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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 6-10, 21-24, and 27-30 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 6-10, 21-24, and 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (US 2024/0276415).
Regarding claims 1, 8, and 21, Xu discloses a method for reporting position information, performed by a terminal device in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) (paragraph [0009]; see determining TA as a non-terrestrial network in which a satellite (the access network device) moves quickly), a method for reporting position information, performed by a network device, a communication device, the method for reporting position information the method comprising:
determining that a timing advance (TA) variation value corresponding to the terminal device is greater than a threshold value (paragraphs [0012], [0103]; e.g., determined by the terminal device and a TA that is last exchanged between the terminal device and the access network device or a TA that is last used by the terminal device (namely, the second TA) is greater than or equal to the preset threshold),
wherein the TA variation value is caused by a change in a position of the terminal device (paragraphs [0004], [0085]; e.g., the TA value may change greatly due to fast moving); and
reporting position information of the terminal device to a network device (paragraphs [0087], [0100]; e.g., the terminal device determines and reports the TA may be controlled by the access network device by using sent indication information),
wherein the position information of the terminal device is used by the network device to calculate a round-trip time (RTT) between the terminal device and a satellite (paragraph [0097]; e.g., an RTT from the terminal device to a satellite or a high-altitude platform or an RTT/2),
wherein the TA variation value is determined by the terminal device following operation:
determining a first TA value according to first position information corresponding to the terminal device at a current moment and second position information corresponding to the satellite at the current moment (paragraphs [0036], [0097]; e.g., the terminal device enters a connected mode, the terminal device may determine a timing advance TA (namely, a first timing advance TA) based on a position of the terminal device and a position of the access network);
determining a second TA value according to third position information last reported by the terminal device and the second position information (paragraphs [0103], [0122]; e.g., a variation between the TA (namely, the first timing advance TA) currently determined by the terminal device and a TA that is last exchanged between the terminal device and the access network device or a TA that is last used by the terminal device (namely, a second TA) reaches the preset threshold); and
determining the TA variation value according to a difference value between the first TA value and the second TA value (paragraph [0103], [0116]; e.g., a variation between the TA (namely, the first timing advance TA) currently determined by the terminal device and a TA that is last exchanged between the terminal device and the access network device or a TA that is last used by the terminal device (namely, a second TA) reaches the preset threshold, the terminal device is triggered to report the currently determined TA).
It is noted that limitations “determining a first TA compensation value according to first position information corresponding to the terminal device at a current moment and second position information corresponding to the satellite at the current moment; determining a second TA compensation value according to third position information last reported by the terminal device and the second position information; and determining the TA variation value according to a difference value between the first TA compensation value and the second TA compensation value;
determining a third TA value according to first position information corresponding to the terminal device at a current moment and fourth position information corresponding to the satellite when the position information was last reported; determining a fourth TA value according to third position information last reported by the terminal device and the fourth position information; and determining the TA variation value according to a difference value between the third TA value and the fourth TA value; and
determining a third TA compensation value according to first position information corresponding to the terminal device at a current moment and fourth position information corresponding to the satellite when the position information was last reported; determining a fourth TA compensation value according to third position information last reported by the terminal device and the fourth position information; and determining the TA variation value according to a difference value between the third TA compensation value and the fourth TA compensation value” is omitted to address due to alternative claimed such as “determined the TA variation value via one of the following operations”.
Regarding claims 6 and 9, Xu discloses the method according to claims 1 and 8, further comprising: receiving indication information sent by the network device (paragraph [0015]; e.g., the terminal device determines and reports the TA may be controlled by the access network device by using sent indication information), wherein the indication information is configured to indicate configuration information for the terminal device to report the position information (paragraphs [0015]; e.g., the terminal device determines and reports the TA based on the indication).
Regarding claims 7, 10, 28, and 30, Xu discloses the method according to claims 6, 8, 27, and 29, wherein the configuration information comprises any one of description information of the TA variation value, a periodic value for reporting the position information, and TA reporting configuration information based on a media access control element (MAC CE) (paragraphs [0100], [0104]).
Claim 22 is drawn to a computer program stored on the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method of claim 8; therefore, the same rationale applied to claim 8 applies. In addition, Xu inherently discloses a computer program, i.e., given that Xu discloses a process, the process would be implemented by a processor that requires a computer program product, e.g., a RAM, to function.
Claims 23 and 24 are drawn to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured to store instructions, comprising code means for generating steps of claims 1 and 8. Therefore, the same rationale applied to claim 1 applies. In addition, Xu inherently discloses a computer program product, i.e., given that Xu discloses a process (paragraph [0167]), the process would be implemented by a processor that requires a computer program product, e.g., a RAM, to function.
Claims 27 and 29 are rejected with the same reasons set forth to claim 6.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 TIMOTHY X PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7115. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 8:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Resha Desai can be reached at 571-270-7792. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TIMOTHY X PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
