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 .
Acknowledgment
The Preliminary Amendment filed on 11/18/2024 has been received and placed of record. Accordingly, claims 19 and 22-25 have been cancelled and claims 1-18, 20 and 21 are pending in the instant application.
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 1-18, 20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liou et al (CA 3 173 939; art cited by applicant).
Regarding independent claim 1, Liu teaches an information processing method, comprising: reporting, by a user equipment, first information to a location management function (LMF), wherein the first information is used to indicate a positioning integrity monitoring capability of the user equipment ([00212]-[00214]: “S801a: The terminal device sends a positioning request to the access and mobility management device. Correspondingly, the access and mobility management device receives the positioning request from the terminal device. The positioning request requests … Optionally, indication information related to the positioning integrity may be indicated in the positioning request.”); and receiving, by the user equipment, second information transmitted by the LMF, wherein the second information is transmitted by the LMF in response to the first information and is used to indicate configuration information for positioning integrity monitoring ([00236]: "For example, the positioning assistance data may be location information of a network device (for example, the ng-eNB or the gNB in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B) participating in positioning in the NG-RAN device, for example, a physical cell ID (physical cell IDs, PCIs), a global cell ID (global cell IDs, GCIs), a TP ID, PRS configuration information, or other assistance information related to the positioning integrity control” and [00410]: "The transceiver unit 1010 is further configured to send a third message to the terminal device, where the third message includes positioning assistance data related to location information of the terminal device, and the positioning assistance data is received by the location management device from a next-generation radio access network device").
Regarding independent claims 9 and 17, the claims recite similar subject matter as in claim 1. Therefore, similar rationale is applied as for claim 1.
Regarding dependent claims 2, 11 and 18, Liu further teaches wherein the positioning integrity monitoring capability comprises one or more of: a capability to monitor a downlink signal error; a capability to monitor a performance of a downlink signal error; a capability to monitor an error caused by a signal transmitted within the user equipment; a capability to monitor a performance of an error caused by a signal transmitted within the user equipment; a capability concerning a supported manner for reporting integrity related information; or, capability information indicating whether UE-based and/or UE-assisted integrity monitoring mechanism is supported. See [0035]-[0040].
Regarding dependent claims 3 and 12, Liu further teaches wherein the capability to monitor the downlink signal error comprises one or more of: whether a capability to monitor a reception (Rx) timing error is possessed; whether a capability to monitor an Rx timing error group is possessed; the maximum quantity of Rx timing error groups supported to be monitored; a supported error resolution; or, whether a capability to monitor a non-line of sight (NLOS) path is supported. See [0035]-[0040].
Regarding dependent claims 4 and 13, Liu further teaches wherein the capability to monitor the performance of the downlink signal error comprises one or more of: monitoring an uncertainty range of the downlink signal error; or, an effective time interval for monitoring the downlink signal error. See [0035]-[0040].
Regarding dependent claims 5 and 14, Liu further teaches wherein the capability to monitor the error caused by the signal transmitted within the user equipment comprises one or more of: whether a capability to monitor a transmission (Tx) timing error is possessed; whether a capability to monitor a Tx timing error group is possessed; the maximum quantity of Tx timing error groups supported to be monitored; a supported error resolution; or, whether a capability to monitor an error in transmitting a sounding reference signal (SRS) is possessed. See [0035]-[0040].
Regarding dependent claims 6 and 15, Liu further teaches wherein the capability to monitor the performance of the error caused by the signal transmitted within the user equipment comprises one or more of: monitoring an uncertainty range of the error caused by the signal transmitted within the user equipment; or, an effective time interval for monitoring the error caused by the signal transmitted within the user equipment. See [0035]-[0040].
Regarding dependent claims 7 and 16, Liu further teaches wherein the capability concerning the supported manner for reporting the integrity related information comprises one or more of: whether periodic reporting is supported; whether event-triggered reporting is supported; or, whether on-demand reporting is supported. See [00219] and [00303].
Regarding dependent claim 8, Liu further teaches performing, by the user equipment, the positioning integrity monitoring based on the second information. See [0035]-[0040].
Regarding dependent claim 10, Liu further teaches wherein before the receiving, by the LMF, the first information reported by the user equipment, the method further comprises: transmitting, by the LMF, a first request to the user equipment; wherein the receiving, by the LMF, the first information reported by the user equipment comprises: receiving, by the LMF, the first information reported by the user equipment in response to the first request. See [00212]-[00214], [00236] and [00410].
Regarding dependent claim 20, Liu further teaches a memory, a transceiver, and a processor; wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive data under control of the processor, and the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory to perform the information processing method according to claim 9. See rationale as applied to claimed 9 above and [00492] processor and memory.
Regarding dependent claim 21, Liu further teaches wherein the positioning integrity monitoring capability comprises one or more of: a capability to monitor a downlink signal error; a capability to monitor a performance of a downlink signal error; a capability to monitor an error caused by a signal transmitted within the user equipment; a capability to monitor a performance of an error caused by a signal transmitted within the user equipment; a capability concerning a supported manner for reporting integrity related information; or, capability information indicating whether UE-based and/or UE-assisted integrity monitoring mechanism is supported. See [0035]-[0040].
Conclusion
Examiner's note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References Li et al (US 12,666,384), Liu et al (US 2023/0152469), Wang (US 2023/0188995), Ghimire et al (US 2023/0258815), Mohammad Soleymani et al (US 2024/0064849), Rao et al (US 2025/008883) and Hu et al (US 2025/0324385) are cited because they are pertinent to the method and apparatus for positioning a user equipment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DON NGUYEN VO whose telephone number is (571) 272-3018. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 6:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth N Vanderpuye, can be reached on 571-272-3078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DON N VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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