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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on January 14, 2025 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file. Copies of NPLs #1-8, 10, and 12 were not included with the IDS, therefore, they have not been considered.
Preliminary Amendment
The present Office Action is based upon the original patent application filed on October 16, 2024 as modified by the preliminary amendment also filed on October 16, 2024. Claims 1-5, 7-10, 16-20, 22-25, and 31 are now pending in the present application.
Drawings
Figures 1-6 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraphs 0080 and 0081, “TED ID” presumably should be “TEG ID”.
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, 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-10, 16-20, 22-25, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TS 38.455 V17.0.0, "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) (Release 17)", hereinafter TS 38.455, in view of Manolakos et al. (US Patent Publication 2024/0168121 A1, hereinafter Manolakos).
Regarding claim 1, TS 38.455 discloses a method performed by a radio node (section 8.2.6.1, page 19, “The Positioning Information Exchange procedure is initiated by the LMF to request to the NG-RAN node positioning information for the UE”), the method comprising:
receiving a IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message [from the LMF] and set to “true”, the NG-RAN node shall, if supported, provide the UE Tx TEG association in the POSITIONING INFORMATION RESPONSE message”); and
in response to a failure to provide the TEG information, sending a message comprising an
indication of failure to report the TEG information, to the network node (section 8.2.6.3, page
20, “If the Requested SRS Transmission Characteristics IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message and the NG-RAN node is unable to configure any SRS transmissions for the UE, it shall respond with a POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message”). However, it does not disclose the request from the network node for TEG information being periodic.
In the same field of endeavor, Manolakos discloses the request from a network node for TEG information being periodic (p. 0174, “Note that a value of 129 for the number of periodic TEG reports corresponds to an “infinite” number of reports. That is, the LMF 270 requests that the serving gNB 222 configure the target UE 204 to report until the occurrence of some reconfiguration”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to make the reporting of TEG information of TS 38.455 periodic as in Manolakos in order to give the network node consistent information from UEs from which to derive signal timing errors those UEs may be affected by.
Regarding claim 2, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the message further comprises an indication of a reason for the failure to report the TEG information (TS 38.455, section 9.1.1.12, pages 37-38 show the POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message includes a Cause information element, which are further described in section 9.2.1).
Regarding claim 3, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the TEG information is a User Equipment (UE) TEG information (TS 38.455, section
8.2.6.2, page 20, “If the UE TEG ID Information Request IE…”).
Regarding claim 4, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the TEG information is associated with one or more reference signals (TS 38.455, section 9.2.78, page 97, shows the UE Tx TEG association contains a UE Tx TEG ID information element, alongside an SRS Resource Set ID and SRS Resource ID List).
Regarding claim 5, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the association between the one or more reference signals and the TEG information comprises an association between an uplink reference signal and a receive (Rx) TEG (TS 38.455, section 8.5.1.2, page 29, “If the Number of TRP Rx TEGs IE is included in the MEASUREMENT REQUEST message, the NG-RAN node shall, if supported, use it to measure the same SRS resource with different TRP Rx TEGs for the indicated TRP, and report the corresponding UL-RTOA and/or gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurements”).
Regarding claim 7, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the request is received via NRPPa or F1AP signalling from the network node (TS 38.455, section 7, page 14, Table 7-1 shows Positioning Information Exchange is an NRPPa Elementary Procedure).
Regarding claim 8, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1,
wherein the message is sent via NRPPa or F1AP signalling to the network node (TS 38.455, section 7, page 14, Table 7-1 shows Positioning Information Exchange is an NRPPa Elementary
Procedure).
Regarding claim 9, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the request is a Positioning Information Request (TS 38.455, section 8.2.6.2, page 19, “The LMF initiates the [Positioning Information Exchange] procedure by sending a POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message to the NG-RAN node”).
Regarding claim 10, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the message is a Positioning Information Failure (TS 38.455, section 8.2.6.3, page 20, “If the Requested SRS Transmission Characteristics IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message and the NG-RAN node is unable to configure any SRS transmissions for the UE, it shall respond with a POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message”).
Regarding claim 16, TS 38.455 discloses a method performed by a network node (section 8.2.6.1, page 19, “The Positioning Information Exchange procedure is initiated by the LMF to request to the NG-RAN node positioning information for the UE”), the method comprising:
sending a IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message [from the LMF] and set to “true”, the NG-RAN node shall, if supported, provide the UE Tx TEG association in the POSITIONING
INFORMATION RESPONSE message”); and
receiving, from the radio node, a message comprising an indication of a failure to provide
the TEG information (section 8.2.6.3, page 20, “If the Requested SRS Transmission Characteristics IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message and the NG-RAN node is unable to configure any SRS transmissions for the UE, it shall respond with a POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message”). However, it does not disclose the request from the network node for TEG information being periodic.
In the same field of endeavor, Manolakos discloses the request from a network node for TEG information being periodic (p. 0174, “Note that a value of 129 for the number of periodic TEG reports corresponds to an “infinite” number of reports. That is, the LMF 270 requests that the serving gNB 222 configure the target UE 204 to report until the occurrence of some reconfiguration”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to make the reporting of TEG information of TS 38.455 periodic as in Manolakos in order to give the network node consistent information from UEs from which to derive signal timing errors those UEs may be affected by.
Regarding claim 17, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the message further comprises an indication of a reason for the failure to report the TEG information (TS 38.455, section 9.1.1.12, pages 37-38 show the POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message includes a Cause information element, which are further described in section 9.2.1).
Regarding claim 18, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the TEG information is a User Equipment (UE) TEG information (TS 38.455, section
8.2.6.2, page 20, “If the UE TEG ID Information Request IE…”).
Regarding claim 19, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the TEG information is associated with one or more reference signals (TS 38.455, section 9.2.78, page 97, shows the UE Tx TEG association contains a UE Tx TEG ID information element, alongside an SRS Resource Set ID and SRS Resource ID List).
Regarding claim 20, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 19, wherein the association between the one or more reference signals and the TEG information comprises an association between an uplink reference signal and a receive (Rx) TEG (TS 38.455, section 8.5.1.2, page 29, “If the Number of TRP Rx TEGs IE is included in the MEASUREMENT REQUEST message, the NG-RAN node shall, if supported, use it to measure the same SRS resource with different TRP Rx TEGs for the indicated TRP, and report the corresponding UL-RTOA and/or gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurements”).
Regarding claim 22, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the request is received via NRPPa or F1AP signalling from the network node (TS 38.455, section 7, page 14, Table 7-1 shows Positioning Information Exchange is an NRPPa Elementary Procedure).
Regarding claim 23, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the message is sent via NRPPa or F1AP signalling to the network node (TS 38.455, section 7, page 14, Table 7-1 shows Positioning Information Exchange is an NRPPa Elementary
Procedure).
Regarding claim 24, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the request is a Positioning Information Request (TS 38.455, section 8.2.6.2, page 19, “The LMF initiates the [Positioning Information Exchange] procedure by sending a POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message to the NG-RAN node”).
Regarding claim 25, TS 38.455 in view of Manolakos discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the message is a Positioning Information Failure (TS 38.455, section 8.2.6.3, page 20, “If the Requested SRS Transmission Characteristics IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message and the NG-RAN node is unable to configure any SRS transmissions for the UE, it shall respond with a POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message”).
Regarding claim 31, TS 38.455 discloses a radio node (section 8.2.6.1, page 19, “The Positioning Information Exchange procedure is initiated by the LMF to request to the NG-RAN node positioning information for the UE”) comprising:
a communication interface (section 1, page 10, “The present document specifies the control plane radio network layer signalling procedures between a NG-RAN node and the LMF”;
and
processing circuitry associated with the communication interface (a system implementing control plane radio network layer signalling procedures inherently must be using processing circuitry), the processing circuitry configured to cause the radio node to:
receive a IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message [from the LMF] and set to “true”, the NG-RAN node shall, if supported, provide the UE Tx TEG association in the POSITIONING INFORMATION RESPONSE message”); and
in response to a failure to provide the TEG information, send a message comprising an indication of failure to report the TEG information, to the network node (section 8.2.6.3, page 20, “If the Requested SRS Transmission Characteristics IE is included in the POSITIONING INFORMATION REQUEST message and the NG-RAN node is unable to configure any SRS transmissions for the UE, it shall respond with a POSITIONING INFORMATION FAILURE message”). However, it does not disclose the request from the network node for TEG information being periodic.
In the same field of endeavor, Manolakos discloses the request from a network node for TEG information being periodic (p. 0174, “Note that a value of 129 for the number of periodic TEG reports corresponds to an “infinite” number of reports. That is, the LMF 270 requests that the serving gNB 222 configure the target UE 204 to report until the occurrence of some reconfiguration”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to make the reporting of TEG information of TS 38.455 periodic as in Manolakos in order to give the network node consistent information from UEs from which to derive signal timing errors those UEs may be affected by.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN WINN whose telephone number is (571)270-5541. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9am to 5pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached at (571) 272-7915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN HUYNH WINN/Examiner, Art Unit 2642
/Rafael Pérez-Gutiérrez/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2642
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