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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/4/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, and 15 are pending.
Response to Amendment
This communication is in response to amendment filed on 11/2/2022. Claims 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, and 15 are pending.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agarwal et al. (US Pub. No. 2018/0049275) in view of Djordjevic et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0320376) in view of Liljenstam et al. (US Pub. No. 2017/0251370).
Regarding claims 1, 7, and 13, Agarwal discloses a wireless network system (see figures 3-6 and 9-12), a method, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (paragraph 111) containing instructions which, when executed at a processor (paragraph 11 in view of figure 8 processor 802; paragraph 96), causes the processor to perform steps comprising:
a 2G-capable radio base station (figures 9-12: CWS 900, 1000, 1100, 1200 including 2G BTS/BSC 901, 1001, 1101, 1201) including a base transceiver station (BTS) (see figures 9-12 2G BTS/BSC 901-1201) and providing certain base station control (BSC) functionality (paragraph 97: 2G RAT 901 including BTS and BSC (functionality));
a multi-radio access network (multi-RAT) gateway (figures 3-6 HNG 301-601 and 9-12 HNG 904-1204; paragraphs 80, 97, 101, 105) in communication with the radio base station (see figures 9-12: HNG communicates with CWS including 2G BTS/BSC) and providing certain BSC functionality not provided by the radio base station (paragraphs 61 and 73: handovers between radio access networks) and providing gateway functionality for one or more 4G eNodeBs to a 4G core network (see figures 3-6: HNG 301-601 provides gateway functionality to 4G enodeBs 304b-604b; figure 9: 4G gateway 908 and 4G eNB 903; paragraph 100),
wherein a 2G base station subsystem (BSS) manages a packet switched path (see figures 9 and 12: 2G BTS/BSC 910 and 1210 manages a IuPS (packet-switched) connection to HNG; paragraph 99);
wherein the radio base station hosts a Packet Control Unit (PCU) function (see figures 3-6: left box/convergence gateway/CWS handles ALL IP/packet; paragraphs 79-83);
wherein the multi-RAT gateway manages a circuit switched (CS) path and a packet switched (PS) path for the 2G base station subsystem (see figures 9 and 12: HNG manages IuCS (circuit-switched) and IuPS (packet switched) for the 2G BTS/BSC 910 and 1210; paragraph 99);
wherein the multi-RAT gateway acts as a virtual BSC for a plurality of BTS on its access side (paragraphs 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 61, and 73: Paragraphs 47 and 48 disclose convergence/multi-RAT gateway acts as virtual proxy between BTSes and (MCS) core network. Paragraphs 61 and 73 teaches the convergence gateway handles handovers between radio access networks which is one of BSC functionality).
Agarwal does not teach wherein a remote gateway (RGW) runs inside the radio base station (CWS) and handles radio resource management functions.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Djordjevic discloses a 2G-capable (paragraphs 35 and 39: 2G/GSM network) converged wireless system (CWS) (see figures 4 and 5) including a base transceiver station (BTS) (figure 12 Radio interface 1210 of Radio base station/eNB of figures 4 and 5) and providing certain base station control (BSC) functionality (see figure 12, UE Measurement Handler, RAN connectivity Handler, X2 handler, etc., paragraph 73), wherein a remote gateway (RGW) runs inside the CWS and handles radio resource management functions (figure 2 eNB RRC (Radio Resource Control) functions/box is considered a remote gateway since it performs the same functions (radio resource management functions); paragraph 40) and a node (SDN controller) (see figures 4 and 5 SDN controller).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in Agarwal a remote gateway (RGW) runs inside the radio base station (CWS) and handles radio resource management functions.
The motivation would have been for distributed functionality between nodes.
Agarwal further teaches Abis between BTS and BSC (see figure 1 101b and 101c; paragraph 41).
Agarwal does not teach communications between the BTS layers and RGW layers uses Abis over an IP interface.
In the same field of endeavor, Liljenstam discloses communications between the BTS layers and RGW layers uses Abis over an IP interface (see figures 2 and 4; paragraphs 47 and 59: figure 2 shows an Abis over IP between BTS and BSC).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in Agarwal communication between the BTS layers and RGW layers uses Abis over an IP interface.
The motivation would have been for circuit-switched over IP transport.
Regarding claims 3, 9, and 15, all limitations in claims 1, 7, and 13 are disclosed above. Agarwal teaches the multi-RAT gateway completely manages the BTS (figures 9-12; paragraphs 44, 47-50, 61, 73, 97-107: HNG manages the BTS via many interfaces, 2G Iuh, SON, S1-AP, etc.) and acts as a virtual BSC for a large number of BTS on its access side (see figure 5 Iuh interface with PW 2G base station; figures 9 and 12: IuCS and IuPS interface for managing with 2G BTS/BSC; thus, acting as a virtual base station controller; paragraphs 44, 47-50, 61, and 73).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/4/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In page 6 of Remark, regarding independent claims, the Applicant argues Djordjevic does not teach “providing certain BSC functionality not provided by the radio base station.” Examiner notes the limitation are disclosed by Agrawal’s paragraphs 61 and 73 which teach the multi-RAT gateway handles handovers between radio access networks which is a BSC functionality.
In page 7 of Remark, regarding independent claims, the Applicant argues that Agrawal does not teach providing certain BSC functionality not provided by the radio base station.” Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Agrawal’s paragraphs 47-48 disclose multi-RAT gateway acts as virtual proxy between RATs and core network. Paragraphs 61 and 73 discloses the multi-RAT gateway performs handovers between radio network access which is a BSC functionality.
In page 7 of Remark, the Applicant argues that Agrawal does not teach wherein the multi-RAT gateway acts as a virtual BSC for a plurality of BTS on its access side. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Agrawal’s paragraphs 47-48 disclose multi-RAT gateway acts as virtual proxy between RATs and core network. Paragraphs 61 and 73 discloses the multi-RAT gateway performs handovers between radio network access which is a BSC functionality. Thus, Agrawal discloses the multi-RAT gateway acts as a virtual BSC for a plurality of BTS on its access side.
Conclusion
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/TITO Q PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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