DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to Amendment filed on 12/30/2025. Claims 1 and 19-20 have been
amended. Claims 1, 3-4, 10-16 and 19-20 remain pending in the application.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/30/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed on 12/30/2025 has been entered.
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Applicant’s remarks/arguments (page 7-10), filed on 12/30/2025, with respect to the 103 rejections of
claim 1 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejections using a newly introduced reference (CATT, 3GPP TSG-RAN2 Meeting #106, R2-1905751) is applied in the current rejection.
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that
are applied 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.
Claims 1, 3-4, 10-16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Loehr
et al. (US 2020/0274654 A1, hereinafter “Loehr”) in view of Kuo et al. (US 2022/0377596 A1, hereinafter “Kuo”) and in further view of CATT, 3GPP TSG-RAN2 Meeting #106, R2-1905751 Enhancement of resource efficiency for PDCP duplication (hereinafter “CATT-R2-1905751”).
Regarding claim 1, Loehr discloses:
An apparatus for activating a reliable transmission, applied in a time sensitive communication (TSC) service scenario, comprising a processor and transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to (apparatus for selective duplication of data, e.g., for the UEs engaged on high urgency ultra-reliable data transmissions. TSN streams carrying delay-sensitive data, e.g., URLLC traffic, requiring the support of a survival time is to be mapped onto an UL DRB. user equipment apparatus may include a processor, a memory, an input device, an output device, and a transceiver, Loehr: [0034], [0049], [0073], [0108]):
activate a reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time, wherein the reliable transmission comprises: a duplication transmission (activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]);
wherein the transceiver is configured to: receive configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used for configuring a function of activating the reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time (receiving DCI that triggers activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]);
wherein when the reliable transmission is not activated, the processor is specifically configured to (activating PDCP duplication transmission when survival time, which represents maximum number of consecutive incorrectly received or lost messages, has been exceeded, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]):
Loehr does not explicitly disclose:
acquire a maximum transmission time; wherein the maximum transmission time is a survival time.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kuo teaches:
acquire a maximum transmission time; wherein the maximum transmission time is a survival time (acquiring survival time requirement from gNB. gNB is able to evaluate the number of consecutive packet delivery failure that lead to survival time violation, Kuo: [0068]).
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 modify Loehr in view of Kuo in order to further modify activating duplication transmission based on survival time from the teachings of Loehr with acquiring survival time from base station from the teachings of Kuo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have improved techniques for ensuring of survival time requirements while controlling the amount of radio resources to be used (Kuo: [0086]).
Yet, Loehr and Kuo do not explicitly disclose:
activate the reliable transmission when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed;
wherein when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful, the processor is specifically configured to deactivate the reliable transmission.
However, in the same field of endeavor, CATT-R2-1905751 teaches:
activate the reliable transmission when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed (UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB or each packet quickly in UL transmission. For duplication activation, UE can send duplicate packet immediately and reach required latency and reliability without waiting for gNB explicit indication (MAC CE). UE met some considerable error for specific DRB, such as (possible consecutive) HARQ NACK or RLC NACK. gNB could enable UE to activate duplication after one HARQ NACK is received because UE cannot afford consecutive data failure, CATT-R2-1905751: sec. 2.2.1-2.2.2);
wherein when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful, the processor is specifically configured to deactivate the reliable transmission (UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB or each packet quickly in UL transmission. For duplication deactivation, UE can stop duplicate transmission when one leg is enough to satisfy the latency and reliability requirements. gNB could configure a deactivation timer and UE should deactivate duplication when the deactivation timer expires and no HARQ NACK has been received in any leg or RSRP is always above a specified threshold, CATT-R2-1905751: sec. 2.2.1-2.2.2).
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 modify Loehr and Kuo in view of CATT-R2-1905751 in order to further modify activating the reliable transmission when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed, and deactivating the reliable transmission when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful from the teachings of CATT-R2-1905751.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB (L1 assessment) or each packet (L2 assessment) quickly in UL transmission, UE based PDCP duplication activation/deactivation is beneficial to both reliability and resource efficiency (CATT-R2-1905751: Sec. 2.1.1).
Regarding claim 3, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Loehr further discloses:
wherein the processor is further configured to determine, according to the maximum transmission time, a threshold of a number of tolerable failed packet transmissions (determining maximum number of consecutive incorrectly received or lost messages according to survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 4, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Loehr further discloses:
wherein when the reliable transmission is not activated, the processor is specifically configured to activate the reliable transmission when a number of failed packet transmissions or successive failed packet transmissions is greater than or equal to the threshold (activating PDCP duplication transmission when survival time has been exceeded, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 10, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 4 above.
Loehr further discloses:
wherein the transceiver is configured to receive first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating the trigger condition; and/or, receive second indication information, wherein the second indication information is used for indicating whether to activate a reliable transmission function (receiving DCI that triggers activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 11, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Loehr further discloses:
The apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the transmission time is a time starting from a first time point, the first time point is one of the following: an arrival time point or a transmission time point of a first data packet, of which a transmission is failed, a starting time point of a transmission cycle, an ending time point of the transmission cycle, and a time point of transmission failure; an arrival time point or a transmission time point of a last tolerable data packet, of which a transmission is failed, a starting time point of a transmission cycle, an ending time point of the transmission cycle, and a time point of transmission failure; an arrival time point or a transmission time point of an N-th tolerable data packet, of which a transmission is failed, a starting time point of a transmission cycle, an ending time point of the transmission cycle, and a time point of transmission failure, where N is a positive integer (survival time representing maximum number of consecutive incorrectly received or lost messages in cyclic traffic, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 12, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Loehr further discloses:
wherein the processor is further configured to start or restart a timer, wherein the timer is used for activating the reliable transmission or avoiding that data transmission does not meet a requirement of a maximum transmission time, wherein a running time of the timer is related to the maximum transmission time, which comprises: the running time of the timer is the maximum transmission time (starting survival timer for activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 13, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 12 above.
Loehr further discloses:
wherein the processor is further configured to: start or restart the timer when transmission of first data is completed; or, start or restart the timer after the first data is transmitted successfully and when the target data starts to be transmitted, wherein the first data and the target data are two data with adjacent transmission times (starting survival timer for activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, which represents maximum number of consecutive incorrectly received or lost messages in cyclic traffic, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 14, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Loehr does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the processor is further configured to: acquire the maximum transmission time from a first node, wherein the first node comprises a terminal and/or a network device, wherein the network device comprises at least one of a base station, a Central Network Control CNC, and a Time Sensitive Network TSN node.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kuo teaches:
wherein the processor is further configured to: acquire the maximum transmission time from a first node, wherein the first node comprises a terminal and/or a network device, wherein the network device comprises at least one of a base station, a Central Network Control CNC, and a Time Sensitive Network TSN node (acquiring survival time requirement from gNB. gNB is able to evaluate the number of consecutive packet delivery failure that lead to survival time violation, Kuo: [0068]).
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 modify Loehr and CATT-R2-1905751 in view of Kuo in order to further modify activating duplication transmission based on survival time from the teachings of Loehr with acquiring survival time from base station from the teachings of Kuo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have improved techniques for ensuring of survival time requirements while controlling the amount of radio resources to be used (Kuo: [0086]).
Regarding claim 15, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 14 above.
Loehr does not explicitly disclose:
wherein when the maximum transmission time is acquired from the network device, the maximum transmission time is carried in a dedicated Radio Resource Control RRC message and/or a broadcast message.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kuo teaches:
wherein when the maximum transmission time is acquired from the network device, the maximum transmission time is carried in a dedicated Radio Resource Control RRC message and/or a broadcast message (acquiring survival time requirement from gNB via RRC message, Kuo: [0068]).
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 modify Loehr and CATT-R2-1905751 in view of Kuo in order to further modify activating duplication transmission based on survival time from the teachings of Loehr with acquiring survival time from base station via RRC message from the teachings of Kuo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have improved techniques for ensuring of survival time requirements while controlling the amount of radio resources to be used (Kuo: [0086]).
Regarding claim 16, Loehr-Kuo-CATT-R2-1905751 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Loehr further discloses:
wherein a granularity corresponding to the maximum transmission time is one of the following granularities: DRB, Quality of Service QoS flow, Time Sensitive Communication TSC flow, Packet Data Unit PDU session (survival time associated with Qos flow, Loehr: [0101]).
Regarding claim 19, Loehr discloses:
A method for activating a reliable transmission, applied in a time sensitive communication (TSC) service scenario, comprising (methods, and apparatus for selective duplication of data, e.g., for the UEs engaged on high urgency ultra-reliable data transmissions. TSN streams carrying delay-sensitive data, e.g., URLLC traffic, requiring the support of a survival time is to be mapped onto an UL DRB. user equipment apparatus may include a processor, a memory, an input device, an output device, and a transceiver, Loehr: [0034], [0049], [0073], [0108]):
activating a reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time, wherein the reliable transmission comprises: a duplication transmission (activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]);
wherein the method further comprises: receiving configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used for configuring a function of activating the reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time (receiving DCI that triggers activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]);
wherein when the reliable transmission is not activated, activating the reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time comprises (activating PDCP duplication transmission when survival time, which represents maximum number of consecutive incorrectly received or lost messages, has been exceeded, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]):
Loehr does not explicitly disclose:
acquiring a maximum transmission time; wherein the maximum transmission time is a survival time; and
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kuo teaches:
acquiring a maximum transmission time; wherein the maximum transmission time is a survival time (acquiring survival time requirement from gNB. gNB is able to evaluate the number of consecutive packet delivery failure that lead to survival time violation, Kuo: [0068]); and
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 modify Loehr in view of Kuo in order to further modify activating duplication transmission based on survival time from the teachings of Loehr with acquiring survival time from base station from the teachings of Kuo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have improved techniques for ensuring of survival time requirements while controlling the amount of radio resources to be used (Kuo: [0086]).
Yet, Loehr and Kuo do not explicitly disclose:
when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed, activating the reliable transmission;
wherein when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful, deactivating the reliable transmission.
However, in the same field of endeavor, CATT-R2-1905751 teaches:
when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed, activating the reliable transmission (UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB or each packet quickly in UL transmission. For duplication activation, UE can send duplicate packet immediately and reach required latency and reliability without waiting for gNB explicit indication (MAC CE). UE met some considerable error for specific DRB, such as (possible consecutive) HARQ NACK or RLC NACK. gNB could enable UE to activate duplication after one HARQ NACK is received because UE cannot afford consecutive data failure, CATT-R2-1905751: sec. 2.2.1-2.2.2);
wherein when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful, deactivating the reliable transmission (UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB or each packet quickly in UL transmission. For duplication deactivation, UE can stop duplicate transmission when one leg is enough to satisfy the latency and reliability requirements. gNB could configure a deactivation timer and UE should deactivate duplication when the deactivation timer expires and no HARQ NACK has been received in any leg or RSRP is always above a specified threshold, CATT-R2-1905751: sec. 2.2.1-2.2.2).
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 modify Loehr and Kuo in view of CATT-R2-1905751 in order to further modify activating the reliable transmission when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed, and deactivating the reliable transmission when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful from the teachings of CATT-R2-1905751.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB (L1 assessment) or each packet (L2 assessment) quickly in UL transmission, UE based PDCP duplication activation/deactivation is beneficial to both reliability and resource efficiency (CATT-R2-1905751: Sec. 2.1.1).
Regarding claim 20, Loehr discloses:
An apparatus for activating a reliable transmission, applied in a time sensitive communication (TSC) service scenario, comprising a processor and transceiver, wherein the transceiver is configured to (apparatus for selective duplication of data, e.g., for the UEs engaged on high urgency ultra-reliable data transmissions. TSN streams carrying delay-sensitive data, e.g., URLLC traffic, requiring the support of a survival time is to be mapped onto an UL DRB. user equipment apparatus may include a processor, a memory, an input device, an output device, and a transceiver, Loehr: [0034], [0049], [0073], [0108]):
wherein the maximum transmission time is used for the first terminal device to activate a reliable transmission, wherein the reliable transmission comprising a duplication transmission (UE activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]);
wherein the transceiver is further configured to: send configuration to the first terminal device, wherein the configuration information is used for configuring a function of activating the reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time (sending DCI that triggers activating PDCP duplication transmission based on survival time, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]);
wherein when the reliable transmission is not activated, the first terminal device activating the reliable transmission according to the maximum transmission time comprises (activating PDCP duplication transmission when survival time, which represents maximum number of consecutive incorrectly received or lost messages, has been exceeded, Loehr: [0043]-[0050]):
Loehr does not explicitly disclose:
send a maximum transmission time to a first terminal device; wherein the maximum transmission time is a survival time;
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kuo teaches:
send a maximum transmission time to a first terminal device; wherein the maximum transmission time is a survival time (acquiring survival time requirement from gNB. gNB is able to evaluate the number of consecutive packet delivery failure that lead to survival time violation. gNB sending survival time requirement to UE, Kuo: [0068]);
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 modify Loehr in view of Kuo in order to further modify activating duplication transmission based on survival time from the teachings of Loehr with acquiring survival time from base station from the teachings of Kuo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have improved techniques for ensuring of survival time requirements while controlling the amount of radio resources to be used (Kuo: [0086]).
Yet, Loehr and Kuo do not explicitly disclose:
activating the reliable transmission when a transmission time of a target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed;
wherein when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful, the first terminal device deactivating the reliable transmission.
However, in the same field of endeavor, CATT-R2-1905751 teaches:
activating the reliable transmission when a transmission time of a target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed (UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB or each packet quickly in UL transmission. For duplication activation, UE can send duplicate packet immediately and reach required latency and reliability without waiting for gNB explicit indication (MAC CE). UE met some considerable error for specific DRB, such as (possible consecutive) HARQ NACK or RLC NACK. gNB could enable UE to activate duplication after one HARQ NACK is received because UE cannot afford consecutive data failure, CATT-R2-1905751: sec. 2.2.1-2.2.2);
wherein when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful, the first terminal device deactivating the reliable transmission (UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB or each packet quickly in UL transmission. For duplication deactivation, UE can stop duplicate transmission when one leg is enough to satisfy the latency and reliability requirements. gNB could configure a deactivation timer and UE should deactivate duplication when the deactivation timer expires and no HARQ NACK has been received in any leg or RSRP is always above a specified threshold, CATT-R2-1905751: sec. 2.2.1-2.2.2).
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 modify Loehr and Kuo in view of CATT-R2-1905751 in order to further modify activating the reliable transmission when a transmission time of target data is less than the maximum transmission time and a transmission of the target data is failed, and deactivating the reliable transmission when the transmission time of the target data is greater or equal to the maximum transmission time and the transmission of the target data is successful from the teachings of CATT-R2-1905751.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because UE can get the channel condition and assess the transmission reliability of each TB (L1 assessment) or each packet (L2 assessment) quickly in UL transmission, UE based PDCP duplication activation/deactivation is beneficial to both reliability and resource efficiency (CATT-R2-1905751: Sec. 2.1.1).
Conclusion
In the case of amendments, applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the
specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and support, for ascertaining the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANG C LEE whose telephone number is (703)756-1461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM ET.
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/S.C.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2467
/HASSAN A PHILLIPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2467