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.
Claim(s) 16, 19-20, 23-24, 27-28, 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jassal (11856415).
Regarding claim 16, Jassal discloses a method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system (Figure 2) comprising: transmitting to a terminal, a RRC message including first configuration information on a service cell and second configuration information on at least one candidate cell for a layer 1/layer 2 triggered mobility (LTM) – see Col 11;35-55 and Col 20;45-21;15, including configuration information related to beams or base stations. Jassal discloses receiving from the terminal, a measurement report including a result of a L1 measurement for a candidate based on the RRC message (Col; 21;65-22;30, also step 595 figure 5e) and wherein the second configuration information on the at least one candidate cell includes information on a resource configuration for the l1 measurement (Col; 26;10-27; MAC-CE message including information related to the radio resources, i.e. -signal quality, weights).
Regarding claim 20, Jassal discloses a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system (Figure 1, user equipment 97), comprising: receiving from a base station, a RRC message including first configuration information on a service cell and second configuration information on at least one candidate cell for a layer 1/layer 2 triggered mobility (LTM) – see Col 11;35-55 and Col 20;45-21;15, including configuration information related to beams or base stations. Jassal discloses performing layer 1 measurement for a candidate cell based on the second configuration information on the at least one candidate cell (step 590, Figure 5e) and transmitting to the base station, a measurement report including a result of a L1 measurement for a candidate based on the RRC message (Col; 21;65-22;30, also step 595 figure 5e) and wherein the second configuration information on the at least one candidate cell includes information on a resource configuration for the l1 measurement (Col; 26;10-27; MAC-CE message including information related to the radio resources, i.e. -signal quality, weights).
Regarding claim 24, Jassal discloses a base station (170) in a wireless communications system (Figure 2) comprising a transceiver (252/254) and a controller (250) configured to: : transmitting to a terminal, a RRC message including first configuration information on a service cell and second configuration information on at least one candidate cell for a layer 1/layer 2 triggered mobility (LTM) – see Col 11;35-55 and Col 20;45-21;15, including configuration information related to beams or base stations. Jassal discloses receiving from the terminal, a measurement report including a result of a L1 measurement for a candidate based on the RRC message (Col; 21;65-22;30, also step 595 figure 5e) and wherein the second configuration information on the at least one candidate cell includes information on a resource configuration for the l1 measurement (Col; 26;10-27; MAC-CE message including information related to the radio resources, i.e. -signal quality, weights).
Regarding claim 28, Jassal discloses a terminal (Figure 3a 110) in a wireless communications system (Figure 2) comprising a transceiver (202) and a controller (200) configured to: : receiving from a base station, a RRC message including first configuration information on a service cell and second configuration information on at least one candidate cell for a layer 1/layer 2 triggered mobility (LTM) – see Col 11;35-55 and Col 20;45-21;15, including configuration information related to beams or base stations. Jassal discloses performing layer 1 measurement for a candidate cell based on the second configuration information on the at least one candidate cell (step 590, Figure 5e) and transmitting to the base station, a measurement report including a result of a L1 measurement for a candidate based on the RRC message (Col; 21;65-22;30, also step 595 figure 5e) and wherein the second configuration information on the at least one candidate cell includes information on a resource configuration for the l1 measurement (Col; 26;10-27; MAC-CE message including information related to the radio resources, i.e. -signal quality, weights).
Regarding claims 19, 23, 27, and 30, Jassal discloses wherein the measurement report is transmitted/received based on a configured event (based on mobility beam events) for the LTM and wherein the configured event includes a first event associated with a threshold for a beam measurement value of the candidate cell (Col 22;30-50).
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.
Claim(s) 17, 21, 25, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal in view of Lee (2021/0058838).
Regarding claims 17, 21, 25, Jassal further discloses wherein the RRC message includes information on a report configuration (MBM-RS) for the LTM (Col; 20-45-53), wherein information on the report configuration includes information on a report type and quality (MBM-RS denotes particular beams/cells as well a signal quality; Col 22;30-23;3). Jassal also discloses the report type can be as the UE moves throughout the network, which could be periodic or aperiodic and that the measurement report is a L1 measurement report (UE responds to the L1 MAC-CE with a corresponding response message; Col 24;50-25;5). Jassal doesn’t disclose the use of a current special cell (SPCell) in the mobility process.
However, Lee teaches in an analogous art, the use of a SPCell identity in part of a mobility process, such as the one disclosed by Jassal. In particular, note para 145-149 which teaches the use of a SpCell identity for mobility/handover). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include SpCell identity in order to provide proper signaling during the mobility process.
Claim(s) 18, 22, 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal in view of Laselva (2022/0232471).
Regarding claims 18, 22, and 26, Jassal further discloses wherein the RRC message includes information on a report configuration (MBM-RS) for the LTM (Col; 20-45-53), wherein information on the report configuration includes information on a report type and quality (MBM-RS denotes particular beams/cells as well a signal quality; Col 22;30-23;3) and that the second configuration is at least one candidate cell (Col; 22;30-50). Jassal also discloses the report type can be as the UE moves throughout the network, which could be periodic or aperiodic and that the measurement report is a L1 measurement report (UE responds to the L1 MAC-CE with a corresponding response message; Col 24;50-25;5). Jassal doesn’t disclose the use of a SSB (Synchronization block) in the mobility process. However, Laselva teaches in an analogous art, the use of SSB in a mobility process with RRC signaling (abstract, para 52-60). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include a SSB in order to ensure that the user terminal does not lose control signal timing in the mobility process.
Claim(s) 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal in view of Lee and Laselva.
Regarding claim 29, Jassal further discloses wherein the RRC message includes information on a report configuration (MBM-RS) for the LTM (Col; 20-45-53), wherein information on the report configuration includes information on a report type and quality (MBM-RS denotes particular beams/cells as well a signal quality; Col 22;30-23;3). Jassal also discloses the report type can be as the UE moves throughout the network, which could be periodic or aperiodic and that the measurement report is a L1 measurement report (UE responds to the L1 MAC-CE with a corresponding response message; Col 24;50-25;5). Jassal doesn’t disclose the use of a current special cell (SPCell) or a SSB in the mobility process.
However, Lee teaches in an analogous art, the use of a SPCell identity in part of a mobility process, such as the one disclosed by Jassal. In particular, note para 145-149 which teaches the use of a SpCell identity for mobility/handover). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include SpCell identity in order to provide proper signaling during the mobility process.
Further, Laselva teaches in an analogous art, the use of SSB in a mobility process with RRC signaling (abstract, para 52-60). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include a SSB in order to ensure that the user terminal does not lose control signal timing in the mobility process.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu (2019/0045551) discloses the use of beam management with RRC messaging.
Zhang (2023/0403618) discloses LTM mobility with respect to inter-cell beam management.
Damnjanovic (2024/0357447) discloses l1/l2 mobility procedures with respect to measurements and RRC signaling.
Dong (2025/0048206) discloses measurement reports in l1/l2 mobility configurations.
Kung (12733005) discloses UE initiated timing advance in beam management.
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WILLIAM GEORGE TROST IV
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2641
/WILLIAM G TROST IV/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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