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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 36–41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (WO 2022/271768 A1) in view of Hwang (US 2021/0306953 A1) and Nader (US 2024/0244529 A1).
Regarding claim 16:
Wu discloses “A method performed by a gNB-distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a gNB-central unit (CU) of the base station, a paging message for a user equipment (UE),” (¶[0069]–[0070], Fig. 3A event 324, Fig. 15 block 1502: CU 172 transmits a CU-to-DU message (F1AP Paging message) to the DU 174 to instruct the DU to page the UE 102.)
Wu broadly, not explicitly, discloses “wherein the paging message includes cell information indicating a last used cell of the UE” that the CU includes a paging cell list in the CU-to-DU message directing paging to specific cells (¶[0074]), and that the CN sends downlink data to the base station that last served the UE prior to the UE transitioning to the inactive state; ¶[0045]), establishing that paging is initiated at the last-serving base station/cell.)
In the same field of endeavor, Nader explicitly teaches the concept of a “last used cell” in paging and its conveyance through the CU-DU signaling chain:
(¶[0008]: The CN knows where the UE… was located the last time the UE was in connected mode; i.e., the CN knows the ‘last used cell’ of the UE.
¶[0060]: In case of gNB initiated paging, the gNB-CU conveys the information to the gNB-DU.
¶[0014]–[0019], [0058]–[0065]: configuring PEI applicability based on whether the UE is in its last used cell.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to include, in Wu’s CU-to-DU paging message, an identification of the UE’s last used cell, as taught by Nader, so the DU can direct PEI transmission to the cell where the UE is most likely located, thereby improving paging efficiency and reducing unnecessary PEI transmissions in other cells. (See MPEP § 2143, KSR Rationale G: teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art.)
Wu discloses “and UE capability information supporting a paging subgrouping based on a UE identifier”
(¶[0072]: CU-to-DU paging message includes UE capabilities for paging… the CU 172 can include the one or more capabilities for paging in the third CU-to-DU paging message; and ¶[0058]: that the UE can indicate support for paging enhancement configurations in its capabilities).
Wu does not disclose that the subgrouping is “based on a UE identifier.”
Hwang teaches UE-ID-based paging subgrouping (Grouping Method 1-1, ¶[0250]–[0257], [0325]–[0334]: where a subgroup index is determined by: c_g = floor(UE_ID/(N*N_S*N_n)) mod N_SG (Eq. 10). Hwang further teaches that the number of subgroups (N_SG) is configured by the base station).
It would have been obvious to modify Wu’s CU-to-DU paging framework to convey UE capability information indicating support for UE-ID-based subgrouping, as taught by Hwang, because:
Wu already includes UE paging capabilities in the CU-to-DU message (¶[0072]). Hwang teaches UE-ID-based subgrouping as a known, deterministic method for paging subgroup assignment (¶[0250]);
The combination would allow the DU to efficiently determine the UE’s subgroup without requiring individual CN-assigned subgroup IDs for each UE. Hwang provides explicit motivation: “reduce an unnecessary paging monitoring operation of WUS-capable UEs” (¶[0239]).
Hwang teaches “identifying a subgroup of the UE, based on the UE capability information”;
(¶[0257]Once the DU receives the UE capability information indicating support for UE-ID-based subgrouping the DU identifies the UE’s subgroup using the UE’s identifier and the total number of subgroups, as taught by Hwang).
Nader explicitly teaches “identifying that the UE accessing the gNB-DU in a random access procedure is a reduced capability UE based on the paging message”
(¶[0059- 0060]: UE type, specifically “RedCap UE,” determines PEI configuration and that this UE type information is: Stored in the UE context as part of UE paging capabilities; Conveyed in the Paging message to the gNB in case of CN initiated paging. In case of gNB initiated paging, the gNB-CU conveys the information to the gNB-DU)
Wu discloses that after paging, the UE performs a random access procedure to respond to the paging message (¶[0082]: the UE 102 can initiate a paging response procedure… the UE 102 performs an RRC connection establishment procedure; ¶[0090]: UE transmits RRC resume request to DU).
With the combination of Wu and Nader, the DU receives a paging message from the CU containing UE type information (RedCap, per Nader ¶[0059]–[0060]). When the UE subsequently accesses the DU via random access in response to paging, the DU identifies the accessing UE as the reduced capability UE based on the paging message content previously received from the CU.
It would have been obvious to include UE type (RedCap) in the CU-to-DU paging message (as taught by Nader) so the DU can appropriately handle the accessing UE (e.g., apply PEI configurations suited for RedCap UEs per Nader ¶[0022]–[0023], or prepare appropriate resources for the UE’s access).
Wu discloses “transmitting a paging early indication (PEI) signal associated with the subgroup based on the cell information”
(¶[0074 - 0079]: transmitting a PEI signal prior to paging DCI and combining PEI with paging subgroup indication. The DU 174 can determine… to indicate the paging subgroup in the PEI signal. Wu further discloses directing paging to cells indicated in the CU-to-DU message).
Nader teaches PEI transmission directed to the last used cell ¶[0058]–[0060].
In the combination, the DU transmits a PEI signal that is associated with the identified subgroup (per Wu ¶[0079] plus Hwang’s subgrouping) and directed to the cell indicated by the cell information (last used cell per Nader).
Wu discloses “and transferring, to the gNB-CU, information indicating that the UE accessing the gNB-DU is the reduced capability UE.” (Wu, ¶[0090]: that after the UE accesses the DU via random access, the DU transmits a DU-to-CU message to the CU “which in turn transmits a DU-to-CU message including the RRC resume request message to the CU 172”).
Nader teaches that UE type (RedCap) is relevant for generating appropriate configurations (¶[0059]: “configuration could depend on the UE type (e.g. RedCap UE)”) and that this information needs to reach the appropriate network entity.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to include, in the DU-to-CU message that Wu already discloses after UE access (¶[0090]), an indication that the accessing UE is a reduced capability UE, because: The DU has this knowledge from the paging message and the CU needs to know the UE type to generate appropriate configurations (e.g., RRC setup tailored for RedCap capabilities. Wu already establishes the DU-to-CU information flow after UE access; including UE type in this existing message flow is a predictable use of a known signaling mechanism to convey known information for a known purpose (KSR Rationale A: combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results).
Regarding claims 18, 23, 37, 40:
Wu discloses “The method of claim 16, wherein the paging message includes PEI assistance information for subgrouping via a core network.”
(¶[0007], [0075]: the CN configures a paging subgroup for the UE and that the paging enhancement configuration…including subgroup information from the CN) is forwarded from the CU to the DU ¶[0069]–[0072]: This CN-originated subgroup configuration constitutes PEI assistance information for subgrouping via a core network.)
Regarding claims 20, 25, 38, 41:
Wu discloses “The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving, from the gNB-CU receiving the transferred information, a radio resource control (RRC) setup message.”
(¶[0082]: after the UE performs RA in response to paging and the DU communicates with the CU, the CU transmits an RRC response message to the UE via the DU. The CU 172 can transmit an RRC response message (e.g., RRCConnectionSetup or RRCSetup message) to the UE 102 via the DU 174”).
Regarding claim 21:
Wu discloses the same limitations as Claim 16 in apparatus form (gNB-DU with “at least one processor”). The DU includes processing hardware with processors and memory (Wu, ¶[0049]). Same analysis as Claim 16 applies.
Regarding claims 36, 39:
Wu discloses “A method performed by a gNB-central unit (CU)… comprising: transmitting, to a gNB-distributed unit (DU), a paging message for a UE…” (¶[0069]–[0072]: CU transmits F1AP paging to DU with UE capabilities);
Wu broadly, not explicitly, discloses “wherein the paging message includes cell information indicating a last used cell of the UE and UE capability information supporting a paging subgrouping based on a UE identifier; (¶[0074]), and that the CN sends downlink data to the base station that last served the UE prior to the UE transitioning to the inactive state; ¶[0045]), establishing that paging is initiated at the last-serving base station/cell.)
In the same field of endeavor, Nader explicitly teaches the concept of a “last used cell” in paging and its conveyance through the CU-DU signaling chain:
(¶[0008]: The CN knows where the UE… was located the last time the UE was in connected mode; i.e., the CN knows the ‘last used cell’ of the UE.
¶[0060]: In case of gNB initiated paging, the gNB-CU conveys the information to the gNB-DU.
¶[0014]–[0019], [0058]–[0065]: configuring PEI applicability based on whether the UE is in its last used cell.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to include, in Wu’s CU-to-DU paging message, an identification of the UE’s last used cell, as taught by Nader, so the DU can direct PEI transmission to the cell where the UE is most likely located, thereby improving paging efficiency and reducing unnecessary PEI transmissions in other cells. (See MPEP § 2143, KSR Rationale G: teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art.)
Hwang provides explicit motivation: “reduce an unnecessary paging monitoring operation of WUS-capable UEs” (¶[0239]); and “receiving, from the gNB-DU, information indicating that the UE accessing the gNB-DU is a reduced capability UE.”
Hwang teaches “supporting a paging subgroup based on the UE identifier”;
(¶[0257]Once the DU receives the UE capability information indicating support for UE-ID-based subgrouping the DU identifies the UE’s subgroup using the UE’s identifier and the total number of subgroups, as taught by Hwang).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wu’s CU-to-DU paging framework to include, in the paging message, (1) an explicit indication of the UE’s last used cell and an indication of the UE’s device type as a reduced capability UE, as taught by Nader (¶[0059]–[0060]), and (2) UE capability information indicating support for paging subgrouping based on a UE identifier, as taught by Hwang (¶[0250]–[0257]), and to further modify the DU-to-CU signaling that Wu already discloses after UE access (Wu, ¶[0090]) to include a report that the accessing UE is a reduced capability UE, because all three references are directed to optimizing paging in cellular communication systems to reduce unnecessary UE power consumption, and because one of ordinary skill would have recognized that conveying UE type (RedCap) and last-used-cell information within the existing CU-to-DU paging signaling chain enables the DU to (a) direct PEI transmission only to the appropriate cell and subgroup, thereby avoiding false paging wake-ups for other UEs (as motivated by Hwang, ¶[0239], and Nader, ¶[0015]–[0016]), (b) apply UE-type-specific PEI policies at the DU level without requiring additional signaling exchanges (as motivated by Nader, ¶[0022]–[0023]), and © inform the CU of the UE type upon access so the CU can generate capability-appropriate connection configurations, with a reasonable expectation of success because the combination merely incorporates known paging-related information elements into existing CU-DU signaling interfaces that Wu already establishes for paging enhancement purposes. See KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 416 (2007); MPEP § 2143(I)(A), (G).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVETTA W GOINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2957. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday; 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM EST.
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/DAVETTA W GOINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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