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 . The instant First Office Action on the merits is in response to claims filed on 9/15/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 8 and 13 are the base independent claims.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/24/2025, 1/3/2025, 3/11/2024 was filed before the mailing of a first Office action on the merits. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97(b). Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copies of papers required under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) have been filed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the network-side device is a second network-side device, but its parent claim also recites that the network-side device is “a first network-side device.” Thus, the claim fails to point out the boundary of the limitation of the network-side device. Claims 10 and 11 are rejected being dependent to claim 9.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 / 103
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZHU et al (US 2023/0044660) or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over ZHU et al (US 2023/0044660) in view of LATHEEF et al (US 2023/0300938), in view of Shrivastava et al (US 2022/0132467, herein after Shrivastava’467) or Shrivastava et al (US 2024/0305957, herein after Shrivastava’957).
Regarding claim 1, ZHU discloses a transmission method performed by a terminal, comprising:
performing a first behavior in a case that the terminal interested in a first service is within a first area (par 40-44; e.g. sending by the UE an MBS interest information to the RAN; wherein a trigger condition includes at least one of upon entering or leaving the service area); wherein
the first behavior comprises at least one (examining note: since the claim shows a limitation in an alternative form, the prior art may teach either or both limitations, and this notice applies to subsequent occurrences of claim limitations that are in the alternative form) of the following:
obtaining configuration information of the first service;
entering a radio resource control (RRC) connected state;
sending non-access stratum (NAS) signaling;
sending an RRC message; or
receiving data of the first service (par 40; e.g. the MBS interest information may be carried in a RRC message).
Regarding claim 8, ZHU discloses a transmission method performed by a network-side device, comprising:
sending first information to a terminal interested in a first service (par 45; e.g. UE may receive a system information containing the MBS Service Area Identities (SAI) of the current and/or neighboring carrier frequencies prior to sending the RRC message, hence a system information is sent to the UE); wherein content in the first information comprises at least one of the following:
indication of sending data of the first service;
indication of starting the first service;
indication of resuming the first service;
indication of not sending data of the first service;
indication of suspending the first service;
indication of stopping the first service;
indication of deleting the first service;
identifier of the terminal;
identifier of the first service;
session identifier; or
paging indication (par 45; e.g. MBS Service Area Identities); wherein
the network-side device is a first network-side device (par 29; e.g. RAN).
Regarding claim 2, ZHU discloses:
wherein the first area comprises at least one of the following:
service area of the first service;
notification area of a wireless access network; or
registration area (par 44; a trigger condition includes at least one of upon entering or leaving the service area).
Regarding claim 3, ZHU discloses:
wherein the step of performing a first behavior comprises at least one of the following:
performing the first behavior in a case that the terminal enters the first area; or
performing the first behavior in a case that the terminal enters the first area and stays for a time exceeding a time limit (par 44; a trigger condition includes at least one of upon entering or leaving the service area).
Regarding claim 4, ZHU discloses:
wherein before the step of performing a first behavior in a case that the terminal interested in a first service is within a first area (par 45; e.g. UE may receive a system information containing the MBS Service Area Identities (SAI) of the current and/or neighboring carrier frequencies prior to sending the RRC message, hence a system information is sent to the UE), the method further comprises one of the following:
having received first information sent by a first network-side device;
having not received the first information sent by the first network-side device;
wherein content in the first information comprises at least one of the following:
indication of sending data of the first service;
indication of starting the first service;
indication of resuming the first service;
indication of not sending data of the first service;
indication of suspending the first service;
indication of stopping the first service;
indication of deleting the first service;
identifier of the terminal;
identifier of the first service;
session identifier; or
paging indication (par 45; e.g. MBS Service Area Identities);
wherein the first network-side device comprises at least one of the following:
a base station located in the first area; or
a base station located outside the first area (par 44; e.g. a PCell broadcasting system information about service area identities).
Regarding claim 5, ZHU discloses the subject matter of claim 1, without explicitly discloses:
wherein in a case that the first behavior comprises entering the RRC connected state, the method further comprises:
in a case that the terminal has not received data of a second service after entering the RRC connected state and that the terminal has received the first information, determining that the first information is used to indicate data sending, starting, or resuming of the first service;
wherein the second service comprises receiving data radio bearer DRB data through a protocol data unit PDU session.
However, LATHEEF discloses:
In par 115-116, e.g. the UE 204 starts operating in the first state/RRC Connected state. At step 502, the UE 204 receives the MBS control information/first message corresponding to the one or more MBS services from the BS 202. At step 503, the UE 204 establishes the MBS bearer with the BS 202, on receiving the configurations of the MBS bearer from the BS 202.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of LATHEEF with the electronic system of ZHU. One is motivated as such to manage MBS service continuity (LATHEEF, par 12).
Regarding claim 6, ZHU discloses the subject matter of claim 1, without explicitly discloses:
wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following:
receiving second information sent by a second network-side device during the process of performing the first behavior; or
receiving the second information sent by the second network-side device after completing the first behavior;
wherein content in the second information comprises at least one of the following:
indication of not sending data of the first service;
indication of suspending the first service;
indication of stopping the first service;
indication of deleting the first service;
indication of sending data of the first service;
indication of starting the first service;
indication of resuming the first service;
indication of refusing to send the first service;
identifier of the terminal;
identifier of the first service; or
session identifier;
wherein the second network-side device comprises at least one of the following:
a base station located in the first area; or
a base station located outside the first area.
However, Shrivastava’467 discloses:
In par 171-172; e.g. receiving the RRC reconfiguration message comprising the MBS service configuration from the network entity (200) for an activated MBS service. The UE (100) is in the RRC CONNECTED state. At 1304, the method includes determining the activation for at least one non-activated session pertaining to the UE (100) based on the RRC reconfiguration message.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Shrivastava’467 with the electronic system of ZHU. One is motivated as such to enable a reliable delivery of MBS services (Shrivastava’467, par 10).
Regarding claim 7, ZHU discloses the subject matter of claim 1, without explicitly discloses:
wherein the method further comprises:
refusing to perform the first behavior in a case that the terminal is outside the first area.
However, Shrivastava’957 discloses:
In par 66, e.g. the UE (100) moves out of multicast coverage, network discontinues the specific delivery mode for service.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Shrivastava’957 with the electronic system of ZHU. One is motivated as such to change a delivery mode (Shrivastava’957, par 66).
Regarding claim 9, ZHU discloses the subject matter of claim 1, without explicitly discloses:
wherein the method further comprises:
sending second information to the terminal during a process of the terminal performing a first behavior within a first area;
or
sending second information to the terminal after the terminal completes the first behavior within the first area; wherein
the network-side device is a second network-side device.
However, Shrivastava’467 discloses:
In par 171-172; e.g. receiving the RRC reconfiguration message comprising the MBS service configuration from the network entity (200) for an activated MBS service. The UE (100) is in the RRC CONNECTED state. At 1304, the method includes determining the activation for at least one non-activated session pertaining to the UE (100) based on the RRC reconfiguration message.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Shrivastava’467 with the electronic system of ZHU. One is motivated as such to enable a reliable delivery of MBS services (Shrivastava’467, par 10).
Regarding claim 10, Shrivastava’467 further discloses:
wherein content in the second information comprises at least one of the following:
indication of not sending data of the first service;
indication of suspending the first service;
indication of stopping the first service;
indication of deleting the first service;
indication of sending data of the first service;
indication of starting the first service;
indication of resuming the first service;
indication of refusing to send the first service;
identifier of the terminal;
identifier of the first service; or
session identifier (see citation for claim 9).
Regarding claim 11, ZHU discloses:
wherein the first behavior comprises at least one of the following:
obtaining configuration information of the first service;
entering a radio resource control (RRC) connected state;
sending non-access stratum (NAS) signaling;
sending an RRC message; or
receiving data of the first service (see citation of claim 1).
Regarding claim 12, ZHU discloses:
wherein the first network-side device comprises at least one of the following:
a base station located in the first area; or
a base station located outside the first area;
wherein the first area comprises at least one of the following:
service area of the first service;
notification area of a wireless access network; or
registration area (see citation of claim 2).
Regarding claims 13-20, ZHU or ZHU in view of LATHEEF, in view of Shrivastava’467 or Shrivastava’957 also disclose the subject matter as in the citations above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YAOTANG WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-4023. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-18:00 ET (M, W, TH & alternate F).
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/YAOTANG WANG/SCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2409