint TCI states can be associated with a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell, e.g., the source RS of the TCI state is associated with a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell, a subset of UEs in a serving cell. The change of a serving cell is triggered by L3 measurements and is done by RRC signaling using Reconfiguration with Synchronization for change of PCell and PSCell, as well as release add for SCells when applicable. Therefore, the cell-level mobility procedure involves complete L2 (and L1) resets which may lead to longer latency, larger overhead and longer interruption time than when beam-level mobility and switching is used.).
Rudolf does not explicitly disclose a set of interruption
However, Kim from an analogous art similarly teaches a set of interruption (Paragraph 0089, 0095, 0388, 0395 UE performs data activity like DL-SCH reception during Type4Gap. A Type4Gap 1E-05 consists of two interruption periods 1E-09) and one measurement period 1E-07. The second gap starts at a second slot, the second slot is determined based at least in part on the first subframe and the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the second slot is or is not within the first subframe. the third gap starts at a first slot of the first subframe. During the interruption periods, UE performs gap operation 2. During the measurement period 1E-07, UE performs gap operation 3. A Type4Gap can be called NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap). The second gap 1F-17 occurs at subframe #4 of SFN 528 and continues 32 msec. Since gap number is 2, only two gaps occur..);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Rudolf to include the teaching of Kim so the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration message, the RRCReconfiguration message includes a second gap configuration information or one or more third gap configuration information and one or more measurement object configuration information.. (See Kim Paragraph 0388).
As per Claim 8 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the set of interruption information comprises one or more interruption lengths that include time associated with one or more of: an associated latency, a tuning time associated with switching to a bandwidth or bandwidth part (BWP) associated with a neighbor cell associated with a respective interruption length, a retuning time associated with switching from the bandwidth or BWP associated with the neighbor cell to a serving cell, or a delay between retuning and a subsequent RACH occasion (Paragraph 0075, 0216 A PUSCH or a PUCCH can be transmitted over a variable number of slot symbols including one slot symbol. The gNB can configure the UE to transmit signals on a cell within an active UL bandwidth part (BWP) of the cell UL BW. A PUSCH or a PUCCH can be transmitted over a variable number of slot symbols including one slot symbol. The gNB can configure the UE to transmit signals on a cell within an active UL bandwidth part (BWP) of the cell UL BW. The length, duration or criteria associated with a same or with different evaluation or indication period(s) for the first and second LTM-RS group, LTM-RS.sub.1 and LTM-RS.sub.2, respectively, or may be indicated or specified by same parameters or may use separate parameters. ).
As per Claim 9 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the indication of the one or more of the set of one or more latencies or the set of interruption information comprises respective indications, for the respective configurations, of one or more of: whether preparation for the RACH communication is associated with an interruption with a serving cell, whether execution of the RACH communication is associated with the interruption, whether the interruption is associated with one or more of downlink communications or uplink communications, one or more serving cells associated with the interruption, a starting time of the interruption, or one or more bands associated with the interruption (Paragraph 0153, 0157 If the UE has had to perform a random-access procedure on the LTM target cell, i.e., RACH based LTM, the UE may consider that LTM to the target cell is successfully completed when the random-access procedure is successfully completed. For RACH-less LTM, the UE may consider that LTM is successfully completed when the UE determines that the target cell has successfully received its first UL data transmission. For RACH-less LTM, the UE may consider that LTM is successfully completed when the UE determines that the target cell has successfully received its first UL data transmission.. ).
As per Claim 10 Rudolf – Kim teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the set of interruption information comprises a set of one or more interruption lengths associated with interruption of communications via a serving cell, and wherein the one or more interruption lengths are identified from a starting time that is associated with one or more of reception of an indication to transmit the RACH communication or transmission of the RACH communication (Paragraph 0138, 0167, 0209 wherein a UE receives and decodes a signal from the network (or gNB) that signifies a starting point in time. Transmission to an LTM candidate cell, the UE adjusts the UL transmit timing for a RACH transmission in a slot based on a value N.sub.delta. In another example, when the gNB issues a Cell Switch MAC CE command to initiate the LTM procedure, RACH-based LTM on the target cell could then be initiated separately for non-SBFD and SBFD slots/symbols on the target cell with support for SBFD operation).
Rudolf does not explicitly disclose a set of interruption
However, Kim from an analogous art similarly teaches a set of interruption (Paragraph 0089, 0095, 0388, 0395 UE performs data activity like DL-SCH reception during Type4Gap. A Type4Gap 1E-05 consists of two interruption periods 1E-09) and one measurement period 1E-07. The second gap starts at a second slot, the second slot is determined based at least in part on the first subframe and the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the second slot is or is not within the first subframe. the third gap starts at a first slot of the first subframe. During the interruption periods, UE performs gap operation 2. During the measurement period 1E-07, UE performs gap operation 3. A Type4Gap can be called NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap). The second gap 1F-17 occurs at subframe #4 of SFN 528 and continues 32 msec. Since gap number is 2, only two gaps occur..);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Rudolf to include the teaching of Kim so the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration message, the RRCReconfiguration message includes a second gap configuration information or one or more third gap configuration information and one or more measurement object configuration information.. (See Kim Paragraph 0388).
Claims 11-20 are a wireless node claims corresponding to the methods claims 1-10 that have been rejected above. Applicant attention is directed to the rejection of claims 1-10. Claims 11-20 are rejected under the same rational as claims 1-10.
Response to Argument(s)
Applicant's argument(s) filed on August 28 2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. All arguments are moot in view of the new ground of rejection.
Examiner’s Note
Examiner is open for discussion if the applicant’s representative need further clarifications.
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 extension fee 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 SYED ALI whose telephone number is (571)270-3681. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad Nawaz can be reached on 571-272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SYED ALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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