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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-7 are presented for examination.
Claims 1, 3-4 and 6 are amended.
Claims 8-10 are canceled.
Response to Arguments
This second Non Final is issued to correct a typographical error of the Non-Final office action mailed 12/19/2025. Examiner would like to thank the Applicant to point to the typographical error (see page 2 paragraph 5 -page 4) of applicant response dated 3/9/2026. The correct prior art reference is Chang et al. (US Pub. No.: 2021/0168882).
Regarding 35 U.S.C. 112 applicant’s arguments, see page 5, filed November 19, 2025, with respect to claims 1-7 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the 112 rejection has been withdrawn.
Regarding 35 U.S.C. 103 applicant’s arguments, see page 7 - page 14 (all), filed November 19, 2025, with respect to claims 1-2 and 4-7 have been fully considered and are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 4 and 6 have been considered but are
moot because the arguments do not apply to the reference being used in the current rejection.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Hence a new ground of rejection is further presented in view of Chang et al. (US Pub. No.: 2021/0168882).
Notice re prior art available under both pre-AIA and AIA
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.
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 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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al. (US Pub. No.: 2021/0168882), in view of Huawei977 (QoS message flows, R2-1704977, 05-2017, IDS 7/23/2021) and further in view of Jin et al (US Pub. No.:2020/0178113).
As per claim 1, Chang disclose A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein a processor of a terminal device (see Fig.4, UE 400, with processor 402, see para. 0153-0155, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program) executes the computer program to:
receive configuration information sent by a network-side device (see para. 0017, 0020, 0023, 0048, receive configuration information sent by base station, see para. 0061),
wherein the configuration information comprises identifiers of one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) to be deleted which correspond to an established target SDAP entity (see para. 0019, 0065-0068, when the DRB-related identifier is a PDU session identifier or a QoS flow identifier, then the releasing the SDAP entity of the DRB associated with the DRB-related identifier further comprises: releasing the SDAP identifier corresponding to the SDAP entity);
delete the one or more DRBs (see para. 0020, 0066-0068, the UE can, in step S303, execute releasing/deleting of the DRB associated with the DRB-related identifier, one or more DRBs);
determine whether the number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero following the deletion of the one or more DRBs (see para. 0066-0068, in step S302, release a plurality of the following items of a DRB associated with the DRB-related identifier: a PDCP entity, an RLC entity, a DTCH, a DRB identifier, and an SDAP entity, the established target SDAP entity becomes zero following the deletion of the one or more DRBs, since it is release/deleted, see also Fig.3, para. 0093-0097, 0103-0108).
Although Chang disclose determine whether the number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero following the deletion of the one or more DRBs;
Examiner Note: Please see claim 2, “wherein one DRB corresponds to one SDAP entity in the configuration information”. Clearly “releasing all DRBs, resulting of “Zero DRB remaining”, and also “releasing an SDAP entity” are shown above, since the prior art clearly teaches “one DRB corresponds to one SDAP entity”.
Chang however does not explicitly delete the established target SDAP entity, in a case that it is determined that the number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero.;
Huawei977 however disclose delete an established target SDAP entity, in a case that it is determined that a number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero (see section 2, Fig.2, the gNB sends the RRC message to UE to release the PDU related resource including the SDAP entity and all DRBs {a number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero} associated with the SDAP entity { delete an established target SDAP entity} and the UE releases the SDAP entity and DRBs, delete the stored QFI to DRB mapping table for this SDAP entity, and sends release complete message to gNB, see also section 2, PDU SESSION RESOURCE RELEASE
The PDU SESSION RESOURCE RELEASE COMMAND includes the PDU Session Resource Release List which includes the PDU Session ID will be released.
[ ••• ] Figure 2 PDU Session Release 1. The gNB receives a PDU SESSION RESOURCE RELEASE COMMAND message including PDU session id from AMF.
2. The gNB sends the RRC message to UE to release the PDU related resource including the SDAP entity and all DRBs associated with the SDAP entity. 3. The UE releases the SDAP entity and DRBs, delete the stored QFI to DRB mapping table for this SDAP entity, and sends release complete message to gNB").
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the functionality to delete an established target SDAP entity, in a case that it is determined that a number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero, as taught by Huawei977, in the system of Chang, so that The PDU SESSION RESOURCE MODIFY REQUEST message includes the PDU Session Resource Modify List which includes QoS Flows To Add Or Modify List and QoS Flows To Release List and During the procedure, the QoS flows may be added or modified or deleted, see Huawei977, see section 2.
Although Huawei977 disclose delete an established target SDAP entity, in a case that it is determined that a number of DRBs corresponding to the established target SDAP entity becomes zero (The gNB sends the RRC message to UE to release the PDU related resource including the SDAP entity and all DRBs associated with the SDAP entity, clearly as interpreted by the Examiner releasing is equivalent to deleting).
Jin however disclose to delete one or more DRBs (see Fig. 1H, para. 0150-0151, complete message to the eNB 1h-02 at 1h-25. The configuration information between the SDAP entity and the PDCP entity (or bearer DRB) may be reconfigured in RRC Connection Reconfiguration configuration information such as 1h-35 and 1h-40, or 1h-45 and 1h-55 even during data transmission and reception. For example, mapping information between the SDAP entity, bearers, and QoS flows may be updated by changing, adding, or deleting the PDU session{ the DRB to be deleted }); wherein the configuring, according to the configuration information, the DRB and the target SDAP entity corresponding to the PDU session identifier comprises: deleting the DRB and the target SDAP entity, in a case that the target SDAP entity is established and the DRB is an entirety of DRBs corresponding to the target SDAP entity (see Fig.6, Fig.10, para. 0052, 0054, 0120, 0151, At 1h-20, the eNB may transmit an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message to the UE 1h-01 in order to configure a DRB. The message may include mapping information between the PDCP entity and the SDAP entity in PDCP configuration information (PDCP-config) or logical channel configuration information (Logicalchannelconfig) (for example, may indicate mapping information using an SDAP identifier, a DRB identifier, a PDCP identifier, an LCH identifier, etc.), a presence/absence indicator of the SDAP header (determining whether to use the SDAP header in the SDAP layer entity). The message may include configuration information for mapping a PDU session identifier corresponding to an SDAP identifier in order to configure information on a PDU session to which the SDAP entity is to be applied. The message may include configuration information indicating whether a bearer having which DRB identifier for each PDU session or for each SDAP entity is a default bearer (one default bearer is configured for each PDU session or SDAP entity, and an indicator indicating which DRB is a default bearer among a plurality of DRBs may be included in bearer configuration information, logical channel configuration information, or SDAP configuration information), the message include configuration information of a DRB in which user data is to be processed. The configuration information between the SDAP entity and the PDCP entity (or bearer DRB) may be reconfigured in RRC Connection Reconfiguration configuration information such as 1h-35 and 1h-40, or 1h-45 and 1h-55 even during data transmission and reception, mapping information between the SDAP entity, bearers, and QoS flows is updated by changing, adding, or deleting the PDU session, since the message include configuration information indicating a bearer having which DRB identifier for each PDU session or for each SDAP entity is a default bearer (one default bearer is configured for each PDU session or SDAP entity), clearly by deleting the PDU session the bearer is deleted.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the functionality to delete one or more DRBs; as taught by Jin, in the system of Chang and Huawei977, so as to enable a flow-based QoS configuration method other than a bearer-based QoS configuration, and a new SDAP layer on a PDCP layer to process the flow-based QoS is used, accordingly, a method of configuring a PDCP layer and an SDAP layer and an operation thereof for supporting this is proposed to efficiently process flow-based QoS, see paragraphs 9-13.
As per claim 2, the combination of Chang, Huawei977 and Jin disclose the computer readable storage medium according to claim 1.
Huawei977 further disclose wherein one DRB corresponds to one SDAP entity in the configuration information (see Fig.2, 2. the gNB sends the RRC message to UE to release the PDU related resource including the SDAP entity and all DRBs associated with the SDAP entity / one DRB corresponds to one SDAP entity in the configuration information).
As per claim 4, claim 4 is rejected the same way as claim 1.
As per claim 5, claim 5 is rejected the same way as claim 2.
As per claim 6, claim 6 is rejected the same way as claim 1. Chung also disclose A network-side device (see Fig.3, a target base station, see para. 0118), comprising: a storage (see Fig.3, target base station with a memory for storing), a processor (see Fig.13, target base station with a CPU/a processor 1306, to execute a code).
As per claim 7, claim 7 is rejected the same way as claim 2.
As per claim 8, the combination of Chang, Huawei977 and Jin disclose the computer readable storage medium according to claim 1.
Huawei977 further disclose in a case that the one or more DRBs are a part of DRBs corresponding to the target SDAP entity, deleting the one or more DRBs (see Fig.2, the UE releases the SDAP entity and DRBs, delete the stored QFI to DRB mapping table for this SDAP entity, and sends release complete message to gNB / deleting the one or more DRBs).
As per claim 9, claim 9 is rejected the same way as claim 8.
As per claim 10, claim 0 is rejected the same way as claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(a) Huawei (Initiation of SDAP Entity, R2-1706789, 06-2017, IDS 7/23/2021) - see section 2, “The new user plane AS protocol layer (named as SDAP layer) was agreed as follows:
Agreements 1: A new user plane AS protocol layer (e.g. PDAP) above PDCP should be introduced to accommodate all the functions introduced in AS for the new QoS framework, including: - QOS flow->DRB routing; - QoS-flow-id marking in DL packets; - QoS-flow-id marking in UL packets;
2 The new protocol layer is applicable for all cases connecting to the 5G-CN
3 Single protocol entity is configured for each individual PDU session.
It was also agreed that for each UE, the RAN establishes at least one default DRB for each PDU Session indicated by the CN upon PDU Session establishment [2]. And a default QoS rule is provided to the UE for every PDU Session.
Discussion
SDAP entity
In LTE, each time the eNB configures the DRB addition/revision/release, it may associate the EPS bearer ID with the DRB ID. Thus the UE NAS knows to which DRB the packets corresponds. In NR, a single SDAP entity will be configured for each individual PDU session. In case multiple PDU sessions are established for one UE, similarly to LTE system, the UE NAS needs to know the QoS flow maps to which SDAP entity. Then based on the RAN's configuration, the UE AS determines the QoS flow to map to which DRB ID. Then based on the RAN's configuration, the UE AS determines the QoS flow to map to which DRB ID. In order to associate the SDAP entity and the PDU session, an identity of SDAP entity is needed in RAN. In addition, in case of reconfiguration of UL QoS flow to DRB mapping, the gNB could also indicate UE which the SDAP entity the configuration applies to”.
(b) Huawei977 (QoS message flows, R2-1704977, 05-2017, IDS 7/23/2021) – see Fig.1, steps 2.1-2.2, “2. The gNB performs different actions in the different cases.
2.1 When new QoS flows are added, the gNB may setup new DRBs for the new QoS flows or map the new
QoS flow to an existing DRB or activate the AS reflective QoS. The gNB may send new QoS flow to DRB mapping to UE.
2.2 When QoS flows are modified, the gNB may setup new DRBs for the QoS flows or remap to another existing DRB or keep the QoS flow to DRB mapping or activate the AS reflective QoS. The gNB may send updated QoS flow to DRB mapping to UE.
2.3 When QoS flow is released, the gNB may release the existing DRB according to its decision”.
3. The UE should setup or modify or release DRB upon received RRC configuration which may include the DRB setup or modify or release.
4. The UE updates its QFI to DRB mapping table")”.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAKERAM JANGBAHADUR whose telephone number is (571)272-1335. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7 am - 4 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ian Moore can be reached on 571-272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAKERAM JANGBAHADUR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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