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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/23/2025 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. The certified English translation of the foreign application has been submitted on 12/23/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed on 12/23/2025, with respect to the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, rejections of claims 1-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of the amendment to the claims filed on 12/23/2025. The 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, rejections of claims 1-20 have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed on with respect to the 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 rejections have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding amended claims 1 and 19, the applicant argued that “…Second, Dai does not disclose or teach the second alternative of "establishing an associated unicast bearer for the target service when the terminal is in the PTM transmission mode, and continuously receiving the service data of the target service based on the associated unicast bearer" either. The Office Action references multiple paragraphs of Dai (e.g., paras. 36, 37, 44, 84, 94) as disclosing establishing a dedicated/unicast bearer. Office Action, pp. 5-6, p. 17. However, the dedicated bearer disclosed in Dai is not established "for the target service" to "receive the service data of the target service," as recited by the amended claim 1. Instead, Dai explicitly discloses that "a dedicated bearer associated with the multicast bearer is established for transmitting or receiving the UE specific information (e.g., a data receiving status report, or a last packet indication or an end marker for stopping a data transmission mode or missing data packets" because "it is not suitable to use the multicast bearer to send or receive UE specific information." Dai, para. [0036]. To that end, Dai clearly intends that the two different bearers are established for transmitting different information, i.e., "a multicast bearer is established for the data transmission, and a dedicated bearer may be established associated with the multicast bearer for UE specific info." Dai, para. [0044]. Therefore, Dai's dedicated bearer is established to transmit non-service data such as a status report, an indication or a marker, data that the multicast bearer is not used to transmit.
Accordingly, the amended independent claim 1 is allowable over the prior art of record. Similarly, amended independent claim 19 is also allowable over the prior art of record for the same reason by reciting claim elements same or similar to those recited in amended claim 1” (emphasis added) (see pages 10-11).
In response to applicant’s argument, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument above. The claims 1 and 19 recite “establishing an associated unicast bearer for the target service when the terminal is in the PTM transmission mode, and continuously receiving the service data of the target service based on the associated unicast bearer” (emphasis added), thus the claims merely require that the unicast bearer established for supporting the continuity of receiving the service data of the target service. The claims do not require that the unicast bearer established for receiving or transmitting the service data of the target service.
Furthermore the instant specification discloses on paragraphs [38, 45-46] as follows:
[0038] In a case that the target transmission mode is a PTM transmission mode, the continuously receiving service data includes any one of the following:
receiving first assistance information sent by a network side device based on a Control Plane (CP) or a User Plane (UP), and receiving and reordering the service data based on the first assistance information, where the assistance information is used to indicate a correspondence between a Sequence Number (SN) of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode;
obtaining explicit or implicit first indication information, and establishing a multicast bearer from an SN initialization state based on the first indication information to continuously receive the service data;
obtaining explicit or implicit second indication information, and establishing a multicast bearer from an SN hold state based on the second indication information to continuously receive the service data; and
establishing an associated unicast bearer, and continuously receiving the service data based on the associated unicast bearer.
[0045] In a fourth implementation, the terminal may further establish the associated unicast bearer, and continuously receive the service data based on the associated unicast bearer. It can be understood that, because the target transmission mode is a PTM transmission mode, the service data is sent to a plurality of UEs. When there is newly added UE, adjustment of a transmission mode affects other UEs, and then an associated unicast bearer may be established to transit service data for the newly added UE.
[0046] The establishing an associated unicast bearer may include:
in a case that the source transmission mode is switched to the target transmission mode, establishing the associated unicast bearer based on third indication information, where the third. indication information is used to indicate a target service for which the associated unicast bearer needs to be established.
Therefore, the instant specification merely discloses that the unicast bearer established for helping/supporting the continuity of receiving the service data (i.e. based on the unicast bearer). Thus, the claims nor the instant specification require the unicast bearer to transmit or receive the service data when the UE is in the PTM transmission mode. As such, whether Dai discloses the unicast or dedicated bearer is established for transmit non-service data, is irrelevant to the rejections.
Lastly, Dai teaches on paragraphs [30, 32, 38, 44, 55-64, 94] as follows:
[0030] The switching of the data transmission mode may be realized through an application layer based solution. However, the continuity and lossless of the data transmission may not be guaranteed if a data transmission mode is switched and/or a handover happens. For example, in Long Term Evolution (LTE), a Single-Cell PTM (SC-PTM) uses an application layer based solution to support the data transmission mode switching between the PTP mode and the PTM mode, the switching delay is possibly more than 200 ms. If the data transmission mode switching is accompanied with a handover, the switching delay may be more. Furthermore, during the data transmission mode switching and/or the handover, some data packets may be possibly lost.
[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary RAN based method 100 performed by a UE to receive data packets from a BS for MBS. As shown in FIG. 1, the method 100 may include a step 110 of receiving data packets in a first mode in first cell, a step 120 of sending a data receiving status report to a BS during or after a handover from the first cell to a second cell and/or during or after a data transmission mode switching from the first mode to a second mode, a step 130 of receiving missing data packets during or after the data transmission mode switching and/or during or after the cell handover according to the data reception status report, and a step 140 of receiving data packets in a second mode in a second cell. The data receiving status report is used to make a lossless data transmission.
[0038] In some embodiments, in order to support the service continuity or the data transmission continuity, and in order to support the lossless of the data transmission, a common sequence numbering function for the data packet transmission. The data receiving status report is associated with a common sequence number (SN), wherein the common SN is shared by the PTM mode and the PTP mode, and/or shared by different cells, and/or shared by different BSs. Based on the data receiving status report associated with the common SN, the BS know well which data packets are correctly received by the UE and which data packets are missing. In some embodiments, the common sequence number is a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) SN or PDCP count value.
[0044] Please refer to FIG. 3 together with FIG. 1. In this embodiment, in step 110, a UE 310 receives the data packets in PTM mode from the BS 320. A multicast bearer is established for the data transmission, and a dedicated bearer may be established associated with the multicast bearer for UE specific info. Due to some reasons, for examples, the radio quality decreases, QoS requirement is stricter, and other conditions change, the network may decide to switch the UE 310 to be in PTP mode for data packets reception.
[0055] FIG. 4 illustrates a signal sequence of the method 100 according to a second embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, a data transmission mode is switched from the PTP mode to the PTM mode without a handover, the first cell and the second cell are a same cell, and the first mode is the PTP mode and the second mode is the PTM mode.
[0056] Please refer to FIG. 4 together with FIG. 1. In this embodiment, in step 110, a UE 410 receives the data packets in PTP mode from the BS 420, an MBS unicast bearer is established for the data transmission. Due to some reasons, for examples, the radio quality increase, QoS requirement becomes looser, and other conditions change, the network may decide to switch the UE 410 to be in PTM mode for data packets receiving.
[0057] The network may configure a multicast bearer and an associated dedicated bearer, and the multicast bearer may be inactive or active by default. The multicast bearer may be activated or deactivated by a signalling. In order to support service continuity and secure losses data transmission, a common sequence numbering function is shared by both the PTP mode and the PTM mode. The common sequence numbering function may be located in the PDCP layer or the RLC layer.
[0058] The BS 420 sends a PTM mode configuration 430 to the UE 410, wherein the PTM mode configuration 430 may contain a signalling for activating the PTM mode. The UE 410 applies the PTM mode configuration 430, if the PTM mode is activated, the UE 410 may stop receiving the data packets in the PTP mode and start to receiving the data packets in the PTM mode, or the UE 410 may receive the data packets in both the PTM mode and the PTP mode, and stop receiving the data packets in the PTP mode after at least all missing data packets are received taking both data packets in the PTP mode and the PTM mode into account. The PTM mode configuration 430 may be included in a RRC Reconfiguration message or the PTM mode configuration 430 is carried by a MAC CE or DCI.
[0059] During the data transmission mode switching, some data packets may be lost. In step 120, during or after the data transmission mode switching, the UE 410 sends a data receiving status report 440 to the BS 420 via the unicast bearer or the dedicated bearer.
[0060] In some embodiments, the UE 410 sends the data receiving status report 410 at least based on stopping receiving data packets in the PTP mode, or receiving a deactivation indication or a removal indication of a data transmission in the PTP mode, or receiving an activation indication or an addition indication of the data transmission in the PTM mode, or receiving a last packet indication or an end marker. The data receiving status report 340 may include a maximum common SN of the receiving data packets in sequence, or a bit map of the receiving data packets status (a bitmap indicates which data packets are missing and which data packets are correctly received), or a common SN or count value of the first missing data packet, or a combined data receiving status for the PTP mode and the PTM mode. Furthermore, the data receiving status report 440 may include at least a minimum common SN or count value of data packets received in the PTM mode.
[0061] To secure the lossless data transmission, in step 130, after receiving the data receiving status report 440, the BS 420 sends the missing data packets 450 to the UE 410 via the unicast bearer or the dedicated bearer according to the data receiving status report 440.
[0062] For example, the minimal receiving data packet in the PTM mode is data packet #4 (i.e., the minimum common SN or count value is 4), the UE 410 need at least to receive the data packets in the PTP mode until all the data packets before the data packet #4 are received, then the UE 410 may stop the data reception in the PTP mode. Furthermore, a timer may be configured, if the timer expiry, the UE 410 may stop receiving the data packets in the PTP mode even if not all the missing data packets before the data packet #4 are received.
[0063] In step 140, the UE 410 starts to receive the data packets in the PTM mode.
[0064] In some embodiments, the UE hands over from the first cell to the second cell without a data transmission mode switching, i.e., the first mode and the second mode are a same mode, and the first cell and the second cell are different cells. In the step 120, the UE sends the data receiving status report to the BS of the second cell during or after the handover.
[0094] Furthermore, the target BS 830 decides that the data transmission mode in the second cell is the second mode different from the first mode. The target BS 830 sends a mode configuration 850 for the second mode to the UE 810. The mode configuration 850 may include a signalling for activating/adding the second mode. The UE 810 applies the mode configuration 850. Furthermore, if the second mode is the PTM mode, a dedicated bearer associated with the multicast bearer of the second mode is set up. In some embodiments, the dedicated bearer may be same as the unicast bearer.
Therefore, Dai has clearly taught that in order to continue to receive the service data of the target service (a multicast service which the UE is interested and intended to receive, paragraphs [30-32, 55] and Fig. 4), the UE establishes the unicast/dedicated bearer to receive the UE specific info and to receive missing data of the service data of the target service. Thereby, the associated unicast bearer has been established for the target service when the UE is in the PTM transmission and furthermore to receive the service data of the target service, i.e. missing service data of the target service.
In view of the foregoing, Dai has taught the limitation of “establishing an associated unicast bearer for the target service when the terminal is in the PTM transmission mode, and continuously receiving the service data of the target service based on the associated unicast bearer” (emphasis added) as cited in the amended claims 1 and 19. Thus, the amended independent claim 1 is NOT allowable over the prior art of record. Similarly, amended independent claim 19 is also NOT allowable over the prior art of record for the same reason by reciting claim elements same or similar to those recited in amended claim 1.
Regarding amended claims 4, 6-8 and 20, the Applicant argued that “Dependent claims 4, 6-8, and 20 are allowable over the prior art of record at least by virtue of their dependency from their respective base claims 1 and 19” (emphasis added) (See Remarks, page 11).
In response to applicant’s argument, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument above, since the claims 1 and 19 are NOT allowable over the applied prior art. Thus, dependent claims 4, 6-8, and 20 are also NOT allowable over the applied prior art at least by virtue of their dependency from their respective base claims 1 and 19, respectively and for other reasons as set forth in the rejections below.
Regarding claim 9, the Applicant argued that “…Dai fails to disclose or teach the recited elements in amended independent claim 1, which are also included in amended independent claim 9. Yao, Cao, Yu, or Dai'200 fails to cure the deficiency of Dai because they also fail to disclose or teach the recited elements in the amended independent claim 1 that are missing from Dai. Accordingly, Dai and the secondary references, either alone or in combination, fail to disclose or teach the recited elements in amended independent claim 1 or claim 9” (emphasis added) (see page 12).
In response to applicant’s argument, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument above, since the claim 1 is NOT allowable over the applied prior art. Thus, the claim 9 is also NOT allowable over the applied prior art for the same reason by reciting claim elements same or similar to those recited in amended claim 1 and for other reason(s) as set forth below.
Regarding amended claims 2-3, 5 and 10-18, the Applicant argued that “…dependent claims 2-3, 5, and 10-18 depending therefrom are all allowable over the prior art of record at least by virtue of its dependence from its base claim 1” (emphasis added) (See Remarks, page 11).
In response to applicant’s argument, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument above, since the claims 1, 9 and 19 are NOT allowable over the applied prior art. Thus, dependent claims 2-3, 5, and 10-18 are also NOT allowable over the applied prior art at least by virtue of their dependency from their respective base claims 1, 9 and 19, respectively and for other reasons as set forth in the rejections below.
Regarding amended claim 5, the Applicant further argued that “…In addition, claim 5 is further patentable because it recites that "when the source transmission mode is switched to the target transmission mode, establishing the associated unicast bearer based on third indication information, wherein the third indication information is configured to indicate the target service for which the associated unicast bearer needs to be established." As explained above, Dai and other references fail to disclose or teach "the target service for which the associated unicast bearer needs to be established." Dai's dedicated bearer is not established for the target service but only to transmit UE specific information” (emphasis added) (See Remarks, page 11).
In response to applicant’s argument, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument above, since Dai has clearly taught that the unicast bearer is established to receive/transmit the UE specific information and to receive the missing service data of the target service for the UE to continue receiving the service data of the target service when switching to PTM mode. As such, Dai has taught the unicast/dedicated bearer is established for the target service. Therefore, Dai has taught the limitation of claim 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, 6-8 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Dai teaches a data transmission method, performed by a terminal and a communications device (a UE for performing a data transmission method, Fig. 3-8), comprising:
a memory storing computer-readable instructions (the UE comprises a medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, paragraph [102]); and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions (the UE further includes a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, paragraph [102]), wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations (wherein when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, paragraph [102]) comprising:
receiving configuration information of a target transmission mode of a multicast service (the UE receives a target mode configuration, i.e. PTP mode or PTM mode, of a multicast service, Fig. 3, step 330, Fig. 4, step 430, Fig. 5-8 and paragraphs [44-46, 56-58, 84, 93-95]); and
continuously receiving service data of a target service based on the configuration information of the target transmission mode (the UE continuously receives a service data of the multicast service, i.e. target service, planned by the UE, based on the target mode configuration, after switching to a new/target transmision mode, Fig. 3-8 and paragraphs [45, 51-54, 60-63, 68-71, 77-81, 85-87]),
wherein in a case that the target transmission mode is a Point-To-Multipoint (PTM) transmission mode (when the target transmision mode is a PTM mode, paragraphs [55-56, 70-71, 77-79, 84-85, 94] and Fig. 4, 5-8),
establishing an associated unicast bearer for the target service (when the target transmission mode is the PTM mode, the UE establishes a dedicated/unicast bearer associated with a multicast bearer to enable the UE to receive the missing data of the target service and to continue receive the service data of the target service after switching, paragraphs [36, 37, 44, 84, 94]) when the terminal is in the PTM transmission mode (when the UE is in the PTM mode, paragraphs [36-37, 44]), and continuously receiving the service data of the target service based on the associated unicast bearer (UE provides a status report(s) via the unicast/dedicated bearer, and receives missing multicast service data via the dedicated or unicast bearer, based on the status report, thus enable the UE to continue receive the multicast service data, i.e. receiving the missing multicast service data during the switching and receiving other multicast service data after switching, paragraphs [36-38, 55-63, 84-89, 94-97] and Fig. 4, last step).
Regarding claim 4, Dai further teaches when a source transmission mode is the PTM transmission mode, the continuously receiving service data further comprises:
establishing a multicast bearer based on the target transmission mode (when the target transmision mode/second mode is the PTM mode, the UE establishes a multicast bearer based on PTM mode to continue receive the service data, paragraphs [44, 57]), maintaining an SN state of the target transmission mode the same as an SN state of the source transmission mode, and continuously receiving the service data (the UE uses a common sequence number that is shared between the target transmission mode/second mode and the source transmission mode/first mode to determine status of each received multicast service packet and for continuously receiving the multicast service packet(s)/data, paragraphs [38-39, 51, 60-63, 71, 77, 87, 96, 123]).
Regarding claim 6, Dai further teaches when the associated unicast bearer is established, the continuously receiving service data comprises at least one of the following:
sending service reception state information to the network side device by using the associated unicast bearer (when the unicast bearer associated with the PTM mode is established, the UE sends a data receiving status report to the base station/BS using the associated with unicast bearer, paragraphs [57-59, 84-87]);
receiving first target data sent by the network side device, and reordering the first target data and received data (the UE receives multicast service data sent by the base station(s), when switching to the target transmission mode, and reordering the multicast service data with the prior received multicast service data, see paragraphs [57-62, 84-88); or
receiving target SN correspondence sent by the network side device (the UE receives a target SN, i.e. minimum common SN of data packets received in the PTM mode, sent by a new/target base station, paragraphs [39, 62, 68, 77-79]), and receiving and reordering the service data based on the target SN correspondence (the UE receives and reorders the service data based on the target SN, requesting any missing service data based on the target SN, paragraphs [39, 62, 68, 77-79]), wherein the target SN correspondence is a correspondence between the SN of a source transmission mode and the SN of the target transmission mode (wherein the minimum common SN of data packets received in PTM mode is a correspondence between the SN of the PTP mode and the SN of the PTM, mode, paragraphs [60-62]).
Regarding claim 7, Dai further teaches when the target transmission mode is a Point-To-Point (PTP) transmission mode (when the target transmission mode is a PTP transmission mode, Fig. 3 and paragraphs [14, 43-44]), the continuously receiving service data comprises:
establishing a unicast bearer (the UE establishes a unicast bearer to continue receiving service data, paragraphs [44-46] and Fig. 3), and receiving multicast service data based on the unicast bearer (the UE receives the multicast service data via the unicast bearer, paragraphs [46, 53-54] and Fig. 3), wherein an SN state of service data received in the target transmission mode is maintained based on an SN state of service data received in a source transmission mode (wherein the SN number of the service data in the target transmision mode is continued from the SN of the service data in the source transmission mode, paragraphs [45, 51, 65-68, 71]).
Regarding claim 8, Dai further teaches wherein when the target transmission mode is a Point-To-Point (PTP) transmission mode (when the target transmission mode is a PTP transmission mode, Fig. 3 and paragraphs [14, 43-44]), and a SN state of service data received in the target transmission mode is maintained based on an SN state of service data received in a source transmission mode (and when the SN number of the service data in the target transmision mode is continued from the SN of the service data in the source transmission mode, paragraphs [45, 51, 65-68, 71]), the method further comprises:
reporting SN state information of received service data, wherein the SN state information comprises at least one of service data that is successfully received and service data that fails to be received (the UE sends a data receiving status report to the base station indicating SN state information of received service data, wherein the SN state information indicates at least one of the service data is successfully received and/or one of the service data that fails to be received, i.e. data packets are missing, paragraph [51]).
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 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2020/0374690 A1 to Yao et al. (hereafter refers as Yao).
Regarding claim 2, Dai does not explicitly teach “receiving first assistance information sent by a network side device based on a User Plane (UP), and receiving and reordering the service data based on the first assistance information, wherein the first assistance information is configured to indicate a correspondence between an (SN) of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode”.
Yao teaches receiving first assistance information sent by a network side device based on a User Plane (UP) (a UE receives a first indication information sent by a network device, paragraphs [71-73], wherein the UE is communicated with the network device, via a user plane, paragraph [68]), and receiving and reordering the service data based on the first assistance information (the UE receives service data and reorders the service data based on first indication information indicating the SNs associated with the service data, see paragraphs [94-95, 125-126, 128]), wherein the first assistance information is configured to indicate a correspondence between a Sequence Number (SN) of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode (wherein the first indication information indicates an offset and/or correlation between SN of packet(s) in a first type transmission and a SN of packet in a second type transmision, paragraphs [73-74, 80, 91, 94, 95, 97]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of receiving first assistance information sent by a network side device based on a Control Plane (CP) or a User Plane (UP), and receiving and reordering the service data based on the first assistance information, wherein the first assistance information is configured to indicate a correspondence between a Sequence Number (SN) of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode, as taught by Yao, with the teachings of Dai, for a purpose of increase reception of the service data of the target transmission mode by provide the correspondence between the Sequence Number (SN) of the source transmission mode and the SN of the target transmission mode, thus allow the terminal to determine which service data is missing and how to reorder the service data, when the SN of the target transmision mode is different from the SN of the source transmission mode (see Yao, paragraphs [94-95, 125-126, 128]).
Regarding claim 3, Yao further teaches wherein when the first assistance information is sent based on the UP (a UE receives a first information sent by a network device, paragraphs [71-73], wherein the UE is communicated with the network device, via a user plane, paragraph [68]), the first assistance information is carried in a Layer 2 (L2) control Protocol Data Unit (PDU) (the first indication information is carried in a control PDU, paragraphs [91, 94, 95], wherein the control PDU is a L2 control PDU, paragraphs [2, 68, 80, 82, 89]) or an L2 PDU header (the first indication information is carried in a PDU header, paragraph [92], wherein the control PDU is a L2 control PDU, paragraphs [2, 68, 80, 82, 89]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of when the first assistance information is sent based on the UP, the first assistance information is carried in a Layer 2 (L2) control Protocol Data Unit (PDU) or an L2 PDU header as taught by Yao, with the teachings of Dai, for a purpose of increase reception of the service data of the target transmission mode by provide the correspondence between the Sequence Number (SN) of the source transmission mode and the SN of the target transmission mode from the UP, thus allow the terminal to determine which service data is missing and how to reorder the service data, when the SN of the target transmision mode is different from the SN of the source transmission mode (see Yao, paragraphs [94-95, 125-126, 128]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai) in view of US 2020/0374690 A1 to Yao et al. (hereafter refers as Yao) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2023/0354473 A1 to Cao et al. (hereafter refers as Cao).
Regarding claim 5, Dai further teaches wherein the establishing an associated unicast bearer comprises:
when the source transmission mode is switched to the target transmission mode, establishing the associated unicast bearer based on third indication information (when switching from a source/first mode to a second mode, paragraphs [55-56, 65-67, 85-87, 90-94], receives signaling to activate unicast bearer, paragraphs [44-46, 74, 84-86, 128]), wherein the third indication information is configured to indicate the target service for which the associated unicast bearer (receives signaling to activate unicast bearer for transmitting the UE specific information, paragraphs [36-37, 44-46, 74, 84-861, 128]).
However, the combination of Dai and Yao does not explicitly teach the third indication information is to indicate the associated unicast bearer “needs to be established”.
Cao teaches establishing a unicast bearer based on third indication information (a UE receives a request for setup a unicast bearer and establishes the unicast bearer based on the request, i.e. wherein when the UE is in state 3, the UE has both the unicast bearer and a multicast bearer, paragraphs [19, 36, 60, 61, 66-67]), wherein the third indication information is configured to indicate the associated unicast bearer needs to be established (wherein the request for setup unicast cast bearer indicates to the UE needs to establish the unicast bearer to receive the multicast service, paragraphs [60, 61, 65-67]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of wherein the third indication information is configured to indicate the associated unicast bearer needs to be established as taught by Cao, with the teachings of the third indication information is configured to indicate the associated unicast bearer as taught by combination of Dai and Yao, for a purpose of increasing efficiency in establishing the unicast bearer by clearly indicate to the UE to establish the associated unicast bearer, instead of activate the unicast bearer, thus allowing the UE to establish the unicast bearer even when there is not unicast bearer being activated (see Cao, paragraphs [19, 36, 60, 61, 66-67]).
Claims 9, 16-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai) in view of US 2023/0354473 A1 to Cao et al. (hereafter refers as Cao).
Regarding claim 9, Dai teaches a data transmission method, performed by a network side device (a base station for performing a data transmission method, Fig. 3-8), wherein the method comprises:
sending configuration information of a target transmission mode of a multicast service to a terminal (the base station sends a target mode configuration, i.e. PTP mode or PTM mode, of a multicast service, to a UE, Fig. 3, step 330, Fig. 4, step 430, Fig. 5-8 and paragraphs [44-46, 56-58, 84, 93-95]),
wherein the configuration information is used to instruct the terminal to continuously receive service data of a target service based on the target transmission mode (the wherein the target mode configuration is used to instruct the terminal to continuously receive a service data of the multicast service planned by the UE, based on the target mode configuration, by switching to a new/target transmision mode, Fig. 3-8 and paragraphs [44, 45, 51-54, 56, 60-63, 68-71, 77-81, 85-87]),
wherein in a case that the target transmission mode is a Point-To-Multipoint (PTM) transmission mode (when the target transmision mode is a PTM mode, paragraphs [55-56, 70-71, 77-79, 84-85, 94] and Fig. 4, 5-8), the method further comprises any one of the following:
establishing an associated unicast bearer for the target service when the terminal (the base station/BS establishes an unicast bearer, associated with a multicast bearer, paragraphs [36, 37, 44, 84, 94], wherein the dedicated/unicast bearer enable the UE to receive the missing data of the target service and to continue receive the service data of the target service after switching, paragraphs [36, 37, 44, 84, 94]) is in the PTM transmission mode (when the UE is in the PTM mode, paragraphs [36-37, 44]), wherein the service data of the target service is continuously received based on the associated unicast bearer (based on a status report(s) via the unicast/dedicated bearer, and the missing multicast service data via the dedicated or unicast bearer, the UE to continue receive the multicast service data, after switching, paragraphs [36-38, 55-63, 84-89, 94-97] and Fig. 4, last step).
However, Dai does not explicitly teach “sending a third indication information is used to instruct the terminal” to establish the associated unicast bearer.
Cao teaches sending third indication information (a base station transmits a request for setup a unicast bearer and establishes the unicast bearer based on the request, i.e. wherein when the UE is in state 3, the UE has both the unicast bearer and a multicast bearer, paragraphs [19, 36, 60, 61, 66-67]), the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal to establish an associated unicast bearer for a target service (wherein the request for setup unicast cast bearer indicates to the UE needs to establish the unicast bearer to receive a service data of the multicast service, paragraphs [60, 61, 65-67]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of wherein the third indication information is configured to indicate the associated unicast bearer needs to be established as taught by Cao, with the teachings of the third indication information is configured to indicate the associated unicast bearer as taught by Dai, for a purpose of increasing efficiency in establishing the unicast bearer by clearly indicate to the UE, the instruction to establish the associated unicast bearer (see Cao, paragraphs [19, 36, 60, 61, 66-67]).
Regarding claim 16, Dai further teaches when the target transmission mode is the PTM transmission mode (when the target transmission mode is a PTM transmission mode, paragraphs [14, 43-44, 55-60, 83-87]), the method further comprises at least one of the following:
receiving SN state information of received service data that is reported by the terminal (the base station receives a data receiving status report of received service data that is reported by the UE, paragraphs [57-59, 84-87]), wherein the SN state information comprises at least one of service data that is successfully received and service data that fails to be received (wherein the data receiving status report includes SN state information indicating at least one of the service data is successfully received and/or one of the service data that fails to be received, i.e. data packets are missing, paragraph [51]); or
sending second target data to the terminal, wherein the second target data is unicast service data that fails to be received by the terminal (the base station transmits target service data to the UE, wherein the target service data is unicast service data that fails to be received by the UE, i.e. missing data, paragraphs [51-54, 60-62, 87-89]).
Regarding claim 17, Dai further teaches when a target node corresponding to the target transmission mode is different from a source node corresponding to a source transmission mode (wherein in a cast that a target BS corresponding to the target transmission mode, which is different from a source base station corresponding to the source transmission mode, Fig. 6, 8), the method further comprises at least one of the following:
receiving service data on which the source node performs data forwarding (the target Base station receives a service data, i.e. including the missing data, on which the source base station perform data forwarding, to forward to the UE, paragraphs [6, 65-71, 78, 87-89]);
for service data corresponding to a Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI) (for service data corresponding to a TMGI, see paragraph [74]), receiving an upper limit of an SN value of service data that has been sent by the source node (receives a maximum common SN value of service data that has been sent the first mode, by the source base station, paragraphs [38, 39, 60, 77, 86-88]), wherein the SN is at least one of a Layer (L2) SN or an SN of a core network (wherein the SN is a PDCP or a radio link control layer, paragraphs [45, 57], and/or the SN is shared by both the source BS and the target BS, paragraphs [38, 67, 68, 87, 96]); or
receiving SN information of service data that fails to be sent by the source node (the base station receives SN information of serviced that that fails to be sent by the source base station, i.e. missing data, paragraphs [38-39, 51, 53, 60-61, 68, 87]), wherein the SN is at least one of an L2 SN or an SN of a core network (wherein the SN is a PDCP or a radio link control layer, paragraphs [45, 57], and/or the SN is shared by both the source BS and the target BS, paragraphs [38, 67, 68, 87, 96]).
Regarding claim 18, Dai further teaches wherein the upper limit of the SN value is determined by using any one of the following:
an SN value of a last data packet sent by the source node on the TMGI before sending a mode switching request command to the terminal (wherein the maximum common SN value of service data is a SN value of a last data packet sent by the first mode, i.e. via the first cell/source BS, on the TMGI, before performing handover, i.e. sending handover command to the UE, paragraphs [39, 62, 67-69]),
an SN value of a last data packet sent by the source node on the TMGI before performing SN state transfer (wherein the maximum common SN value of service data is a SN value of a last data packet sent by the first mode, i.e. via the first cell/source BS, on the TMGI, before performing handover, i.e. sending handover command to the UE, paragraphs [39, 62, 67-69]); or
an SN value of any data packet sent by the source node on the TMGI (wherein the maximum common SN value of service data is a SN value of a last data packet sent by the first mode, i.e. via the first cell/source BS, on the TMGI, paragraphs [39, 62, 67-69]).
Regarding claim 20, Dai further teaches a communications device (the base station, Fig. 3-8), comprising:
a memory storing computer-readable instructions (the base station includes a memory for storing computer-executable instructions, paragraphs [8-10, 129]); and
a processor coupled to the memory (the base station includes a processor coupled to the memory, paragraphs [8-10, 129]) and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the data transmission method according to claim 9 (the processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to perform the method/steps of Fig. 3-8, paragraphs [8-10, 129]).
Claims 10-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai) in view of US 2023/0354473 A1 to Cao et al. (hereafter refers as Cao) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2020/0374690 A1 to Yao et al. (hereafter refers as Yao).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Dai and Cao does not explicitly teach “sending first assistance information to the terminal based on a user plane (UP), wherein the first assistance information is used to indicate a correspondence between a Sequence Number (SN) of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode”.
Yao teaches sending first assistance information to the terminal based on a user plane (UP) (an access network device transmits a first indication information to a terminal device/UE, paragraphs [71-73], wherein the UE is communicated with the access network device, via a user plane, paragraph [68]), wherein the first assistance information is used to indicate a correspondence between an SN of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode (wherein the first indication information indicates an offset and/or correlation between SN of packet(s) in a first type transmission and a SN of packet in a second type transmision, paragraphs [73-74, 80, 91, 94, 95, 97]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of sending first assistance information to the terminal based on a user plane (UP), wherein the first assistance information is used to indicate a correspondence between a Sequence Number (SN) of a source transmission mode and an SN of the target transmission mode as taught by Yao, with the teachings of Dai, for a purpose of increase reception of the service data of the target transmission mode by provide the correspondence between the Sequence Number (SN) of the source transmission mode and the SN of the target transmission mode, thus allow the terminal to determine which service data is missing and how to reorder the service data, even when the SN of the target transmision mode is different from the SN of the source transmission mode (see Yao, paragraphs [94-95, 125-126, 128]).
Regarding claim 11, Yao further teaches when the first assistance information is sent based on the UP (a UE receives a first information sent by a network device, paragraphs [71-73], wherein the UE is communicated with the network device, via a user plane, paragraph [68]), the first assistance information is carried in a Layer 2 (L2) control Protocol Data Unit (PDU) (the first indication information is carried in a control PDU, paragraphs [91, 94, 95], wherein the control PDU is a L2 control PDU, paragraphs [2, 68, 80, 82, 89]) or an L2 PDU header (the first indication information is carried in a PDU header, paragraph [92], wherein the control PDU is a L2 control PDU, paragraphs [2, 68, 80, 82, 89]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of when the first assistance information is sent based on the UP the first assistance information is carried in a Layer 2 (L2) control Protocol Data Unit (PDU) or an L2 PDU header as taught by Yao, with the teachings of Dai, for a purpose of increase reception of the service data of the target transmission mode by provide the correspondence between the Sequence Number (SN) of the source transmission mode and the SN of the target transmission mode, thus allow the terminal to determine which service data is missing and how to reorder the service data, even when the SN of the target transmision mode is different from the SN of the source transmission mode (see Yao, paragraphs [94-95, 125-126, 128]).
Regarding claim 13, Dai further teaches wherein after the sending third indication information, the method further comprises at least one of the following:
receiving reception state information of multicast service data of the terminal (after sending activation of the unicast bearer associated with the PTM mode and/or PTP mode, the base station receives a data receiving status report of the multicast service data of the UE, via the unicast bearer, paragraphs [51-53, 59-61]), or
sending first target data to the terminal, wherein the first target data is multicast service data that fails to be received by the terminal (after sending activation of the unicast bearer associated with the PTM mode and/or PTP mode, the base station sends a missing data to the UE, via the unicast bearer, paragraphs [53, 61-64]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai) in view of US 2023/0354473 A1 to Cao et al. (hereafter refers as Cao) and US 2020/0374690 A1 to Yao et al. (hereafter refers as Yao) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2014/0286225 A1 to Yu et al. (hereafter refers as Yu).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Dai, Cao and Yao does not explicitly teach the third indication information comprises “configuration information” of the associated unicast bearer.
Yu teaches sending a third indication information comprises configuration information of the associated unicast bearer (a network device transmits a configuration information to a UE, to establish unicast bearer, paragraph [51]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of sending a third indication information comprises configuration information of the associated unicast bearer as taught by Yu, with the teachings of sending the third indication information, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal to establish an associated unicast bearer as taught by combination of Dai, Cao and Yao, for a purpose of increasing efficiency in establishing the unicast bearer by clearly provide the configuration information of the associated unicast bearer for the UE to establish the unicast bearer (see Yu, paragraph [51]).
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0284101 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai) in view of US 2023/0354473 A1 to Cao et al. (hereafter refers as Cao) and US 2020/0374690 A1 to Yao et al. (hereafter refers as Yao) as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 2023/0292200 A1 to Dai et al. (hereafter refers as Dai’200).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Dai, Cao and Yao further teaches when the source transmission mode is the PTM transmission mode (wherein in case that the source transmission mode is a PTM transmision mode, see Dai, paragraphs [14-15, 43, 81-83]), receiving information of service data sent by a source node (the target base station receives MBS receiving status from a source base station, see Dai, Fig. 6, step 640, Fig. 8, step 840 and paragraphs [74, 92]).
However, the combination of Dai, Cao and Yao does not explicitly teach “receiving a mapping relationship between a Layer (L2) SN of service data sent by a source node in the source transmission mode and an SN of core network data, and determining an L2 SN of service data in the target transmission mode based on the mapping relationship, wherein the L2 SN of the service data in the target transmission mode is the same as the L2 SN of the service data in the source transmission mode”.
Dai’200 teaches wherein in a case that the source transmission mode is a PTM transmission mode (when a source transmision mode is a PTM transmision mode, paragraphs [38, 43, 45, 117-119] and Fig. 3-6), the method further comprises at least one of the following:
receiving a mapping relationship between a Layer (L2) SN of service data sent by a source node in the source transmission mode and an SN of core network data (the target base station/target gNodeB, receives SN mapping rule indicating relation between SN of service data sent by a source base station in a source transmission mode, i.e. PTM, and an SN of a core network, paragraphs [118, 124], wherein the SN is a layer 2 SN of PDU, paragraphs [42, 111]), and determining an L2 SN of service data in the target transmission mode based on the mapping relationship (the target base station determines an SN of service data in the target transmission mode based on the mapping rule, paragraphs [119, 123-125]), wherein the L2 SN of the service data in the target transmission mode is the same as the L2 SN of the service data in the source transmission mode (wherein the SN of the service data in the target transmission mode is the same as the SN of the service data in the source transmission mode, paragraphs [113, 115, 118-121, 128, 138]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of receiving a mapping relationship between a Layer (L2) SN of service data sent by a source node in the source transmission mode and an SN of core network data, and determining an L2 SN of service data in the target transmission mode based on the mapping relationship, wherein the L2 SN of the service data in the target transmission mode is the same as the L2 SN of the service data in the source transmission mode as taught by Dai’200, with the teachings of combination of Dai, Cao and Yao, for a purpose of increasing efficiency for receiving the service data from the target transmission mode, by allowing the network side device to align its SN of the service data with the SN of the service data of the source transmision mode, using the mapping relationship, as such enabling continuity of transmission of the service data and reducing packet lost (see Dai’200, paragraphs [52, 80-82, 114-120]).
Regarding claim 15, Dai’200 further teaches wherein the mapping relationship between the L2 SN of the service data and the SN of the core network data is determined by using at least one of the following:
a centralized control network node (wherein the mapping rule indication is determined using a core network node 101, Fig. 1, 4-6 and paragraphs [116-121]), wherein the centralized control network node is used to distribute data to another network node that accesses the centralized control network node (wherein the core network node 101 distributes data to multiple network nodes in communication with the core network node 101, Fig. 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of wherein the mapping relationship between the L2 SN of the service data and the SN of the core network data is determined by using at least one of the following: a centralized control network node, wherein the centralized control network node is used to distribute data to another network node that accesses the centralized control network node as taught by Dai’200, with the teachings of combination of Dai, Cao and Yao, for a purpose of aligning the SN number between the centralized control network node and the other network node(s), i.e. target base station (see Dai’200, paragraphs [116-121]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2013/0294320 A1 discloses receiving from a network entity a request to setup a radio bearer for delivery of MBMS service via unicast (see paragraphs [16, 26, 112]).
US 2022/0053583 A1 discloses bearer configuration of a unicast connection (paragraphs [33, 45, 294, 402, 417]).
US 2016/0157065 A1 discloses a network establishes an unicast bearer for service continuity of group communication (See paragraphs [44, 118]).
US 2016/0381517 A1 discloses an UE establishes a groupcast service 2 over an unicast bearer and a groupcast service 1 over MBMS bearer, when switched to a target cell (Fig. 11).
US 2022/0353642 A1 discloses when a UE switches to a multicast mode for the multicast service, the UE establishes a new MRB (i.e. multicast radio bearer, paragraph [21]) with an SN of a lowest value based on an indication of switching to the multicast mode (paragraphs [6, 28-30, 35, 40]).
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/DUNG B HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469 February 7, 2026