CTNF 18/161,749 CTNF 86093 DETAILED ACTION This Office action is responsive to Applicant’s remarks submitted April 27, 2026. Receipt is acknowledged of a request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) and a submission, filed on April 14, 2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claims 1-10 are currently pending (claims 3, 4, 8, and 9 are withdrawn from consideration). Response to Arguments Applicant argues the “labels ‘first’ and ‘second’ in the claims are merely used as identifiers to distinguish between… multiple services/channels expressly disclosed in the specification,” and therefore the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) are satisfied (Remarks, pp. 6-7). The Examiner has carefully considered this argument, but respectfully disagrees. The language described throughout Applicant’s specification does not clearly demonstrate possession of the exact subject matter claimed. Therefore, Applicant’s argument is not persuasive. This rejection will be overcome/withdrawn if the claims are amended to recite the language set forth in the specification. The rejection set forth under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) is overcome/withdrawn Applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art of record have been fully considered, but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection set forth below. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-01 3. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. 4. Claims 1, 10, and all dependent thereon, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Regarding claims 1 and 10: Applicant’s specification fails to provide adequate support in the manner required for 35 U.S.C. 112(a) for a first and second SIB, including a first and second MBS bandwidth part information, respectively, and indicating a first and second bandwidth part, respectively. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 5. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-20-aia AIA 6. 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. 07-23-aia AIA 7. 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 8. 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. 07-21-aia AIA 9. Claim s 1, 2, 5-7, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR Publication No. 20200073118 A (hereinafter “Kim”), in further view of U.S. Publication No. 2023/0040690 A1 (hereinafter “Chen”), and alternatively in further view of either U.S. Publication No. 2023/0042361 A1 (hereinafter “Wu”) or U.S. Publication No. 2019/0223156 A1 (hereinafter “Fujishiro”) . Regarding claim 1: Kim teaches a communication control method used in a mobile communication system comprising a network node for providing a multicast broadcast service (MBS) to a user equipment, the communication control method comprising: receiving, by the user equipment from the network node configured to manage a cell, first MBS bandwidth part information corresponding to a first MBS service, wherein the first MBS bandwidth part information indicates a first bandwidth part used for reception of first control information, the first control information being used for the user equipment to receive data of the first MBS service in the cell (see, e.g., [0007]-[0009], [0123]-[0129], [0141]-[0143], [0149]; a base station transmits BWP information for multiple MBS services) ; the communication control method further comprises: receiving, by the user equipment, the first MBS control information using the first bandwidth part before receiving the data of the first MBS service in the cell (see, e.g., [0045], [0086], [0158]; control information is for the service, i.e. is transmitted prior to data; note also) . Kim teaches SIB transmission for control information (see, e.g., [0153]-[0159]) , but does not explicitly state the feature of a first and second SIB used for different MBS services. However, this feature is taught by Chen (see, e.g., [0086], [0130]; multiple system information blocks are used to indicate broadcast/multicast services; note also [0007]-[0009], [0069], [0097]-[0099] – Chen significantly overlaps the teachings of Kim with respect to BWP information transmission and functionality) . Further, Kim does not explicitly state wherein control information is received before data. To the extent this feature is not inherent to Kim, it is nevertheless also taught in Chen (see, e.g., [0096], [0179], [0180]; the received data is for the service indicated by the control information) . It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate features from the system of Chen, such as the MBS session and/or BWP signaling and functionality, within the system of Kim, in order to increase operation flexibility and address 5G requirements. As noted, Kim modified by Chen teaches implementing multiple MBS-related system information blocks (note a SIB1, a new SIB, and/or other MBS-related system information blocks are used) for sending MBS system information. To the extent this does not inherently teach the use of a first and second SIB, this feature is nevertheless taught in Wu (see e.g., [0099]-[0101], [0117], [0118]; note also variable configurations, including overlapping BWPs [0102]-[0116]) . It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate features from the system of Wu, such as the signal or configuration functionality, within the system of Kim modified by Chen, in order to indicate services and/or resources. Alternatively, the said feature is taught by Fujishiro (see, e.g., [0110]-[0113], and/or figure 17) . Similarly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate features from the system of Fujishiro, such as the signal or configuration functionality, within the system of Kim modified by Chen, in order to indicate services and/or resources. The rationale set forth above regarding the method of claim 1 is applicable to the UE of claim 10. Regarding claim 2: Kim modified by Chen, and alternatively either Wu or Fujishiro, further teaches allocating, by the network node, to the user equipment, a third bandwidth part used for unicast transmission to the user equipment; and prioritizing, by the user equipment, reception of the first bandwidth part or the second bandwidth part over reception of the third bandwidth part when the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth part temporally overlap with the third bandwidth part, and the user equipment desires to receive the first MBS service or the second MBS service (see, e.g., Kim [0007], [0141]-[0143]; Chen [0161]; Liu [0062]; and/or Wu [0102]-[0116] ) . The motivation for modification set forth above regarding claim 1 is applicable to claim 2. Regarding claims 5-7: Regarding claim 2: Kim alternatively modified by Chen, and either Wu or Liu, further teaches wherein a plurality of MBS control channels are associated with respective different network slices (i.e. claim 5); wherein each of the plurality of MBS control channels transmits the first or second MBS control information comprising a network slice identifier identifying a corresponding network slice (i.e. claim 6); and receiving, by the network node or the user equipment, a network slice identifier associated with an MBS service identifier, from a network node (i.e. claim 7) (see, e.g., Chen [0080], [0081], [0091]-[0094]; note also Kim [0021], [0030], [0041], [0063], [0130]-[0132]; and/or Fujishiro [0071], [0072], [0084]-[0088]) . The motivation for modification set forth above regarding claim 1 is applicable to claims 5-7. Conclusion 10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS SLOMS whose telephone number is (571)270-7520. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayaz Sheikh can be reached at (571)272-3795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /NICHOLAS SLOMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 2 Art Unit: 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 3 Art Unit: 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 4 Art Unit: 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 5 Art Unit: 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 6 Art Unit: 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 7 Art Unit: 2476 Application/Control Number: 18/161,749 Page 8 Art Unit: 2476
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