DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on 4/7/2026. Claims 1, 3-5, 8-9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 23-24, 26-27, 29 and 46 are now pending. This action is made FINAL.
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 information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/14/2026 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 27 recites “.The network device according to claim 26, wherein the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises at least one of the following configuration information: first configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the first configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer; second configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the second configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a MAC layer and an RLC layer ;third configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the third configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer and a PDCP layer.” Which is already recited in claim 26 as claim 26 performs the method of amended claim 11.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
Claims 11, 14, 26-27 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2)as being anticipated by Lin et al (US 20250088923 A1, hereinafter Lin).
Consider claims 11 and 26, Lin discloses a method for processing configuration information about layer 1/layer 2 (L1/L2) mobility, applied to a network device comprising a memory, a transceiver, and a processor (see Fig. 13 and paragraphs 323-329) and comprising:
acquiring configuration information of each candidate cell pre-configured and related to L1/L2 mobility (candidate configuration information from a base station is received, wherein the candidate configuration information includes a candidate cell configuration… the candidate configuration information includes several preset cell configurations, paragraphs 64-65);
transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) message to a terminal, wherein the RRC message comprises the configuration information of each candidate cell pre-configured and related to L1/L2 mobility (candidate configuration information from a base station is received, wherein the candidate configuration information includes a candidate cell configuration… the candidate configuration information includes several preset cell configurations, paragraphs 64-65; the UE receives a first RRC message sent by the network. The first RRC message includes at least a first list (i.e., the candidate configuration information). The first list includes one or more candidate cell configurations, paragraph 84; the solution described in the present disclosure supports the handover command of L1/L2 mobility, paragraph 61);
wherein the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises at least one of the following configuration information:
first configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the first configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer (the candidate cell configuration information includes at least one of: a cell ID, a C-RNTI, a RACH resource, system information, a TAG ID, an uplink bandwidth configuration, or a downlink bandwidth configuration, paragraphs 287- 288);
second configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the second configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a media access control (MAC) layer and a radio link control (RLC) layer;
third configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the third configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer.
Consider claim 27, and as applied to claim 26 above, Lin discloses wherein the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises at least one of the following configuration information:
first configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the first configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer (the candidate cell configuration information includes at least one of: a cell ID, a C-RNTI, a RACH resource, system information, a TAG ID, an uplink bandwidth configuration, or a downlink bandwidth configuration, paragraphs 287- 288);
second configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the second configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a media access control (MAC) layer and a radio link control (RLC) layer;
third configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the third configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer.
Consider claims 14 and 29, and as applied to claims 11 and 26 respectively above, Lin discloses wherein the RRC message further comprises serving cell change or addition indication information, and the serving cell change or addition indication information is used to is configured to instruct the terminal to change to a target serving cell or add a target serving cell (the first indication information indicates that a primary cell and/or a secondary cell of the terminal is changed, paragraph 66).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-5, 8, 12, 16, 18, 20, 23 and 46 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 20250088923 A1, hereinafter Lin) in view of Hwang et al (US 20200413308 A1, hereinafter Hwang).
Consider claims 1, 16 and 46, Lin discloses a method and a terminal comprising a memory configured to store a computer program, a transceiver, and a processor (see Fig. 13 and paragraphs 323-329) for processing configuration information about layer 1/layer 2 (Li1/L2) mobility, applying to the terminal and comprising:
receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message transmitted by a network device, wherein the RRC message comprises configuration information of each candidate cell pre-configured and related to L1/L2 mobility (candidate configuration information from a base station is received, wherein the candidate configuration information includes a candidate cell configuration… the candidate configuration information includes several preset cell configurations, paragraphs 64-65; the UE receives a first RRC message sent by the network. The first RRC message includes at least a first list (i.e., the candidate configuration information). The first list includes one or more candidate cell configurations, paragraph 84; the solution described in the present disclosure supports the handover command of L1/L2 mobility, paragraph 61); and
performing an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell (Lin discloses that when subsequent cell handover occurs, the terminal may select…part of the cell configurations from the candidate configuration information to configure a primary cell and/or a secondary cell (see paragraph 65) [thus a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell]);
wherein the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises at least one of the following configuration information:
first configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the first configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer (the candidate cell configuration information includes at least one of: a cell ID, a C-RNTI, a RACH resource, system information, a TAG ID, an uplink bandwidth configuration, or a downlink bandwidth configuration, paragraphs 287- 288);
second configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the second configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a media access control (MAC) layer and a radio link control (RLC) layer;
third configuration information corresponding to each candidate cell, wherein the third configuration information comprises configuration information of a physical layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer.
However Lin does not expressly disclose wherein the performing an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises :
for any configuration information of a candidate cell among the configuration information of each candidate cell received in the RRC message, if pre-stored configuration information comprises configuration information of the candidate cell, replacing the pre-stored configuration information of the candidate cell with the newly received configuration information of the candidate cell; and/or
for any configuration information of a candidate cell among the configuration information of each candidate cell received in the RRC message, if pre-stored configuration information does not comprise the configuration information of the candidate cell, adding the configuration information of the candidate cell to the pre-stored configuration information; and/or
for any configuration information of a candidate cell among the configuration information of each candidate cell received in the RRC message, if it is indicated from a network to delete the candidate cell, deleting the configuration information of the candidate cell from pre- stored configuration information; and/or
deleting pre-stored configuration information and storing the configuration information of each candidate cell which is newly received in the RRC message;
In the same field of endeavor, Hwang discloses wherein the performing an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises :
for any configuration information of a candidate cell among the configuration information of each candidate cell received in the RRC message, if pre-stored configuration information comprises configuration information of the candidate cell, replacing the pre-stored configuration information of the candidate cell with the newly received configuration information of the candidate cell; and/or
for any configuration information of a candidate cell among the configuration information of each candidate cell received in the RRC message, if pre-stored configuration information does not comprise the configuration information of the candidate cell, adding the configuration information of the candidate cell to the pre-stored configuration information ;and/or
for any configuration information of a candidate cell among the configuration information of each candidate cell received in the RRC message, if it is indicated from a network to delete the candidate cell, deleting the configuration information of the candidate cell from pre- stored configuration information; and/or
deleting pre-stored configuration information and storing the configuration
information of each candidate cell which is newly received in the RRC message (the UE 910 may determine whether a candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910 exists in the received list. If the candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910 exists in the received list, the UE 910 may update a CHO configuration and a CHO trigger condition for the candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910… When the UE 910 updates the candidate cell configuration, if the candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910 exists in the received list, the following operations of A), B) or C)… A) The UE 910 may delete the candidate cell configuration for the corresponding candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910 and may store the received candidate cell configuration related to the corresponding candidate cell ID. B) With respect to the candidate cell configuration for the corresponding candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910, the UE 910 may change, to the received configuration information, configuration information different from the candidate cell configuration related to the currently stored corresponding candidate cell ID in comparison with the configuration updated to the received candidate cell configuration on the basis of the configuration of the UE being used in the current serving cell, or the UE 910 may newly add and store the received configuration information. C) The UE 910 may change, to the received configuration information, configuration information different from the currently received candidate cell configuration among previously received candidate cell configurations, or may newly add and store the received configuration information. If a candidate cell configuration having a candidate cell ID differing from the candidate cell ID stored in the UE 910 exists in the list of the candidate cell configurations received from the serving node 920, the UE 910 may store a candidate cell configuration for a new candidate cell ID, paragraph 211).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Hwang with the teachings of Lin to manage candidate cell configurations by using a candidate cell ID of a candidate cell.
Consider claims 3 and 18, and as applied to claims 1 and 16 respectively above, Hwang discloses wherein the performing an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises:
if the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises configuration information of a current serving cell, applying the configuration information of the current serving cell in the configuration information of each candidate cell by default; or
if the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises configuration information of a current serving cell, continuing applying configuration information currently used by the current serving cell by default; or
if the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises configuration information of a current serving cell, determining whether to apply the configuration information of the current serving cell in the configuration information of each candidate cell according to a network indication (Referring to FIG. 26, in operation 2601, the terminal may receive, from a source node, an RRC configuration message including a serving cell reconfiguration and a list of candidate cell configurations for multiple candidate cells. Each candidate cell configuration may include a candidate cell ID, a CHO configuration, and a CHO trigger condition for each candidate cell, paragraph 401).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Hwang with the teachings of Lin to manage candidate cell configurations by using a candidate cell ID of a candidate cell.
Consider claim 4, and as applied to claim 3 above Hwang discloses wherein the determining whether to apply the configuration information of the current serving cell in the configuration information of each candidate cell according to a network indication comprises:
if the network indication of applying the configuration information of the current serving cell is received, applying the configuration information of the current serving cell in the configuration information of each candidate cell; or
if the network indication of not applying the configuration information of the current serving cell is received, continuing applying the configuration information currently used by the current serving cell (Referring to FIG. 26, in operation 2601, the terminal may receive, from a source node, an RRC configuration message including a serving cell reconfiguration and a list of candidate cell configurations for multiple candidate cells. Each candidate cell configuration may include a candidate cell ID, a CHO configuration, and a CHO trigger condition for each candidate cell, paragraph 401).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Hwang with the teachings of Lin to manage candidate cell configurations by using a candidate cell ID of a candidate cell.
Consider claims 5 and 20, and as applied to claims 1 and 16 respectively above, Hwang discloses wherein the performing an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell comprises:
if the RRC message further comprises serving cell change or addition indication information, performing one or more of the following operations on configuration information of each candidate cell (Referring to FIG. 26, in operation 2601, the terminal may receive, from a source node, an RRC configuration message including a serving cell reconfiguration and a list of candidate cell configurations for multiple candidate cells, paragraph 401):
applying common configuration information;
applying configuration information of a target serving cell corresponding to the serving cell change or addition indication information in the configuration information of each candidate cell by default;
continuing applying configuration information currently used by a current serving cell by default;
determining whether to apply configuration information of a target serving cell corresponding to the serving cell change or addition indication information in the configuration information of each candidate cell according to a network indication;
saving the configuration information of each candidate cell;
saving, among the configuration information of each candidate cell, configuration information of other candidate cell, excluding configuration information of a target serving cell (In operation 2613, the terminal may store an applicable candidate cell configuration, paragraph 407).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Hwang with the teachings of Lin to manage candidate cell configurations by using a candidate cell ID of a candidate cell.
Consider claims, 8 and 23, and as applied to claims 1 and 16 respectively above, Lin discloses wherein the method further comprises:
receiving serving cell change or addition indication information transmitted by the network device through L1 and/or L2, determining configuration information of a target serving cell corresponding to the serving cell change or addition indication information from the configuration information of each candidate cell stored, and applying the configuration information of the target serving cell.
Claims 9 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Hwang and further in view of Wang et al (US 20250106726, hereinafter Wang).
Consider claims 9 and 24, and as applied to claims 1 and 16 respectively above, the combination of Lin and Hwang does not expressly disclose wherein the storage operation comprises: adopting a new variable to store the configuration information of each candidate cell.
In the same field of endeavor, Wang discloses wherein the storage operation comprises: adopting a new variable to store the configuration information of each candidate cell (the reference configuration may be stored in one UE variable, paragraph 81; Then the terminal device 120 may store the second configurations for the candidate cells in a variable of the terminal device 120, paragraph 85).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to store configuration information in a variable as disclosed in Wang, in the system of Lin as modified by Hwang in order to apply the configuration.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on page 13 that Lin at most describes that the terminal may configure a primary cell and/or a secondary cell when subsequent cell handover occurs, but that in claim 1 the terminal can perform an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell when receiving configuration information of each candidate cell pre-configured and related to L1/L2 mobility.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees as claim 1 requires a terminal receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message transmitted by a network device, wherein the RRC message comprises configuration information of each candidate cell pre-configured and related to L1/L2 mobility; and performing an application operation and/or a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell.
Lin discloses a terminal receiving from a base station candidate configuration information including several preset cell configurations from which the terminal may select when a handover occurs [i.e. performing an application operation], which implies a storage operation on the configuration information of each candidate cell.
Applicant also submits on page 14 that Lin at most describes some configuration information of the physical layer, but that Lin is completely silent about that the physical layer configuration information, MAC layer configuration information, RLC layer configuration information, and/or PDCP layer configuration information are targeted to configuration of the physical layer, the MAC layer, the RLC layer, and/or the PDCP layer corresponding to each candidate cell pre-configured and related to L1/L2 mobility.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees as Applicant admits that Lin discloses configuration information of the physical layer and amended claim 1 requires at least one of physical layer configuration information, MAC layer configuration information, RLC layer configuration information, and/or PDCP layer configuration information.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GERMAN VIANA DI PRISCO whose telephone number is (571)270-1781. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8:30-5:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, RAFAEL PEREZ-GUTIERREZ can be reached at (571) 272-7915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GERMAN VIANA DI PRISCO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
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