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 .
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)(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xu et al (US 2022/0256484) (hereinafter Xu).
Regarding claim 1, Xu discloses a method, performed by a user equipment (UE), of managing time alignment, the method comprising:
receiving a timing advance command from a radio access network (RAN) (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., in 1402 the network may provide a TA command to a UE while a RRC connection is established);
starting or restarting a first time alignment timer that indicates validity of a configured grant (CG) configuration when the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the RAN (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., The UE may initiate a TAT in accordance with the TA command, valid TA, TA timer running);
receiving a first message from the RAN (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., In 1404, the UE may receive a RRCRelease message with suspend configuration from the NW, which may include configuration information for CG small data transfers); in response to the first message,
(i) transitioning from the RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., inactive state)
(ii) stopping the first time alignment timer (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., stop TA timer), and
(iii) starting or restarting a second time alignment timer that indicates validity of a CG small data transmission (CG-SDT) configuration when the UE is in the RRC inactive state (see Xu, Fig. 15, p. [0127], e.g., In 1506, the UE may receive uplink data at baseband. The UE may acquire the current downlink timing (T2) (e.g., using synchronization signals provided by the network) and may update the TA according to the downlink timing change (e.g., between T1 and T2). The UE may perform a CG small data transfer using the autonomously updated TA value) ; and
after stopping the first time alignment timer and starting or restarting the second time alignment timer,
(i) receiving a second message from the RAN (see Xu, Fig. 16, p. [0129], e.g., in 1602, a UE may receive a RRCRelease message with suspend configuration from a NW, which may include configuration information for CG small data transfers), and
(ii) in response to the second message, transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 16, p. [0129], e.g., connected state), again starting the first time alignment timer, and communicating data with the RAN while operating in the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 17, p. [0130], e.g., in 0174, resume procedure).
Regarding claim 2, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a first timer value from the RAN, wherein again starting the first time alignment timer includes setting a timer value of the first time alignment timer to the first timer value (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., the UE may receive a RRCRelease message, which may include an updated TA value and an indication for the UE to autonomously update the TA value while in RRC inactive mode. The UE may update the TA and record the associated downlink timing (T1). According to various aspects, it may be the case that the TA can be considered valid indefinitely when such an arrangement is configured, or a TAT may be configured and started).
Regarding claim 3, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the timing advance command occurs while the UE is in the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., in 1402 the network may provide a TA command to a UE while a RRC connection is established).
Regarding claim 4, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the timing advance command occurs while the UE is in the RRC inactive state (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., inactive state), and wherein the method further comprises: before receiving the second message, transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 16, p. [0129], e.g., connected state).
Regarding claim 5, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes the CG-SDT configuration (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., the UE may receive a RRCRelease message with suspend configuration from the NW, which may include configuration information for CG small data transfers).
Regarding claim 6, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first message is an RRC release message (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., In 1404, the UE may receive a RRCRelease message from the NW).
Regarding claim 7, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the timing advance command includes receiving a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) that includes the timing advance command (see Xu, p. [0112], e.g., a UE may be able to acquire a TA value via a timing advance command (TAC) in connected mode or via a random access response (RAR) as part of an initial access RACH procedure, and p. [0127]).
Regarding claim 8, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the timing advance command includes receiving a random access channel message that includes the timing advance command (see Xu, p. [0112], e.g., a UE may be able to acquire a TA value via a timing advance command (TAC) in connected mode or via a random access response (RAR) as part of an initial access RACH procedure, and p. [0127]).
Regarding claim 9, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the second time alignment timer is not running, wherein starting or restarting the first time alignment timer is in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is not running (see Xu, Figs 15-17, p. [0127-0131], e.g., In 1604, the UE may receive uplink data at baseband. When the uplink data is received at baseband, the TAT may be expired, and the TA invalid, such that the CG small data transfer configuration may be considered invalid. Accordingly, as RA small data transfers are not configured, the UE may instead perform a RRC resume procedure and may transmit the uplink data once the UE has resumed the RRC connection with the NW)
Regarding claim 10, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising, after starting or restarting the second time alignment timer: receiving an additional timing advance command from the RAN; determining that the second time alignment timer is running; and in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is running, restarting the second time alignment timer (see Xu, Figs 15-17, p. [0127-0131]).
Regarding claim 11, Xu discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising, after starting or restarting the second time alignment timer: receiving an additional timing advance command from the RAN; again starting or restarting the first time alignment timer; determining that the second time alignment timer is running; and in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is running, restarting the second time alignment timer (see Xu, Figs 15-17, p. [0127-0131]).
Regarding claim 12, Xu discloses a user equipment (UE) comprising one or more processors and configured to:
receive a timing advance command from a radio access network (RAN) (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., in 1402 the network may provide a TA command to a UE while a RRC connection is established);
start or restart a first time alignment timer that indicates validity of a configured grant (CG) configuration when the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the RAN (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., The UE may initiate a TAT in accordance with the TA command, valid TA, TA timer running):
receive a first message from the RAN (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., In 1404, the UE may receive a RRCRelease message with suspend configuration from the NW, which may include configuration information for CG small data transfers): in response to the first message,
(i) transition from the RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., inactive state),
(ii) stop the first time alignment timer (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., stop TA timer), and
(iii) start or restart a second time alignment timer that indicates validity of a CG small data transmission (CG-SDT) configuration when the UE is in the RRC inactive state (see Xu, Fig. 15, p. [0127], e.g., In 1506, the UE may receive uplink data at baseband. The UE may acquire the current downlink timing (T2) (e.g., using synchronization signals provided by the network) and may update the TA according to the downlink timing change (e.g., between T1 and T2). The UE may perform a CG small data transfer using the autonomously updated TA value); and
after stopping the first time alignment timer and starting or restarting the second time alignment timer, (i) receive a second message from the RAN (see Xu, Fig. 16, p. [0129], e.g., in 1602, a UE may receive a RRCRelease message with suspend configuration from a NW, which may include configuration information for CG small data transfers), and
(ii) in response to the second message, transition from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 16, p. [0129], e.g., connected state), again start the first time alignment timer, and communicate data with the RAN while operating in the RRC connected state (see Xu, Figs. 14-17, p. [0126-0130], e.g., in 0174, resume procedure).
Regarding claim 13, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein: the UE is further configured to receive a first timer value from the RAN; and again starting the first time alignment timer includes setting a timer value of the first time alignment timer to the first timer value (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., the UE may receive a RRCRelease message, which may include an updated TA value and an indication for the UE to autonomously update the TA value while in RRC inactive mode. The UE may update the TA and record the associated downlink timing (T1). According to various aspects, it may be the case that the TA can be considered valid indefinitely when such an arrangement is configured, or a TAT may be configured and started).
Regarding claim 14, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein receiving the timing advance command occurs while the UE is in the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., in 1402 the network may provide a TA command to a UE while a RRC connection is established).
Regarding claim 15, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein receiving the timing advance command occurs while the UE is in the RRC inactive state (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., inactive state), and wherein the UE is further configured to: before receiving the second message, transition from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state (see Xu, Fig. 16, p. [0129], e.g., connected state).
Regarding claim 16, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein the first message includes the CG-SDT configuration (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., the UE may receive a RRCRelease message with suspend configuration from the NW, which may include configuration information for CG small data transfers).
Regarding claim 17, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein the first message is an RRC release message (see Xu, Fig. 14, p. [0126], e.g., In 1404, the UE may receive a RRCRelease message from the NW).
Regarding claim 18, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein receiving the timing advance command includes receiving a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) that includes the timing advance command (see Xu, p. [0112], e.g., a UE may be able to acquire a TA value via a timing advance command (TAC) in connected mode or via a random access response (RAR) as part of an initial access RACH procedure, and p. [0127]).
Regarding claim 19, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein receiving the timing advance command includes receiving a random access channel message that includes the timing advance command (see Xu, p. [0112], e.g., a UE may be able to acquire a TA value via a timing advance command (TAC) in connected mode or via a random access response (RAR) as part of an initial access RACH procedure, and p. [0127]).
Regarding claim 20, Xu discloses the UE of claim 12, wherein: the UE is further configured to determine that the second time alignment timer is not running; and starting or restarting the first time alignment timer is in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is not running (see Xu, Figs 15-17, p. [0127-0131], e.g., In 1604, the UE may receive uplink data at baseband. When the uplink data is received at baseband, the TAT may be expired, and the TA invalid, such that the CG small data transfer configuration may be considered invalid. Accordingly, as RA small data transfers are not configured, the UE may instead perform a RRC resume procedure and may transmit the uplink data once the UE has resumed the RRC connection with the NW).
Conclusion
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/MINH TRANG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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