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 .
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) 1-2, 5-6, 9-10 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20230269607) in view of Da Silva (US 20230363028), and further in view of Uemura (US 20170078984).
With respect to independent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 1/5/9/13, Wang teaches A method performed by a user equipment (UE) ([Fig.1], terminal 130) configured with a master cell group (MCG) ([Fig.1], the terminal may be served by a MCG 150 and SCG 160) for a master node (MN) ([0034 and Fig.1], “The network device 110 serves the terminal device 130 as the MN.”) and a secondary cell group (SCG) ([Fig.1], the terminal may be served by a MCG 150 and SCG 160)for a secondary node (SN) ([0034 and Fig.1], “while the network device 120 serves the terminal device 130 as the SN.”) , the method comprising:
receiving ... a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message ([0064], “the network device 110 may transmit an RRCReconfiguration message to indicate the SCG suspension.” And [0086], “The network device 110 transmits 608 to the terminal device 130 a message to indicate the SCG resumption. This message may be referred to as a SCG resumption message ... the SCG resumption message may be an RRCReconfiguration message.”)
identifying whether an indication for the SCG deactivation is included in the RRC reconfiguration message ([0064 and 0086], the network may send a SCG suspension indication or SCG resumption indication to a terminal device. [0081], “upon receiving the SCG suspension indication, the terminal device 130 may ... suspending the SCG transmission for all the SRBs and DRBs.”) ... ;
based on identifying that the indication for the SCG deactivation is included in the RRC reconfiguration message ... performing the SCG deactivation ([0081], “upon receiving the SCG suspension indication, the terminal device 130 may perform one or more of the following: ... suspending the SCG transmission for all the SRBs and DRBs ... triggering the PDCP entity of the SRB3 to perform the SDU discard.”), wherein the SCG deactivation includes triggering a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity associated with the SRB 3 to discard a service data unit (SDU) ([0081], “upon receiving the SCG suspension indication, the terminal device 130 may perform one or more of the following: ... suspending the SCG transmission for all the SRBs and DRBs ... triggering the PDCP entity of the SRB3 to perform the SDU discard.”).;
based on identifying that the indication for the SCG deactivation is not included in the RRC reconfiguration message ... ([0095], “This indication may be also referred to as “second indication” or “SCG resumption indication” ... the network device 110 may transmit an RRCReconfiguration message to indicate the SCG resumption.” So, SCG suspension indication is not included.) and ReconfigurationWithSync is included in the RRC reconfiguration message ([0098], “the upper value “t3xx” for the timer T3xx may be indicated to the terminal device 130 along with the SCG resumption indication.” And [0099], “the timer T3xx may reuse an existing timer, for example a timer T304 for reconfiguration with synch.” In other words, timer value for the “reconfiguration with synch” is indicated in the SCG resumption indication.) ... performing a random access procedure for a configured cell ([0100], “Upon receiving the SCG resumption indication, the terminal device 130 initiates 708 a random access (RA) procedure on the PSCell 160-1.”).
However, Wang does not teach receiving, via a signaling radio bearer 3 (SRB3), a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.
In an analogous art, Da Silva teaches receiving, from the SN, a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message via a signaling radio bearer 3 (SRB3) that is a direct SRB between the SN and the UE ([0176 and Fig.13, step 1], “the UE receives the SN RRC reconfiguration message via SRB3.” Since the UE receives the RRC message via the SRB3 directly, so it would have suggested that there is a direct SRB between the UE and SN.);
...
identifying whether an indication for SCG deactivation is included in the RRC reconfiguration message ([0176], “the SN RRC reconfiguration can contain the information as described in step 1 above. Some of the UE actions upon reception have been described in Step 1, such as the suspension or resumption of the SCG transmissions depending on the mode of operation set by the SN.”) received via the SRB 3 ([0176], “the UE receives the SN RRC reconfiguration message via SRB3.”);
...
based on identifying that the indication for the SCG deactivation is not included in the RRC reconfiguration message received via the SRB 3 ([0169], CellGroupConfig IE may be transmitted in a RRC message.):
in case that ReconfigurationWithSync is included in the RRC reconfiguration message ([0169], “The UE performs the following actions based on a received CellGroupConfig IE: [0170] 1> if the CellGroupConfig contains the spCellConfig with reconfigurationWithSync: [0171] 2> perform Reconfiguration with sync according to 5.3.5.5.2.”), performing a random access procedure for a configured cell ([0176], “There may be further UE actions regarding the reconfiguration with sync behavior (e.g. timing to perform Random Access towards the target PSCell).”) received via the SRB 3 ([0176], “the UE receives the SN RRC reconfiguration message via SRB3.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Wang to specify receiving a SRB3 message as taught by Da Silva. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need for reconfiguration.
However, the combination of Wang and Da Silva does not teach in case that a primary SCG cell (PSCell) is newly added or changed, triggering a power headroom report.
In an analogous art, Uemura teaches based on identifying that the indication for the SCG deactivation is not included in the RRC reconfiguration message received ([Fig.5 and 0157], “The RRC connection reconfiguration message in Step S201 in FIG. 5 is an RRC connection reconfiguration message indicating addition of the cell in the secondary cell group.” So, the RRC message does not include SCG deactivation.)...
in case that a primary SCG cell (PSCell) is newly added or changed, triggering a power headroom report ([0159], “The terminal device 1 that adds the primary secondary cell triggers the power headroom report (Step S203).”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Wang to specify addition of a cell in second cell group as taught by Uemura. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to report power headroom when a new cell is added.
With respect to dependent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 2/6/10/14, Wang teaches re-establishing a radio link control (RLC) entity associated with the SRB 3 ([0081], “upon receiving the SCG suspension indication, the terminal device 130 may perform one or more of the following: ... re-establishing the RLC entity of the SRB3.”).
Claim(s) 3-4, 7-8, 11-12 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Da Silva and Uemura, and further in view of Chang (US 20220217801).
Regarding claim(s) 3/7/11/15, Chang teaches in case that the SCG is deactivated based on the identified indication ([0294], “after receiving dual connectivity deactivation indication information sent by the first network device, the terminal device determines to perform at least one of the following operations.” And [0236], “dual connectivity deactivation, secondary cell group deactivation, or secondary network device (SN) deactivation are equivalent.”), configuration for the SCG is maintained and transmission to the SCG is suspended ([0294], “including (1) if a secondary cell group bearer is configured, stopping data transmission over the secondary cell bearer, but maintaining a data transmission status of the secondary cell bearer.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Wang to specify maintaining SCG as taught by Chang. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to resume SCG connection faster ([0313,] Chang).
Regarding claim(s) 4/8/12/16, Chang teaches based on the identified indication for the SCG deactivation ([0294], “after receiving dual connectivity deactivation indication information sent by the first network device, the terminal device determines to perform at least one of the following operations.”), setting a value of ul-data split threshold for a split bearer to an infinite value and a primary path based on the MCG ([0294], “if a split bearer is configured, stopping data transmission over the split bearer in the secondary cell group, and/or determining that the primary path is the master cell group, and setting the uplink data split threshold to be infinite.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Wang to specify split threshold as taught by Chang. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to stop data transmission in the SCG.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims filed on 10/22/2025 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection in instant Office action does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the Applicant’s arguments.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/ZHIREN QIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2411