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 .
Preliminary Amendments
The present Office Action is based upon the original patent application filed as modified by the preliminary amendment filed on 08/09/2024.
Claim(s) 33-52 are now pending in the present application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/09/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 40 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 40, change “a central unit (CU ” in line 2 to “a central unit (CU)”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim(s) 34-39, 42-46, and 49-52 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claims 34, 41, and 48, these claims recite “providing an early acquired timing advance for the UE and target DU from the target DU via a control unit”. Applicant does not provide support for this feature within the specification nor has the Examiner found support or this feature within the specification. The closest the Examiner could find within the specification is that the DU 204_1 (sDU1) receives the early acquired timing advance 42 (TA) from the target DU 204_2 (tDU) via the CU 202 (see ¶[0050]).
Claims 35-39, 42-46, and 49-52 fails to resolve the deficiency of claims 34, 41, and 48 and are thus rejected under similar rationale.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 33-52 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 33, this claim recites in line 15 “including the selected CFRA”. It is unclear what are you including the selected CFRA into. Claims 34-39 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 33 and are thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 40, this claim recites in line 15 “including the selected CFRA”. It is unclear what are you including the selected CFRA into. Claims 41-46 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 40 and are thus rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 47, this claim recites in line 11 “including the selected CFRA”. It is unclear what are you including the selected CFRA into. Claims 48-52 fails to resolve the deficiency of claim 47 and are thus rejected under similar rationale.
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) 33, 40, and 47 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. ( US 2026/0020030 A1), hereinafter referred to as Song in view of Damjanovic et al. ( US 2024/0349144 A1), hereinafter referred to as Damjanovic.
Regarding claim 33 Song teaches: An apparatus configurable for operation as a central unit (CU) ( see ¶[0026], The network side device includes a processor and a memory; FIG. 19, the network side device; FIG. 6-FIG. 11 ), the apparatus comprising:
a processor (FIG. 19, the network side device; processor 194); and
a memory ( memory 195) comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations ( see ¶[0026], The network side device includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a program or instructions capable of running on the processor, and when the program or the instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the resource configuration method according to the first aspect or the second aspect are implemented):
selecting a contention-free-random-access (CFRA) resource, for early timing advance acquisition by a user equipment (UE) from a set of contention-free-random-access (CFRA) resources, for early timing advance acquisition by the UE (¶[0118], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (PDCCH order), to indicate the target terminal to perform early-RACH based on the CFRA resource, to obtain the TA value of the target cell; ¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource);
communicating with the UE to enable lower-layer triggered mobility (LTM) random access by the UE to a target distributed unit (DU) for early timing advance acquisition (¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource;
providing, to the UE, the selected CFRA resource, for early timing advance acquisition by the UE ( see ¶[0118], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (PDCCH order), to indicate the target terminal to perform early-RACH based on the CFRA resource, to obtain the TA value of the target cell; ¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource; ¶[0216], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (cell handover command), to indicate the target terminal to perform random access based on the CFRA resource, to hand over to the target cell), reserved for the UE against use by UEs served by different Dus (¶[0114], Suspend allocation of the uplink resource for a terminal other than the target terminal in the plurality of terminals), wherein when the DU triggers a physical random access channel (PRACH) signal transmission from a UE towards the target DU, including the selected CFRA, wherein the selected CFRA is marked as reserved until the UE completes the LTM random access ( Note: the Examiner has given non-patentable weight because a wherein clause is directed to features of Distributed Unit (DU) whereas claim 33 is directed to a central unit (CU)); and
triggering, based on the providing of the selected CFRA resource, a cell switch timer, that, upon expiration, causes a cell switch command to be sent to the UE.
Although Song teaches ( see ¶[0219], the first network node sends a cell handover command, where the cell handover command is used to indicate the target terminal to perform handover to the target cell based on the uplink resource; ¶[0220], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs handover of a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a cell handover command is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to perform handover to the target cell/a target cell group based on the selected CFRA resource), Song, however, fails to explicitly teach information related to triggering a cell switch timer.
However, Damjanovic, in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches ( see Damjanovic, ¶[0129], DU 165-b may transmit the LTM cell switch command 345 after expiration of the timer. In such cases, the UE 115-b may perform a RACH procedure at the DU 165-c. In other words, the LTM cell switch command 345 may indicate whether the UE 115-b may use the second TCI state (e.g., used for transmission of the first RACH preamble) to perform the LTM cell switch).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Song’s teachings with Damjanovic's above teachings in order to improve communication reliability, reduce latency, improve user experience to reduce processing, and reduce power consumption ( see ¶[0194] ). Known work in one field of endeavor (Damjanovic prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or different one (Song prior art) based on design incentives ( improve communication reliability, reduce latency, improve user experience to reduce processing, and reduce power consumption) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 40, Song teaches: A system comprising: an apparatus configurable for operation as a central unit (CU) ( see ¶[0026], The network side device includes a processor and a memory; FIG. 19, the network side device; FIG. 6-FIG. 11):
a processor (FIG. 19, the network side device; processor 194); and
a memory ( memory 195) comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations ( see ¶[0026], The network side device includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a program or instructions capable of running on the processor, and when the program or the instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the resource configuration method according to the first aspect or the second aspect are implemented):
selecting a contention-free-random-access (CFRA) resource, for early timing advance acquisition by a user equipment (UE) from a set of contention-free-random-access (CFRA) resources, for early timing advance acquisition by the UE (¶[0118], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (PDCCH order), to indicate the target terminal to perform early-RACH based on the CFRA resource, to obtain the TA value of the target cell; ¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource);
communicating with the UE to enable lower-layer triggered mobility (LTM) random access by the UE to a target distributed unit (DU) for early timing advance acquisition (¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource);
providing, to the UE, the selected CFRA resource, for early timing advance acquisition by the UE ( see ¶[0118], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (PDCCH order), to indicate the target terminal to perform early-RACH based on the CFRA resource, to obtain the TA value of the target cell; ¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource; ¶[0216], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (cell handover command), to indicate the target terminal to perform random access based on the CFRA resource, to hand over to the target cell), reserved for the UE against use by UEs served by different Dus (¶[0114], Suspend allocation of the uplink resource for a terminal other than the target terminal in the plurality of terminals), wherein when the DU triggers a physical random access channel (PRACH) signal transmission from a UE towards the target DU, including the selected CFRA, wherein the selected CFRA is marked as reserved until the UE completes the LTM random access ( Note: the Examiner has given non-patentable weight because a wherein clause is directed to features of Distributed Unit (DU) whereas claim 33 is directed to a central unit (CU)); and
triggering, based on the providing of the selected CFRA resource, a cell switch timer, that, upon expiration, causes a cell switch command to be sent to the UE.
Although Song teaches ( see ¶[0219], the first network node sends a cell handover command, where the cell handover command is used to indicate the target terminal to perform handover to the target cell based on the uplink resource; ¶[0220], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs handover of a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a cell handover command is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to perform handover to the target cell/a target cell group based on the selected CFRA resource), Song, however, fails to explicitly teach information related to triggering a cell switch timer.
However, Damjanovic, in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches ( see Damjanovic, ¶[0129], DU 165-b may transmit the LTM cell switch command 345 after expiration of the timer. In such cases, the UE 115-b may perform a RACH procedure at the DU 165-c. In other words, the LTM cell switch command 345 may indicate whether the UE 115-b may use the second TCI state (e.g., used for transmission of the first RACH preamble) to perform the LTM cell switch).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Song’s teachings with Damjanovic's above teachings in order to improve communication reliability, reduce latency, improve user experience to reduce processing, and reduce power consumption ( see ¶[0194] ). Known work in one field of endeavor (Damjanovic prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or different one (Song prior art) based on design incentives ( improve communication reliability, reduce latency, improve user experience to reduce processing, and reduce power consumption) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 47, Song teaches: A method comprising: selecting a contention-free-random-access (CFRA) resource, for early timing advance acquisition by a user equipment (UE) from a set of contention-free-random-access (CFRA) resources, for early timing advance acquisition by the UE (¶[0118], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (PDCCH order), to indicate the target terminal to perform early-RACH based on the CFRA resource, to obtain the TA value of the target cell; ¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource);
communicating with the UE to enable lower-layer triggered mobility (LTM) random access by the UE to a target distributed unit (DU) for early timing advance acquisition (¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource);
providing, to the UE, the selected CFRA resource, for early timing advance acquisition by the UE ( see ¶[0118], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (PDCCH order), to indicate the target terminal to perform early-RACH based on the CFRA resource, to obtain the TA value of the target cell; ¶[0129], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs to obtain a TA value corresponding to a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a PDCCH order is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to obtain the TA value of the target cell based on the selected CFRA resource; ¶[0216], in a case that the uplink resource is a CFRA resource, the first network node allocates the specific CFRA resource for the target terminal by using the first command (cell handover command), to indicate the target terminal to perform random access based on the CFRA resource, to hand over to the target cell), reserved for the UE against use by UEs served by different Dus (¶[0114], Suspend allocation of the uplink resource for a terminal other than the target terminal in the plurality of terminals), wherein when the DU triggers a physical random access channel (PRACH) signal transmission from a UE towards the target DU, including the selected CFRA, wherein the selected CFRA is marked as reserved until the UE completes the LTM random access ( Note: the Examiner has given non-patentable weight because a condition limitation when clause does not required to be met); and
triggering, based on the providing of the selected CFRA resource, a cell switch timer, that, upon expiration, causes a cell switch command to be sent to the UE.
Although Song teaches ( see ¶[0219], the first network node sends a cell handover command, where the cell handover command is used to indicate the target terminal to perform handover to the target cell based on the uplink resource; ¶[0220], the first network node may obtain CFRA resources of a plurality of candidate cells in advance, and share the CFRA resources with a plurality of terminals. When the first network node needs handover of a terminal in the plurality of terminals, the terminal is set as the target terminal, the target cell is determined from the plurality of candidate cells, a CFRA resource is selected from a CFRA resource pool of the target cell and allocated for the target terminal, and a cell handover command is sent to the target terminal, to indicate the target terminal to perform handover to the target cell/a target cell group based on the selected CFRA resource), Song, however, fails to explicitly teach information related to triggering a cell switch timer.
However, Damjanovic, in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches ( see Damjanovic, ¶[0129], DU 165-b may transmit the LTM cell switch command 345 after expiration of the timer. In such cases, the UE 115-b may perform a RACH procedure at the DU 165-c. In other words, the LTM cell switch command 345 may indicate whether the UE 115-b may use the second TCI state (e.g., used for transmission of the first RACH preamble) to perform the LTM cell switch).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Song’s teachings with Damjanovic's above teachings in order to improve communication reliability, reduce latency, improve user experience to reduce processing, and reduce power consumption ( see ¶[0194] ). Known work in one field of endeavor (Damjanovic prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or different one (Song prior art) based on design incentives ( improve communication reliability, reduce latency, improve user experience to reduce processing, and reduce power consumption) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
You et al. ( US 2026/0032615 A1), Communication method and communication apparatus
Kim et al. ( US 2025/0168723 A1), Early Timing Advance Acquisition
Agiwal et al. ( US 2024/0323777 A1), Random access for lower layer signal based mobility
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANG BOI THAWNG whose telephone number is (703)756-4751. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/MANG BOI THAWNG/Examiner, Art Unit 2476
/PHIRIN SAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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