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.
(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) 8, 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by 3GPP TSG-RAN WG4 meeting # 108bis R4-2316261 (hereinafter referred to as Doc1).
Regarding claim 8, Doc1 teaches a method comprising
performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) (section 2:3_UE performs neighbor cell measurements);
performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement, in a GNSS measurement gap (section 2:3_UE performs GNSS measurements in the GNSS-measurement gap, GNSS-MG) (figure 7, interval 2);
performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap to a threshold duration and estimating radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period, and based on the comparison (section 2:3 proposal 17_ if the measurement gap is more than 5 seconds, the UE discards the radio quality measurements).
Regarding claim 10, Doc1 teaches that when the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is no greater than the threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained (when the gap is less than 5 seconds, the UE keeps the quality measurement).
Regarding claim 11, Doc1 teaches wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to further extend the evaluation period based on at least one full or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap and an on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period as extended (section 2:3 proposal 16_ “If the UE is performing neighbor cell measurements when a GNSS-MG becomes activated, the UE should still be able to keep the measurements for evaluation purposes” and “RLM evaluation period is extended by the duration of the GNSS-measurement gap”).
Regarding claim 12, Doc1 teaches that wherein the comparison indicates the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to further discard one or more of the radio measurements that are performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more of the radio measurements as discarded (section 2:3_if the gap is more than 5s, then the UE discards the measurements).
Regarding claim 13, Doc1 teaches that wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to further restart the evaluation period in which the radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period restarted after the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated on the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period as restarted (section 2:3_proposal 17, if the gap is more than 5s, the UE restarts the neighbor cell measurements).
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.
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.
Claims 1-6, 9 & 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TSG-RAN WG4 meeting # 108bis R4-2316261 (Doc1) in view of Atungsiri et al WO2022/148711 (Atungsiri).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Doc1 teaches a UE that is configure to:
perform radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) (section 2:3_UE performs neighbor cell measurements);
perform a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement, in a GNSS measurement gap (section 2:3_UE performs GNSS measurements in the GNSS-measurement gap, GNSS-MG) (figure 7, interval 2);
perform a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap to a threshold duration and estimate radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period, and based on the comparison (section 2:3 proposal 17_ if the measurement gap is more than 5 seconds, the UE discards the radio quality measurements).
Docs1 does not explicitly teach that the UE comprises at least one memory configured to store computer-readable program code; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory, and execute the computer-readable program code (par [45-46]) to cause the UE to perform its operation. However, Atungsiri teaches teach that the UE comprises at least one memory configured to store computer-readable program code; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory, and execute the computer-readable program code (par [45-46]) to cause the UE to perform its operations. Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to apply Atungsiri’s teaching of using memory and processor in the UE in the system of Docs1 with the motivation being to enhance the performance of the UE.
Regarding claims 2, 9 and 16, Docs1 does not clearly shows the DRX-on duration, Atungsiri shows clearly shows that the threshold duration is associated with the configured DRX cycle that includes an on-duration in which the radio measurements are performed (figure 7). Intervals 1, 2 & 3 are the GNSS measurement gaps. Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to apply Atungsiri’s teaching of DRX on duration in the system of Docs1 with the motivation being to allow the UE to effectively perform quality radio measurements.
Regarding claims 3 and 17, Doc1 teaches that when the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is no greater than the threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained (when the gap is less than 5 seconds, the UE keeps the quality measurement).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, Doc1 teaches wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to further extend the evaluation period based on at least one full or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap and an on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period as extended (section 2:3 proposal 16_ “If the UE is performing neighbor cell measurements when a GNSS-MG becomes activated, the UE should still be able to keep the measurements for evaluation purposes” and “RLM evaluation period is extended by the duration of the GNSS-measurement gap”).
Regarding claims 5 and 19, Doc1 teaches that wherein the comparison indicates the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to further discard one or more of the radio measurements that are performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more of the radio measurements as discarded (section 2:3_if the gap is more than 5s, then the UE discards the measurements).
Regarding claims 6 and 20, Doc1 teaches that wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to further restart the evaluation period in which the radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period restarted after the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated on the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period as restarted (section 2:3_proposal 17, if the gap is more than 5s, the UE restarts the neighbor cell measurements).
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TSG-RAN WG4 meeting # 108bis R4-2316261 (Doc1) in view of Atungsiri et al WO2022/148711 (Atungsiri) and Kazmi et al (US 2010/0323683 A1) (hereinafter referred to as Kazmi).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Doc1 in view of Atungsiri does not teach adjusting the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle relative to the configured DRX cycle, or a no DRX cycle configuration. However, Kazmi teaches that the UE can adjust the DRX cycle upon the reception of the positioning measurement request (par [129, 131]) to improve performance if the RLM measurement. Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to apply Kazmi’s teaching of adjusting the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle in the system of Docs1 in view Atungsiri with the motivation being to enhance the performance of the UE.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yao et al (WO 2023/206144 A1) teaches overlapping between GNSS-MG and DRX-on period (see fig 6).
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HUY D. VU
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2461
/HUY D VU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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