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 1-12 and 14 are currently pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 4, 5, and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4 at line 2 recites “a serving cell measurement” which appears to refer to “first measurement of the serving cell” for the first condition. Please replace “a serving cell measurement” with ---the first measurement of the serving cell ---.
Claim 4 at line 3 recites “the serving cell configuration” which appears to refer to “serving cell measurement configuration”; please replace “the serving cell configuration” with --- the serving cell measurement configuration ---.
Claim 5 at line 2 recites “the second serving cell measurement” which appears to refer to “second measurement of the serving cell”; please replace “the second serving cell measurement” with --- the second measurement of the serving cell ---.
Claim 8 at line 4 recites “serving cell measurements” which appears to refer to “first measurement of the serving cell” and “second measurement of the serving cell”; please use the first and second measurements of the serving cell if that is true.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 at line 4 recites “the serving cell measurement greater than a third threshold”; however, it is unclear and indefinite whether the serving cell measurement referred therein is the first measurement or the second measurement of the serving cell. Claim 9 is rejected based on the virtue of its dependency on the rejected base claim 8.
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 (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 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, 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 12, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng (US 20200374723 A1) in view of Alriksson et al. (US 20160381609 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zheng suggests a method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting, in connected mode, a serving cell measurement report when a first condition involving a first measurement of the serving cell is met (paragraph [0003]; terminal device in a connected mode may report an A2 event to a network device when signal quality of a serving cell is lower than a preset threshold); receiving a neighbor cell measurement configuration (paragraph [0003]; the network device may send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, to instruct the terminal device to measure an inter-frequency (neighboring) cell); and deciding whether to transmit a neighbor cell measurement report, based on at least one second condition involving a second measurement of the serving cell (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device, so that the network device triggers the terminal device to stop measuring the at least one inter-frequency (neighboring) cell (stop measuring is considered not reporting the measurement as there is no measurement)). However, Zheng may not suggest receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration. Alriksson et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration (paragraph [0031]; wireless device is configured by the base station with an A2 event that is triggered when the serving cell's Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) goes below a threshold. Based on this event, the base station may either instruct the wireless communications device to initiate inter-frequency and/or inter-RAT measurements). 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 in Zheng’s suggestion with the step of receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration as suggested by Alriksson et al. The motivation would have been to avoid unnecessary mobility measures (paragraph [0031]).
Regarding claim 2, Alriksson et al. further suggest wherein the neighbor cell measurement configuration configures the UE for inter-RAT measurement (paragraphs [0073-0074]).
Regarding claim 3, Zheng further suggests wherein the neighbor cell measurement configuration configures the UE for inter-frequency measurement (paragraph [0003]; the network device may send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, to instruct the terminal device to measure an inter-frequency (neighboring) cell). Alriksson also suggests wherein the neighbor cell measurement configuration configures the UE for inter-frequency measurement (paragraphs [0073-0074]).
Regarding claim 4, Zheng further suggests wherein: the first condition is considered met when a serving cell measurement is less than a first threshold indicated via the serving cell configuration (paragraph [0102]; terminal device in a connected mode may report an A2 event to the network device when the signal quality of the serving cell is lower than the preset threshold). Alriksson et al. also suggest threshold for event such as A2 is configured by the network node for the wireless device (paragraph [0070]).
Regarding claim 5, Zheng further suggests wherein: the second condition is considered met when the second serving cell measurement exceeds a second threshold (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device).
Regarding claim 6, Zheng further suggests wherein the deciding comprises deciding to refrain from transmitting the neighbor cell measurement report when the second condition is met (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device, so that the network device triggers the terminal device to stop measuring the at least one inter-frequency (neighboring) cell (stop measuring is considered not reporting the measurement of the neighboring/inter-frequency cell as there is no measurement)).
Regarding claim 7, Zheng further suggests deciding not to perform neighbor cell measurement when the second condition is met (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device, so that the network device triggers the terminal device to stop measuring the at least one inter-frequency (neighboring) cell (stop measuring is considered not reporting the measurement of the neighboring/inter-frequency cell as there is no measurement)).
Regarding claim 12, Zheng suggests an apparatus, comprising: a memory comprising executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions and cause the apparatus to: transmit a serving cell measurement report when a first condition involving a first measurement of the serving cell is met (paragraph [0003]; terminal device in a connected mode may report an A2 event to a network device when signal quality of a serving cell is lower than a preset threshold); receive a neighbor cell measurement configuration (paragraph [0003]; the network device may send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, to instruct the terminal device to measure an inter-frequency (neighboring) cell); and decide whether to transmit a neighbor cell measurement report, based on at least one second condition involving a second measurement of the serving cell (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device, so that the network device triggers the terminal device to stop measuring the at least one inter-frequency (neighboring) cell (stop measuring is considered not reporting the measurement as there is no measurement)). However, Zheng may not suggest receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration. Alriksson et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration (paragraph [0031]; wireless device is configured by the base station with an A2 event that is triggered when the serving cell's Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) goes below a threshold. Based on this event, the base station may either instruct the wireless communications device to initiate inter-frequency and/or inter-RAT measurements). 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 in Zheng’s suggestion with the step of receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration as suggested by Alriksson et al. The motivation would have been to avoid unnecessary mobility measures (paragraph [0031]).
Regarding claim 14, Zheng suggests a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to: transmit a serving cell measurement report when a first condition involving a first measurement of the serving cell is met (paragraph [0003]; terminal device in a connected mode may report an A2 event to a network device when signal quality of a serving cell is lower than a preset threshold); receive a neighbor cell measurement configuration (paragraph [0003]; the network device may send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, to instruct the terminal device to measure an inter-frequency (neighboring) cell); and decide whether to transmit a neighbor cell measurement report, based on at least one second condition involving a second measurement of the serving cell (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device, so that the network device triggers the terminal device to stop measuring the at least one inter-frequency (neighboring) cell (stop measuring is considered not reporting the measurement as there is no measurement)). However, Zheng may not suggest receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration. Alriksson et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration (paragraph [0031]; wireless device is configured by the base station with an A2 event that is triggered when the serving cell's Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) goes below a threshold. Based on this event, the base station may either instruct the wireless communications device to initiate inter-frequency and/or inter-RAT measurements). 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 in Zheng’s suggestion with the step of receiving, while connected to a serving cell of a first radio access technology (RAT), a serving cell measurement configuration as suggested by Alriksson et al. The motivation would have been to avoid unnecessary mobility measures (paragraph [0031]).
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng (US 20200374723 A1) in view of Alriksson et al. (US 20160381609 A1), and further in view of Yang et al. (US 12368521 B2).
Regarding claim 10, Zheng and Alriksson disclose all the subject matter of the claimed invention as recited in claim 4 without explicitly suggest wherein: the second condition is considered met when the second serving cell measurement exceeds a neighbor cell measurement by a second threshold. However, Yang et al. from the same or similar field of endeavor suggest wherein: the second condition is considered met when the second serving cell measurement exceeds a neighbor cell measurement by a second threshold (claim 1; a first reference signal received power (RSRP) value measured for the serving cell and a second RSRP value measured for a neighboring cell of the base station; identifying whether a difference between the first RSRP value and the second RSRP value is less than or equal to a first threshold for triggering monitoring of a plurality of second antenna modules; in case that the difference between the first RSRP value and the second RSRP value is greater than the first threshold: identifying whether a decrease of the first RSRP value is greater than a second threshold). 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 in Zheng and Alriksson et al.’s suggestion where the second condition is considered met when the second serving cell measurement exceeds a neighbor cell measurement by a second threshold as suggested by Yang et al. The motivation would have been to utilize RSRP value on a reference signal from the serving cell and also from the neighboring cell to determine whether pre-defined condition being satisfied to perform handover efficiently.
Regarding claim 11, Zheng further suggests wherein the deciding comprises deciding to refrain from transmitting the neighbor cell measurement report when the second condition is met (paragraph [0130]; when a report condition of the A1 event (signal quality of the serving cell is higher than a preset threshold, paragraph [0092]) is met, the terminal device may report the event to the network device, so that the network device triggers the terminal device to stop measuring the at least one inter-frequency (neighboring) cell (stop measuring is considered not reporting the measurement of the neighboring/inter-frequency cell as there is no measurement)).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOANG-CHUONG Q VU whose telephone number is (571)270-3945. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:30-5:30 PM EST.).
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HOANG-CHUONG Q. VU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2476
/HOANG-CHUONG Q VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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