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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 10-11, 14-15 and 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yun et al (US 2020/0178135) (hereinafter Yun).
Regarding claim 1, Yun discloses a user equipment (UE) (see Yun Fig. 7, e.g., terminal, and Fig. 12), comprising: one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to:
detect one or more events during a communication with a terrestrial network (TN) (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0105], e.g., a handover method from a terrestrial network to a non-terrestrial network, and p, [0107], e.g., (S710) the terrestrial network base station and the terminal may share a handover candidate cell list including at least one non-terrestrial network base station as a handover candidate);
perform a positioning operation to determine a positioning fix based on the one or more events (see Yun, 0107-0115], e.g., (S720) the terminal may perform measurements on the neighbor cells using the handover candidate cell list, and (S721) the terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements, and p. [0110-0113], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information); and
establish a communication with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) based on the one or more events and the positioning fix (Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0117], e.g., (S740) the terminal knows its location, the terminal may infer an elevation angle with the satellite and a distance from the satellite by using the orbit information of the satellite).
Regarding claim 2, Yun discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors configured to detect the one or more events comprise the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: receive, via the one or more transceivers, a communication message from a serving cell of the TN, wherein the communication message is a message other than a command to switch the communication from the TN to the NTN (see Yun Fig. 7, p. [0115], e.g., The terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements (S721)).
Regarding claim 3, Yun discloses the UE of claim 2, wherein the communication message comprises: a request for the UE to report a propagation delay difference between the TN and a neighbor cell of the NTN; a message carrying an ephemeris of the neighbor cell (see Yun, p. [0111-0112], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information, and p. [0115-0116], e.g., The system information may include satellite identification information of a satellite associated with a cell currently being serviced); a measurement configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell for a radio measurement; a conditional handover configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell as a candidate target cell; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 4, Yun discloses the UE of claim 3, wherein the measurement configuration message includes a measurement timing configuration for the radio measurement on the neighbor cell (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0116-0117], e.g., The terminal may adjust a signal delay time (e.g., timing advance) and a beam for the non-terrestrial network base station of the satellite by using the inferred elevation angle and distance (S740)).
Regarding claim 5, Yun discloses the UE of claim 3, wherein the message carrying the ephemeris of the neighbor cell includes: a system information block (SIB) message (see Yun, P. [0115], e.g., The terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements, and p. [0112-0113]); a dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 6, Yun discloses the UE of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to: determine, based on the communication message, a probability of a connection switch to the neighbor cell before performing the positioning operation (Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0117], e.g., (S740) the terminal knows its location, the terminal may infer an elevation angle with the satellite and a distance from the satellite by using the orbit information of the satellite).
Regarding claim 10, Yun discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein detecting the one or more events is associated with one or more radio measurement results (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0116], e.g., the terminal may acquire orbit information of the satellite from the satellite information mapping table by using the satellite identification information received through system information, and the location of the satellite currently providing services using the time of the terminal and the acquired orbit information of the satellite (S730)).
Regarding claim 11, Yun discloses the UE of claim 10, wherein the one or more radio measurement results comprise: a first radio measurement of a serving cell of the TN; a second radio measurement of a neighbor cell of the TN; a third radio measurement of a neighbor cell of the NTN (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0116-0117], e.g., (S730) derive a satellite position); or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 14, Yun discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the positioning fix is based on: one or more global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals; one or more positioning signals received from one or more base stations of the TN (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0111-0116], e.g., The system information may include satellite identification information of a satellite associated with a cell currently being serviced); one or more sidelink positioning signals received from one or more additional UEs; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 15, Yun discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors configured to detect the one or more events comprise the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: receive, via the one or more transceivers, from a serving cell of the TN, a configuration associated with one or more events to trigger the UE to perform the positioning operation to determine the positioning fix based on the one or more events (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0111-0117], e.g., The terminal may previously receive a satellite information mapping table including the satellite information mapped to the satellite identification information through higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) from a terrestrial network belonging to the same PLMN or a roamable PLMN (S711)).
Regarding claim 23, Yun discloses a method of wireless communication performed at a user equipment (UE) (see Yun Fig. 7, e.g., terminal, and Fig. 12), comprising:
detecting one or more events during a communication with a terrestrial network (TN) (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0105], e.g., a handover method from a terrestrial network to a non-terrestrial network, and p, [0107], e.g., (S710) the terrestrial network base station and the terminal may share a handover candidate cell list including at least one non-terrestrial network base station as a handover candidate);
performing a positioning operation to determine a positioning fix based on the one or more events (see Yun, 0107-0115], e.g., (S720) the terminal may perform measurements on the neighbor cells using the handover candidate cell list, and (S721) the terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements, and p. [0110-0113], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information); and
establishing a communication with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) based on the one or more events and the positioning fix (Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0117], e.g., (S740) the terminal knows its location, the terminal may infer an elevation angle with the satellite and a distance from the satellite by using the orbit information of the satellite).
Regarding claim 24, Yun discloses the method of claim 23, wherein detecting the one or more events comprises: receiving a communication message from a serving cell of the TN (see Yun Fig. 7, p. [0115], e.g., The terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements (S721)),
wherein the communication message is a message other than a command to switch the communication from the TN to the NTN.
Regarding claim 25, Yun discloses the method of claim 24, wherein the communication message comprises: a request for the UE to report a propagation delay difference between the TN and a neighbor cell of the NTN; a message carrying an ephemeris of the neighbor cell (see Yun, p. [0111-0112], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information, and p. [0115-0116], e.g., The system information may include satellite identification information of a satellite associated with a cell currently being serviced); a measurement configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell for a radio measurement; a conditional handover configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell as a candidate target cell; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 26, Yun discloses the method of claim 25, wherein the measurement configuration message includes a measurement timing configuration for the radio measurement on the neighbor cell (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0116-0117], e.g., The terminal may adjust a signal delay time (e.g., timing advance) and a beam for the non-terrestrial network base station of the satellite by using the inferred elevation angle and distance (S740)).
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 7, 9, 12-13, 16-22 and 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun in view of Tronc et al (US 2007/0123252) (hereinafter Tronc).
Regarding claim 7, Yun does not expressly disclose the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors configured to detect the one or more events comprise the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: perform a first radio measurement of a serving cell of the TN; determine whether the first radio measurement is below a first threshold; and perform a second radio measurement of a first neighbor cell of the TN based on a determination that the first radio measurement is below the first threshold.
Tronc discloses the above recited limitations (see Tronc, Fig. 2, p. [0055], e.g., A degradation of coverage is detected (block 210). For example, passage of the radioterminal into a coverage hole of the terrestrial network may be detected using signal strength, bit error and/or other measurements. If the degradation persists beyond the first threshold, the session is handed over to the satellite network (blocks 215, 225)).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Tronc’s teachings into Yun. The suggestion/motivation would have been to detect a potential degradation of coverage for the radioterminal while registered with a first one of the satellite wireless communications network and the terrestrial wireless communications network as suggested by Tronc.
Regarding claim 9, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the UE of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors configured to detect the one or more events comprise the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: receive, via the one or more transceivers, a communication message from the serving cell, wherein the communication message is a message other than a command to switch the communication from the TN to the NTN (see Yun Fig. 7, p. [0115], e.g., The terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements (S721)).
Regarding claim 12, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the UE of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors configured to detect the one or more events comprise the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: determine that the first radio measurement is below a first threshold; determine that the second radio measurement is below a second threshold; determine that the third radio measurement is above a third threshold; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 13, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors configured to detect the one or more events comprise the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: receive, via the one or more transceivers, an indication of whether a serving cell of the TN is located on a boundary of a coverage area of the TN (see Tronc, Fig. 2, p. [0055], e.g., A degradation of coverage is detected (block 210). For example, passage of the radioterminal into a coverage hole of the terrestrial network may be detected using signal strength, bit error and/or other measurements).
Regarding claim 16, Yun discloses a serving cell of a terrestrial network (TN) (see Yun Fig. 7, e.g., terrestrial base station, and Fig. 12), comprising: one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to:
transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a user equipment (UE), a configuration associated with one or more events to trigger the UE to perform a positioning operation to determine a positioning fix based on the one or more events (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0105], e.g., a handover method from a terrestrial network to a non-terrestrial network, and p, [0107], e.g., (S710) the terrestrial network base station and the terminal may share a handover candidate cell list including at least one non-terrestrial network base station as a handover candidate, and p. [0107-0115], e.g., (S720) the terminal may perform measurements on the neighbor cells using the handover candidate cell list, and (S721) the terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements, and p. [0110-0113], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information).
However, Yun does not expressly disclose the serving cell of a terrestrial network (TN), comprising: one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: determine that the UE is moving out of a coverage area of the TN; and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to the UE, a command to switch a communication from the TN to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) based on a determination that the UE is moving out of the coverage area of the TN.
Tronc discloses the above recited limitations. In particular, Tronc discloses determine that the UE is moving out of a coverage area of the TN (see Tronc, p. [0055], e.g., A degradation of coverage is detected (block 210). For example, passage of the radioterminal into a coverage hole of the terrestrial network may be detected using signal strength, bit error and/or other measurements); and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to the UE, a command to switch a communication from the TN to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) based on a determination that the UE is moving out of the coverage area of the TN (see Tronc, p. [0103], e.g., a timer (is started when a MT receives from terrestrial network BSC BSC-A the RR HANDOVER COMMAND. The MT switches to the satellite frequency and transmits the RR HANDOVER ACCESS message to the satellite BSC USC-B).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Tronc’s teachings into Yun. The suggestion/motivation would have been to reduce the time in which transmission/reception are suspended, shutdown of the traffic channel with the terrestrial system is delayed for a time sufficient to allow all or most of synchronization operations needed to initiate communications with the satellite system while allowing the MT to continue transmission reception with the terrestrial system as suggested by Tronc.
Regarding claim 17, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 16, wherein the configuration comprises an indication of the one or more events (see Yun, p. [0116], e.g., (S711) satellite information mapping table).
Regarding claim 18, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 17, wherein the indication comprises a communication message other than a command to switch the communication from TN to NTN (see Yun Fig. 7, p. [0115], e.g., The terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements (S721)).
Regarding claim 19, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 18, wherein the communication message comprises: a request for the UE to report a propagation delay difference between the TN and a neighbor cell of the NTN; a message carrying an ephemeris of the neighbor cell (see Yun, p. [0111-0112], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information, and p. [0115-0116], e.g., The system information may include satellite identification information of a satellite associated with a cell currently being serviced); a measurement configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell for a radio measurement; a conditional handover configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell as a candidate target cell; an indication of whether the serving cell is located on a boundary of a coverage area of the TN; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 20, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 16, wherein the one or more events is associated with one or more radio measurement results (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0116], e.g., the terminal may acquire orbit information of the satellite from the satellite information mapping table by using the satellite identification information received through system information, and the location of the satellite currently providing services using the time of the terminal and the acquired orbit information of the satellite (S730)).
Regarding claim 21, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 20, wherein the one or more radio measurement results comprise: a first radio measurement of a serving cell of the TN; a second radio measurement of a neighbor cell of the TN; a third radio measurement of a neighbor cell of the NTN (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0116-0117], e.g., (S730) derive a satellite position); or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 22, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 16, wherein the positioning fix is based on: one or more global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals; one or more positioning signals received from one or more base stations of the TN (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0111-0116], e.g., The system information may include satellite identification information of a satellite associated with a cell currently being serviced); one or more sidelink positioning signals received from one or more additional UEs; or any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 27, Yun discloses the method of wireless communication performed at a serving cell of a terrestrial network (TN), comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), a configuration associated with one or more events to trigger the UE to perform a positioning operation to determine a positioning fix based on the one or more events (see Yun, Fig. 7, p. [0105], e.g., a handover method from a terrestrial network to a non-terrestrial network, and p, [0107], e.g., (S710) the terrestrial network base station and the terminal may share a handover candidate cell list including at least one non-terrestrial network base station as a handover candidate, and p. [0107-0115], e.g., (S720) the terminal may perform measurements on the neighbor cells using the handover candidate cell list, and (S721) the terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements, and p. [0110-0113], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information).
However, Yun does not expressly disclose determine that the UE is moving out of a coverage area of the TN; and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to the UE, a command to switch a communication from the TN to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) based on a determination that the UE is moving out of the coverage area of the TN.
Tronc discloses the above recited limitations. In particular, Tronc discloses determine that the UE is moving out of a coverage area of the TN (see Tronc, p. [0055], e.g., A degradation of coverage is detected (block 210). For example, passage of the radioterminal into a coverage hole of the terrestrial network may be detected using signal strength, bit error and/or other measurements); and transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to the UE, a command to switch a communication from the TN to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) based on a determination that the UE is moving out of the coverage area of the TN (see Tronc, p. [0103], e.g., a timer (is started when a MT receives from terrestrial network BSC BSC-A the RR HANDOVER COMMAND. The MT switches to the satellite frequency and transmits the RR HANDOVER ACCESS message to the satellite BSC USC-B).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Tronc’s teachings into Yun. The suggestion/motivation would have been to reduce the time in which transmission/reception are suspended, shutdown of the traffic channel with the terrestrial system is delayed for a time sufficient to allow all or most of synchronization operations needed to initiate communications with the satellite system while allowing the MT to continue transmission reception with the terrestrial system.
Regarding claim 28, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 27, wherein the configuration comprises an indication of the one or more events (see Yun, p. [0116], e.g., (S711) satellite information mapping table).
Regarding claim 29, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 28, wherein the indication comprises a communication message other than a command to switch the communication from TN to NTN (see Yun Fig. 7, p. [0115], e.g., The terminal may receive system information of the base station belonging to the non-terrestrial network while performing the measurements (S721)).
Regarding claim 30, the combined teaching of Yun and Tronc disclose the serving cell of claim 29, wherein the communication message comprises: a request for the UE to report a propagation delay difference between the TN and a neighbor cell of the NTN; a message carrying an ephemeris of the neighbor cell (see Yun, p. [0111-0112], e.g., The satellite identification information is identification information of the satellite, which has a mapping relationship with satellite ephemeris information (e.g., satellite number, date of manufacture, orbit information, and p. [0115-0116], e.g., The system information may include satellite identification information of a satellite associated with a cell currently being serviced); a measurement configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell for a radio measurement; a conditional handover configuration message including an indication of the neighbor cell as a candidate target cell; an indication of whether the serving cell is located on a boundary of a coverage area of the TN; or any combination thereof.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 MINH TRANG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5248. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-6:00pm.
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/MINH TRANG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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