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 § 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 1-5, 7-10, 12-15, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (U.S. Publication US 2024/0236945 A1) in view of Cha et al. (U.S. Publication US 2023/0224890 A1).
With respect to claims 1 and 12, Kim et al. discloses a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to perform a method (See the abstract, paragraph 61, paragraphs 77-79, paragraph 136 and Figures 1, 2, and 11 of Kim et al. for reference to a communication system including a first wireless device, which may be a UE, comprising a transceiver and a processor, which acts as a controller, coupled with the transceiver and configured to perform a method of the UE). Kim et al. also discloses receiving, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) message for configuring the UE to provide a preference for a multi-universal subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap and a MUSIM gap (See paragraph 61, paragraphs 153-154, paragraph 161, paragraphs 172-177, and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE receiving an RRC reconfiguration message from a network, i.e. from a base station 200, including a musim-GapAssistanceConfig, which is a configuration for the UE to report assistance information regarding a MUSIM gap). Kim et al. further discloses identifying whether to initiate a transmission of a UE assistance information message for providing first preference information on the MUSIM gap priority or second preference information indicating to keep all colliding MUSIM gaps based on a timer T346h (See paragraphs 172-177, paragraph 197-200, and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE determining it is configured to provide the MUSIM assistance information if the UE has preference on the MUSIM gap, i.e. first preference information, and a T346h timer is not running). Kim et al. also discloses in case that the timer T346h is not running, initiating the transmission of the UE assistance information message for providing the first preference information or the second preference information (See paragraphs 197-200 and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to transmitting assistance information including a current musim-GapPreferenceList, i.e. first preference information, if the T346h timer is not running). Although Kim et al. does disclose providing preference information on MUSIM gaps, Kim et al. does not specifically disclose the preference information indicating a MUSIM gap priority. However, Cha et al., in the field of communications, discloses a UE transmitting, to a network, MUSIM gap information related to one or more gaps requested by the UE and MUSIM gap priority information for the one or more gaps (See paragraphs 206-212, paragraphs 217-219, and Figure 11 of Cha et al.). Providing MUSIM gap priority information has the advantage of avoiding inefficiency of a MUSIM UE at another network (See paragraph 206 of Cha et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Cha et al., to combine providing MUSIM gap priority information, as suggested by Cha et al., within the system and method of Kim et al., with the motivation being to avoid inefficiency of a MUSIM UE at another network.
With respect to claims 2 and 13, Kim et al. discloses wherein the UE initiates the transmission of the UE assistance information message to provide the first preference information or the second preference information, in case that the UE has a preference on the MUSIM gap and the UE did not transmit the UE assistance information message with the first preference information, and the timer T346h is not running (See paragraphs 197-200 and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE transmitting the assistance information regarding MUSIM gaps if the UE has preference on the MUSIM gaps and the UE did not transmit an assistance information since it was configured to provide MUSIM assistance information and the T346h timer is not running).
With respect to claims 3 and 14, Kim et al. discloses wherein the UE initiates the transmission of the UE assistance information message to provide the first preference information or the second preference information, in case that current first preference information or second preference information is different from the one indicated in a last transmission of the UE assistance information message and the timer T346h is not running (See paragraphs 197-200 and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE transmitting the assistance information regarding MUSIM gaps if the current musim-GapPreferenceList is different from the one indicated in a last transmission of the assistance information and the T346h timer is not running).
With respect to claim 4, Kim et al. discloses starting the timer T346h (See paragraphs 197-200 of Kim et al. for reference to starting the T346h timer).
With respect to claim 5, Kim et al. discloses wherein the timer T346h is a prohibit timer associated with reporting the preference on the MUSIM gap, and wherein the timer T346h starts upon transmitting the UE assistance information message with at least one the first preference information, the second preference information, or third preference information on the MUSIM gap and a related MUSIM gap configuration (See paragraphs 197-200 of Kim et al. for reference to the T346h timer being set to a musim-GapProhibitTimer associated with reporting the assistance information on the MUSIM gaps, wherein the T346h timer is started after transmitting the assistance information).
With respect to claim 15, Kim et al. discloses starting the timer T346h (See paragraphs 197-200 of Kim et al. for reference to starting the T346h timer). Kim et al. also discloses wherein the timer T346h is a prohibit timer associated with reporting the preference on the MUSIM gap, and wherein the timer T346h starts upon transmitting the UE assistance information message with at least one the first preference information, the second preference information, or third preference information on the MUSIM gap and a related MUSIM gap configuration (See paragraphs 197-200 of Kim et al. for reference to the T346h timer being set to a musim-GapProhibitTimer associated with reporting the assistance information on the MUSIM gaps, wherein the T346h timer is started after transmitting the assistance information).
With respect to claim 7 and 17, Kim et al. discloses a base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to perform a method (See the abstract, paragraph 61, paragraphs 77-79, paragraph 136 and Figures 1, 2, and 11 of Kim et al. for reference to a communication system including a base station, which may be a second wireless device, comprising a transceiver and a processor, which acts as a controller, coupled with the transceiver and configured to perform a method of the base station). Kim et al. also discloses transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) message for configuring the UE to provide a preference for a multi-universal subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap and a MUSIM gap (See paragraph 61, paragraphs 153-154, paragraph 161, paragraphs 172-177, and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the network, i.e. base station 200, transmitting an RRC reconfiguration message to UE including a musim-GapAssistanceConfig, which is a configuration for the UE to report assistance information regarding a MUSIM gap). Kim et al. further discloses receiving, from the UE, a UE assistance information message including at least one first preference information on the MUSIM gap priority or second preference information indicating to keep all colliding MUSIM gaps (See paragraphs 172-177, paragraph 197-200, and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE determining it is configured to provide the MUSIM assistance information if the UE has preference on the MUSIM gap, i.e. first preference information, and a T346h timer is not running, wherein the base station receives the MUSIM assistance information from the UE). Kim et al. also discloses wherein the UE assistance information message including the at least one first preference information or second preference information is received in case that a timer T346h is not running (See paragraphs 197-200 and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the base station reveiving the assistance information including a current musim-GapPreferenceList, i.e. first preference information, transmitted from the UE if the T346h timer is not running). Although Kim et al. does disclose providing preference information on MUSIM gaps, Kim et al. does not specifically disclose the preference information indicating a MUSIM gap priority. However, Cha et al., in the field of communications, discloses a UE transmitting, to a network, MUSIM gap information related to one or more gaps requested by the UE and MUSIM gap priority information for the one or more gaps (See paragraphs 206-212, paragraphs 217-219, and Figure 11 of Cha et al.). Providing MUSIM gap priority information has the advantage of avoiding inefficiency of a MUSIM UE at another network (See paragraph 206 of Cha et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Cha et al., to combine providing MUSIM gap priority information, as suggested by Cha et al., within the system and method of Kim et al., with the motivation being to avoid inefficiency of a MUSIM UE at another network.
With respect to claims 8 and 18, Kim et al. discloses wherein the base station receives the UE assistance information message including the at least one first preference information or the second preference information, in case that the UE has a preference on the MUSIM gap and the base did not receive the UE assistance information message with the first preference information, and the timer T346h is not running (See paragraphs 197-200 and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE transmitting, to the base station, the assistance information regarding MUSIM gaps if the UE has preference on the MUSIM gaps and the UE did not transmit an assistance information since it was configured to provide MUSIM assistance information and the T346h timer is not running).
With respect to claims 9 and 19, Kim et al. discloses wherein the base station receives the UE assistance information message including the first preference information or the second preference information, in case that current first preference information or second preference information is different from the one indicated in a last reception of the UE assistance information message and the timer T346h is not running (See paragraphs 197-200 and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE transmitting the assistance information regarding MUSIM gaps if the current musim-GapPreferenceList is different from the one indicated in a last transmission of the assistance information and the T346h timer is not running).
With respect to claim 10, Kim et al. discloses wherein the timer T346h is a prohibit timer associated with reporting the preference on the MUSIM gap, and wherein the timer T346h starts upon transmitting the UE assistance information message with at least one the first preference information, the second preference information, or third preference information on the MUSIM gap and a related MUSIM gap configuration (See paragraphs 197-200 of Kim et al. for reference to the T346h timer being set to a musim-GapProhibitTimer associated with reporting the assistance information on the MUSIM gaps, wherein the T346h timer is started after transmitting the assistance information).
Claims 6, 11, 16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. in view of Cha et al., and in further view of R4-2314465 titled “LS on Dual Tx/Rx Multi-SIM” (as cited by the Applicant’s IDS filed 9/27/2026).
With respect to claims 6 and 16, Kim et al. discloses in case that the UE has a preference for the MUSIM gap priority, including the first preference information in the UE assistance information message (See paragraphs 172-177, paragraph 197-200, and Figure 11 of Kim et al. for reference to the UE determining it is configured to provide the MUSIM assistance information if the UE has preference on the MUSIM gap, i.e. first preference information, and a T346h timer is not running). Kim et al. does not specifically disclose identifying whether the UE has a preference to keep all colliding MUSIM gaps; and in case that the UE has the preference to keep all colliding MUSIM gaps, including the second preference information in the UE assistance information message.
With respect to claims 11 and 20, Kim et al. discloses wherein the timer T346h is a prohibit timer associated with reporting the preference on the MUSIM gap, and wherein the timer T346h starts upon transmitting the UE assistance information message with at least one the first preference information, the second preference information, or third preference information on the MUSIM gap and a related MUSIM gap configuration (See paragraphs 197-200 of Kim et al. for reference to the T346h timer being set to a musim-GapProhibitTimer associated with reporting the assistance information on the MUSIM gaps, wherein the T346h timer is started after transmitting the assistance information). Kim et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the second preference information is included in the UE assistance information message in case that the first preference information is included in the UE assistance information message.
With further respect to claims 6, 11, 16, and 20, R4-2314465, in the field of communications, discloses that signaling regarding MUSIM gap preferences may include both a priority based solution indicating MUSIM gap priorities and a “Keep” solution indicating a preference to keep all collided MUSIM gaps (See section 1 of R4-2314465). Indicating preference on both MUSIM gap priorities and a preference to keep all collided MUSIM gaps has the advantage allowing the UE more control over the MUSIM gaps. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of R4-2314465, to combine indicating preference on both MUSIM gap priorities and a preference to keep all collided MUSIM gaps, as suggested by R4-2314465, within the system and method of Kim et al., with the motivation being to allow the UE more control over the MUSIM gaps.
Conclusion
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/JASON E MATTIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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