DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to a communication made on 03/04/2026.
Claims 1-6, 8 and 13 are canceled.
Claims 7, 9-12 and 14-16 are pending for this application.
Request for Continued Examination (RCE) 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/04/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 7 and 12 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.
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks on page 4-6, filed 03/04/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 7 and 12 under 103 have been considered and regarding the amended feature of “sending, by the user plane function network element, the first media data comprising the first identification information that identifies the data size of the first media data and that is added by the user plane function network element to a radio access network (RAN) device” are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Pang et al. ((US 2019/0174520 A1).
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 7, 9, 12 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pang et al. (US 2019/0174520 A1), hereinafter “Pang”.
With respect to claim 7, Pang discloses a data processing method comprising:
receiving, by a user plane function network element, first parameter information indicating a type of first media data from a session management function network element (¶0017, teaches obtain a data volume of the service data that UE needs to transmit, ¶0064, teaches session initiation protocol, ¶0078, teaches If the service data is video service data, the characteristic information of the service data (i.e. parameter information) includes at least one of service type information, cache capability information, data frame transmission interval information, service data request period information, or mobility information, ¶0080, teaches user equipment (i.e. user plane function network element) at the receive end initiates a service request, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information and type information of the service data flow);
receiving, by the user plane function network element, the first media data (¶0084, teaches the UE reports the characteristic information of the service data (i.e. first media data) by using a user plane data channel (user plane function network element), ¶0103, teaches the user equipment that receives the service data (i.e. first media data);
adding, by the user plane function network element, first identification information that identifies a data size of the first media data based on the first parameter information into the first media data (¶0017, teaches obtain a data volume of the service data (i.e. identifies a data size of the first media data) that UE needs to transmit, ¶0078, teaches If the service data is video service data, the characteristic information of the service data (i.e. parameter information) includes at least one of service type information, cache capability information, data frame transmission interval information, service data request period information, or mobility information, ¶0087, teaches the characteristic information of the service data to the network device by adding the characteristic information of the service data to a header of a service data packet, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information and type information of the service data flow, ¶0118, teaches the UE may report a data volume of current service data to the network device. The data volume may be represented by a cache size, and may be reported by using a user-plane packet header);
sending, by the user plane function network element, the first media data comprising the first identification information that identifies the data size of the first media data and that is added by the user plane function network element to a radio access network (RAN) device (¶0088, teaches send the obtained characteristic information of the service data (i.e. media data) to the network side device (i.e. RAN device). The server may send the characteristic information to the network device by using a user plane data channel, for example, indicate the characteristic information of the service data in a transport-layer header of a data packet, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information (i.e. identification information) and type information of the service data flow, ¶0118, teaches the UE may report a data volume of current service data (i.e. data size of the first media data) to the network device. The data volume (i.e. data size) may be represented by a cache size, and may be reported by using a user-plane packet header), wherein the first identification information that identifies the data size of the first media data is used to send the first media data (¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information (i.e. identification information) and type information of the service data flow, ¶0118, teaches the UE may report a data volume of current service data (i.e. data size of the first media data) to the network device. The data volume (i.e. data size) may be represented by a cache size, and may be reported by using a user-plane packet header, ¶0157, teaches if the network device obtains the data volume of the service data, the network device may determine, based on the data volume and the characteristic information that are of the service data, the scheduling information for transmitting the service data).
With respect to claim 12, Pang discloses a data processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one processor and a communication interface (¶0192, teaches processor and communications interface), and the at least one processor is configured to invoke a computer program stored in at least one memory (¶0192), so that the apparatus implements:
receiving, by the data processing apparatus, first parameter information indicating a type of first media data from a session management function network element (¶0017, teaches obtain a data volume of the service data that UE needs to transmit, ¶0064, teaches session initiation protocol, ¶0078, teaches If the service data is video service data, the characteristic information of the service data (i.e. parameter information) includes at least one of service type information, cache capability information, data frame transmission interval information, service data request period information, or mobility information, ¶0080, teaches user equipment (i.e. user plane function network element) at the receive end initiates a service request, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information and type information of the service data flow);
receiving the first media data (¶0084, teaches the UE reports the characteristic information of the service data (i.e. first media data) by using a user plane data channel (user plane function network element), ¶0103, teaches the user equipment that receives the service data (i.e. first media data);
adding first identification information based on the first parameter information into the first media data, wherein the first identification information identifies a data size that corresponds to the type of the first media data (¶0017, teaches obtain a data volume of the service data (i.e. identifies a data size of the first media data) that UE needs to transmit, ¶0078, teaches If the service data is video service data, the characteristic information of the service data (i.e. parameter information) includes at least one of service type information, cache capability information, data frame transmission interval information, service data request period information, or mobility information, ¶0087, teaches the characteristic information of the service data to the network device by adding the characteristic information of the service data to a header of a service data packet, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information and type information of the service data flow, ¶0118, teaches the UE may report a data volume of current service data to the network device. The data volume may be represented by a cache size, and may be reported by using a user-plane packet header); and
sending the first media data comprising the first identification information to a radio access network (RAN) device (¶0088, teaches send the obtained characteristic information of the service data (i.e. media data) to the network side device (i.e. RAN device). The server may send the characteristic information to the network device by using a user plane data channel, for example, indicate the characteristic information of the service data in a transport-layer header of a data packet, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information (i.e. identification information) and type information of the service data flow, ¶0118, teaches the UE may report a data volume of current service data (i.e. data size of the first media data) to the network device. The data volume (i.e. data size) may be represented by a cache size, and may be reported by using a user-plane packet header).
With respect to claims 9 and 14, Pang discloses the method according to claim 7, However, Pang remain silent on wherein the first identification information further comprises at least one of: sequence number information added to the data packet belonging to a same frame, a same identifier that identifies data packets belonging to a same frame, or a data amount of the media data (Pang, ¶0090, teaches the characteristic information may be sent to the network side in a same manner or in different manners. For example, the cache capability may be sent to the network side device by using RRC signaling in a video live broadcast start phase, ¶0100, the scheduling information may further include a data volume of service data (i.e. a data amount of the media data) that can be uploaded by the terminal device in a period of time, ¶0105, teaches after identifying a type of a service data (i.e. type of first media data) flow based on identifier information (i.e. identification information) and type information of the service data flow).
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.
Claim(s) 10 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pang in view of Kavanagh (US 2003/0081607).
With respect to claims 10 and 15, Pang discloses the method according to claim 7, However, Pang remains silent on wherein the first identification information is carried in information about a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) layer of the first media data.
Kavanagh discloses wherein the first identification information is carried in information about a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) layer of the first media data (¶0013, teaches data packets (i.e. first identification information) in General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) signaling messages between service nodes in a GPRS network, ¶0049, teaches any or all of the Mobility Management messages utilized in the GTP protocol are analyzed. Based on the information in the GTP header).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Pang’s system with the first identification information is carried in information about a general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP) layer of the second media data of Kavanagh, in order to help the network accurately handle the data packet according to its intended destination and ensures efficient data transmission (Kavanagh, ¶0007).
Claim(s) 11 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pang in view of Dao et al. (US 2017/0317894), hereinafter “Dao”.
With respect to claims 11 and 16, Pang discloses the method according to claim 7, however, Pang remains silent on further comprising: determining, based on a timestamp and a sequence number in RTP header information of the first media data, data packets of the first media data.
Dao discloses further comprising: determining, based on a timestamp and a sequence number in RTP header information of the first media data, data packets of the first media data (¶0112, teaches receive packets (i.e. data packets or media data) and to analyze the IP header information in each packet to identify a flow identity to match to the information received from the external application server 230, Col-10, II. 50-53, teaches a sequence number (i.e. first identification information) for the audio/video data, Col-14, II. 44-47, teaches control circuitry 204 determines the start and end times (i.e. timestamp) based on the metadata associated with the segment).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Pang’s system with determining, based on a timestamp and a sequence number in RTP header information of the first media data, data packets of the first media data of Dao, in order to allow the receiver to identify which packets belong to the same continuous RTP stream and to determine the ordering of packets (Dao).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GOLAM MAHMUD whose telephone number is (571)270-0385. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8.00-5.00pm.
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, Umar Cheema can be reached on 5712703037. 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.
/GOLAM MAHMUD/Examiner, Art Unit 2458
Prosecution Insights