DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. 19/264,781 filed on 07/09/2025 is presented for examination by the examiner.
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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1, 2, 5, 8, 9 and 11 are amended. Claims 4 and 13-20 are cancelled. Claims 21-24 are added. Claims 1-3, 5-12 and 21-24 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see Remarks, filed on 01/13/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1-3, 5-12 and 21-24 have been considered but are not persuasive because the arguments do not apply to the references as used in the current rejection. Examiner provides a new ground(s) of rejections to address Applicant’s arguments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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.
The factual inquiries 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 nonobviousness.
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 1-3, 5-7, 9-12 and 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rune et al. (Pub. No. US 2024/0259088 A1 hereinafter Rune) in view of Bergstrom et al. (Pub. No. US 2019/0223178 A1 hereinafter Bergstrom).
Regarding claim 1, Rune teaches “a wireless communication method,” as [(Para. 0412), communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols] “comprising: transmitting, by a first device, a first message, wherein the first message comprises a request for positioning of a terminal device:” as [(Para. 0230), This may be controlled by the network, e.g., by requesting the UE to provide its location…. (Para. 0093), the network controls how and when a UE reports the TA that the UE uses (or the UE location, based on which the network can calculate the UE TA), so that the reporting may be tailored to the uplink scheduling strategy (and Koffset setting) that the network uses] “in response to the first message, receiving, by the first device timing advance (TA) information of the terminal device;” [(Para. 0058), the UE may autonomously update its TA based on estimation of changes in the UE-gNB round trip time (RTT) using the UE's location (e.g., obtained from GNSS measurement) and knowledge of the serving satellite's ephemeris data and feeder link delay information from the gNB.].
However, Rune does not specifically disclose receiving, by the first device, capability information for autonomous TA adjustment of the terminal device.
In an analogous art, Bergstrom teaches “receiving, by the first device, capability information for autonomous TA adjustment of the terminal device” as [(Para. 0078), the timing adjustment is applied by the wireless device for the transmit time of the uplink signals transmitted by the wireless device. The timing adjustment may be applied by the wireless device based on adjustments based on request received from another node e.g. applying TA command which is received from the network node…. (Para. 0177), the network node receiving signals from wireless device 58 may also adapt one or more parameters associated with its receiver for receiving signals from wireless device 58 as discussed above with respect to Block S132. The adaptation of the receiver may be based on at least the set of autonomous timing adjustment parameters used by wireless device 58 for transmitting signals and that are derived by wireless device 58 based on at least the numerology used in the uplink.].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings as in Rune to provide an effective technique as taught by Bergstrom for determine timing adjustment parameters based on numerology parameter(s) and then adjust the timing of a transmission based on the timing adjustment parameter. These arrangements allow for the preservation of network node reception performance [Bergstrom: Para. 0025].
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “further comprising: receiving, by the first device, measurement information of terminal device,” as [(Para. 0177), the network node receiving signals from wireless device 58 may also adapt one or more parameters associated with its receiver for receiving signals from wireless device 58 as discussed above with respect to Block S132.] “wherein the measurement information comprises one or more of the following items: measurement quantity, or time-of-arrival measured by the terminal device, and wherein the measurement quantity comprises measurement results of signals transmitted between the terminal device and one or more access network devices; and the measurement results comprise one or more of the following items: reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal time difference (RSTD), or relative time of arrival (RTOA)” [(Para. 0074), the term “radio measurement” used herein may refer to any measurement performed on radio signals. Radio measurements can be absolute or relative. Radio measurements can be e.g. intra-frequency, inter-frequency, CA, etc. Radio measurements can be unidirectional (e.g., DL or UL) or bidirectional (e.g., round trip time, RTT, Rx-Tx, etc.). Some examples of radio measurements: timing measurements (e.g., time of arrival (TOA), timing advance, round trip time (RTT), RSTD, SSTD, Rx-Tx, propagation delay, etc.), angle measurements (e.g., angle of arrival), power-based measurements (e.g., received signal power, RSRP, received signal quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise, SINR, signal to noise ratio, SNR, channel state information, CSI, channel quality index, CQI, PMI, interference power, total interference plus noise, received signal strength indicator, RSSI, noise power, etc.), cell detection or identification, beam detection or identification, system information reading (e.g. acquisition of management information base, MIB, and/or one or more SIBs, etc.), acquisition of cell global ID (CGI), RLM.].
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “wherein the TA information comprises one or more of the following items: a first TA value adopted by the terminal device; duration for which the terminal device adopts the first TA value; or information about a TA timer” as [(Para. 0118), For each TA value applied by the wireless device, the wireless device has a TA Timer (TAT) which determines whether the TA value is valid or not.].
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “further comprising: determining, by the first device, first information based on the at least one of timing advance (TA) information of a terminal device or capability information for autonomous TA adjustment of the terminal device,” as [(Para. 0168), In an alternative embodiment, the timing adjustment parameter determination code 38 is configured to determine at least a first timing adjustment parameter based on at least a first numerology parameter. In some embodiments, the first timing adjustment parameter is determined autonomously by the wireless device 28, as described below.] “wherein the first information is associated with a second TA value autonomously adjusted by the terminal device” [(Para. 0168), Any one or more of the autonomous timing adjustment parameters for example may be determined based on any one or more of the following exemplary principles, which may be pre-defined or configured by the network node at wireless device 58].
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Rune teaches “wherein the first information is determined based on one or more of the following items: first relationship between a measurement quantity and the TA value of the terminal device, wherein the measurement quantity comprises measurement results of signals transmitted between the terminal device and one or more access network devices; second relationship between a change quantity of the measurement quantity and the TA value; third relationship between a location of the terminal device and the TA value; or transmission delay between the terminal device and a plurality of access network devices” as [(Para. 0175), UE's position at the time when the UE last reported its TA… (Para. 0229), The reference position may be the UE's location at the time of TAdynamic provision from the network (after which the provided TAdynamic changes with the passing of time) and the resulting TAdynamic, at any moment in time, is equal to the RTT between the gNB and the reference position (which is the sum of the feeder link RTT (i.e., the RTT between the gNB/GW and the satellite) and the RTT between the satellite and the reference position).].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “wherein the first information is determined during a process of location calculation for the terminal device” as [(Para. 0040), FIG. 2 is a block diagram of timing advance of uplink transmissions depending on distance to the node… (Para. 0113), The maximum distance between the wireless device and the gNB depends on the maximum TA value applied by the wireless device. If the maximum supported TA value is small the supported distance between the wireless device and the eNB is smaller as compared to the maximum supported TA value].
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “further comprising: receiving indication information transmitted by the first device, wherein the indication information indicates the first information” as [(Para. 0182), In some embodiments, the first timing adjustment parameter is a timing advance command (interpreted as the indication information) received from a network node.].
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “wherein the first information indicates one or more of the following items: the terminal device has autonomously adjusted the TA value;” as [(Para. 0129), In some embodiments, the first timing adjustment parameter is determined autonomously by the wireless device 28, as described below. The timing adjustment code 40 is configured to adjust the timing of an uplink transmission based on the first timing adjustment parameter] “the terminal device has adjusted the TA value to the second TA value;” [(Para. 0133), The process may be performed by the processing circuitry 30 or modules 37, 39, 41 and 43, and includes obtaining at least a first timing adjustment parameter, Pt11, and a second timing adjustment parameter, Pt12, associated with a first numerology and a second numerology, respectively (block S106] “difference between the second TA value and a first TA value adopted by the terminal device;” [(Para. 0133), The process also includes selecting the timing adjustment parameter, Pt11 or Pt12, based on the determined numerology used by the wireless device for transmitting uplink signals (block S110).] “and effective time of the second TA value” [(Para. 0027), the method further includes determining a second timing adjustment parameter based on a second numerology parameter].
Regarding claim 11, Rune teaches “a wireless communication method,” as [(Para. 0412), communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols] “comprising: receiving by the terminal device, indication information indicating first information,” [(Para. 0160), Using any of the above described signaling, the network, e.g. a gNB, may in some embodiments configure a UE with instructions regarding the UE's autonomous TA adaptation/updating and/or TA or location reporting, wherein the instructions may indicate one or more of the following…] “wherein the first information comprises one or more of the following: first relationship between a measurement quantity and a TA value of the terminal device, wherein the measurement quantity comprises measurement results of signals transmitted between the terminal device and one or more access network devices; second relationship between a change quantity of the measurement quantity and the TA value; third relationship between a location of the terminal device and the TA value; or transmission delay between the terminal device and one or more access network devices;” [(Para. 0175), UE's position at the time when the UE last reported its TA… (Para. 0229), The reference position may be the UE's location at the time of TAdynamic provision from the network (after which the provided TAdynamic changes with the passing of time) and the resulting TAdynamic, at any moment in time, is equal to the RTT between the gNB and the reference position (which is the sum of the feeder link RTT (i.e., the RTT between the gNB/GW and the satellite) and the RTT between the satellite and the reference position).].
However, Rune does not specifically disclose transmitting, by a terminal device capability information for autonomous timing advance (TA) adjustment of the terminal device; and determining, by the terminal device, a second TA value based on the first information.
In an analogous art, Bergstrom teaches “transmitting, by a terminal device capability information for autonomous timing advance (TA) adjustment of the terminal device” as [(Para. 0078), the timing adjustment is applied by the wireless device for the transmit time of the uplink signals transmitted by the wireless device. The timing adjustment may be applied by the wireless device based on adjustments based on request received from another node e.g. applying TA command which is received from the network node…. (Para. 0177), the network node receiving signals from wireless device 58 may also adapt one or more parameters associated with its receiver for receiving signals from wireless device 58 as discussed above with respect to Block S132. The adaptation of the receiver may be based on at least the set of autonomous timing adjustment parameters used by wireless device 58 for transmitting signals and that are derived by wireless device 58 based on at least the numerology used in the uplink.] “and determining, by the terminal device, a second TA value based on the first information” [(Para. 0027), determining a second timing adjustment parameter based on a second numerology parameter].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings as in Rune to provide an effective technique as taught by Bergstrom for determine timing adjustment parameters based on numerology parameter(s) and then adjust the timing of a transmission based on the timing adjustment parameter. These arrangements allow for the preservation of network node reception performance [Bergstrom: Para. 0025].
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 2.
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Rune and Bergstrom, specifically Bergstrom teaches “further comprising: transmitting the second TA value” as [(Para. 0122), This embodiment may be realized by the eNB configuring a first duration for the TAT associated with a TA value used for transmissions of a first numerology and a second duration for a TAT associated with a TA value used for transmissions of a second numerology].
Regarding claim 22, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 11, including “a terminal device,” as [(Bergstrom: Para. 0066), The term “network node” used herein may refer to a radio network node or another network node, e.g., a core network node, MSC, MME, O&M, OSS, SON, positioning node (e.g. E-SMLC), MDT node, etc.] “comprising: at least one processor;” [(Bergstrom: Para. 0134), Network node 44 includes processing circuitry 46. Processing circuitry 46 includes memory 48 and processor 50] “and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media coupled to the at least one processor” [(Bergstrom: Para. 0134), Processor 50 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and/or reading from) memory 48, which may comprise any kind of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and/or buffer memory and/or RAM (Random Access Memory) and/or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and/or optical memory and/or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).] “and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the programming instructions, when executed, cause the core network device to perform operations comprising…” [(Bergstrom: Para. 0134), Such memory 48 may be configured to store code executable by processor 50 and/or other data, e.g., data pertaining to communication, e.g., configuration and/or address data of nodes, etc.].
Regarding claim 23, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 12.
Regarding claim 24, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 21.
Allowable Subject Matters
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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 NATALI N PASCUAL PEGUERO whose telephone number is (571)272-4691. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11AM-9PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ASAD M NAWAZ can be reached at (571)272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATALI PASCUAL PEGUERO/Examiner, Art Unit 2463
/ASAD M NAWAZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2463