DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to application filed on 06 September 2024 (including amendment filed simultaneously). Claims 1-22 are now pending in the present application. This office action is made Non-Final.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on
26 February 2026
06 September 2024
are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being by Cheng et al. (hereinafter Cheng) (US 2021/0068013 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 19, 20, 21, and 22, Cheng discloses an electronic device comprising:
circuitry configured to receive, from a first non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN), terrestrial communication (e.g., TN) information for performing terrestrial communication (e.g., TN) outside of a coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN) { (see pg. 2, [0021]; Figs. 2-6), where the system provides communication with a NTN cell that has overlapping coverage with the TN cells };
receive, from the first non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN), non-terrestrial communication information for performing non-terrestrial communication (e.g., NTN) with the first non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN) or a second non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN) { (see pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6), where the system provides communication with and camped on NTN cell };
perform the terrestrial communication (e.g., TN) using the terrestrial communication (e.g., TN) information in a case that the electronic device moves from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN) { (see pg. 3, [0025]; Figs. 2-6), where the system provides communication with TN cells }; and
perform the non-terrestrial communication (e.g., NTN) using the non-terrestrial communication (e.g., NTN) information in a case that the electronic device moves from outside to inside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN) or from outside to inside a coverage area of the second non-terrestrial base station (e.g., NTN) { (see pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6), where the system provides communication with and camped on NTN cell }.
Regarding claim 2, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the terrestrial communication with a terrestrial base station based on the terrestrial communication information in the case that the electronic device moves from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 2, [0021]; pg. 3, [0025]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 3, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the terrestrial communication information includes at least one of information corresponding to handover to a terrestrial base station, information corresponding to detachment from the first non-terrestrial base station, and information corresponding to a next and subsequent handover destinations { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 4, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform side-link communication with another electronic device as the terrestrial communication using the terrestrial communication information in the case that that the electronic device moves from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 5, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 4, wherein the terrestrial communication information includes information for performing the side-link communication { (see pg. 2, [0021]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 6, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the terrestrial communication information includes information corresponding to a movement trigger from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 7, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 6, wherein the information corresponding to the movement trigger includes at least one of threshold information corresponding to received power in the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station, information corresponding to a timer for implementing movement from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station, information corresponding to time for implementing movement from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station, and information corresponding to execution of movement from inside to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 8, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the non-terrestrial communication with the second non-terrestrial base station in a case that the electronic device moves from outside to inside the coverage area of the second non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 9, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the non-terrestrial communication information from a terrestrial base station that performs the terrestrial communication outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 10, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second non-terrestrial base station is the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 11, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 10, wherein the non-satellite communication information includes information corresponding to a movement trigger to outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 2, [0021]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 12, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 11, wherein the information corresponding to the movement trigger includes at least one of information corresponding to immediate movement, timer information until movement implementation, and information corresponding to received power { (see pg. 2, [0021]; 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 13, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 10, wherein the non-terrestrial communication information includes information corresponding to a movement trigger to inside the coverage of the second non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 14, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 13, wherein the information corresponding to the movement trigger includes at least one of information corresponding to received power, timer information, time information, information corresponding to implementation start time of a trigger detection operation, information corresponding to an operation after a timer end, and surrounding environment information { (see pg. 2, [0021]; 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 15, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second non-terrestrial base station is different from the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 2, [0021]; 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 16, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 15, wherein the second non-terrestrial base station acquires, from the first non-terrestrial base station, inter-satellite information used in the non-terrestrial communication when the electronic device moves inside the coverage of the second non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 2, [0021]; 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 17, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit terminal information to the first non-terrestrial base station, the terminal information being used to estimate a timing of the electronic device moving outside the coverage area of the first non-terrestrial base station { (see pg. 2, [0021]; 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 18, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first non-terrestrial base station is a first satellite base station, and the second non-terrestrial base station is a second satellite base station { (see pg. 2, [0021]; 3, [0025]; pg. 7, [0075]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 2026/0136277 A1) discloses electronic device supporting non-terrestrial network communication, and operation method thereof.
Healy et al. (US 2026/0025816 A1) discloses communication between non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks based on layer-1 physical packet-level transcoding.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIE J DANIEL JR whose telephone number is (571)272-7907. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 - 6.
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/WILLIE J DANIEL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
WJD,Jr
18 June 2026
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