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 .
Claims 21 and 23-41 are pending.
Claims 1-20 and 22 have been cancelled.
Claim Objections
Claims 21, 23-30, and 38 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 21 recites “A method, comprising:”.
Claim 21 is objected to for clarification purpose because the preamble should specify the hardware or device performing the steps. Please amend the preamble to identify the physical apparatus (e.g. a user equipment or a base station) to ensure the method claim is clearly defined.
Claims 23-30 are depending on claim 21 and therefore they are also objected.
Claims 23 and 38 recite the acronym “PDSCH” without initially defining what it stands for.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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 21, 23-25, 31, and 35-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YOON et al. (Pub. No.: US 20220191849 A1), hereinafter YOON, in view of NARASIMHA et al. (Pub. No.: US 20110039546 A1), hereinafter NARASIMHA.
With respect to claim 21, YOON teaches A method comprising ([0203-0204], a method):
receiving a parameter comprising a flag indicating that a user equipment (UE) is allowed to use timing of a reference cell to derive a synchronization signal block (SSB) index for a target SSB burst of a target cell ([0203-0204], table 20, This field indicates Whether the UE may use the timing of any detected cell on that frequency to derive the SSB index of all neighbour cells on that frequency; also see fig. 6, [0153. 0169]), wherein:
the target SSB burst comprises one or more SSBs (fig. 6, [0153. 0169, 0203-0204], target SSB burst comprises one or more SSBs); and
in response to receiving the parameter, determining the SSB index of the target SSB burst based on a tolerance (Δt) of a frame boundary alignment between the reference cell and the target cell ([0203-0204], table 20, When deriveSSB-IndexFromCell is enabled, the UE may assume that the frame boundary alignment (including half-frame, sub-frame and/or slot boundary (boundary) alignment) across cells of the same frequency carrier is within a tolerance that is not worse than min(2 SSB symbols, 1 PDSCH symbol)).
YOON does not explicitly teach the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell.
However, NARASIMHA teaches the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell ([0016], The inter-frequency neighbor base station 155 can provide cell coverage on a different frequency from the serving base station 135).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of NARASIMHA, the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell, into the teachings of YOON, in order for an improved method and apparatus for radio link failure recovery (NARASIMHA, [0008]).
With respect to claim 23, the combination of YOON and NARASIMHA teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches wherein determining the SSB index of the target SSB burst based on the tolerance (Δt) comprises calculating the tolerance (Δt) as: Δt = min(2 SSB symbols, 1 PDSCH symbol) ([0203-0204], table 20).
With respect to claim 24, the combination of YOON and NARASIMHA teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches wherein determining the SSB index of the target SSB burst based on the tolerance (Δt) comprises calculating the tolerance (Δt) based on 2 SSB symbols of the target cell ([0203-0204], table 20; also see fig. 6, [0153. 0169]).
With respect to claim 25, the combination of YOON and NARASIMHA teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches in response to receiving the parameter, determining that System Frame Numbers (SFNs) are aligned across cells on a target carrier of the target cell ([0203-0204], table 20).
With respect to claim 31, YOON teaches A base station comprising ([0085], a base station):
memory ([0723], memory);
a transceiver ([0723], transceiver); and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the base station to perform operations ([0723], processor coupled to the memory and configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory), the operations comprising:
generating, for a user equipment (UE), a parameter comprising a flag indicating that the UE is allowed to use timing of a reference cell to derive a synchronization signal block (SSB) index for a target SSB burst of a target cell ([0203-0204, 0229-0230], table 20, generating, for UE, a parameter comprising a flag indicating that the UE is allowed to use timing of a reference cell to derive a synchronization signal block (SSB) index for a target SSB burst of a target cell; also see fig. 6, [0153. 0169]), wherein:
the target SSB burst comprises one or more SSBs (fig. 6, [0153. 0169, 0203-0204], target SSB burst comprises one or more SSBs),and
preparing the parameter for transmission to the UE ([0203-0204, 0229-0230], table 20, preparing the parameter for transmission to the UE).
YOON does not explicitly teach the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell.
However, NARASIMHA teaches the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell ([0016], The inter-frequency neighbor base station 155 can provide cell coverage on a different frequency from the serving base station 135).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of NARASIMHA, the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell, into the teachings of YOON, in order for an improved method and apparatus for radio link failure recovery (NARASIMHA, [0008]).
With respect to claim 35, this claim recites the method of claim 25, and it is rejected for at least the same reasons.
With respect to claim 36, YOON teaches A baseband processor configured to, when executing instructions stored in a memory, perform operations comprising ([0723], a processor configured to, when executing instructions stored in a memory):
receiving a parameter comprising a flag indicating that a user equipment (UE) is allowed to use timing of a reference cell to derive a synchronization signal block (SSB) index of inter-frequency neighboring cells on a target carrier ([0203-0204, 0229-0230], table 20, receiving a parameter comprising a flag indicating that a UE is allowed to use timing of a reference cell to derive a synchronization signal block (SSB) index of inter-frequency neighboring cells on a target carrier; also see fig. 6, [0153. 0169])
wherein the target SSB burst comprises one or more SSBs (fig. 6, [0153. 0169, 0203-0204], target SSB burst comprises one or more SSBs); and
in response to receiving the parameter, determining that a frame boundary alignment across the inter-frequency neighboring cells on the target carrier and the reference cell is within a tolerance not worse than a calculated tolerance ([0203-0204], table 20, When deriveSSB-IndexFromCell is enabled, the UE may assume that the frame boundary alignment (including half-frame, sub-frame and/or slot boundary (boundary) alignment) across cells of the same frequency carrier is within a tolerance that is not worse than min(2 SSB symbols, 1 PDSCH symbol)).
YOON does not explicitly teach the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell.
However, NARASIMHA teaches the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell ([0016], The inter-frequency neighbor base station 155 can provide cell coverage on a different frequency from the serving base station 135).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of NARASIMHA, the target cell is an inter-frequency target cell having a different frequency from the reference cell, into the teachings of YOON, in order for an improved method and apparatus for radio link failure recovery (NARASIMHA, [0008]).
With respect to claim 37, the combination of YOON and NARASIMHA teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches determining, based on the calculated tolerance, the SSB index for a target SSB burst on the target carrier ([0203-0204], table 20; also see fig. 6, [0153. 0169]).
With respect to claim 38, this claim recites the method of claim 23, and it is rejected for at least the same reasons.
With respect to claim 39, this claim recites the method of claim 24, and it is rejected for at least the same reasons.
With respect to claim 40, the combination of YOON and NARASIMHA teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches in response to receiving the parameter, determining that System Frame Numbers (SFNs) of the inter-frequency neighboring cells on the target carrier are the same ([0203-0204], table 20).
Claims 26-28 and 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YOON, in view of NARASIMHA, and further in view of Miao et al. (Pub. No.: US 20190222286 A1), hereinafter Miao.
With respect to claim 26, the combination of YOON and NARASIMHA teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches the target S SB burst of the target cell as set forth above. The combination of YOON and NARASIMHA does not explicitly teach receiving an information element (IE) comprising SSB information associated with the target S SB burst of the target cell.
However, Miao teaches receiving an information element (IE) comprising SSB information associated with the target S SB burst of the target cell ([0080, 0122]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Miao, receiving an information element (IE) comprising SSB information associated with the target S SB burst of the target cell, into the teachings of YOON and NARASIMHA, in order to facilitating L1 (Layer 1) inter-cell beam management (Miao, [0002]).
With respect to claim 27, the combination of YOON, NARASIMHA and Miao teaches the method of claim 26. The combination of YOON and NARASIMHA does not explicitly teach wherein the SSB information comprises at least one of a frequency of the target SSB burst and a subcarrier spacing of the target SSB burst.
However, Miao teaches wherein the SSB information comprises at least one of a frequency of the target SSB burst and a subcarrier spacing of the target SSB burst ([0080, 0122]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Miao, wherein the SSB information comprises at least one of a frequency of the target SSB burst and a subcarrier spacing of the target SSB burst, into the teachings of YOON and NARASIMHA, in order to facilitating L1 (Layer 1) inter-cell beam management (Miao, [0002]).
With respect to claim 28, the combination of YOON, NARASIMHA and Miao teaches the method of claim 26. YOON teaches the parameter as set forth above.
The combination of YOON and NARASIMHA does not explicitly teach the IE includes further includes the parameter.
However, Miao teaches the IE includes further includes the parameter ([0080, 0122]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Miao, the IE includes further includes the parameter, into the teachings of YOON and NARASIMHA, in order to facilitating L1 (Layer 1) inter-cell beam management (Miao, [0002]).
With respect to claim 32, this claim recites the method of claim 26, and it is rejected for at least the same reasons.
With respect to claim 33, this claim recites the method of claim 27, and it is rejected for at least the same reasons.
With respect to claim 34, this claim recites the method of claim 28, and it is rejected for at least the same reasons.
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YOON, in view of NARASIMHA, and further in view of PAL et al. (Pub. No.: US 20230100787 A1), hereinafter PAL.
With respect to claim 29, the combination of YOON, NARASIMHA and Miao teaches the method of claim 21. YOON teaches based on the SSB index the target SSB burst as set forth above.
The combination of YOON and NARASIMHA does not explicitly teach measuring a portion of the target SSB burst during a measurement window.
However, PAL teaches measuring a portion of the SSB burst during a measurement window ([0056]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of PAL, measuring a portion of the SSB burst during a measurement window, into the teachings of YOON and NARASIMHA, in order to improving power consumption for a device by decreasing a number of synchronization attempts or other procedures performed by the device for a given connected-mode discontinuous receive (CDRX) period (PAL, [0019]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 30 and 41 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pub. No.: US 20200260311 A1; “Jung”, ([0517])
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/KIET TANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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