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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed 5/7/2025 has been considered.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin (US 20230056778, as cited in the IDS filed 5/7/2025).
Regarding claim 1, Lin teaches a user equipment ([0009] user equipment), comprising:
at least one processor ([0021] processor; and at least one memory ([0021] memory) storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the user equipment to perform:
receive, from a first network node via a source satellite, a system information block, wherein the system information block indicates a random access channel opportunity window in which the user equipment should access the first network node or a second network node ([0101] FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary four-step RA procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1A, a UE can detect a synchronization signal (SS) by receiving 101 an SSB (e.g., a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH)) from a gNB in a NR system. The UE can decode 102 some system information (e.g., remaining minimum system information (RMSI) and other system information (OSI)) broadcasted in the downlink (DL).);
determine, based on the system information block, an access time within the random access channel opportunity window ([0024] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a network node such as a base station (e.g., a next generation NodeB (gNodeB or gNB), a satellite, an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platform, etc.). The method comprises determining a preamble receiving window based at least in part on RA configuration information for an NTN. The method further comprises receiving, within the preamble receiving window, a preamble transmitted from a terminal device in the NTN.); and
transmit, to the first network node or the second network node via a target satellite, a random access channel preamble at the access time (abstract - transmitting a preamble to a network node in the non-terrestrial network, according to the determined random access occasion).
Regarding claim 2, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the random access channel opportunity window comprises a maximum delay time during which the user equipment accesses the first network node or the second network node after a satellite switching time, the satellite switching time being one of a service stop time associated with the source satellite or a service start time associated with the target satellite ([0010] In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, the RA configuration information may indicate configuration of two consecutive ROs so that a time interval between the two consecutive ROs may be equal to or larger than an interval threshold. According to an embodiment, the interval threshold may be determined based at least in part on a maximum one way delay and a minimum one way delay of signal transmission in the NTN.).
Regarding claim 3, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 2, wherein the random access channel opportunity window begins at a minimum delay time after the satellite switching time ([0010] In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, the RA configuration information may indicate configuration of two consecutive ROs so that a time interval between the two consecutive ROs may be equal to or larger than an interval threshold. According to an embodiment, the interval threshold may be determined based at least in part on a maximum one way delay and a minimum one way delay of signal transmission in the NTN.).
Regarding claim 4, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the random access channel opportunity window comprises a maximum time the user equipment may access the first network node or the second network node before a service stop time associated with the source satellite ([0151] FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating an exemplary preamble receiving window in an NTN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, UE1 and UE2 are within the same cell served by a gNB (e.g., a satellite or UAS platform, etc.) in the NTN, and UE1 is nearer to the gNB compared to UE2. The minimum one way delay and the maximum one way delay may be estimated according to the propagation delay respectively experienced by UE1 and UE2 with respect to the gNB. Then the size of the preamble receiving window can be calculated based on the maximum one way differential delay (i.e., a difference between the maximum one way delay and the minimum one way delay). Within the preamble receiving window, the gNB may receive preambles sent by UE1 and UE2 in the same RO, as shown in FIG. 3C. In response to receiving a preamble, the gNB may need to know which RO the received preamble is related to, so as to estimate the accurate timing advance. If the RO periodicity is not long enough, the preamble receiving windows for two consecutive ROs may be overlapped with each other, making it difficult for the gNB to map the received preamble to the corresponding RO.).
Regarding claim 5, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 4, wherein the random access channel opportunity window ends at a maximum delay time after the service stop time or a service start time associated with the target satellite ([0151] FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating an exemplary preamble receiving window in an NTN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, UE1 and UE2 are within the same cell served by a gNB (e.g., a satellite or UAS platform, etc.) in the NTN, and UE1 is nearer to the gNB compared to UE2. The minimum one way delay and the maximum one way delay may be estimated according to the propagation delay respectively experienced by UE1 and UE2 with respect to the gNB. Then the size of the preamble receiving window can be calculated based on the maximum one way differential delay (i.e., a difference between the maximum one way delay and the minimum one way delay). Within the preamble receiving window, the gNB may receive preambles sent by UE1 and UE2 in the same RO, as shown in FIG. 3C. In response to receiving a preamble, the gNB may need to know which RO the received preamble is related to, so as to estimate the accurate timing advance. If the RO periodicity is not long enough, the preamble receiving windows for two consecutive ROs may be overlapped with each other, making it difficult for the gNB to map the received preamble to the corresponding RO.).
Regarding claim 6, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the random access channel opportunity window is assigned to a particular group of user equipment devices comprising the user equipment ([0154] For four-step RA, msg1 is only transmitted with a preamble in a RO. Configuration of RO period may be dependent on some network parameters such as max_delay. Optionally, different preamble groups may be used for different ROs, so as to differentiate the ROs. According to scheme I, RO design may be optimized to avoid ambiguity on the mapping from the received preamble to an associated RO. It can be appreciated that although various exemplary embodiments for scheme I are described mainly with respect to four-step RA, the embodiments of scheme I also may be applicable to two-step RA.).
Regarding claim 7, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the access time is a uniform distributed random time within the random access channel opportunity window ([0176] In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, the network node may obtain the RO timing information across system frames (e.g., an SFN index or other possible information), so as to estimate a range of time duration related to the RO configuration. Alternatively or additionally, the network node may obtain the timing information within one system frame, for example, indirectly by a random access-radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) which may be used in the scrambling of PUSCH.).
Regarding claim 8, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the access time is determined by a determination method which is preconfigured by the user equipment ([0006] Various embodiments of the present disclosure propose a solution for RA, which can enable a network node in a communication network (e.g., an NTN, etc.) to link a preamble received from a terminal device to the corresponding RO, for example, by introducing a proper RO design without overlapping between preamble receiving windows, and/or by providing specific RO timing information to the network node, so as to increase flexibility of RO configuration and/or detection, and improve performance of a RA procedure for the communication network.).
Regarding claim 9, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the user equipment determines the access time and transmits the random access channel preamble in response to a random access channel-less access failure ([0153] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure propose a solution for RA, which can enable RA preamble detection/reception to be performed (e.g., in NTN operation) without ambiguity. According to the proposed solution, there may be two schemes (i.e., scheme I and scheme II) applicable for a RA procedure. In exemplary embodiments for scheme I, the RO design and preamble division may be enhanced, for example, for msg1 in a four-step RA procedure and/or msgA in a two-step RA procedure, so as to avoid overlapping between the preamble receiving windows at the network side. Alternatively or additionally, according to scheme II applicable for msgA PUSCH in a two-step RA procedure, the PO design may be improved so that according to timing information indicated by PUSCH transmission explicitly or implicitly, a network node can determine which RO the received preamble is associated to, even if there may be overlapping between two preamble receiving windows. In this way, the RA procedure for a communication network (e.g. an NTN, etc.) may be performed with enhanced resource utilization and improved transmission efficiency and flexibility.).
Regarding claim 10, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 9, wherein the random access channel opportunity window is delayed based on a time instant of the random access channel-less access failure ([0154] For four-step RA, msg1 is only transmitted with a preamble in a RO. Configuration of RO period may be dependent on some network parameters such as max_delay. Optionally, different preamble groups may be used for different ROs, so as to differentiate the ROs. According to scheme I, RO design may be optimized to avoid ambiguity on the mapping from the received preamble to an associated RO. It can be appreciated that although various exemplary embodiments for scheme I are described mainly with respect to four-step RA, the embodiments of scheme I also may be applicable to two-step RA.).
Regarding claim 11, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 1, wherein the random access channel opportunity window comprises a plurality of random access channel opportunities for performing random access channel-based access ([0031] In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, the timing information of the RO may comprise at least one of: [0032] an indicator of a system frame; [0033] an indicator of a subframe within a system frame; [0034] an indicator of a RO within a subframe; and [0035] an indicator of a random access channel slot in a system frame.).
Regarding claim 12, Lin teaches the user equipment of claim 11, wherein at least one random access channel opportunity of the plurality of random access channel opportunities is associated with a user equipment identifier assigned to the user equipment ([0101] FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary four-step RA procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1A, a UE can detect a synchronization signal (SS) by receiving 101 an SSB (e.g., a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH)) from a gNB in a NR system. The UE can decode 102 some system information (e.g., remaining minimum system information (RMSI) and other system information (OSI)) broadcasted in the downlink (DL). Then the UE can transmit 103 a PRACH preamble (message1/msg1) in the uplink (UL). The gNB can reply 104 with a random access response (RAR, message2/msg2). In response to the RAR, the UE can transmit 105 the UE's identification information (message3/msg3) on PUSCH. Then the gNB can send 106 a contention resolution message (CRM, message4/msg4) to the UE.).
Claims 13-20 are similar to claims 1-7, respectively,
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Xie, CN 113596945 - satellite switching method.
Wang et al., US 20220225259 - a timing advance indication method, a to increase a range of a TA value indicated by a TA instruction, so that a requirement of an NTN system can be met.
Khan et al., US 20210399797 - a wireless device determines that communication between the wireless device and the network node will experience a communication interrupting transition during a transition period in which the non-terrestrial communication path between the wireless device and the network node will be interrupted. The wireless device adjusts a PHY layer procedure of the wireless device to mitigate switching problems with one of the of satellites during and/or after the interruption.
Gu, US 20210329711 - determining RO configuration information which includes at least one of followings: an association relation between ROs and corresponding frequency resources where the ROs are located respectively, and an association relation between ROs and corresponding available preambles; and transmitting the RO configuration information to a UE. A network is able to determine an RO of a UE without considering influence caused by a maximum difference time of RTT and increasing an average waiting time for the UE to transmit a preamble.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALINA N BOUTAH whose telephone number is (571)272-3908. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Umar Cheema can be reached at (571) 270-3037. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ALINA BOUTAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2458
/ALINA A BOUTAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2458
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