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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on October 27, 2025 and January 15, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on December 12, 2024. These drawings are acceptable.
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)(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, 5-7, 9-14, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Rao et al. (hereinafter “Rao”, US 2025/0151012).
Regarding claims 1, 14, and 20, Rao discloses a cell measurement method, a communication apparatus (i.e., a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) as shown in Fig. 1B), and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the cell measurement method, comprising:
obtaining cell information (i.e., receiving configuration information from a first cell and a second cell indicating a first and a second sounding reference for positioning (SRSp) configuration associated with a first and second positioning area including a first and second cell ID as described in paragraph 0004);
measuring at least one cell indicated by the cell information, to obtain a measurement result (i.e., transmitting a first and second SRSp using the first and second SRSp configuration as described in paragraph 0005);
determining at least one target cell based on the measurement result (i.e., determining the second cell in the second positioning area as described in paragraph 0006); and
sending a positioning request to a first network device, wherein the positioning request comprises information about the at least one target cell (i.e., the WTRU transmits a request to the second cell to activate the second SRSp configuration as described in paragraphs 0006-0007).
With further regard to claims 14 and 20, Rao also discloses a communication apparatus comprising: a processing unit (i.e., processor 118 as shown in Fig. 1B), a transceiver unit (i.e., transceiver 120) and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions (i.e., non-removable memory 130 and removable 132 including a computer program as described in paragraph 0352).
Regarding claims 5 and 18, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the determining at least one target cell comprises: when a signal received power of a first cell is greater than a power threshold, or signal received quality is greater than a quality threshold, or a value of R in an R criterion is greater than a threshold, or a value of S in an S criterion is greater than a threshold, determining the first cell as the target cell, wherein the first cell is a cell that has been measured, that supports positioning, and that is in the cells indicated by the cell information (i.e., if the detected TRPs match with a configured set of TRPs and/or if the number of detected TRPs with good RSRP are greater than the threshold for a minimum number of TRPs needed for meeting the accuracy requirement, the WTRU selects the low BW SRSp configuration associated with the detected TRP as described in paragraph 0084).
Regarding claims 6 and 19, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the determining at least one target cell comprises:
determining the first N second cells as the target cells in descending order of values of R in an R criterion, or values of S in an S criterion, or cell signal received powers, or cell signal received quality, wherein the second cell is a cell that has been measured, that supports positioning, and that is in the cells indicated by the cell information (i.e., if the detected TRPs match with a configured set of TRPs and/or if the number of detected TRPs with good RSRP are less than the threshold for a minimum number of TRPs needed for meeting the accuracy requirement, the WTRU selects the high BW SRSp configuration associated with the detected TRP as described in paragraph 0084).
Regarding claim 7, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the cell information is carried in either of the following messages:
a broadcast message and a radio resource control RRC message; or
the cell information is preconfigured information (i.e., cell ID as described in paragraphs 0004-0006, and Abstract).
Regarding claim 9, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the measuring at least one cell indicated by the cell information comprises:
obtaining a measurement indication, wherein the measurement indication indicates to measure the at least one cell indicated by the cell information; and measuring the at least one cell indicated by the cell information (i.e., transmitting a first and second SRSp using the first and second SRSp configuration as described in paragraph 0005).
Regarding claim 10, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the obtaining a measurement indication comprises: when a higher layer detects a positioning event or a positioning indication, receiving the measurement indication from the higher layer (i.e., triggering events and/or conditions monitored by a WTRU for sending the capability information and/or assistance information on an LPHAP including reception of an indication or an LCS/LPP request from higher layers as described in paragraphs 0124-0125).
Regarding claim 11 Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the method further comprises:
when a measurement stop condition is satisfied, stopping measurement of the cell indicated by the cell information, wherein the measurement stop condition comprises any one of the following:
a positioning request is sent, measurement time is greater than a first threshold, or a quantity of target cells is greater than a second threshold (i.e., the WTRU sends the information if the measurement values increase or decrease by certain corresponding threshold values as described in paragraphs 0128-0129).
Regarding claim 12, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein the first threshold and/or the second threshold are/is carried in a broadcast message or an RRC message; or
the first threshold and/or the second threshold are/is preconfigured values/a preconfigured value; or the first threshold and/or the second threshold are/is specified in a protocol (i.e., the WTRU sends the information if the measurement values increase or decrease by certain corresponding threshold values as described in paragraphs 0128-0129).
Regarding claim 13, Rao discloses all limitations as recited within claims as described above. Rao also discloses wherein measurement periodicity information of the cell indicated by the cell information is carried in a broadcast message or an RRC message; or measurement periodicity information of the cell indicated by the cell information is preconfigured information; or measurement periodicity information of the cell indicated by the cell information is specified in a protocol (i.e., the WTRU sends reports of measurements to a network periodically as described in paragraphs 0115-0116, 0078-0080, and 0129-0130).
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.
Claim(s) 2, 8, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Tang et al. (hereinafter “Tang”, US 2017/0078904).
Regarding claims 2 and 15, Rao discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above, but does not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Tang discloses prioritized cell identification and measurement method. Tang also discloses wherein the measuring at least one cell indicated by the cell information comprises:
measuring, in descending order of frequency priorities and/or cell priorities, the at least one cell indicated by the cell information (i.e., UE receives a list of frequency layers to measure based on order of priority as described in paragraphs 0029, and 0096-0106).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to prevent the UE from wasting resources on low-value frequencies.
Regarding claim 8, Rao and Tang disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tang also discloses wherein information about the cell priority and/or the frequency priority is carried in a broadcast message or an RRC message; or information about the cell priority and/or the frequency priority is preconfigured information (i.e., UE receives a list of frequency layers to measure based on order of priority as described in paragraphs 0029, and 0096-0106).
Claim(s) 3 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Tang and further in view of Geng et al. (hereinafter “Geng”, US 2022/0217602).
Regarding claims 3 and 16, Rao and Tang disclose all limitations recited within claims as described above, but do not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Geng discloses cell reselection method and apparatus. Geng also discloses wherein the measuring, in descending order of frequency priorities and/or cell priorities, the at least one cell indicated by the cell information comprises:
when cells indicated by the cell information comprise a plurality of cells with a same frequency priority, measuring the plurality of cells with the same frequency priority in descending order of cell priorities (i.e., the terminal device measures a plurality of cells that meet a reselection criterion, the terminal device sorts the cells by ranking values. For example, for frequencies with same priority, if the plurality of cells meet the reselection criterion, ranking is performed based on cell quality as described in paragraph 0082).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to enable the terminal to select a suitable cell to camp as soon as possible.
Claim(s) 4 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Li et al. (hereinafter “Li”, US 2025/0227528).
Regarding claims 4 and 17, Rao discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above, but does not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Li discloses measurement gap scaling based on inter-gap proximity in concurrent gap pattern. Li also discloses wherein the measuring at least one cell indicated by the cell information comprises:
when both first measurement and second measurement exist, preferentially performing the first measurement, wherein the first measurement comprises measuring, in a positioning scenario, the at least one cell indicated by the cell information, and the second measurement comprises measuring a found cell in a scenario of cell selection or cell reselection (i.e., the priority level is based on the purpose of the measurement such as mobility measurements, positioning measurements as described in paragraph 0058-0061).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to avoid simultaneous measurement conflicts and ensure successful completion of required measurements.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAYNE CAI whose telephone number is (571)272-7798. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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/Wayne H Cai/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644
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