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
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 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, 2, 11, 16, 17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Pub. 2022/0224488 to Hao et al. (hereinafter Hao).
In regard claim 1, Hao teaches or discloses a method performed by a location management function (LMF) entity in a communication system, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a serving base station, a first request message for an area-specific reference signal configuration (see paragraph [0094], and [0097], the location center may be a location management function 102. The location management function 102 is configured to: request a reference signal configuration of a terminal 103 from a network device 101, send the obtained reference signal configuration to each measurement network element 104; and request each measurement network element 104 to measure uplink positioning measurement information. The measurement network element 104 is configured to measure the uplink positioning measurement information. A location management function sends request information to a serving base station of a terminal, and the serving base station of the terminal receives the request information from the location management function),
receiving, from the serving base station, a first response message including reference signal configuration information (see paragraphs [0094], and [0099], the network device 101 is configured to send the reference signal configuration of the terminal 103 to the location management function 102. The serving base station of the terminal sends a request response to the location management function, and the location management function receives the request response from the serving base station),
wherein the reference signal configuration information includes at least one reference signal configuration and validity area related information corresponding to the reference signal configuration (see paragraphs [0093], [0098], [0102], [0127], and [0132], configuration information of the reference signal, RS, and sends the configuration information of the RS to the measurement network element. The measurement network element measures the RS of the terminal based on the configuration information of the RS, and determines positioning-related measurement information based on the measured RS. The positioning measurement information includes the RS configuration of the terminal).
In regard claim 2, Hao teaches or discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first request message includes at least one of:
an area specific reference signal configuration request (see paragraphs [0009], [0010], [0019], [0020], [0021], and [0034]),
a reference signal pre-configuration request,
second validity area related information, and
a user equipment first identification.
In regard claim 10, Hao teaches or discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the reference signal configuration information further includes user equipment identification related information, which includes at least one of:
an inactive radio network temporary identification (I-RNTI),
a connected radio network temporary identification (C-RNTI) (see paragraph [0127], a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI)), and
a user equipment first identification.
In regard claim 11, Hao teaches or discloses a method performed by a serving base station in a communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a location management function (LMF) entity, a first request message for an area-specific reference signal configuration (see paragraphs [0009], [0019], [0023], and [0034], the network device receives a first request message from the location management function before sending the first configuration, where the first request message is used to request a configuration for sending a reference signal by the to-be-positioned terminal),
transmitting, to the LMF entity, a first response message including reference signal configuration information (see paragraph [0046], the location management function receives a first response message for the first request message from the network device, where the first response message includes a second configuration for sending a periodic reference signal by the to-be-positioned terminal),
wherein the reference signal configuration information includes at least one reference signal configuration and validity area related information corresponding to the reference signal configuration (see paragraphs [0093], [0098], [0102], [0127], and [0132], configuration information of the reference signal, RS, and sends the configuration information of the RS to the measurement network element. The measurement network element measures the RS of the terminal based on the configuration information of the RS, and determines positioning-related measurement information based on the measured RS. The positioning measurement information includes the RS configuration of the terminal).
In regard claim 16, Hao teaches or discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising:
transmitting, to the user equipment (UE), second information including the reference signal configuration information of the UE (see paragraphs [0127], and [0131])
In regard claim 17, Hao teaches or discloses a location management function (LMF) entity in a communication system, the LMF entity (see Figs. 10 and 11) comprising:
a transceiver (see Figs. 10 and 11); and
at least one processor coupled to the transceiver (see Figs. 10 and 11) and configured to:
transmit, to a serving base station, a first request message for an area-specific reference signal configuration (see paragraph [0094], and [0097], the location center may be a location management function 102. The location management function 102 is configured to: request a reference signal configuration of a terminal 103 from a network device 101, send the obtained reference signal configuration to each measurement network element 104; and request each measurement network element 104 to measure uplink positioning measurement information. The measurement network element 104 is configured to measure the uplink positioning measurement information. A location management function sends request information to a serving base station of a terminal, and the serving base station of the terminal receives the request information from the location management function), and
receive, from the serving base station, a first response message including reference signal configuration information (see paragraphs [0094], and [0099], the network device 101 is configured to send the reference signal configuration of the terminal 103 to the location management function 102. The serving base station of the terminal sends a request response to the location management function, and the location management function receives the request response from the serving base station),
wherein the reference signal configuration information includes at least one reference signal configuration and validity area related information corresponding to the reference signal configuration (see paragraphs [0093], [0098], [0102], [0127], and [0132], configuration information of the reference signal, RS, and sends the configuration information of the RS to the measurement network element. The measurement network element measures the RS of the terminal based on the configuration information of the RS, and determines positioning-related measurement information based on the measured RS. The positioning measurement information includes the RS configuration of the terminal).
In regard claim 19, Hao teaches or discloses a serving base station in a communication system, the serving base station (see Figs. 3, 10, and 11) comprising:
a transceiver (see Figs. 3 and 11); and
at least one processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to (see Figs. 3 and 11):
receive, from a location management function (LMF) entity, a first request message for an area-specific reference signal configuration (see paragraphs [0009], and [0120], the network device receives a first request message from the location management function before sending the first configuration, where the first request message is used to request a configuration for sending a reference signal by the to-be-positioned terminal);
transmit, to the LMF entity, a first response message including reference signal configuration information (see paragraph [0013], the network device sends a first response message for the first request message to the location management function, where the first response message includes a second configuration for sending the periodic reference signal by the to-be-positioned terminal),
wherein the reference signal configuration information includes at least one reference signal configuration and validity area related information corresponding to the reference signal configuration (see paragraphs [0093], [0098], [0102], [0127], and [0132], configuration information of the reference signal, RS, and sends the configuration information of the RS to the measurement network element. The measurement network element measures the RS of the terminal based on the configuration information of the RS, and determines positioning-related measurement information based on the measured RS. The positioning measurement information includes the RS configuration of the terminal).
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.
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.
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 non-obviousness.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hao in view of US Pub. 2023/0261727 to Chen et al. (hereinafter Chen).
In regard claims 8 and 9, Hao may not explicitly teach or disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the validity area related information includes at least one of: a validity area identification, a validity area identification list, a cell related identification, a cell related identification list including a physical cell identification list and a cell global identification list, a recommended or suggested cell related identification, a recommended or suggested cell related identification list, and a number of reference signal configuration or reference signal pre-configuration.
However, Chen teaches or disclose wherein the validity area related information includes at least one of: a validity area identification, a validity area identification list, a cell related identification (see paragraph [0075], the information mainly includes an identifier of the base station, an identifier), a cell related identification list including a physical cell identification list and a cell global identification list, a recommended or suggested cell related identification, a recommended or suggested cell related identification list, and a number of reference signal configuration or reference signal pre-configuration.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the apparatus for RS configuration determination of Hao by including wherein the validity area related information includes at least one of: a validity area identification, a validity area identification list, a cell related identification, a cell related identification list including a physical cell identification list and a cell global identification list, a recommended or suggested cell related identification, a recommended or suggested cell related identification list, and a number of reference signal configuration or reference signal pre-configuration suggested by Chen. This modification would provide to resolve a problem of excessively high resource overheads read in paragraph [0007].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 12-15, 18, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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 PHIRIN SAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3082. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 10:30am - 5pm.
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Date: 09/05/2026
/PHIRIN SAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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