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 .
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.
Claims 1-3, 14, 18, 19 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by AI et al (US 2023/0008141, hereinafter AI).
Regarding claim 1, AI discloses a system information transmission method, comprising: configuring, by a network device, a first system information (SI) message, wherein the first SI message comprises a plurality of system information blocks (SIBs) (a SI message may contain multiple SIBs, Para [0117]); and sending, by the network device, a part of the SIBs in the first SI message (transmitting the SI to the terminal, Para [0041], network node transmits the SI, Para [0089]).
Regarding claim 2, AI discloses the method according to claim 1, comprising: sending, by the network device, first indication information, wherein the first indication information is configured to indicate a type of the part of the SIBs in the first SI message (indication can indicate whether the type 1 UE SIB1 is transmitted, Para [0142]).
Regarding claim 3, AI discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the first indication information is carried in downlink control information (DCI) configured to schedule the first SI message (the indication is contained in the DCI, Para [0143]).
Regarding claim 14, AI discloses a system information transmission method, comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, at least one system information block (SIB) sent by a network device (transmitting the SI to the terminal, Para [0041], network node transmits the SI, Para [0089]), wherein the at least one SIB is a part of SIBs in second system information (SI) message, and the second SI message is SI containing a plurality of SIBs configured by the network device (a SI message may contain multiple SIBs, Para [0117]).
Regarding claim 18, AI discloses the method according to claim 14, further comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, second indication information sent by the network device, wherein the second indication information is configured to indicate a type of the part of the SIBs in the second SI message (indication can indicate whether the type 1 UE SIB1 is transmitted, Para [0142]).
Regarding claim 19, AI discloses the method according to claim 18, wherein the second indication information is carried in downlink control information (DCI) configured to schedule the second SI message, or in a reserved field of the DCI (the indication is contained in the DCI, Para [0143]).
Regarding claim 26, AI disclose a communication device (network node, Fig. 2), comprising: an antenna, a memory and a processor (antenna, memory and processor, Para [0105]/Fig. 2), connected to the antenna and the memory respectively, configured to control transmission and reception of the antenna by executing computer executable instructions stored on the memory, and capable of implementing: configuring a first system information (SI) message, wherein the first SI message comprises a plurality of system information blocks (SIBs) (a SI message may contain multiple SIBs, Para [0117]); and sending a part of the SIBs in the first SI message (transmitting the SI to the terminal, Para [0041], network node transmits the SI, Para [0089]).
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.
Claims 4, 8-10, 15-17 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AI and in view of Shih et al (US 2021/0105852, hereinafter Shih, as disclosed in the IDS).
Regarding claim 8, AI discloses the method according to claim 1, but not wherein the part of the SIBs comprises a first SIB, and the first SIB is an SIB requested by a terminal device in a connected state through a radio resource control (RRC) dedicated signaling. Shih discloses UE request a SIB from the cell in an RRC message, Para [0007]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Shih in the system of AI in order to improve methods for acquiring SI in the cellular network.
Regarding claim 4, AI discloses the method according to claim 3, but not explicitly wherein the first indication information is carried in a reserved field of the DCI or in a control element of a media access control layer (MAC CE) (obvious variation to one of ordinary skill in the art to transmit the indicator in a MAC CE).
Regarding claim 9, AI discloses the method according to claim 8, but not wherein the sending the part of the SIBs in the first SI message comprises: determining, by the network device, that common search space for transmitting SI is configured on an active band width part (BWP) where the terminal device operates; broadcasting, by the network device, the part of the SIBs containing the first SIB in response to the RRC dedicated signaling. Shih discloses UE is configured with a CSS and an active BWP, the UE will acquire the SIB, Para [0042], the SI is broadcasted when UE is configured with CSS on the active BWP, Para [0044].
Regarding claim 10, AI discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the sending the part of the SIBs in the first SI message comprises at least one of: broadcasting, by the network device, the part of the SIBs in the first SI message on a broadcast control channel (BCCH); or, broadcasting, by the network device, the part of the SIBs in the first SI message on a dedicated control channel (DCCH). Shih discloses the SIB can be broadcasted, Para [0044], therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill the UE can receive the SIB on a broadcast channel.
Regarding claim 15, AI discloses the method according to claim 14, but not further comprising: sending, by a terminal device, an SI request message to the network device, wherein the SI request message is configured to request the network device to send a second SIB; wherein the terminal device receiving at least one SIB sent by the network device comprises: receiving, by a terminal device, the at least one SIB containing the second SIB, wherein the at least one SIB is sent by the network device in response to the SI request message. Shih discloses the UE transmitting to the cell, a request for a SIB and receiving from the cell the requested SIB, Para [0007].
Regarding claim 16, AI discloses the method according to claim 15, but not wherein the SI request message is carried in a radio resource control (RRC) dedicated signaling. Shih discloses the UE requests the SIB with an RRC message, Para [0007].
Regarding claim 17, AI discloses the method according to claim 14, wherein the receiving at least one SIB sent by the network device comprises: receiving, by a terminal device, the at least one SIB on a broadcast control channel (BCCH); or, receiving, by a terminal device, the at least one SIB on a dedicated control channel (DCCH). Shih discloses the SIB can be broadcasted, Para [0044], therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill the UE can receive the SIB on a broadcast channel.
Regarding claim 21, AI discloses the method according to claim 18, but not explicitly wherein the terminal device is in a connected state, and the second indication information is carried in a control element of a media access control layer (MAC CE) (RRC connected state, Para [0007] of Shih, obvious variation to one of ordinary skill in the art to transmit the indicator in a MAC CE).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AI and in view of Kim et al (US 2019/0191410, hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claim 6, AI discloses the method according to claim 1, but not wherein a broadcast state of the first SI message is configured as non-broadcasting, or the broadcast state of the first SI message is configured as broadcasting, and the first SI message comprises SIBs other than SIB1 to SIB21 and a positioning SIB (SIBpos). Shih discloses the UE can receive the SI via broadcasting or via dedicated signaling, Para [0047]. Kim discloses the SI may include a new SIB and an existing SIB, Para [0064]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Kim in the system of AI in order to more effectively receive a signal from a BS according to the mobility of a UE.
Claims 11, 12, 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AI and in view of Yan et al (US 2019/0090177, hereinafter Yan).
Regarding claim 11, AI discloses the method according to claim 1, but not wherein before sending the part of the SIBs in the first SI message, the method further comprises: receiving, by the network device, first capability information from a terminal device, wherein the first capability information is configured to indicate that the terminal device supports the network device to send the part of the SIBs in the first SI message when sending the first SI message; wherein the sending the part of the SIBs in the first SI message comprises: sending, by the network device, the part of the SIBs in the first SI message to the terminal device in response to the first capability information. Yan discloses UE sends a UE capability indicator to the RNC including support of common SIB reuse, Para [0067], in view of this the UE will receive the SIB in the SI message accordingly. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Yan in the system of AI in order to make the UE aware of system information from other neighboring cells.
Regarding claim 12, AI discloses the method according to claim 11, but not further comprising: configuring, by the network device, first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is configured to indicate that the network device is allowed to send the part of the SIBs in the first SI message when sending the first SI message, wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the network device, the first configuration information to the terminal device. Yan discloses the RNC sends area scope configuration of the SIB to the UE, Para [0067]. AI also discloses the various configurations of the SI scheduling, Para [0185], obvious configurations will be transmitted to the UE.
Regarding claim 22, AI discloses the method according to claim 14, but not further comprising: sending, by a terminal device, the first configuration information to the network device, wherein the first configuration information is configured to indicate that the terminal device supports the network device to send the part of the SIBs in the second SI message when sending the second SI message. Yan discloses UE sends a UE capability indicator to the RNC including support of common SIB reuse, Para [0067].
Regarding claim 23, AI discloses the method according to claim 14, but not further comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, second configuration information from the network device, wherein the second configuration information is configured to indicate that the network device is allowed to send the part of the SIBs in the second SI message when sending the second SI message. Yan discloses the RNC sends area scope configuration of the SIB to the UE, Para [0067]. AI also discloses the various configurations of the SI scheduling, Para [0185], obvious configurations will be transmitted to the UE.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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