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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/09/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment to the claims filed on 12/09/2025 complies with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121(c) and has been entered. Claims 1, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13-15, and 25 are amended. Claims 2, 4, 10, 12, 16, 18-19, 21 are cancelled. Claims 26-28 are new.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Arguments/Remarks, see page 10, filed 12/09/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of independent claim(s) under the combination of Liu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2022/0417780 (hereinafter Liu) and Pao et al., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20200037334 (hereinafter Pao) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, that rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Report of 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 meeting #99bis, R2-1712101, Source: ETSI MCC, December 2017, (hereinafter 3GPP R2-1712101 and the 3GPP technical documents included by reference therein.
While it is true that Liu does not disclose a radio bearer specifically set up for QoE measurement reporting to the MN and/or SN, Liu “is [not]completely silent about the manner in which the [QoE report] transmission is made” – See id.; specifically, Liu discloses “QoE obtaining” whereby “[a]fter the network node receives the available indication from UE, the network node can trigger QoE retrieve procedure” the MN “can send an RRC message to UE to obtain the stored QoE report. The RRC message can be UE Information Request message, or a newly defined RRC message. Within this RRC message, the network can include an indication for QoE obtaining” – See [¶0141] (emphasis added). Therefore, Liu’s teachings are intimately related to the agreements developed in 3GPP RAN2 #99bis meeting regarding QoE measurement reporting for LTE services, and further agreement for supporting QoE measurements in NR – See, e.g., 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 #106, R2-1906232, Title: “QoE Measurement Collection in NR,” Source: Ericsson, May 2019 (disclosing that “[t]he same problem with transmitting large files in RRC messages exists also in NR. That is, if the message with the QoE file is very large it may delay the transmission of other RRC messages which are very important for the connection” therefore “Proposal 4: QoE measurement result files are sent in an RRC message using a separate SRB, as in LTE”). In addition, the RRC procedures for establishing the (new) signalling radio bearers and their architecture including PDCP and RLC entities comprising logical channels constitute knowledge available to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the present application. Therefore, the 3GPP disclosures, readily combinable with Liu for reasons stated in these disclosures and further explained in this Office action, constitute new grounds of rejection for the claims presented.
Claim Objections
Amended Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: each step executed by the access network device should recite the infinitive form of the verb rather than its participle. Appropriate correction is required.
New Claim 26 is objected to because of the following informalities: "first message from the secondary access network device from the terminal device" should be "first message from the secondary access network device . Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3, 5-9, 11, 13-15, 17, 20, and 22-28, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2022/0417780 (hereinafter Liu), and further in view of Report of 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 meeting #99bis, R2-1712101, Source: ETSI MCC, December 2017 (hereinafter 3GPP R2-1712101) and the 3GPP technical documents included by reference therein.
Regarding Amended Claim 1, Liu teaches a method applied to a terminal device, the method comprising obtaining a quality of experience (QoE) measurement result based on a QoE measurement configuration (“The method includes receiving, by a terminal, a first message from a network node that includes a configuration for collecting experience quality information,” i.e., a QoE measurement configuration, and “transmitting, by the terminal, a second message to the network node including a set of experience quality information collected by the terminal and transmitted according to the configuration for collecting experience quality information received in the first message,” i.e., a QoE measurement report – See [¶0005])
wherein the QoE measurement result corresponds to a secondary access network device (“the UE can connect to two nodes, where one node acts as the Master Node (MN) and the other acts as the Secondary Node (SN). MN and SN can belong to the same RAT (e.g. NR-DC), or they can belong to different RATs ( e.g. E-UTRAN New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (NE-DC), NG-RAN-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (NGENDC)” – See [¶0071], whereby “any of the configuration for collecting experience quality information . . . includes information identifying target radio access technology (RAT) in which to collect the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0015] and “node information that is indicative of target node in which to collect the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0017], i.e., a QoE measurement result corresponds to a SN because the targeted SN and its RAT are configured to the UE through QoE measurement configuration message; furthermore, “[f]or MR-DC UE, the UE can depend on bearer type to record two separate QoE log and send it to MN and SN separately” – See [¶0076]) and
the QoE measurement result is based on the QoE measurement configuration that is configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device (e.g., when “receiving, by the terminal, multiple configurations for measuring experience quality information from each of a master node (MN) and a secondary node (SN),” including a “set of experience quality information when bearer is established over a secondary cell group (SCG) radio interface” configured to the UE directly by the SN – See [¶0023] and Fig. 4, at step 402), or
the QoE measurement result is based on the QoE measurement configuration configured by a master access network device and triggered by the secondary access network device (the “MN and SN can exchange the configured QoE measurement information” – See [¶0078], e.g. when “a EN-DC UE is connected to both eNB (MN) and gNB (SN) . . . [u]pon receiving the QoE command [from CN], the MN can forward the QoE measurement configuration to SN” and “the SN can generate the QoE measurement configuration message and send it to UE” – See [¶0142] and Fig. 3 at step 304 wherein the MN decides that the QoE measurement is triggered by the SN; furthermore, in “MR-DC UE, the SN can inform the MN of whether SN is able to configure QoE measurement towards the UE” – See [¶0145] and Fig. 5, i.e., whether the SN is able to directly send the QoE measurement configuration to the UE or the MN must send it, as explained in Example 3 of QoE Measurement Configuration – See [¶0103] et seq.); and
sending the QoE measurement result by using a first radio bearer; wherein the first radio bearer is configured by the master access network device for sending the QoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device (“any of the configuration for collecting experience quality information included in the first message “ from the MN “includes bearer type indicator indicative of target bearer type for collecting the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0018], e.g., for signaling based QoE measurements the configuration sent to the UE may contain a signaling radio bearer, SRB, for QoE reporting, and that is in addition to the SN “bearer type indicator indicative of a target bearer type in which to measure the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0041]; see also [¶0074], [¶0130] et seq.; wherein “the MN can generate the QoE measurement configuration message and send it to UE, the measurement configuration including the QoE measurement configuration container,” including the signaling bearer for QoE measurement report – See [¶0104], whereby the “QoE measurement configuration container” indicates “Node information equal to SN” – See [¶0103], i.e., the QoE measurement result corresponds to the SN).
Liu teaches two ways that the secondary access network device triggers the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the UE to use to send the OoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device because “[f]or a MR-DC UE, the SN can inform the MN of whether SN is able to configure QoE measurement towards the UE” – See [¶0145], and that information may include SN capability to establish a bearer for QoE measurement reporting, as known in the art before the effective filing date of the present application and explained infra.
First, Liu teaches the secondary access network device triggers the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the UE to use to send the OoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device wherein the first radio bearer for the UE to use to send the OoE measurement result is sent to the UE in a QoE measurement configuration message (e.g., the SN triggers the QoE measurement at step 304 in Fig. 3, wherein “[t]he MN can send a QoE measurement configuration 306 to the UE 320” after the MN “send[s] a QoE measurement configuration 308 to the SN 322, and the SN can modify the configuration and/or forward the configuration 312 to the UE 320” – See [¶0119], i.e., the MN can indicate in the QoE measuring configuration the bearer used for sending uplink the QoE measurement report once the QoE measurement is triggered by the SN at the MN).
Second, Liu teaches that the secondary access network device triggers the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the UE to use to send the OoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device when the UE has the QoE measurement report available (“QoE measurement reporting from UE to network . . . may also include the UE first sending an available indication to network, indicating that UE has available QoE measurement results” and only after receiving the available indication “[t]he network can trigger a results retrieve procedure by sending a request to UE, then UE can deliver the QoE measurement report to network” – See [¶0133], whereby, e.g., the UE may signal the SN or the MN that the QoE measurement report is ready and the SN triggers the results retrieve procedure at the MN, and the MN “node can send an RRC message to UE to obtain the stored QoE report. The RRC message can be UE Information Request message, or a newly defined RRC message. Within this RRC message, the network can include an indication for QoE obtaining. Then, the UE can send QoE measurement report to the network node” – See [¶0141], whereby the indication for “QoE obtaining” is the first bearer established by the MN and/or a separate signaling bearer; then “the MN can forward the QoE measurement results to SN side” – See [¶0135]).
Regarding establishing a separate radio bearer just for QoE measurement reporting, as known in the art before the effective filing date of the present application, § 9.6.2, 3GPP R2-1712101:46 discloses the agreement on a new signaling radio bearer, SRB4, to “introduce a new uplink RRC message and the naming could be ‘application layer measurement report’, and this message uses SRB4. For this new RRC message, it includes a container of report with Octet string (1..8000) configured.” Specifically, in the cited 3GPP R2-1711832, Title:” Solution enhancement for QoE Measurements,” Source: Ericsson, October 2017, (hereinafter R2-1711832), at page 1-2, it is disclosed that “[a]n advantage with sending the QoE files on a separate SRB compared to an existing SRB is that RAN can ensure that the transmission is given the right priority and does not impact other transmissions” whereby when “[t]he network gets information in the BSR (Buffer Status Report) which logical channel group that has data to send and therefore has quite good knowledge if the UE has high priority or low priority data to send. If the QoE files are sent on the same SRB as NAS messages, eNB cannot make a good prioritization for the transmission of the QoE files as it may then impact the transmission of NAS messages and user data”; therefore, a separate “SRB can be configured with a lower priority than other logical channels” and this “SRB can be configured with the desired settings, e.g. a separate logical channel ID and the right priority . . . more similar to the settings of a DRB” and “[t]he new SRB can be setup when QoE measurements are configured, i.e. when both the UE and the network supports QoE measurements and the UE enters the measured area,” i.e., as the first radio bearer or as an additional signaling bearer – See 3GPP R2-1711832:2. Furthermore, 3GPP R2-1711832:4 teaches that “the new SRB will not be configured in an eNB with no QoE support” and that an “indication for eNB support of QoE measurements” is necessary. 3GPP R2-1711832:1 also discloses the NR specific SRB3, that may be “used for the transmission of QoE files.”
To be sure, 3GPP TS 36.331 V16.0.0 (2020-03) "Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol specification (Release 16)" (hereinafter 3GPP TS 36.331) cited for amendments regarding QoE measurements collection by § 9.6.2, 3GPP R2-1712101:46, teaches, at page 40, that “SRB4 is for RRC messages which include application layer measurement reporting information” and “[f]or a UE configured with DC, all RRC messages, regardless of the SRB used and both in downlink and uplink, are transferred via the MCG,” meaning that an LTE/E-UTRA MN may configure SRB4 as or in addition to the first radio bearer for a QoE measurement report corresponding to the NR SN; see also id.:370-371, describing MeasReportAppLayer RRC Information Element/message “used for sending application layer measurement report” using “[s]ignaling radio bearer: SRB4” and “[d]irection: UE to E-UTRAN,” distinguishing from SRB1 used for general MeasurementReport IE reporting. In addition, § 5.3.10.1, 3GPP TS 36.331:155 teaches the procedure for SRB addition/modification at the UE by the MN wherein “for each srb-Identity value included in the srb-ToAddModList that is not part of the current UE configuration (SRB establishment)” the same SRB can be established for both E-UTRA MCG and NR-SCG “if the same srb-Identity is included in NR srb-ToAddModList.” Furthermore, § 5.6.19, TS 36.331:280-281 teaches the procedure “to inform E-UTRAN about application layer measurement report” wherein if the UE was “configured with application layer measurement,” e.g., through RRC connection reconfiguration message as in Figure 5.6.19.1-1, “and SRB4 is configured, and the UE has received application layer measurement report information from upper layers,” the UE may “submit the MeasReportAppLayer message to lower layers for transmission via SRB4.” In addition, § 5.6.2a, 3GPP TS 36.331:251, teaches the UL information transfer for MR-DC procedure “to transfer from the UE to E-UTRAN MR-DC dedicated information e.g. the NR RRC Measurement Report message . . . whenever there is a need to transfer MR DC dedicated information as specified in TS 38.331 [82],” e.g., on SRB1, as an alternative to “RRC connection reconfiguration involving NR connection reconfiguration, in which case the MR DC information is piggybacked to the RRCConnectionReconfigurationComplete message.”
Although SRB4 was not defined for NR path in corresponding 3GPP TS 38.331 V16.0.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.331), a NR-SN specific SRB is defined: “SRB3 is for specific RRC messages when UE is in (NG)EN-DC or NR-DC, all using DCCH logical channel” in addition to “Split SRB [which] is supported for all the MR-DC options in both SRB1 and SRB2 (split SRB is not supported for SRB0 and SRB3)” – See id.:28. Furthermore, § 10.2.5, 3GPP R2-1712101:111-112, disclose that SRB3, as defined for NR, “may only be used in scenarios with ‘no MN involvement’ (it cannot be used to send a SN RRC Reconfiguration message in the ‘SN initiated SN modification with MN involvement’ procedure)” pointing to changes in 3GPP TS 37.340 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and NR; Multi-connectivity; Stage 2 (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 37.340), for MN-SN procedures for EN-DC. Finally, 3GPP R2-1710708, Title:” Summary on [99#39][LTE/QMC] RAN controlled CP based solution,” Source: Huawei (email rapporteur),(hereinafter 3GPP R2-1710708) discloses, at page 1, that “in TS 37.340 v 1.0.0 (Multi-connectivity of LTE and NR), SRB3 is defined” and that discussions suggested to use new “SRB4 so that SRB3 is reserved for Multi-connectivity usage.” Furthermore, “a new SRB should [not] have any default configuration as it should only be setup (and configured) by the network when needed” – See id.:4.
Thus, Liu and 3GPP R2-1712101 each teaches a radio bearer configured by the master access network device for sending the OoE measurement result that may correspond to the secondary access network device. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have understood that for a MR-DC UE whereby the MN is LTE/E-UTRAN and the SN is NR, i.e., EN-DC case, the MN configuration of the UE with the first bearer for sending the OoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device can be combined with configuring the SBR4 when needed, as taught by 3GPP R2-1712101, so that the RRC messages containing the QoE measurement report are transferred via the MCG/MN to the SN, and that includes the SN RRC Reconfiguration message in any SN initiated SN modification with MN involvement procedure, as further taught by 3GPP R2-1712101, e.g., triggering the QoE measurement report by the SN at the MN, as taught by Liu. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the substitution through techniques known in the art. Finally, the substitution achieves the predictable result of allowing the signaling radio bearer for QoE reporting to be configured with a lower priority than other logical channels, as taught by 3GPP R2-1712101 and the references included therein.
Therefore, Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 3, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu does not teach that radio bearers may comprise plurality of logical channels. However, 3GPP R2-1712101 references 3GPP R2-1711832 teaching, at page 1-2, the first radio bearer comprises a plurality of logical channels, as shown in figure 1, wherein a plurality of logical channels configured with different priorities are ordered on the radio resources granted to the UE; furthermore, § 4.2.2, 3GPP TS 36.331: 39-40 teaches that any “SRB can be configured with PDCP duplication, either by two logical channels within the same CG,” e.g., for carrier aggregation, “or by two logical channels each within a different CG (DC duplication)” and further explains, at page 155, the SRB addition/modification procedure comprising setup of a primary and a secondary RLC/logical channel (“establish[ing] a primary (MCG) DCCH logical channel in accordance with the received logicalChannelConfig” in “primary (MCG) RLC entity in accordance with the received rlc-Config,” and “a secondary MCG RLC entity or entities and an associated DCCH logical channel in accordance with the received rlc-BearerConfigSecondary and associate these with the E-UTRA PDCP entity with the same value of srb-Identity within the current UE configuration,” i.e., the same SRB, for “the E-UTRA PDCP entity to activate duplication”); § 10.3.3, 3GPP R2-1712101:165 discusses PDCP for LTE and NR, including PDCP duplication, pointing to updates to 3GPP TS 36.323 V16.0.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) specification (Release 16),” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 36.323) (describing, in Figure 4.2.1.1, § 4.2, at page 10, radio bearers/RBs and PDCP entities, and stating that “[e]ach RB (i.e. DRB, SLRB and SRB, except for SRB0 and SRB1bis) is associated with one PDCP entity. Each PDCP entity is associated with one, two, or four (e.g uni-directional/bi-directional or split/non-split) RLC entities depending on the RB characteristic (i.e. uni-directional or bi-directional) or RLC mode,” e.g., SRB4 configured with PDCP duplication may be associated with two RLC entities, one primary and one secondary, hence two logical channels of type DCCH); and
wherein sending the QoE measurement result by using the first radio bearer comprises sending the QoE measurement result through a first logical channel in the plurality of logical channels of the first radio bearer (“For bearers configured with PDCP duplication, when requested by lower layers to submit the PDCP PDUs, the transmitting PDCP entity shall: . . . submit the PDCP Control PDU to the primary RLC entity” – See 3GPP TS 36.323:12, i.e., the QoE measurement report sent uplink through SRB4 configured with PDCP duplication, being a control PDU, will be sent through the primary/first logical channel set up for SRB4).
Therefore, Claim 3 is obvious over Liu ion view of 3GPP R2-1712101 and references therein.
Regarding Claim 5, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu further teaches wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the master access network device, the QoE measurement configuration configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device (“MN and SN can exchange the configured QoE measurement information” for the UE, e.g., “a SN can inform MN about the capable of QoE measurement configuration/ reporting over the SN” – See [¶0078], and the UE would know that the configuration is configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device at least because “[f]or a QoE measurement configuration, the QoE measurement configuration can include . . . RAT information, Node information, and bearer type information” – See [¶0074]). Furthermore, when QoE measurement configuration and reporting uses a SBR as taught by 3GPP R2-1712101, 3GPP TS 36.331:40, referenced therein teaches that “[f]or a UE configured with DC, all RRC messages, regardless of the SRB used and both in downlink and uplink, are transferred via the MCG.”
Therefore, Claim 5 is obvious over Liu ion view of 3GPP R2-1712101 and references therein.
Regarding Amended Claim 6, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu further teaches wherein, before sending the QoE measurement result by using the first radio bearer, the method further comprises: receiving first indication information from the master access network device (for a UE in MR-DC, the MN “can send an RRC message to UE to obtain the stored QoE report. The RRC message can be UE Information Request message, or a newly defined RRC message. Within this RRC message, the network can include an indication for QoE obtaining” – See [¶0140]).
Liu does not teach that the RRC message for obtaining the QoE report, i.e., the first indication information, indicates the first radio bearer or a logical channel of the first radio bearer for sending the QoE measurement result. However, 3GPP R2-1712101:46 discloses agreement on “SRB4 and SRB4 can be configured via the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message” and “a new uplink RRC message and the naming could be ‘application layer measurement report’, and this message uses SRB4. For this new RRC message, it includes a container of report with Octet string (1..8000),” i.e., the RRC message from the MN containing the first indication information, indicates the first radio bearer for sending the QoE measurement result; see also 3GPP TS 36.331, referenced by 3GPP R2-1712101, teaching, at page 155, the procedure for SRB addition/modification at the UE by an MN.
Therefore, Amended Claim 6 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 7, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu teaches wherein the QoE measurement result corresponding to the secondary access network device is a measurement result corresponding to a target service type, the target service type being determined by the master access network device (a “QoE measurement activation command” received by the MN “includes QoE measurement configuration container, service type equal to VR, and RAT information equal to NR, or Node information equal to SN, or Bearer Type equal to SN terminated SCG bearer,” i.e., it corresponds to the SN – See [¶0103] and “the MN can generate the QoE measurement configuration message and send it to UE, the measurement configuration including the QoE measurement configuration container, service type equal to VR” and “when establishing this service, the network can establish a bearer with bearer type equals SN terminated SCG bearer” and “the downlink and uplink transmission of this service can pass a SN radio interface (i.e. NR RAT)” – See [¶0104], i.e., the QoE measurement result corresponding to the SN is a measurement of a target service type determined by the MN and run through the SN)
Therefore, Claim 7 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Amended Claim 8, Liu teaches an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and a computer readable storage medium storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor (“FIG. 9 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a hardware platform. A hardware platform 905 such as a network device or a base station or a wireless device (or UE) can include processor electronics 910 such as a microprocessor that implements one or more of the techniques presented” and “one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information such as data and/or instructions” – See [¶0208])
wherein executing the instructions (“processes and logic flows described . . . can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output” – See [¶0212]) causes an access network device to:
configure[[ing]]e, by a master access network device, a first radio bearer for a terminal device for receiving a quality of experience (QoE) measurement result (the MN “can send an RRC message to UE to obtain the stored QoE report. The RRC message can be UE Information Request message, or a newly defined RRC message. Within this RRC message, the network can include an indication for QoE obtaining” – See [¶0140], wherein the first radio bearer may comprise SRB4, as taught by 3GPP R2-1712101, configured by the MN to the UE using the SRB addition/modification procedure described in 3GPP TS 36.331:155), and
receiving, by the master access network device, the QoE measurement result corresponding to the secondary access network device from the terminal device by using the first radio bearer (“for MR-DC UE, in case the MN receives the QoE measurement report from UE, the MN can forward the QoE measurement results to SN side” – See [¶0135], whereby the report is sent using the SRB configured to the UE for this purpose, as explained supra)
wherein the QoE measurement result has the same limitations as those recited in Amended Claim 1 using the same language.
Because Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101 and documents referenced therein, Amended Claim 8 is also obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Amended Claims 9-10 and 13-14, dependent from Amended Claim 8, each merely recites the same limitations the same limitations as required by Claims 3, 5 and 6-7, respectively, as amended, using the same language, only from the perspective of the access network device recited in Amended Claim 8, e.g., a MN. Because each of the Claims 3, 5 and 6-7, as amended, is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101 and documents referenced therein, Amended Claims 9-10 and 13-14 are obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Amended Claim 15, Liu teaches a UE/terminal device (a “dual-mode or multi-mode wireless device includes two or more wireless technologies that could be used to connect to different wireless networks” – See [¶0207]) comprising: circuitry comprising one or more processors; and memory coupled to the circuitry and storing software (“A hardware platform 905 such as . . . a wireless device (or UE) can include processor electronics 910 such as a microprocessor that implements one or more of the techniques presented in this document” and “one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information such as data and/or instructions,” e.g., software – See [¶0208] and Fig. 9) that, when executed by the circuitry causes the circuitry to: execute the steps of the method in Amended Claim 1 (wherein the teachings of 3GPP R2-1712101 are applied to add in a first radio bearer as a radio bearer configured for the apparatus by a master access network device serving the apparatus, as explained in Regarding Amended Claim 1, supra). Because the Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101, and the apparatus disclosed in Amended Claim 15 is taught by Liu, Amended Claim 15 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 17, dependent from Amended Claim 15, it merely recites the same limitations of Claim 3, only applied to logical operations executed by the processor(s) in the apparatus of Amended Claim 15, as described in Liu. Because Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101 teaches both the apparatus of Amended Claim 15 and the limitations on the first radio bearer and the sending of QoE measurement result using the first radio bearer and recited with the same language in Claim 3, Claim 17 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 20, dependent from Amended Claim 15, it merely recites the same limitations as Claim 7. Because each of Claim 7 and Amended Claim 15 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101, Claim 20 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 22, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu further teaches wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the secondary access network device, the QoE measurement configuration configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device (for a MR-DC UE, the method comprises “receiving, by the terminal, multiple configurations for measuring experience quality information from each of a master node (MN) and a secondary node (SN); measuring, by the terminal, a first set of experience quality information when bearer is established over master cell group (MCG) radio interface and a second set of experience quality information when bearer is established over a secondary cell group (SCG) radio interface” – See [¶0023] and Fig. 3).
Therefore, Amended Claim 22 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 23, dependent from Amended Claim 1, 3GPP R2-1712101:46 further teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the first radio bearer is newly added by the master access network device for sending QoE measurement results (“Agreements: Introduce SRB4 and SRB4 can be configured via the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message” and “introduce a new uplink RRC message and the naming could be ‘application layer measurement report’, and this message uses SRB4”) whereby the addition of the new SRB by the MN to the UE is a procedure known in the art – See 3GPP TS 36.331:155.
Therefore, Claim 23 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 24, dependent from Amended Claim 1, 3GPP R2-1712101:46 already teaches wherein the first radio bearer is a dedicated radio bearer dedicated to sending QoE measurement results, as explained supra. Furthermore, R2-1710505 included by reference in R2-1712101, teaches in § 2.2, at page 1-2, that “[i]f the QoE files are sent on the same SRB as NAS messages, eNB cannot make a good prioritization for the transmission of the QoE files as it may then impact the transmission of NAS messages and user data which may impact the KPIs in the network” therefore “a separate [dedicated] SRB is defined” and “it can be configured in a way that is suitable for the purpose without impacting other transmissions.”
Therefore, Claim 24 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Amended Claim 25, dependent from Amended Claim 8, 3GPP R2-1712101, referencing 3GPP TS 36.331, further teaches the method apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first radio bearer is newly added by the master access network device for sending the QoE measurement results – See TS 36.331:155 (describing the SRB addition procedure in a MCG).
Therefore, Claim 25 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claim 26, dependent from Amended Claim 8, Liu further teaches the apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:
receiving, by the master access network device, a first message from the secondary access network device [[from]]for the terminal device requesting the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the terminal device for receiving the QoE measurement result corresponding to the secondary access network device (“sending the QoE measurement report to network directly when results are available at UE side . . . may also include the UE first sending an available indication to network [e.g., the MN], indicating that UE has available QoE measurement results” – See [¶0133] whereby “the MN can forward the QoE measurement results [or indication] to SN side,” e.g., “an explicit assistant information for [QoE reporting] scheduling optimization” – See [¶0135]; then “[t]he network [e.g. the SN] can trigger a results retrieve procedure” at the MN whereby the MN is “sending a request to UE, then UE can deliver the QoE measurement report to network” – See [¶0133] because “a SN can inform MN about the capable of QoE measurement configuration/ reporting over the SN” and “MN and SN can exchange the configured QoE measurement information,” e.g., the SN requesting the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the terminal device for receiving the QoE measurement result corresponding to the secondary access network device – See [¶0078]). In the alternative that the NR SN prefers receiving directly the QoE measurement report as indicated to the MN during QoE capability negotiation, supra, § 2.1, R2-1710708, referenced by 3GPP R2-1712101:45, teaches that “in TS 37.340 v 1.0.0. (Multi-connectivity of LTE and NR), SRB3 is defined” for the NR access; in this case the MCG/MN may configure both MN and SN terminated bearers for which the UE should collect QoE measurements – See Liu:[¶¶0018-19] and configure the UE with SRB3 for QoE measurement reporting directly to the SN, as taught by § 7.5, 3GPP TS 37.340:18 (“[t]he decision to establish SRB3 is taken by the SN, which provides the SRB3 configuration using an SN RRC message. SRB3 establishment and release can be done at Secondary Node Addition” which is executed by the MN, and “SN Measurement Report messages are mapped to SRB3, if configured, regardless of whether the configuration is received directly from the SN or via the MN”).
Therefore, Claim 26 is obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Regarding Claims 27 and 28, dependent from Amended Claims 1 and 8, respectively, each claim recites the same limitation on the first radio bearer to be a SRB. Because this limitation is already taught by 3GPP R2-1712101 as explained in each of the Regarding Amended Claims 1 and 8, supra, and Amended Claims 1 and 8 are obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101, Claims 27 and 28 are obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
In sum, Claims 1, 3, 5-9, 11, 13-15, 17, 20, and 22-28, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as obvious over Liu in view of 3GPP R2-1712101.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Pao et al., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20200037334 discloses a method used by a user equipment for controlling QoE based on UE assisted feedback, the UE performing a quality of experience (QoE) evaluation for fulfilling a performance requirement;
Xu et al., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2021/0345150 discloses method and apparatus for configuring and reporting measurements in MR-DC with LTE and NR nodes and Measurement report request/response between the MR nodes;
Tsuboi et al, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2020/0077288 discloses method and terminal apparatus configured to receive a measurement configuration from one or more base station apparatuses and transmitting measurement results;
Latheef et al., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2024/0179589 discloses timer based measurements in MR-DC configurations;
Yang, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210067999 disclosing method for reporting measurement information from a terminal device using multiple bearers;
Yu, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20190394680 disclosing remapping procedure for QoS flows;
Tang, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210176690 discloses a method for data transmission including a first primary network device that receives measurement result information of a secondary network device, transmitted by a terminal device.
Shi et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20200022034 discloses method and apparatus for Quality of Experience (QoE) Measurement collection in a terminal handover scenario;
3GPP TS 28.405 V1.2.0 (2020-03) "Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Telecommunication management; Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection; Control and configuration (Release 16)";
3GPP TR 38.912 V15.0.0 (2018-06), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Study on New Radio (NR) access technology (Release 15)”;
3GPP TS 37.340 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and NR; Multi-connectivity; Stage 2 (Release 16)”;
3GPP TS 36.323 V16.0.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) specification (Release 16)”;
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 #99bis, R2-1711688, Title: Detailed analysis of LTE QMC CP solution 4 and 5, Source: Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell, October 2017;
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 #99bis, R2-1710505, Title: Solution enhancement for QoE Measurements, Source: Ericsson, October 2017;
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #109bis-e, R2-2003192, Title: “Correction on MN-SN measurements coordination in INM,” Source: Ericsson, Published 04/09/2020, available at https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_ran/WG2_RL2/TSGR2_109bis-e/Docs/R2-2003191.zip; disclosing updates to 3GPP 37.340;
3GPP TSG RAN WG2 #106, R2-1906232, Title: “QoE Measurement Collection in NR,” Source: Ericsson, May 2019.
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/L.G.G./ Examiner, Art Unit 2478
/JOSEPH E AVELLINO/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2478