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 .
This office Action is in response to Amendments filed on Sept. 23, 2024.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-12, 14-16 and 18-19 have been amended.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9 and 11-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pon et al. (20090318167)
Regarding claim 1, Pon discloses a communication apparatus (see abstract, fig.1B, element 140, paragraph [0012] and its description), wherein the communication apparatus comprises: at least one processor (see abstract. fig.2, element 240, paragraphs [0013], [0032-0033] and its description); and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform operations comprising (see abstract. fig.3, elements 250, 240, paragraph [0013] and its description): obtaining information about a cell set, wherein the cell set comprises a plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points, the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points have a same time-frequency resource, and the information about the cell set comprises identification information of the cell set, resource configuration information of the cell set, and position information of at least one non-terrestrial transmission point in the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points (see abstract. fig.1B, elements 110-G1-4, 140, fig.2, element 260, 270, fig.3, element 320, fig.4, steps 410-430, paragraphs [0012-0015], [0020], [0025], [0027-0029], [0032-0034], [0042-0048] and its description); and accessing the cell set (see abstract. fig.4, step 440, paragraphs [0015], [0048] and its description).
Regarding claim 2, Pon further discloses wherein the accessing the cell set comprises: accessing the cell set having longest remaining coverage time in a plurality of cell sets, wherein the remaining coverage time is determined based on information about each cell set (see paragraphs [0002], [0005], [0018]).
Regarding claim 3, Pon further discloses wherein a coverage area of the cell set is fixed relative to the ground (see fig.1B, element 100B, paragraph [0025] and its description).
Regarding claim 4, Pon further discloses wherein at any moment, coverage areas of at least two non-terrestrial transmission points in the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points are contiguous (see fig.1B, element 110-G1-4, 100B, and its description).
Regarding claim 5, Pon further discloses wherein the position information of the at least one non-terrestrial transmission point comprises: first position information and position variation information of the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points, wherein the position variation information is variation information of the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points relative to the first position information (see abstract, fig.1B, elements 110-G1-4, paragraph [0002], [0029] and its description).
Regarding claim 6, Pon discloses a communication method, applicable to a non-terrestrial communication network, wherein the non-terrestrial communication network comprises a cell set, the cell set comprises a plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points, the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points have a same time-frequency resource, and the communication method comprises: sending information about the cell set, wherein the information about the cell set comprises identification information of the cell set, resource configuration information of the cell set, and position information of at least one non-terrestrial transmission point in the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points (see abstract. fig.1B, elements 110-G1-4, fig.3, element 320, fig.4, steps 410-430, paragraphs [0012], [0014-0015], [0020], [0025], [0027-0029], [0032-0034], [0042-0048] and its description); and communicating with a terminal device (see abstract. fig.1A, elements 110, 140, fig.1B, elements 110-G1-4, 140, paragraphs [0011-0012], {0018-0020] and its description).
Regarding claim 7, wherein a coverage area of the cell set is fixed relative to the ground (see fig.1B, element 100B, paragraph [0025] and its description).
Regarding claim 8, wherein at any moment, coverage areas of at least two non-terrestrial transmission points in the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points are contiguous (see fig.1B, element 110-G1-4, 100B, and its description).
Regarding claim 9, Pon further discloses wherein a non-terrestrial transmission point of the plurality of non-terrestrial transmission points comprises a satellite (see fig.1, elements 110-G1-4 and its description).
Regarding claims 11-19 recite limitations substantially similar to claims 1-9. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 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.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
When responding to this Office Action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CongVan Tran whose telephone number is (571) 272-7871. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Th.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Alison Slater can be reached on (571) 270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
PNG
media_image1.png
100
100
media_image1.png
Greyscale
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
/CONGVAN TRAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
Prosecution Insights