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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/06/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Non-Final Office Action on 02/13/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The amendment to the claims filed on 05/11/2026 complies with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121(c) and has been entered. Claims 1, 8, 13 and 15 are amended. Claims 2, 4, 10, 12, 16, 18-19, 21 and 26 are cancelled. Claims 29-30 are new.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's Arguments/Remarks filed 05/11/2026 (hereinafter Resp.) are fully considered hereinafter.
Applicant first argues that “Paragraphs [0140-0141]” of Liu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2022/0417780 (hereinafter Liu), disclosing how the primary node of a UE receives the QoE measurement available indication from UE and triggers QoE retrieve procedure, “says nothing about any secondary node or any radio bearer” – See Resp., 9:¶2. Examiner respectfully disagrees that the cited example of Liu is irrelevant to the limitation “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,” as cited in the Non-Final Office Action (NFOA), at p.8:¶3-9:¶1. First, Liu:[¶0141] was used to further detail Liu:[¶0133] (“[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”), pertaining to an EN-DC UE and cited in the same NFOA paragraph. Second, although the detailed procedure is explained as happening between an UE and a network node, a person of ordinary skills in the art would appreciate that the network node, being RRC connected to the UE – See Liu:[¶0141], may easily configure the UE for a secondary node (SN) through RRC messages known in the art while “the SN QoE measurement capability can be transmitted in inter-node RRC message (e.g., CG-Config) or indicated by parameters in Xn/X2 messages” – See Liu:[¶0148]. Lastly, the paragraph of the NFOA citing Liu:[¶0141] is just one alternative in Liu’s teaching “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” – See NFOA, p.7:¶3, the other alternative citing to Liu:[¶0119] which specifically pertains to a DC configuration of the UE. Therefore, the statement: “The Examiner combines the above excerpt with R2-1906232, which proposes to send QoE measurement result files on a new SRB4. R2-1906232 at Section 2.2” – See Resp., p.9:¶2 is incorrect because the combination applies to either alternative disclosed in Liu and cited in the NFOA.
Applicant then argues that “Paragraphs [0018]-[0019] of Liu” that “discuss that a configuration received by a terminal for collecting QoE information includes a bearer type indicator indicating a target bearer type for collecting the OoE information, wherein different types of bearers can be indicated . . . are irrelevant to configuring a bearer for sending QoE information, as they are directed to what kind of bearer should be a target bearer for collecting the QoE information” – See Resp., p.10:¶2. However, Applicant fails to explain what is the claimed distinction between “sending a QoE” and “collecting the QoE” when it is obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art that there must be a target “collector” to the sent QoE information, even in a case of broadcasting the QoE information. Therefore, this argument is unpersuasive.
Applicant further argues that “Paragraph [ 0078] of Liu” disclosing “a SN can inform the MN about the capabilities of QoE measurement configuration or reporting over the SN, and the MN can inform the SN whether the SN is allowed to configure QoE measurement towards the UE” is nevertheless “completely silent on configuring a bearer and certainly doesn't disclose a request from SN to MN indicating the MN to configure a radio bearer for the UE to use to send a QoE measurement result that corresponds to the SN” – See id.:¶3. This argument is also unpersuasive because: (1) on the one hand Liu clearly discloses bearers set up for QoE reporting by an EN-DC UE, i.e., reporting either directly to the MN or to the SN – See e.g., [¶0118] (stating that “the UE can log the QoE results when the bearer is established over MCG radio interface, and log QoE results when the bearer is established over SCG radio interface. The UE can deliver separate QoE reports to MN and SN”); and, (2) on the other hand, a person of ordinary skills in the art would have known, before the effective filing date of the present application, that the MN may establish bearers for the MN – See NFOA, at page 11, citing 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) (stating, at page 28 that “Split SRB is supported for all the MR-DC options in both SRB1 and SRB2” and further that “SRB2 is for NAS messages and for RRC messages which include logged measurement information” (emphasis added)) and for the SN; see also Liu:[¶0145] (“For a MR-DC UE, the SN can inform the MN of whether SN is able to configure QoE measurement towards the UE. The SN may indicate the capable of QoE measurement when following a condition is fulfilled” using Xn/X2 messages as specified by 3GPP TS 38.423 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; Xn application protocol (XnAP) (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.423));
Therefore, Applicant’s conclusion that “nothing is said about any radio bearer” – See Resp.,p11:¶2 is not supported in view of Liu and the knowledge of one of ordinary skills in the art when “[a] person of ordinary skill in the art is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automaton,” therefore can combine knowledge as “puzzle pieces” – See KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 421 (2007).
Applicant further argues that “Section 2.1 of R2-1710708 discloses only a SRB3 may be set up when QoE measurements are configured” (emphasis added) but “is completely silent on a request from a secondary access network device indicating the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the terminal device to use to send the QoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device” – See Resp.,p11:¶3. While Applicant has a duty to zealously advocate for the client, a technical document is not to be misunderstood by a person of ordinary skills in the art. Here, 3GPP R2-1710708, Title:” Summary on [99#39][LTE/QMC] RAN controlled CP based solution,” Source: Huawei (email rapporteur),(hereinafter 3GPP R2-1710708) discloses, in Section 2.1, an agreement made as early as 2017 in 3GPP RAN WG2 to add a new signaling radio bearer, namely SRB4, for QoE management1, because “[i]f SRB2 is used for the transmission of QoE files it may impact transmission of NAS messages and user data when the load is high or coverage is poor” as opposed to proposals in §§ 2.4 & 2.5 to use “existed SRB1 or SRB2 for QMC data reporting.” The plain meaning of these statements, as understood by one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the present application and using only the knowledge available in the art at that time is that: (1) 3GPP R2-1710708 discloses more radio bearers than SRB3, contrary to Applicant’s assertion; and (2) at the time of the 3GPP R2-1710708 disclosure, SRB2 was used for QoE measurements whereby SRB2 is a signalling radio bear between a network node and a UE, having lower priority that SRB0 and SRB1 and established by the primary/MN/PCell node/base station, between that node and the UE – See, e.g., 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, also cited in the NFOA at page 10-11) specifying in §4.2.2, at page 39-40, SRBs 0-2 and 4, stating that “SRB2 is for RRC messages which include logged measurement information as well as for NAS messages . . . and is always configured by E-UTRAN after security activation” meaning that, for a UE in DC the MN must first establish the security context for NAS level and then the SRB2, noting 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” and when “these SRBs may be configured as split SRB . . . the UE receives RRC messages via both MCG and NR SCG i.e. handles out of order and duplicate PDUs as specified in TS 38.323 [83]. For a split SRB, the network configures via which cell group(s) the UE sends uplink RRC messages,” i.e., the MN may set up SRB2 for QoE measurement using the procedure in § 5.3.10.1 (as described in the NFOA at page 10) at the request of the SN and then decide whether SRB2 is a split SRB, hence the UE may send RRC messages to the SN/SCG or is not a split SRB and all RRC messages for the SN/SCG are routed through the MN; also referencing SRB3 in NOTE2 as an SN specific SRB: “In case of (NG)EN-DC, SRB3 may be configured for the transfer of some NR RRC messages between UE and SgNB via the NR radio interface, see TS 38.331 [82]” in accord with NFOA, at page 11, citing § 10.2.5, Report of 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 meeting #99bis, R2-1712101, Source: ETSI MCC, December 2017 (hereinafter 3GPP R2-1712101) (disclosing, at page 111-112, 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)”).
Applicant concludes that “nothing in Liu, or R2-1710708 or 3GPP TS 37.340, whether considered individually or in combination, that discloses the features of claim 1 of ‘wherein the first radio bearer is configured based on a request from the secondary access network device to the master access network device, the request indicating the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the terminal device to use to send the QoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device.’” Examiner respectfully disagrees in view of the discussion on establishing the SRB2 supra, either as SRB between the UE and the MN or as a split SRB, adding that the SN may even request which SRB to be split by messaging with the MN over the Xn/X2 interface disclosed in Liu:[¶0148]; see also 9.1.2.2, 3GPP TS 38.423 supra at page 76, describing the SN addition acknowledgement indicating which SRBs can be split with the SN, including SRB2. To be sure, the Specification allows a broad interpretation of the distinguishing limitation as claimed supra – See [¶0119] (stating with reference to FIG. 2A that the when “[t]he SN sends a first message to the MN, to trigger the MN to configure the first radio bearer for the UE,” the “message may be in various forms. For example, the first message may indicate that the SN has configured the QoE measurement for the UE or subsequently configure the QoE measurement, or the SN requests the MN to configure the first radio bearer for the UE. This is not limited in this application. Optionally, a sequence between steps 104 and 105 is not limited in this embodiment of this application,” i.e., including a case where the SN indicates to the MN that is establishing or will establish SRB32 with the UE)
In sum, Applicant’s arguments fail to show evidence that a person of ordinary skills in the art could not have implemented and/or combine the claimed elements by known methods in the art using technical specifications readily available at the effective date of filing of the present Application or evidence of other secondary considerations for non-obviousness determination. Applicant’s argument regarding the Amendment is also 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.
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, 22-25, and 27-30, 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 Hsieh et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No 2023/0046878 (hereinafter Hsieh) and 3GPP technical specifications referenced therein.
Regarding Amended Claim 1, Liu teaches a method applied to a terminal device (“a method for wireless communication is disclosed” that “includes receiving, by a terminal, first message from a network node that includes a configuration for collecting experience quality information” – See [¶0005] whereby “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]) the method comprising:
obtaining a quality of experience (QoE) measurement result based on a QoE measurement configuration (“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” – See [¶0010] ),
wherein the QoE measurement result corresponds to a secondary access network device (“any of the configuration for collecting experience quality information included in the first message or the collected set of experience quality information included in the second message includes node information that is indicative of target node in which to collect the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0017], e.g., a SN, and/or “includes bearer type indicator indicative of target bearer type for collecting the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0018] and “wherein the bearer type indicator can be indicative of . . . a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer, a split bearer, . . . a SN terminated SCG bearer, or a SN terminated split bearer” – See [¶0019] and/or “includes a number of application configuration containers, wherein each application configuration container is applied to a specific RAT” – See [¶0020]; furthermore, “the QoE measurement configuration can include one or more parameters” – see [¶0081] and “[a] parameter can include node information that can be used to indicate the target node that QoE information is expected to be collected. A value for the node information can include a value indicative of a MN only, a SN only, both MN and SN” – See [¶0085]), 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 (“receiving, by the terminal, multiple configurations for measuring experience quality information from each of a master node (MN) and a secondary node (SN)” – See [¶0022] whereby the “MN can inform SN whether SN is allowed to configure QoE measurement towards UE” and “MN and SN can exchange the configured QoE measurement information” – See [¶0078] and Fig. 3),
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 (as explained in Hsieh infra); and
sending the QoE measurement result by using a first radio bearer (a “network 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] the RRC message implicitly requires establishing at least on signalling radio bearer as kn0own in the art and further explained in Hsieh infra),
wherein the first radio bearer is a radio bearer configured for the terminal device by the master access network device serving the terminal device (when “a EN-DC UE is connected to both eNB (MN) and gNB (SN)” – See [¶0103] “the SN can inform the MN of whether SN is able to configure QoE measurement towards the UE” – See [¶0145] e.g., whether “the SN node [is] supporting QoE measurement and reporting towards the UE” – See [¶0146] which would require a SN terminated radio bearer from the UE as known in the art and further explained in Hsieh infra; then “the network [e.g., the MN] can establish a bearer with bearer type equals SN terminated SCG bearer. Accordingly, the downlink and uplink transmission [from the UE] can pass a SN radio interface” – See [¶0104], i.e., a bearer only for the SN, e.g., SRB3 known in the art and explained in Hsieh infra, or can establish “a split bearer” – See, e.g., [¶0173] i.e., a bearer used by the UE to transmit to both MN and SN, e.g., SRB2 known in the art and explained in Hsieh infra, or both a dedicated SRB3 and a split SRB2)
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 (“For 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] e.g., when the MN established a dedicated SN terminated bearer like SRB3; or “The UE can send QoE results available indication to network,” e.g., to the MN via a split bearer like SRB2, and “The MN can forward QoE results to SN” – See [¶0077] whereby because “MN and SN can exchange the configured QoE measurement information” – See [¶0078] then “for MR-DC UE, upon reception the QoE configuration, the RAN node (i.e., the MN . . .) can determine the bearer type of requested service, which can be done based on the information indicated in QoE configuration” including “a SN terminated SCG bearer, a SN terminated split bearer, etc” – See [¶0093] i.e., the QoE measurement result corresponds to the secondary access network device based on the bearer type and also on other parameters like “node information that is indicative of target node in which to collect the set of experience quality information” – See [¶0017], e.g., the SN).
While Liu teaches how a MN sets up a radio bearer terminated at a SN/SCG or split based on “the SN QoE measurement capability . . . transmitted in inter-node RRC message (e.g., CG-Config) or indicated by parameters in Xn/X2” interface between MN and SN – See [¶0148], Liu does not explicitly teach setting up industry specific signaling bearers (SRBs) that support RRC connections, e.g., for “receiving, by the terminal, an RRC message from the network node that includes a request for the set of experience quality information when a network load is below a threshold level, wherein the terminal transmits the second message to the network node responsive to receiving the RRC message” – See [¶0181] and Figs. 4 and 5. Therefore, Liu does not teach wherein the first radio bearer is configured based on a request from the secondary access network device to the master access network device, the request indicating the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the terminal device (to use to send the QoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device, as already explained for the last limitation supra).
Hsieh, like Liu, references RRC procedures for UEs operating in dual connectivity (DC), whereby “the cells associated with the base station operating the master node (MN) define a master cell group (MCG), and the cells associated with the base station operating as the secondary node (SN) define the secondary cell group (SCG)” – See [¶0004], e.g., “3GPP specification TS 37.340 v15.7.0 describes procedures for a UE to add or change an SN in DC scenarios” that “involve messaging (e.g., RRC signaling and preparation) between radio access network (RAN) nodes,” i.e., the MN and the SN – See [¶0007] “3GPP specification . . . 38.300 vl5.6.0 describe a handover procedure that includes several steps (RRC signaling and preparation) between RAN nodes” – See [¶0008] “multiple measurement configurations (as described in 3GPP specification 38.331 vl5.4.0 for example)” – See [¶0012] “RRCConnectionReconfiguration message or RRCConnectionReconfiguration-IEs conforming to 3GPP TS 36.331” or “RRCReconfiguration-IEs or the CellGroupConfig IE conforming to 3GPP TS 38.331” – See [¶0134] and “Handover Request message [between the MN and the SN over the X2/Xn interface] defined in 3GPP TS 36.423 or TS 38.423” – See [¶0124].
Hsieh teaches that when an SN wants to exchange RRC messages with a UE, there must be one SRB established for the SN, i.e., SN terminated, at the UE (“the UE 102 is initially in DC with the MN 104A (via a primary cell (PCell)) and the SN 106A” and “[t]he SN 106A can provide a configuration . . . for the UE 102. If the UE 102 is configured with a signaling radio bearer (SRB) that permits the exchange of RRC messages with the SN 106A (e.g., SRB3), the SN 106A may transmit the configuration . . . to the UE 102 directly via the SRB, or via the MN 104A. In some implementations, the SN 106A may transmit an RRC reconfiguration message including the configuration via the SRB to the UE 102” but “[i]f the UE 102 does not have an SRB . . . the SN 106A determines to transmit the configuration via the MN 104A” – See [¶0072]).
Hsieh specifically teaches wherein the first radio bearer is configured based on a request from the secondary access network device to the master access network device, the request indicating the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the terminal device to use to send the QoE measurement result that corresponds to the secondary access network device (“the SN 106A configures a first SRB to the UE 102 via the MN 104A and transmits the RRC reconfiguration message via the first SRB to the UE 102,” e.g., to request a QoE measurement result corresponding to the SN as taught in Liu supra, whereby “the SN 106A can send an SRB configuration configuring the first SRB ( e.g., SRB3) to the MN 104A, and the MN 104A transmits the SRB configuration to the UE 102 via a second SRB (e.g., SRB1) set up between the MN 104A and the UE 102” – See [¶0107])
Hsieh, like Liu, teaches that the base stations “may support an X2 or Xn interface” – See [¶0057] and Fig. 1, further specified in 3GPP TS 38.423 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; Xn application protocol (XnAP) (Release 16),” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.423) referenced in [¶0124], and also teaches the SN requesting a first radio bearer to the MN, the request indicating the master access network device to configure the first radio bearer for the UE in a DC configuration using a split bearer instead of a dedicated bearer for the SN, whereby “[s]plit SRBs allow the UE to exchange RRC messages directly with the MN via lower layer resources of the MN and the SN” – See, e.g., [¶0004]. Section 9.1.2, 3GPP TS 38.423 specifies the procedures for modifying a SN whereby, as explained at page 75-77, a “message is sent by the S-NG-RAN node to confirm the M-NG-RAN node about the S-NG-RAN node addition preparation” and that message indicates3, from the SN to MN, the “Admitted Split SRBs” among the SRB1 and SRB2 or combination thereof, for the MN to set-up one of those SRBs or both as split SRB(s) so that the SN may receive directly from the UE a QoE measurement result corresponding to the SN; see also 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) specifying, in § 7.6, at page 19, split SRBs in MR-DC cases (stating “A UE can be configured with both split SRB and SRB3 simultaneously. SRB3 and the SCG leg of split SRB can be independently configured” and, for the split SRB, “[f]or uplink, the UE is configured via MN RRC signalling whether to use MCG path or duplicate the transmission on both MCG and SCG,” i.e., after the MN receives from the SN the request for admitted SRBs); 3GPP TS 37.340 also teaches about SBR3, stating, in § 7.5, at page 18, that “[t]he decision to establish SRB3 is taken by the SN” and “SRB3 is modelled as one of the SRBs defined in TS 38.331 [4] and uses the NR-DCCH logical channel type”; see also see also 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), referenced at [¶0134], specifying at page 40, that “"Signalling Radio Bearers" (SRBs) are defined as Radio Bearers (RB) that are used only for the transmission of RRC . . . messages” and defining SRB2 “for RRC messages which include logged measurement information.”
Thus, Liu and Hsieh 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 the procedure for requesting to the MN by the SN setting up a dedicated SRB (e.g., SRB3) and/or a split SRB (e.g., SRB2) for a UE configured in DC with the MN and the SN to use the SRB to exchange RRC messages between the SN and the UE, directly or through the MN, as taught in Hsieh, could have been combined with the setting up, by the MN, of a first radio bearer whereby the bearer type equals SN terminated SCG bearer of split bearer for the downlink and uplink transmission from the UE to the SN radio interface, as taught by Liu, so that the SN and the UE can communicate directly or indiratly through the MN via RRC regarding a QoE measurement result corresponding to the SN. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the combination through techniques known in the art. Finally, the combination achieves the predictable result of allowing the SN to exchange messages, including related to QoE measurement configuration and results directly with the UE, using 3GPP standardized SRB establishment procedures as taught in Hsieh.
Therefore, Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh and the 3GPP specification referenced therein.
Regarding Claim 3, dependent from Amended Claim 1, although Liu does not teach that radio bearers may comprise plurality of logical channels; and sending the QoE measurement result through a first logical channel in the plurality of logical channels of the first radio bearer, this is knowledge that was readily available in the 3GPP specifications before the effective filing date of the present Application. For example, Hsieh references “3GPP technical specifications (TS) 36.300 and 38.300” for procedures described therein – See [¶0006], whereby, e.g., 3GPP TS 38.300 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; NR and NG-RAN Overall Description; Stage 2 (Release 16)” (hereinafter TS 38.300) describing in Figure 6.1-2, at page 39, reproduced hereinafter, an Uplink Layer 2 Structure similar to that of a UE sending a QoE measurement result through a first logical channel in the plurality of logical channels of the first radio bearer.
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3GPP 38.300 further teaches in § 6.2.2, at page 43, logical channels, including “Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH): a point-to-point bi-directional channel that transmits dedicated control information between a UE and the network. Used by UEs having an RRC connection,” whereby DCCH is the type of logical channel sent through SRBs, as explained e.g., in 3GPP TS 37.340 supra. Therefore, Hsieh, through the 3GPP documents referenced therein, further teaches the method according to Claim 1 wherein the first radio bearer comprises a plurality of logical channels; and sending the QoE measurement result through a first logical channel in the plurality of logical channels of the first radio bearer.
Thus, Claim 3 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
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] and “wherein the bearer type indicator can be indicative of . . . a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer, a split bearer, . . . a SN terminated SCG bearer, or a SN terminated split bearer” – See [¶0019] and/or “includes a number of application configuration containers, wherein each application configuration container is applied to a specific RAT” – See [¶0020]).
Furthermore, when QoE measurement configuration and reporting uses a split SBR and there is no SRB3 established for the UE to communicate directly with the SN, “the SN 106A determines to transmit the configuration via the MN 104A,” i.e., “the SN 106A may send the RRC reconfiguration message to the MN 104A and, in tum, the MN 104A transmits the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE 102,” as taught by Hsieh:[¶0072], whereby “the SN QoE measurement capability can be transmitted in inter-node RRC” – See Liu:[¶0148] and the MN “can generate the QoE measurement configuration message and send it to UE” when the UE is “in RRC CONNECTED mode” with the MN – See Liu:[¶¶0099-100]; see also 3GPP TS 36.331, referenced by Hsieh:[¶0134] specifying, at page 40, SRB2 “for RRC messages which include logged measurement information” and SRB4 “for RRC messages which include application layer measurement reporting information, all using DCCH logical channel” and 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,” except for SRB3 that “may be configured for the transfer of some NR RRC messages between UE and SgNB via the NR radio interface, see TS 38.331 [82],” i.e., without passing through the MN.
Therefore, Claim 5 is obvious over Liu ion view of Hsieh and 3GPP references therein.
Regarding Amended Claim 6, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu further teaches the method of claim 1 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 (“The 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 the network node, e.g., the MN, “can trigger QoE retrieve procedure when network load is low. The network 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” – See [¶0141]).
Although Liu teaches only the sending of the QoE measurement report (“Then, the UE can send QoE measurement report to the network node” – See id.), Hsieh, references 3GPP TS 36.331 supra specifying in § 6.2 RRC messages definitions including the UE Information Request/Response messages which are standardized, e.g., as described at page 440-441, the UEInformationRequest message is always using the Signalling radio bearer SRB1 and a Logical channel of type DCCH while the UEInformationResponse message is used by the UE to transfer the information requested by the network node, also uses a Logical channel of type DCCH and uses Signalling radio bearer SRB2 “when logged measurement information is included”; see also § 9.1.2, at page 946, specifying the logical channel identity for each SRB.
Because the first indication information from the MN is specifically for logged measurement information, Hsieh, referencing 3GPP TS 36.331, implicitly teaches wherein the first indication information, indicates the first radio bearer, e.g., SRB2, or a logical channel, e.g. a DCCH with logicalChannelIdentity equal to 2, of the first radio bearer for sending the QoE measurement result.
Therefore, Amended Claim 6 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
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; in addition, “when MN triggers QoE measurement towards UE, the MN can inform SN about the on-going QoE measurement configuration and corresponding service type” – See [¶0150])
Therefore, Claim 7 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
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 . . . 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, 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], whereby a person of ordinary skills in the art would know that RRC messages require establishing a first signalling radio bearer at the UE terminated at the sending network node – See, e.g., § 4.2.2, 3GPP TS 36.331 referenced by Hsieh, stating, at page 39 “’Signalling Radio Bearers’ (SRBs) are defined as Radio Bearers (RB) that are used only for the transmission of RRC and NAS messages” whereby “SRB2 is for RRC messages which include logged measurement information . . . all using DCCH logical channel” and “SRB2 has a lower-priority than SRB1 and is always configured by E-UTRAN after security activation”; similarly “SRB4 is for RRC messages which include application layer measurement reporting information” but SRB4 like SRB3 established by the MN for SN direct RRC communication with the UE, cannot be split a bearer; see also § 5.3.10.1, at page 155, specifying the procedure for adding by the MN to the UE SRB2 after SRB1 is established for the MN/MCG, and at page 590-593 the RRC RadioResourceConfigDedicated Information Element comprising the srb-Identity field), 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, e.g., SRB2 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 and
the first radio bearer is configured as claimed in Amended Claim 1 using the same language.
Because Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh and 3GPP specifications documents referenced therein, Amended Claim 8 is also obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Regarding Claims 9, and 13-14, as amended dependent from Amended Claim 8, each claim merely recites the same limitations as required by Claims 3, and 6-7, respectively, as amended, except for the alternative requirement of a logical channel in Amended Claim 6, using the same language, only from the perspective of the access network device recited in Amended Claim 8. Because each of the Claims 3, and 6-7, as amended, is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh, Claims 9, and 13-14, as amended, are obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Regarding Claim 11, dependent from Amended Claim 8, Liu further teaches the apparatus according to claim 8, wherein executing the instructions further causes the access network device to:
receive, from the secondary access network device, the QoE measurement configuration configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device (the “MN can inform SN whether SN is allowed to configure QoE measurement towards UE” and “MN and SN can exchange the configured QoE measurement information” – See [¶0078] and Fig. 3, i.e., the MN can receive from the SN the QoE measurement towards UE when the SN is not allowed to send them directly to the UE; see also Hsieh infra); and
send, to the terminal device, the QoE measurement configuration configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device (“receiving, by the terminal, multiple configurations for measuring experience quality information from . . . a master node (MN)” – See [¶0022] whereby “the QoE measurement configuration can include one or more parameters” – See [¶0081] including “indicate the target node that QoE information is expected to be collected,” e.g., “a value indicative of . . . a SN only” – See [¶0085]).
Hsieh further teaches receive, from the secondary access network device, configuration configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device (“If the UE 102 does not have an SRB or the SN 106A determines to transmit the configuration via the MN 104A,” e.g., “the SN 106A may send the RRC reconfiguration message to the MN 104A and, in tum, the MN 104A transmits the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE 102” – See [¶0072] wherein the RRC reconfiguration message may be the QoE measurement configuration configured by the secondary access network device for the terminal device).
Therefore, Claim 11 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
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. Because the Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh, and the apparatus disclosed in Amended Claim 15 is taught by Liu, Amended Claim 15 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
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 Hsieh 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 Hsieh.
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 Hsieh, Claim 20 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Regarding Claim 22, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Liu further teaches the method according to claim 1 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 Hsieh.
Regarding Claims 23 and 25, dependent from Amended Claims 1 and 8, respectively, Liu teaches wherein the first radio bearer is newly added by the master access network device (“MN . . . can determine the bearer type of requested service, which can be done based on the information indicated in QoE configuration” – See [¶0093] or the “SN can inform MN the QoE measurement capability at a per service type level, or per network slice level, per UE level, per node level” – See [¶0147] and the MN “can establish a bearer with bearer type equals SN terminated SCG bearer” or split bearer, so that “the downlink and uplink transmission of this service can pass a SN radio interface” – See [¶0104], i.e., the MN establishes a new bearer)
Although Liu does not teach that the newly added bearer is for sending QoE measurement results, Hsieh, references 3GPP TS 36.331 wherein it is provided, at page 40, that a second bearer “SRB2 is for RRC messages which include logged measurement information . . . has a lower-priority than SRB1 and is always configured by E-UTRAN after security activation,” e.g., using the SRB addition procedure described at page 155; in addition, SRB2 can be established as a split bearer with the SN)
Therefore, Claims 23 and 25 are obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Regarding Claim 24, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Hsieh already teaches wherein the first radio bearer is a dedicated radio bearer dedicated to sending QoE measurement results, as explained supra. Therefore, Claim 24 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
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 Hsieh 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 Hsieh, Claims 27 and 28 are obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Regarding Claim 29, dependent from Amended Claim 8, Liu further teaches the apparatus according to claim 8, wherein executing the instructions further causes the access network device to:
before receiving the QoE measurement result corresponding to the secondary access network device by using the first radio bearer,
send indication information to the terminal device (“The 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 the network node, e.g., 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]).
Hsieh, referencing 3GPP TS 36.331, further teaches wherein the indication information indicates a first logical channel of the first radio bearer for sending the QoE measurement result corresponding to the secondary access network device (§ 6.2, 3GPP TS 36.331 provides RRC messages definitions including the UE Information Request/Response messages which are standardized, e.g., as described at page 440-441, the UEInformationRequest message is always using the Signalling radio bearer SRB1 and a Logical channel of type DCCH while the UEInformationResponse message is used by the UE to transfer the information requested by the network node, also uses a Logical channel of type DCCH and uses Signalling radio bearer SRB2 “when logged measurement information is included”; see also § 9.1.2, at page 946, specifying the logical channel identity for each SRB, including logicalChannelIdentity 2 for SRB2). Because the first indication information from the MN is specifically for logged measurement information, Hsieh, referencing 3GPP TS 36.331, implicitly teaches wherein the first indication information, indicates the first radio bearer, e.g., SRB2, or a logical channel, e.g. a DCCH with logicalChannelIdentity equal to 2, of the first radio bearer for sending the QoE measurement result.
Therefore, Claim 29 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Regarding Claim 30, dependent from Claim 23, Liu in view of Hsieh teaches the method according to claim 23, when the first radio bearer is newly added by the master access network device for sending QoE measurement results corresponding to the secondary access network device is SRB2, even established as a split bearer, as explained in Regarding Claim 23 supra.
Hsieh, referencing 3GPP TS 36.331 further teaches wherein a second radio bearer is established for sending QoE measurement results corresponding to the master access network device (e.g., 3GPP TS 36.331 provides, at page 40, that the MN may establish SRB4 “for RRC messages which include application layer measurement reporting information, all using DCCH logical channel. SRB4 can only be configured by E-UTRAN after security activation”).
Therefore, Claim 30 is obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
In sum, Claims 1, 3, 5-9, 11, 13-15, 17, 20, 22-25, and 27-30, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as obvious over Liu in view of Hsieh.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Wang et al., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20240324042 discloses procedures for Dual-Connectivity;
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 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)";
3GPP TS 38.423 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; Xn application protocol (XnAP) (Release 16)”;
3GPP TS 38.300 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; NR and NG-RAN Overall Description; Stage 2 (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;
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
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.
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/L.G.G./ Examiner, Art Unit 2478
/JOSEPH E AVELLINO/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2478
1 In accord with the present Specification:[¶0103].
2 Applicant asserts that “Section 7.5 of 3GPP TS 37.340 discloses that "the decision to establish SRB3 is
taken by the SN, which provides the SRB3 configuration using an SN RRC message." Accordingly, under the plain language of this disclosure, the SN configures SRB3 itself, it doesn't request the MN to configure the SRB3” – Resp.,p.11:¶4 (emphasis added). However, in subject matter interpretation, the plain meaning is according to the understanding of the person of ordinary skills in the art. That person would know that before an SRB establishment all communication of a UE configured in DC passes through the MN/MSG, and that includes SRB3, because the MN/MCG establishes the first SRB with the UE,– See, e.g., §4.2.2, 3GPP TS 36.331 cited supra. This information is assumed as known in the art but some prior art would explicitly disclose the MN-SN message exchange – See, e.g., Hsieh et al., US 2023/0046878, at [¶0107] (“the SN 106A can send an SRB configuration configuring the first SRB (e.g., SRB3) to the MN 104A, and the MN 104A transmits the SRB configuration to the UE 102 via a second SRB (e.g., SRB1) set up between the MN 104A and the UE 102”).
3 This message or method step is well within the meaning of “SN sends a first message to the MN, to trigger the MN to configure the first radio bearer for the UE” as described in the Specification:[¶0119]
Prosecution Insights