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 .
This office action is in response to remarks filed 03/02/2026.
Claims 1, 3-13, 15-16, 18-20 are pending and 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 (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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3-5, 7, 13, 15, 16, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mohammed Mikaeil et al. (US 2023/0353986 A1, referred to as Mikaeil) in view of Kadiri et al. (US 2023/0308221 A1, referred to as Kadiri).
Regarding claims 1, 16, Mikaeil discloses a method or a User equipment UE, comprising a processor (see fig. 1, 11), a memory (see fig. 1, 12), and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor (para. 0226, 0228), wherein the program or instructions are executed by the processor to implement the following steps:
obtaining at least one piece of logical channel configuration information corresponding to a first temporary mobile group identifier TMGI (see para. 0201, discloses configuration such as via MCCH, see para. 0207-0208, table 1, discloses the configuration to include MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config. Table 1, para. 0208 also discloses association with TMGI),
wherein one piece of logical channel configuration information indicates any one of the following configurations:
a first configuration: point to multipoint PTM logical channel identifier LCID and/or PTM radio link control RLC bearer configuration (see Id., table 1, MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config.); and
a second configuration: point to point PTP LCID and/or PTP RLC bearer configuration (see Id. MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config.),
wherein the first TMGI comprises N multicast radio bearers (MRBs), and N is a positive integer (see para. 0208, discloses TMGI is associated with at least one MRB); and
one of the two pieces of logical channel configuration information indicates the first configuration, and the other indicates the second configuration (see para. 0207-0208, table 1, discloses two configuration, one for PTP and another one PTMP).
Mikaeli fails to disclose but Kadiri discloses one MRB corresponds to two pieces of logical channel configuration information in the at least one piece of logical channel configuration information (fig. 5F-5K, para. 0163-0183, discloses activating multicast and unicast RLC entity associated unicast and multicast channel for an MRB, further discloses LCID for each of unicast, i.e. PTP and multicast, PTM, see para. 0167-0168, discloses receiving data on each of the first and second LCID for multicast session, element 522 of fig. 5H explicitly discloses configuring with each LCID), one of the two pieces of logical channel configuration information indicates the first configuration, and the other indicates the second configuration (see Id.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include a configuration wherein each of the multiple MRB are mapped with each of the two pieces of logical channel configuration information.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow implementing multiple RLC legs in multicast session and to enable PDCP level retransmission of PDCP PDUs.
Regarding claim 13, 20, Mikaeli discloses a logical channel configuration method or a network-side device, comprising a processor (see fig. 1, 21), a memory (see fig. 1, 22), and a program or instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, wherein the method comprises:
transmitting, by a network-side device to user equipment UE, at least one piece of logical channel configuration information corresponding to a first temporary mobile group identifier TMGI (see para. 0201, discloses configuration such as via MCCH, see para. 0207-0208, table 1, discloses the configuration to include MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config. Table 1, para. 0208 also discloses association with TMGI),
wherein one piece of logical channel configuration information indicates any one of the following configurations:
a first configuration: point to multipoint PTM logical channel identifier LCID and/or PTM radio link control RLC bearer configuration (see Id., table 1, MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config.); and
a second configuration: point to point PTP LCID and/or PTP RLC bearer configuration (see Id. MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config.),
wherein the first TMGI comprises N multicast radio bearers (MRBs) (see para. 0208, discloses TMGI is associated with at least one MRB), and N is a positive integer (see para. 0208, discloses TMGI is associated with at least one MRB); and
one of the two pieces of logical channel configuration information indicates the first configuration, and the other indicates the second configuration (see para. 0207-0208, table 1, discloses two configuration, one for PTP and another one PTMP).
Mikaeli fails to disclose but Kadiri discloses one MRB corresponds to two pieces of logical channel configuration information in the at least one piece of logical channel configuration information (fig. 5F-5K, para. 0163-0183, discloses activating multicast and unicast RLC entity associated unicast and multicast channel for an MRB, further discloses LCID for each of unicast, i.e. PTP and multicast, PTM, see para. 0167-0168, discloses receiving data on each of the first and second LCID for multicast session, element 522 of fig. 5H explicitly discloses configuring with each LCID), one of the two pieces of logical channel configuration information indicates the first configuration, and the other indicates the second configuration (see Id.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include a configuration wherein each of the multiple MRB are mapped with each of the two pieces of logical channel configuration information.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow implementing multiple RLC legs in multicast session and to enable PDCP level retransmission of PDCP PDUs.
Regarding claims 3, 15, 18, Mikaeli discloses the method wherein one piece of logical channel configuration information indicates the PTM LCID (see table 1, discloses PTM bearer to add as a list); and the PTM LCID is all LCIDs within a predefined value range of PTM LCID (see Id. discloses including a list); or,
wherein one piece of logical channel configuration information indicates the PTM LCID (see table 1, discloses PTM bearer to add as a list); and the PTM LCID is a target quantity of LCIDs indicated by a network-side device within a predefined value range of PTM LCID, the target quantity is indicated by first signaling (see Id. discloses including a list, i.e. quantity of LCIDs, in a configuration message by network), and the first signaling is first common signaling or first dedicated radio resource control RRC signaling (see para. 0194-0195, discloses configuration information communicated in RRC); or,
wherein one piece of logical channel configuration information indicates the PTM LCID (see table 1, discloses PTM bearer to add as a list); and the PTM LCID is an LCID indicated by a network-side device using second signaling, and the second signaling is second common signaling or second/third dedicated RRC signaling (see para. 0194-0195, discloses configuration information communicated in RRC).
Regarding claim 4, Mikaeli discloses the method wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the UE, first receiving entity configuration information transmitted by a network-side device (see para. 0194-0195), wherein the first receiving entity configuration information comprises at least one of the following: PTM RLC bearer configuration or packet data convergence protocol PDCP configuration (see para. 0194-0195, 0206-0208, table 1, discloses the configuration include bearer configuration).
Regarding claim 19, Mikaeli discloses the UE according wherein the program or instructions are further executed by the processor to implement the following steps: receiving first receiving entity configuration information transmitted by a network-side device (see par. 0194-0195), wherein the first receiving entity configuration information comprises at least one of the following: PTM RLC bearer configuration or packet data convergence protocol PDCP configuration (see para. 0194-0195, 0206-0208, table 1, discloses the configuration include bearer configuration); or, receiving second receiving entity configuration information transmitted by the network-side device, wherein the second receiving entity configuration information comprises at least one of the following: PTP RLC bearer configuration or PDCP configuration (see table 1, para. 0194-0195, 0207-0208).
Regarding claim 5, Mikaeli discloses the method, wherein one piece of logical channel configuration information indicates the PTP LCID (see table 1, within MBMSbearerConfig, includes PTP bearer config as PTP LCID); and the PTP LCID is indicated by a network-side device using third dedicated RRC signaling (see para. 0194-0195, the information is communicated as configuration in RRC, see also para. 0093).
Regarding claim 7, Mikaeli discloses the method, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the UE, second receiving entity configuration information transmitted by the network-side device, wherein the second receiving entity configuration information comprises at least one of the following: PTP RLC bearer configuration or PDCP configuration (see table 1, para. 0194-0195, 0207-0208).
Claims 6, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikaeli in view of Kadiri as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gao et al. (WO 2022/151297 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Mikaeli discloses the method wherein the one MRB corresponds to the two pieces of logical channel configuration information (see para. 0201, discloses configuration such as via MCCH, see para. 0207-0208, table 1, discloses the configuration to include MBMSBearer config., which explicitly includes PTP bearer config and PTM-bearer config.).
Mikaeli fails to disclose but Gao (WO 2022151297) discloses in a case that the third dedicated RRC signaling comprises no PTP LCID, the PTP LCID is the same as the PTM LCID (see para. 0262, 0332, discloses that a single PTM LCID can be designated as both PTP and PTM LCID).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include the third dedicated RRC signaling comprises no PTP LCID, the PTP LCID is the same as the PTM LCID as described by Gao.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow configuration of PTM and PTP bearer modes.
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Mikaeli and Gao discloses the method wherein after the obtaining, by UE, at least one piece of logical channel configuration information, the method further comprises:
establishing, by the UE, a data-receiving entity of the first TMGI according to the at least one piece of logical channel configuration information (see Gao para. 0135, 0332, discloses establishing an RLC entity in UE for first TMGI and corresponding MRB/LCID);
receiving, by the UE, target scheduling data (Gao par. 0121-0130, discloses receiving transmission, i.e. scheduling data); and
in a case that the target scheduling data is scheduling data obtained by monitoring a group-radio network temporary identifier G-RNTI corresponding to the first TMGI or the target scheduling data is scheduling data obtained by monitoring a cell-radio network temporary identifier C-RNTI of the UE, and that an LCID in the target scheduling data is an LCID indicated by the logical channel configuration information (Gao para. 0121-0130, discloses receiving data that is scrambled by C-RNTI or G-RNTI), transmitting, by the UE, the target scheduling data to the data-receiving entity of the first TMGI for processing (Gao para. 0121-0130discloses receiving the data and processing it to obtain the PDU, further see fig. 2A, discloses receiving includes processing the packet through RLC entity).
Claims 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikaeli in view of Kadiri as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (WO 2017/086580 A1, cited in IDS).
Regarding claim 8, Mikaeli fails to disclose but Lee discloses the method wherein the method further comprises: after the UE enters a connected state, transmitting, by the UE, logical channel extension capability information to a network-side device (see para. 130), wherein the logical channel extension capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following: whether the UE supports extended LCID; that the UE supports extended LCID with a first bit quantity; or that the UE supports extended LCID with a second bit quantity (see para. 130, discloses eLCID to indicate that UE supports eLCID, see also fig. 10, para. 112-121).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include an indication of capability for a UE to support extended LCID.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow determining capability of the terminal to allow properly performing communication.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Mikaeli and Lee discloses the method, wherein in the case that the UE supports extended LCID, the PTM LCID is within a range of unextended LCIDs or a range of extended LCIDs, and the PTP LCID is within a range of unextended LCIDs or a range of extended LCIDs (see para. 112-121, discloses LCID within range of either LCID or eLCID); or in the case that the UE does not support extended LCID, the PTM LCID is within a range of unextended LCIDs or a range of extended LCIDs, and the PTP LCID is within a range of unextended LCIDs (see para. 112-121, discloses including LCID, thereby being within the range of LCID).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Mikaeli and Lee discloses the method, wherein the eLCID capability information is communicated to the network (see para. 112-121), it fails to disclose wherein before the transmitting, by the UE, logical channel extension capability information to a network-side device, the method further comprises: receiving, by the UE, third signaling transmitted by the network-side device, wherein the third signaling is used to indicate that the UE is to report extended-LCID capability information.
However, Lee further discloses that it is conventional for a UE to receive a request, i.e third signaling, for requesting information and in response to the request, transmit a response signaling to indicate the requested information (see 53-55, discloses implementation of request and response).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include receiving, by the UE, third signaling transmitted by the network-side device, wherein the third signaling is used to indicate that the UE is to report extended-LCID capability information before the transmission of capability information.
The motivation for doing so would be allow reporting capability information based on request from UE to allow performing communication based on UE capability.
Claim 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikaeli in view of Kadiri and Gao as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Lee et al.
Regarding claim 12, Mikaeli fails to disclose but Lee discloses the method wherein the UE supports no extended LCID; and after the receiving, by the UE, target scheduling data, the method further comprises: in a case that the LCID in the target scheduling data is not an LCID supported by the UE, discarding, by the UE, the target scheduling data (see para. 86, discloses discarding the PDU when information in the header is invalid).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include discarding the target scheduling data when the LCID is not an LCID supported by the UE.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow maintaining compatibility.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-13, 15-16, 18-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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NISHANT B. DIVECHA
Supervisory Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419
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