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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 01/20/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 have been amended.
Claims 3, 8, 13 and 18 have been canceled.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 10-12, 15-17 and 20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1, 6, 11 and 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 10-12, 15-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thoralf Czichy, (Nokia 5G RAN optimization using O-RAN software community’s RIC ONS Europe Sept-23-2019) in view of Sartori et al. (US 20220217046 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Thoralf teaches a method performed by an E2 node (Slide 12 and 13, RT RIC within O-RAN alliance architecture), the method comprising:
transmitting to a radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) an indication message to (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC) via an E2 interface (Slide 2 showing E2 interface),
wherein the RIC indication message is transmitted based on detection of an event trigger configured by a previous successful RIC subscription procedure initiated by the RIC (detect trigger step 1 after the subscription procedure, Fig in page 13; RIC Event Trigger approach. Describes the approach to be used in RIC Subscription messages to set RIC Event Trigger Definition in the RAN Function. For example , the X2 interface RAN Function may support event triggers for a specific X2 interface (i.e. connected to a specific LTE eNB), for a given interface direction, interface Message type and one or more specific values in one or more nominated IEs (Information Elements), page 10),
wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication), and
wherein the indication type information indicates one of an ‘insert’ type or a ‘report’ type (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (Subscription , Report or insert));
wherein the procedure code value indicates an E2 application protocol (E2AP) procedure, including at least one of. RIC subscription, E2 setup, RIC indication, RIC control, RIC service update or RIC service query (indication (subscription, report), step 2 page 13).
However, Thoralf does not clearly teach wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type information, an RIC request identifier (ID), and a RAN function ID.
In an analogous art, Sartori teaches wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type information (The message may be customized in dependence upon a type of a radio access network function receiving the message, [0093]; wherein the message type is sent from a node to another node such as, [0068], table of Fig. 8), an RIC request identifier (ID) (The message comprises information on the sender and the receiver of the message. The sender may be a CU-CP or a RIC and the receiver may be a CU-CP, CU-UP or a DU, [0093]), and a RAN function ID (An ECGI is used for identifying cells globally. An ECGI comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code and an E-UTRAN cell identifier, [0094]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the system of Thoralf with the message parameter of Sartori to provide a method and a system with the advantage of a radio access network function comprising a broker for collecting and delivering information is that a radio access network function may comprise a plurality of machine learning algorithms that need the same data and with a broker function it may be avoided that each algorithm requests the same data separately as suggested, Sartori [0104].
Regarding claim 2, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the indication type information indicates a message type related to an RIC service relayed to the RIC (Thoralf, slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (subscription is report or insert) and Slice 19, Rest API subscription manager service).
Regarding claim 5, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the method of claim 1. Thoralf teaches wherein the RIC is a near real time (RT) RIC (Slice 12, RIC – near -RT RIC), and wherein the E2 node is one of an open radio access network (0-RAN) distributed unit (0-DU), an O-RAN central unit-control plane (0-CU-CP), an O-RAN central unit - user plane (0-CU-UP), or an O-RAN eNodeB (0-eNB) (slice 7, Near-RT RIC within the O-RAN).
Regarding claim 6, Thoralf teaches a method performed by a radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) (Slide 12 and 13, RT RIC within O-RAN alliance architecture), the method comprising:
receiving an RIC indication message from an E2 node (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC) via an E2 interface (Slide 2 showing E2 interface), wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication), and wherein the indication type information indicates one of an 'insert' type or a 'report' type (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (Subscription, Report or insert)),
wherein the RIC indication message is transmitted based on detection of an event trigger configured by a previous successful RIC subscription procedure initiated by the RIC (detect trigger step 1 after the subscription procedure, Fig in page 13; RIC Event Trigger approach. Describes the approach to be used in RIC Subscription messages to set RIC Event Trigger Definition in the RAN Function. For example , the X2 interface RAN Function may support event triggers for a specific X2 interface (i.e. connected to a specific LTE eNB), for a given interface direction, interface Message type and one or more specific values in one or more nominated IEs (Information Elements), page 10),
wherein the procedure code value indicates an E2 application protocol (E2AP) procedure, including at least one of. RIC subscription, E2 setup, RIC indication, RIC control, RIC service update or RIC service query (indication (subscription, report), step 2 page 13).
However, Thoralf does not clearly teach wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type, an RIC request identifier (ID), and a RAN function ID.
In an analogous art, Sartori teaches wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type (The message may be customized in dependence upon a type of a radio access network function receiving the message, [0093], table of Fig. 8), an RIC request identifier (ID) (The message comprises information on the sender and the receiver of the message. The sender may be a CU-CP or a RIC and the receiver may be a CU-CP, CU-UP or a DU, [0093]), and a RAN function ID (An ECGI is used for identifying cells globally. An ECGI comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code and an E-UTRAN cell identifier, [0094]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the system of Thoralf with the message parameter of Sartori to provide a method and a system with the advantage of a radio access network function comprising a broker for collecting and delivering information is that a radio access network function may comprise a plurality of machine learning algorithms that need the same data and with a broker function it may be avoided that each algorithm requests the same data separately as suggested, Sartori [0104].
Regarding claim 7, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the indication type information indicates a message type related to an RIC service relayed to the RIC (Thoralf , Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (subscription is report or insert) and Slice 19, Rest API subscription manager service).
Regarding claim 10, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the method of claim 6. Thoralf teaches wherein the RIC is a near real time (RT) RIC (Slice 12, RIC – near -RT RIC), and wherein the E2 node comprises an open radio access network (0-RAN) distributed unit (0-DU), an O-RAN central unit-control plane (0-CU-CP), an O-RAN central unit - user plane (0-CU-UP), or an O-RAN eNodeB (0-eNB) (slice 7, Near-RT RIC within the O-RAN).
Regarding claim 11, Thoralf teaches an apparatus functioning as an E2 node (Slide 12 and 13, RT RIC within O-RAN alliance architecture), the apparatus comprising: at least one transceiver (E2 termination, slice 18); and at least one processor coupled with the at least one transceiver (E2 manager, slice 18), wherein the at least one processor is configured to: transmit a radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) indication message to an RIC (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC ) via an E2 interface (Slide 2 showing E2 interface), wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication), and wherein the indication type information indicates one of an 'insert' type or a 'report' type (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (subscription is report or insert)),
wherein the RIC indication message is transmitted based on detection of an event trigger configured by a previous successful RIC subscription procedure initiated by the RIC (detect trigger step 1 after the subscription procedure, Fig in page 13; RIC Event Trigger approach. Describes the approach to be used in RIC Subscription messages to set RIC Event Trigger Definition in the RAN Function. For example , the X2 interface RAN Function may support event triggers for a specific X2 interface (i.e. connected to a specific LTE eNB), for a given interface direction, interface Message type and one or more specific values in one or more nominated IEs (Information Elements), page 10),
wherein the procedure code value indicates an E2 application protocol (E2AP) procedure, including at least one of. RIC subscription, E2 setup, RIC indication, RIC control, RIC service update or RIC service query (indication (subscription, report), step 2 page 13).
However, Thoralf does not clearly teach wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type, an RIC request identifier (ID), and a RAN function ID.
In an analogous art, Sartori teaches wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type (The message may be customized in dependence upon a type of a radio access network function receiving the message, [0093], table of Fig. 8), an RIC request identifier (ID) (The message comprises information on the sender and the receiver of the message. The sender may be a CU-CP or a RIC and the receiver may be a CU-CP, CU-UP or a DU, [0093]), and a RAN function ID (An ECGI is used for identifying cells globally. An ECGI comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code and an E-UTRAN cell identifier, [0094]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the system of Thoralf with the message parameter of Sartori to provide a method and a system with the advantage of a radio access network function comprising a broker for collecting and delivering information is that a radio access network function may comprise a plurality of machine learning algorithms that need the same data and with a broker function it may be avoided that each algorithm requests the same data separately as suggested, Sartori [0104].
Regarding claim 12, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the apparatus of claim 11, wherein the indication type indicates a message type related to an RIC service relayed to the RIC (Thoralf , Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (subscription is report or insert) and Slice 19, Rest API subscription manager service).
Regarding claim 15, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the apparatus of claim 11. Thoralf teaches wherein the RIC is a near real time (RT) RIC (Slice 12, RIC – near -RT RIC), and wherein the E2 node comprises an O-RAN distributed unit (0-DU), an O-RAN central unit-control plane (0-CU-CP), an O-RAN central unit - user plane (0-CU-UP), or an O-RAN eNodeB (0-eNB) (slice 7, Near-RT RIC within the O-RAN).
Regarding claim 16, Thoralf teaches an apparatus functioning as a radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) (Slide 12 and 13, RT RIC within O-RAN alliance architecture), the apparatus comprising: at least one transceiver (E2 termination, slice 18); and at least one processor coupled with the at least one transceiver (E2 manager, slice 18), wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive an RIC indication message from an E2 node (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC) via an E2 interface (Slide 2 showing E2 interface) via an E2 interface (Slide 2 showing E2 interface), wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication), and wherein the indication type information indicates one of an 'insert' type or a 'report' type (Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (subscription is report or insert)),
wherein the RIC indication message is transmitted based on detection of an event trigger configured by a previous successful RIC subscription procedure initiated by the RIC (detect trigger step 1 after the subscription procedure, Fig in page 13; RIC Event Trigger approach. Describes the approach to be used in RIC Subscription messages to set RIC Event Trigger Definition in the RAN Function. For example , the X2 interface RAN Function may support event triggers for a specific X2 interface (i.e. connected to a specific LTE eNB), for a given interface direction, interface Message type and one or more specific values in one or more nominated IEs (Information Elements), page 10),
wherein the procedure code value indicates an E2 application protocol (E2AP) procedure, including at least one of. RIC subscription, E2 setup, RIC indication, RIC control, RIC service update or RIC service query (indication (subscription, report), step 2 page 13).
However, Thoralf does not clearly teach wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type, an RIC request identifier (ID), and a RAN function ID.
In an analogous art, Sartori teaches wherein the RIC indication message comprises indication type information, a message type (The message may be customized in dependence upon a type of a radio access network function receiving the message, [0093], table of Fig. 8), an RIC request identifier (ID) (The message comprises information on the sender and the receiver of the message. The sender may be a CU-CP or a RIC and the receiver may be a CU-CP, CU-UP or a DU, [0093]), and a RAN function ID (An ECGI is used for identifying cells globally. An ECGI comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code and an E-UTRAN cell identifier, [0094]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the system of Thoralf with the message parameter of Sartori to provide a method and a system with the advantage of a radio access network function comprising a broker for collecting and delivering information is that a radio access network function may comprise a plurality of machine learning algorithms that need the same data and with a broker function it may be avoided that each algorithm requests the same data separately as suggested, Sartori [0104].
Regarding claim 17, Thoralf as modified by Sartori and Cho teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the indication type indicates a message type related to an RIC service relayed to the RIC (Thoralf , Slide 13 Unit 2, indication sent by RAN to RIC, indication (subscription is report or insert) and Slice 19, Rest API subscription manager service).
Regarding claim 20, Thoralf as modified by Sartori teaches the apparatus of claim 16. Thoralf teaches wherein the RIC is a near real time (RT) RIC (Slice 12, RIC – near -RT RIC), and wherein the E2 node comprises an O-RAN distributed unit (0-DU), an O-RAN central unit-control plane (0-CU-CP), an O-RAN central unit - user plane (0-CU-UP), or an O-RAN eNodeB (0-eNB) (slice 7, Near-RT RIC within the O-RAN).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Giswani (US 7917624 B2): A wireless network having control plane segregation is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary network architecture includes, but is not limited to, multiple access points coupled to a wired network, where each of the access points is capable of communicating with one or more mobile nodes over a wireless network. The exemplary network architecture further includes a controller coupled to the access points over the wired network, where the controller maintains network traffic information of the wireless network and communicates the network traffic information with the access points to enable the access points to cooperate with each other to provide network services to the one or more mobile nodes over the wireless network. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
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 NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS whose telephone number is (571)270-0671. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS/Examiner, Art Unit 2641
/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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