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 .
Preliminary Amendment
The present Office Action is based upon the original patent application as modified by the preliminary amendment filed on September 30, 2024. Claims 16-35 are now pending in the present application.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of papers, which have been placed of record in the file.
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on September 30, 2024 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
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.
Claims 16-18, 25-27, and 30-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAHA et al. (hereinafter Saha) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0404484 A1) in view of Orsino et al. (hereinafter Orsino) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2024/0212508 A1).
Regarding claims 16 and 25, Saha teaches and discloses a method performed by a first base station (network entity, gNB; figures 1, 6, and 8) in a wireless communication system (wireless network, figure 1) and the first base station (network entity, gNB; figures 1, 6, and 8) in the wireless communication system, the first base station comprising: a transceiver (transceiver, figure 6); and at least one processor (processor, figure 6) configured to: transmit, to the UE, a request to report flight path information, and receive, from the UE, a report for the flight path information ([0101]; [0104]; “…the network entity 802 transmits a flight path information request 822, here shown as an IE called RequestFlightPathInformation…If the network entity 802 is a TRP, then the request 822 may be an RRC (Radio Resource Control) message. The flight path information request 822 may configure the target UE 801 in one or more of a variety of ways to report flight path information, e.g., for the flight path…”; [0114]; “…the target UE 801, e.g., the flight path reporting unit 550, transmits flight path information 832 to the network entity…”; [0115]; [0116]; teaches the base station/network entity transmits to the UE a request for flight path information and then receiving the flight path information from the UE).
However, Saha may not explicitly disclose receive, from an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a first message including aerial user equipment (UE) information about a UE.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Orsino teaches receive, from an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a first message including aerial user equipment (UE) information about a UE ([0076]; [0077]; [0078]; teaches the gNB receives a first message including drone UE information from the AMF).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the gNB receives a first message including drone UE information from the AMF as taught by Orsino with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha for the purpose of maximizing the utility of UAV communication and minimizing the energy consumption at the UAVs, as suggested by Orsino.
Regarding claims 17 and 26, Saha, as modified by Orsino, further teaches and suggests wherein the flight path information includes timestamp information and location information ([0101]; [0115]; teaches the flight path information includes time and location information).
Regarding claims 18 and 27, Saha, as modified by Orsino, further teaches and suggests receiving, from the UE, a radio resource control (RRC) message including indication indicating that the flight path information is available, wherein the request to report flight path information is transmitted based on the indication indicating that the flight path information is available ([0104]; [0116]; teaches the UE transmits to the base station a RRC message including the flight path information).
Regarding claims 30 and 33, Saha teaches and discloses a method performed by a user equipment (UE) (UE, figures 1, 5, and 8) in a wireless communication system, the user equipment (UE) (UE, figures 1, 5, and 8) in the wireless communication system, the UE comprising: a transceiver (transceiver, figure 5); and at least one processor (processor, figure 5) configured to: receive, from a base station (network entity, gNB; figures 1, 6, and 8), a request to report flight path information, and transmit, to the base station, a report for the flight path information ([0101]; [0104]; “…the network entity 802 transmits a flight path information request 822, here shown as an IE called RequestFlightPathInformation…If the network entity 802 is a TRP, then the request 822 may be an RRC (Radio Resource Control) message. The flight path information request 822 may configure the target UE 801 in one or more of a variety of ways to report flight path information, e.g., for the flight path…”; [0114]; “…the target UE 801, e.g., the flight path reporting unit 550, transmits flight path information 832 to the network entity…”; [0115]; [0116]; teaches the base station/network entity transmits to the UE a request for flight path information and then receiving the flight path information from the UE).
However, Saha may not explicitly disclose wherein aerial user equipment (UE) information about a UE is transmitted from an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Orsino teaches wherein aerial user equipment (UE) information about a UE (drone UE, figures 3-4) is transmitted from an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity ([0076]; [0077]; [0078]; teaches the gNB receives a first message including drone UE information from the AMF).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the gNB receives a first message including drone UE information from the AMF as taught by Orsino with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha for the purpose of maximizing the utility of UAV communication and minimizing the energy consumption at the UAVs, as suggested by Orsino.
Regarding claims 31 and 34, Saha, as modified by Orsino, further teaches and suggests wherein the flight path information includes timestamp information and location information ([0101]; [0115]; teaches the flight path information includes time and location information).
Regarding claim 32 and 35, Saha, as modified by Orsino, further teaches and suggests transmitting, to the base station, a radio resource control (RRC) message including indication indicating that the flight path information is available, wherein the request to report flight path information is transmitted based on the indication indicating that the flight path information is available ([0104]; [0116]; teaches the UE transmits to the base station a RRC message including the flight path information).
Claims 19, 21-24, and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAHA et al. (hereinafter Saha) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0404484 A1) in view of Orsino et al. (hereinafter Orsino) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2024/0212508 A1), and further in view of PHUYAL et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0386208 A1).
Regarding claims 19 and 28, Saha, as modified by Orsino, discloses requesting and reporting flight path information, but may not explicitly disclose transmitting, to a second base station, a second message including at least one of the flight path information and the aerial UE information.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Phuyal teaches and suggests transmitting, to a second base station (target BS, figures 2-4 and 6), a second message (414, figure 4) including at least one of the flight path information and the aerial UE information ([0069]; teaches the source BS transmits to a target BS a second message including flight path information and UE information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the source BS transmits to a target BS a second message including flight path information and UE information as taught by Phuyal with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha, as modified by Orsino, for the purpose of facilitating handover operation in order to improve mobility support for UAVs, as suggested by Phuyal.
Regarding claim 21, Saha, as modified by Orsino, discloses requesting and reporting flight path information, but may not explicitly disclose receiving, from a core network entity, uplink sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration information of the UE, wherein the uplink SRS configuration information is saved in a UE context for uplink interference detection, and wherein the uplink SRS configuration information is received through the first message.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Phuyal teaches and suggests receiving, from a core network entity, uplink sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration information of the UE, wherein the uplink SRS configuration information is saved in a UE context for uplink interference detection, and wherein the uplink SRS configuration information is received through the first message ([0044]; [0052]; [0062]; [0069]; teaches the BS receiving SRS configuration information related to interference detection).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the BS receiving SRS configuration information related to interference detection as taught by Phuyal with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha, as modified by Orsino, for the purpose of facilitating handover operation in order to improve mobility support for UAVs, as suggested by Phuyal.
Regarding claim 22, Saha, as modified by Orsino, discloses requesting and reporting flight path information, but may not explicitly disclose wherein the second message includes at least one of a UE context setup request message, a handover request message, a UE context modification request, a route switching response, or a RETRIEVE UE Context response message.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Phuyal teaches and suggests wherein the second message includes at least one of a UE context setup request message, a handover request message, a UE context modification request, a route switching response, or a RETRIEVE UE Context response message ([0069]; teaches the second message includes a handover request message and context information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the second message includes a handover request message and context information as taught by Phuyal with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha, as modified by Orsino, for the purpose of facilitating handover operation in order to improve mobility support for UAVs, as suggested by Phuyal.
Regarding claim 23, Saha, as modified by Orsino, discloses requesting and reporting flight path information, but may not explicitly disclose wherein the first base station includes a source base station, and wherein the second node is a source base station, a destination base station, a base station centralized unit-control plane (CU-CP) node, or a core network node.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Phuyal teaches and suggests wherein the first base station includes a source base station (source BS, figure 4), and wherein the second node is a source base station, a destination base station, a base station centralized unit-control plane (CU-CP) node, or a core network node (target BS, figure 4) ([0055]; [0065]; figure 4; teaches the first base station is a source BS and the second node is a target BS).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the first base station is a source BS and the second node is a target BS as taught by Phuyal with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha, as modified by Orsino, for the purpose of facilitating handover operation in order to improve mobility support for UAVs, as suggested by Phuyal.
Regarding claim 24, Saha, as modified by Orsino, discloses requesting and reporting flight path information, but may not explicitly disclose determining to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the flight path information; and transmitting, to the UE, the paging message.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Phuyal teaches and suggests determining to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the flight path information; and transmitting, to the UE, the paging message ([0061]; teaches transmitting paging messages to the UE based on the flight path information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate transmitting paging messages to the UE based on the flight path information as taught by Phuyal with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha, as modified by Orsino, for the purpose of facilitating handover operation in order to improve mobility support for UAVs, as suggested by Phuyal.
Claims 20 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAHA et al. (hereinafter Saha) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0404484 A1) in view of Orsino et al. (hereinafter Orsino) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2024/0212508 A1), and further in view of MARCUS (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2017/0309191 A1).
Regarding claims 20 and 29, Saha, as modified by Orsino, discloses requesting and reporting flight path information and the first message further includes at least one of a flight altitude, or flight speed of the UE ([0038]; [0114]), but may not explicitly disclose transmitting, to a second node, third information on an alternative route if the UE is temporarily prohibited from entering an area, through a radio resource control (RRC) message; and performing UE mobility management based on the third information, wherein the third information is received through the first message or a second message.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Marcus teaches and suggests transmitting, to a second node, third information on an alternative route if the UE is temporarily prohibited from entering an area, through a radio resource control (RRC) message; and performing UE mobility management based on the third information, wherein the third information is received through the first message or a second message ([0006]; “…automatically adjust a flight direction of the flying drone device based on the configurable flight zone database to navigate around the locations that are designated as configurable flight zones; (iv) receive dynamic flight restriction signals during flight; and (v) further automatically adjust a flight direction of the flying drone device based on the dynamic flight restriction signals…”; [0062]; “…the drone can receive parameters for any given area for exclusion on TFR (temporary flight restrictions)…”; teaches restricted areas where the drone is prohibited from entering and adjusting the flight path based on the received information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate restricted areas where the drone is prohibited from entering and adjusting the flight path based on the received information as taught by Marcus with the method and apparatus for requesting and reporting flight path information as disclosed by Saha, as modified by Orsino, for the purpose of dynamically control the flight of the drone, as suggested by Marcus.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
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/Suk Jin Kang/
Examiner, Art Unit 2477
July 11, 2026
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