DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
This action is responsive to the RCE filed on 6/29/26.
Claim(s) 1, 3-11, 13-20 is/are presented for examination.
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 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 of this title, 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) 1-5, 7-15, 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kadiri, U.S. Pub/Patent No. US 2021/0410045 A1 in view of Fujishiro, US 2023/0261970 A1.
As to claim 1, Kadiri teaches a path processing method, comprising:
obtaining, by a terminal, first indication information (Kadiri, page 5, paragraph 39; i.e., [0039] uniquely identified by a user equipment (UE) based on an identification broadcasted from one access point or base station); and
performing, by the terminal, path reconfiguration for a multicast service according to the first indication information (Kadiri, page 10, paragraph 81; i.e., [0081] the identification of whether to permit the user equipment (UEs) to establish or resume the RRC connected state with the base station for receiving the multicast broadcast services may be based on an overload condition at the base);
reconfiguring a path state of the multicast service to a target path state (Kadiri, page 10, paragraph 82; i.e., [0082] enable the user equipment 302 to identify whether the user equipment 302 is barred from sending an access attempt (for example, an access message) for connection setup to receive the one or more multicast broadcast services);
But Kadiri failed to teach the claim limitation wherein the performing the path reconfiguration for the multicast service comprises: wherein when first indication information comprises path information of point- to-multipoint (PTM) path, the target path state comprises activating the PTM path; or when the first indication information comprises path information of point- to-point (PTP) path, the target path state comprises activating the PTP path; wherein, after activating the PTM path, the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, group-radio network temporary identifier (G-RNTI) monitoring; wherein, after activating the PTP path, the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) monitoring.
However, Fujishiro teaches the limitation wherein the performing the path reconfiguration for the multicast service comprises: wherein when first indication information comprises path information of point- to-multipoint (PTM) path, the target path state comprises activating the PTM path; or when the first indication information comprises path information of point- to-point (PTP) path, the target path state comprises activating the PTP path (Fujishiro, figure 8 & 10) ; wherein, after activating the PTM path, the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, group-radio network temporary identifier (G-RNTI) monitoring (Fujishiro, figure 8 & 10; page 4, paragraph 77-79; i.e., [0077] When the PTM leg is in an activated state, the UE 100 monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to which a G-RNTI); wherein, after activating the PTP path, the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) monitoring (Fujishiro, figure 8 & 10; page 5, paragraph 91-92; i.e., [0091] the indication of activating the PTP leg, starts data reception processing using the C-RNTI. [0092] an indication of activating or deactivating the PTP leg to the UE 100 via the PTM leg in the activated state (PTM transmission). This can collectively activate or deactivate the PTP legs of a plurality of UEs 100 via the PTM.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Kadiri to substitute RRM function from Fujishiro OFDMA from Kadiri converts a baseband signal output by the controller 230 (a transmission signal) into a radio signal and transmits the resulting signal through the antenna (Fujishiro, page 2, paragraph 39).
As to claim 3, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the target path state comprises one of the following:
only point-to-multipoint (PTM) path being activated or configured;
only point-to-point (PTP) path being activated or configured (Kadiri, page 31, paragraph 213; i.e., [0213] Point-to-Multipoint may include single cell point to multi-point transmission with a Geolocation based Radio Network Temporary Identifier (G-RNTI));
both PTM and PTP paths being activated, or both PTM and PTP paths being configured; and
both PTM and PTP paths being deactivated, or both PTM and PTP paths being deconfigured.
As to claim 4, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting, by the terminal, a reception state report on an activated or configured PTP path in a case that a trigger condition is met (Kadiri, page 7, paragraph 55; i.e., [0055] receiving the multicast broadcast services. Upon or after camping on the cell, the UE may seek to transition to a connected state (for example, a radio resource control (RRC) connected state) with the base station to receive the multicast broadcast services. The UE may then initiate a random access (RACH) procedure to establish or resume the RRC connected state);
wherein the trigger condition comprises:
the target path state comprises the PTP path being activated or configured; or
the target path state comprises the PTP path being activated or configured, and the PTP path is configured to radio link control (RLC) acknowledgment mode (AM) (Kadiri, page 7, paragraph 55; i.e., [0055] receiving the multicast broadcast services, the UE may seek to transition to a connected state (for example, a radio resource control (RRC) connected state) with the base station to receive the multicast broadcast services. The UE may then initiate a random access (RACH) procedure to establish or resume the RRC connected state); or
the target path state comprises the PTP path being activated or configured, and the terminal receives second indication information, wherein the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal to report a reception state for receiving the multicast service; or
the target path state comprises the PTP path being activated, and the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal to report a reception state of a path activated in the target path state.
As to claim 5, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by the terminal, an initial path state of the multicast service according to network configuration or protocol specifications (Kadiri, page 15, paragraph 104; i.e., [0104] the access message by the base station 304 may trigger the base station 304);
wherein the initial path state comprises one of the following:
only PTM path being activated or configured (Kadiri, page 31, paragraph 213; i.e., [0213] Point-to-Multipoint may include single cell point to multi-point transmission with a Geolocation based Radio Network Temporary Identifier (G-RNTI));
only PTP path being activated or configured;
both PTM and PTP paths being activated or configured; and
both PTM and PTP paths being deactivated or deconfigured.
As to claim 7, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first indication information comprises at least one of the following: multicast media access control element (MAC CE), multicast layer 1 (L1) signaling, unicast MAC CE, unicast L1 signaling, and radio resource control (RRC) signaling (Kadiri, page 1, paragraph 6; i.e., [0006] RRC connected state with the base station for receiving the multicast or broadcast services).
As to claim 8, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:
identification information of the multicast service (Kadiri, page 9, paragraph 82; i.e., [0069] the base station 304 may provide the UE with an identification);
the target path state; and
configuration information of a target path corresponding to the target path state.
As to claim 9, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein transmitting, by the terminal, acknowledgment information for the first indication information (Kadiri, page 3, paragraph 24; page 7, paragraph 56; i.e., [0024]
inform the UE as to whether the UE is permitted to establish or resume an RRC connected state).
As to claim 10, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the performing path reconfiguration for a multicast service, the method further comprises at least one of the following:
in a case that the target path state comprises the PTP path being deactivated or deconfigured, the terminal performs C-RNTI monitoring during a third time for the deactivated or deconfigured PTP path but does not perform C-RNTI monitoring during a fourth time, wherein the third time comprises activation or configuration time in the unicast DRX pattern, and the fourth time comprises a time that does not overlap with the third time in activation or configuration time of the group non-discontinuous reception DRX pattern corresponding to the multicast service; and
in a case that the target path state comprises the PTM path being deactivated or deconfigured, the terminal suspends monitoring the multicast service or suspends G-RNTI monitoring during a second time for the deactivated or deconfigured PTM path (Kadiri, page 31, paragraph 213; i.e., [0213] Point-to-Multipoint may include single cell point to multi-point transmission with a Geolocation based Radio Network Temporary Identifier (G-RNTI)).
Claim(s) 19 & 20 is/are directed to a system claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 1. Therefore, claim(s) 19 & 20 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 1.
Claim(s) 13-15, 17, 18 is/are directed to a system claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 3-5, 7, 9. Therefore, claim(s) 13-15, 17, 18 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 3-5, 7, 9.
Claim(s) 6, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kadiri, U.S. Pub/Patent No. US 2021/0410045 A1 in view of Fujishiro, US 2023/0261970 A1, and further in view of Zhao, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2013/0077484 A1.
As to claim 6, Kadiri-Fujishiro teaches the method as recited in claim 1. But Kadiri-Fujishiro failed to teach the claim limitation wherein when the terminal receives notification information, determining a default path state of the multicast service, wherein the notification information is used to notify the terminal to receive the multicast service, and the default path state is determined according to network configuration or protocol specifications.
However, Zhao teaches the limitation wherein when the terminal receives notification information, determining a default path state of the multicast service, wherein the notification information is used to notify the terminal to receive the multicast service, and the default path state is determined according to network configuration or protocol specifications (Zhao, page 5, paragraph 104; i.e., [0104] UE is notified; a small data amount of data is carried by default in an RRC connection
establishment completion message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Kadiri-Fujishiro to substitute MTC from Zhao for LTE from Kadiri-Fujishiro to prove a better performed without influence or with little influence upon traditional human to human communication (Zhao, page 1, paragraph 4).
Claim(s) 16 is/are directed to a system claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 6. Therefore, claim(s) 16 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 6.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-11, 13-20 has/have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Applicant’s arguments include the failure of previously applied art to expressly disclose “wherein, after activating the PTP path, the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) monitoring” (see Applicant’s response, 6/29/26, page 11-12). It is evident from the detailed mappings found in the above rejection(s) that Fujishiro disclosed this functionality (see Fujishiro, figure 8 & 10; page 5, paragraph 91-92). Further, it is clear from the numerous teachings (previously and currently cited) that the provision for “wherein, after activating the PTP path, the method further comprises: performing, by the terminal, cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) monitoring” was widely implemented in the networking art. Thus, Applicant’s arguments drawn toward distinction of the claimed invention and the prior art teachings on this point are not considered persuasive.
Listing of Relevant Arts
Lee, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20220253273 A1 discloses routing configured for audio stream, connection state.
Knaappila, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20190037419 A1 discloses path configuration and connection state.
Contact Information
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
THUONG NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:00-6:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THUONG NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
