DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This Office Action is in response to the submission filed 2024-10-11 (herein referred to as the Reply) where claim(s) 1-20 are pending for consideration.
35 USC §112(b) – Claim Rejections
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim(s) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for not particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention.
Claim(s) 1, 11, 18 and 2-10, 12-17, 19-20
The claim(s) recites a variable or equivalent that is not properly bounded. Consequently, a broadest reasonable interpretation includes that the variable can be assigned to a value or a type of value that makes the claim indefinite.
More particularly, the independent claims recite:
M is a positive integer
deleting configuration information of N candidate cells, N is a positive integer less than M
retaining configuration information of P candidate cells, wherein P is a positive integer less than or equal to M
In the case where M = 1 which the claims allows since 1 is a positive integer. Then it is unclear as to how N can be a positive integer and be less than M since N must be 0 to be less. Similarly, it is unclear as to how P can be a positive integer and be less than M since in this case P must be 0. Claims should be amended to bound either M or N/P to account for cases that cause indefiniteness such as M=1.
Dependent claims do not cure the deficiencies of the base/intervening claims as discussed herein and are therefore rejected for at least the same reasons.
35 USC §102 - Claim Rejections
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.
(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) is/are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over ISHII_323 (US20220408323)
Claim(s) 1, 18
ISHII_323 teaches
receiving, by a terminal, configuration information of M candidate cells configured by a network-side device, Master gNodeB may configure wireless terminal with configuration for a conditional/candidate PSCell, such as configuration for addition/modification. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 37, 44, 46, 47, 6; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0312, 0315-0316>.
wherein M is a positive integer; and Conditional/candidate PSCells, which implies at least one or more. <FIG(s). 37, 44, 46, 47; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0316>.
after a cell group change, performing, by the terminal, at least one of the following:
retaining configuration information of P candidate cells, wherein P is a positive integer less than or equal to M; Upon executing a handover, which can be considered a cell group change, the UE can keep the remaining (unused) saved conditional handover configuration(s) associated with conditional/candidate cells. <FIG(s). 60; para. 0354-0355>.
the cell group change comprises a change of
a secondary cell group (SCG). In one embodiment, handover occurs to a SCG. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 38, 44, 6; para. 0298-0299, 0302-0304>.
The other claim features are directed to limitations that further narrow one or more alternative embodiments. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiments) and therefore said other claim features do not need to be anticipated by the art in order to properly reject the claim as the claim has been rejected using at least one of said embodiments.
Claim(s) 2
ISHII_323 teaches
wherein the configuration information of the candidate cells comprises the candidate cells and/or configuration information associated with the candidate cells, wherein the configuration information comprises a conditional reconfiguration and/or a trigger condition for performing the conditional reconfiguration; Configuration for addition/modification for conditional handovers, identify one or more candidate target cells (candidate PCells) which may be configured to the UE with associated one or more triggering conditions. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 37, 44, 46, 47, 6; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0312, 0315-0316>.
Claim(s) 3
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 4
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 6, 19
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 7
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 8
ISHII_323 teaches
wherein the configuration information of the P candidate cells comprises at least one of the following:
candidate cells in a conditional reconfiguration procedure initiated by a master node (MN) and/or a secondary node (SN); or Master gNodeB may configure wireless terminal with configuration for a conditional/candidate PSCell, such as configuration for addition/modification. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 37, 44, 46, 47, 6; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0312, 0315-0316>.
Claim(s) 9
ISHII_323 teaches
wherein the cell group change comprises at least one of the following:
MCG handover or SCG handover; In one embodiment, handover occurs to a SCG. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 38, 44, 6; para. 0298-0299, 0302-0304>.
conditional handover (CHO); In one embodiment, handover occurs to a SCG. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 38, 44, 6; para. 0298-0299, 0302-0304>.
Claim(s) 10
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
35 USC §103 - Claim Rejections
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claim(s) is/are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ISHII_323 (US20220408323)
Claim(s) 11, 20
ISHII_323 teaches
sending, by a network-side device, configuration information of M candidate cells to a terminal, Master gNodeB may configure wireless terminal with configuration for a conditional/candidate PSCell, such as configuration for addition/modification. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 37, 44, 46, 47, 6; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0312, 0315-0316>.
wherein M is a positive integer; and Conditional/candidate PSCells, which implies at least one or more. <FIG(s). 37, 44, 46, 47; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0316>.
In the embodiments discussed herein, ISHII_323 does not explicitly teach
after a cell group change, performing, by a network-side device, at least one of the following:
deleting configuration information of N candidate cells, wherein N is a positive integer less than M;
retaining configuration information of P candidate cells, wherein P is a positive integer less than or equal to M;
in a case that first indication information indicates that the configuration information of all the candidate cells is to be deleted, deleting the configuration information of the M candidate cells;
in a case that second indication information indicates that configuration information of candidate cells to be deleted is the configuration information of all the candidate cells, deleting the configuration information of the M candidate cells; or
in a case that third indication information indicates that configuration information of no candidate cell is to be retained, deleting the configuration information of the M candidate cells,
wherein
the first indication information is used to indicate whether to delete the configuration information of all the candidate cells;
the second indication information is used to indicate the configuration information of the candidate cells to be deleted;
the third indication information is used to indicate configuration information of candidate cells to be retained; and
the cell group change comprises a change of a master cell group (MCG) and/or a secondary cell group (SCG).
However, in other embodiments ISHII_323 teaches
after a cell group change, performing, by a
retaining configuration information of P candidate cells, wherein P is a positive integer less than or equal to M; Upon executing a handover, which can be considered a cell group change, the UE can keep the remaining (unused) saved conditional handover configuration(s) associated with conditional/candidate cells. <FIG(s). 60; para. 0354-0355>.
the cell group change comprises a change of
a secondary cell group (SCG). In one embodiment, handover occurs to a SCG. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 38, 44, 6; para. 0298-0299, 0302-0304>.
In summary, in other embodiments ISHII_323 teaches that a terminal device, such as a U.E. performs the “after a cell graph change, performing…” feature as discussed above and for independent claim 1, where as the instant claim requires it be performed by a network-side device. Consequently, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that any and all devices in the network would update (e.g., delete/save) configuration information after a cell group change such that all devices have the most recent configuration information (commonly known as synchronization). Said devices would include both terminals and network-sided devices.
Before the effective filing date of the claim invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art to have modified embodiments of ISHII_323, as discussed herein, with other embodiment(s) disclosed by ISHII_323. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to synchronization configuration information across all network devices, including a terminal and network-side device, to ensure consistent configuration across the network.
Claim(s) 12
ISHII_323 teaches
wherein the configuration information of the candidate cells comprises the candidate cells and/or configuration information associated with the candidate cells, wherein the configuration information comprises a conditional reconfiguration and/or a trigger condition for performing the conditional reconfiguration; Configuration for addition/modification for conditional handovers, identify one or more candidate target cells (candidate PCells) which may be configured to the UE with associated one or more triggering conditions. <FIG(s). 11, 15, 19, 28, 37, 44, 46, 47, 6; para. 0295-0298, 0310-0312, 0315-0316>.
Claim(s) 13
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 14
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 16
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) 17
The claim is directed to limitations that further narrow an alternative embodiment. As discussed herein, the base claim was anticipated using another embodiment (i.e., not the alternative embodiment). Consequently, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as the given for the base claim.
Claim(s) is/are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ISHII_323 (US20220408323) in view of ZHOU_107 (WO2019057107)
Claim(s) 5, 15
ISHII_323 does not explicitly teach
wherein the retaining configuration information of P candidate cells comprises:
determining to retain the configuration information of the P candidate cells based on the second indication information or the third indication information,
wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the configuration information of the candidate cells to be deleted, and the
third indication information is used to indicate the configuration information of the candidate cells to be retained.
However in a similar endeavor, ZHOU_107 teaches
wherein the retaining configuration information of P candidate cells comprises:
determining to retain the configuration information of the P candidate cells based on the second indication information or the third indication information, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the configuration information of the candidate cells to be deleted, and the third indication information is used to indicate the configuration information of the candidate cells to be retained. AUM configuration includes, in the indication, that the terminal device should save the second candidate cell under the target base station And deleting, by the terminal device, the AUM configuration information of the first candidate cell to the terminal device, according to the indication information of deleting the AUM configuration <para. 0008-0020>.
Before the effective filing date of the claim invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art to have modified the system/techniques disclosed by ISHII_323 with the embodiment(s) disclosed by ZHOU_107. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to provide a configuration deletion method, a system, a terminal device, and a serving base station, which are used to solve the problem that the process of accessing a target cell by a terminal device in the prior art takes a long time. <para. 0006>.
Relevant Cited References
US20240196280
US20220279363
Examiner’s Notes
English Translations of Non-English Documents
Text herein may rely upon a non-English document. Any citations used herein for said document refers to paragraphs numbers in the (English) translated document, not the original non-English document.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDRE TACDIRAN whose telephone number is 571-272-1717. The examiner can normally be reached on M-TH, 10-5PM EST. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Rutkowski can be reached on 571-270-1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDRE TACDIRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415
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