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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants’ communication filed on 11/26/2025. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-5, 7, and 9-22 are currently pending in the instant application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/26/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Please see the revised rejection in view of the amendments argued.
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 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.
Claims 1-5, 7 and 9-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harel (US 2021/0037444 A1) in view of Dutta et al. (US 2024/0048995 A1).
Regarding Claim 1 Harel teaches the limitations “A method, comprising: facilitating, by a system comprising at least one processor, (see abstract and par. 0025 “mobile telecommunications environment that includes an exemplary radio access network (RAN) that includes a mobile network operator (MNO) macrocell employing a radio node, a shared spectrum cell employing a radio node, an exemplary small cell RAN employing a multi-operator radio node located within an enterprise environment.”);
receiving, by shared core network equipment, a first communication signal via a first wireless provider network and a second communication signal via a second wireless provider network300 that is configured to selectively route shared spectrum channels of downlink communications signals 302(1), 302(2) from interfaced multiple service providers to remote units 304(1)-304(4), 304(1)-304(R)” showing receiving (e.g. at routing circuit 308) first and second signals respectfully from first service provider 310(1) and second service provider 310 (2)); Also see par. 0053 “The small cell radio nodes 912(1)-912(C) can include multi-operator radio nodes. The services node 914 aggregates voice and data traffic from the small cell radio nodes 912(1)-912(C) and provides connectivity over an IPsec tunnel to a security gateway (SeGW) 918 in a network 920 (e.g., evolved packet core (EPC) network in a 4G network, or 5G Core in a 5G network) of the MNO 910.” (i.e. shared core network equipment));
facilitating, by the system, communicating, via first radio spectra shared by the first wireless provider network and the second wireless provider network, the first communication signal and the second communication signal; (see fig. 3 and par. 0029 “Shared spectrum channels 306(1), 306(2) of received downlink communications signals 302(1), 302(2) are routed by a routing circuit 308 in the shared spectrum DCS 300 to the remote units 304(1)-304(R) to be distributed to subscriber units.”);
facilitating, by the system, receiving a third communication signal via first wireless provider core network equipment of the first wireless provider network and a fourth communication signal via second wireless provider core network equipment of the second wireless provider network; and based on an instruction, facilitating, by the system, (see fig. 3 and par. 0029, where 308 receives third and fourth downlink signals from first and second providers. Also see par. 0003 “the radio node 102 in the communications system 100 in FIG. 1 can be a small cell radio access node (“small cell”) that is configured to support multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) by distributing a communications signal stream 108(1)-108(S) for the multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) based on respective downlink communications signals 110(1)-110(N) received from a respective evolved packet core (EPC) network CN.sub.1-CN.sub.N of the service provider 104(1)-104(N) through interface connections. (i.e. received at core network equipment));
communicating, via second radio spectra not shared by the first wireless provider network and the second wireless provider network, the third communication signal and the fourth communication signal” (see par. 0029 “FIG. 3 may also support transmission of licensed, or non-shared spectrum channels 314 (e.g., non-shared spectrum channels CH1-CH4 for service provider 1 CH5 SP1-L, CH6 SP1-L, CH7 SP1-L, CH8 SP1-L that do not overlap shared spectrum frequency channels CH1-CH4) in their downlink communications signals 302(1), 302(2), meaning that a signal source 310(1), 310(2) could transmit channels in its respective downlink communications signal 302(1), 302(2) that does not overlap in frequency with channels transmitted by the other signal source 310(2), 310(1) in its respective downlink communications signal 302(2), 302(1)” and par. 0031 “Non-shared spectrum channels CH5 SP1-L, CH6 SP1-L, CH7 SP1-L, CH8 SP-L from signal source 310(1) are shown as being routed by the routing circuit 308 to the respective remote units 304(1)-304(4). Because channel 1 CH1 SP1 for service provider 1 is routed to the remote unit 304(1), channel 1 CH1 SP2 for service provider 2 is not routed by the routing circuit 308 to the remote unit 304(1) to avoid interference in the remote unit 304(1). The routing circuit 308 is configured to allocate shared spectrum to the remote unit 304(1) to support providing communications services to subscriber devices of the remote unit 304(1) from either service provider 1, 2.”
However, Harel shows the use of shared and non-shared spectra and first and second provider networks but does not explicitly disclose “, where the first wireless provider network was organized in accordance with an open radio access network architecture; by virtualized central unit.”
In the same field of endeavor Dutta discloses a system for co-channel coexistence in different radio access technologies for sidelink communication where “An aggregated base station may be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. A disaggregated base station may be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed among two or more units (such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs)). In some aspects, a CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may be co-located with the CU, or alternatively, may be geographically or virtually distributed throughout one or multiple other RAN nodes. The DUs may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CU, DU and RU also can be implemented as virtual units, i.e., a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).” (see abstract, fig. and par. 0056). Also see par. 0057 “disaggregated base stations may be utilized in an integrated access backhaul (IAB) network, an open radio access network (O-RAN (such as the network configuration sponsored by the O-RAN Alliance)), or a virtualized radio access network (vRAN, also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN)). Disaggregation may include distributing functionality across two or more units at various physical locations, as well as distributing functionality for at least one unit virtually, which can enable flexibility in network design. The various units of the disaggregated base station, or disaggregated RAN architecture, can be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit.”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement open radio access network architecture including virtual units as taught by Dutta in the system of Harel, in order to enable flexibility in network design (see Dutta par. 0057).
Claims 11, 16, 19 and 21-22 are rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 2 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 1, wherein the system utilizes shared radio resource unit equipment for the communicating of the first communication signal, the second communication signal, the third communication signal, and the fourth communication signal” (see fig. 3 (routing circuit 308) and par. 0030).
Claims 12 and 17 are rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 3 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 2, wherein the shared radio resource unit equipment comprises shared wireless access point equipment” (see par. 0002 showing devices are used as access points and par. 0053 and fig. 9 showing access point equipment for routing internet 924).
Claim 13 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 4 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating of the first communication signal and the second communication signal comprises communicating the first communication signal and the second communication signal in accordance with a multi-operator core-network configuration” (see par. 0003 “FIG. 1 can be a small cell radio access node (“small cell”) that is configured to support multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) by distributing a communications signal stream 108(1)-108(S) for the multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) based on respective downlink communications signals 110(1)-110(N) received from a respective evolved packet core (EPC) network CN.sub.1-CN.sub.N of the service provider 104(1)-104(N) through interface connections.” Also see fig. 9 and par. 0025 showing multi-operator configuration “FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary mobile telecommunications environment that includes an exemplary radio access network (RAN) that includes a mobile network operator (MNO) macrocell employing a radio node, a shared spectrum cell employing a radio node, an exemplary small cell RAN employing a multi-operator radio node located within an enterprise environment, wherein any of the radio nodes can employ or be coupled to a shared spectrum DCS configured to selectively route channels of shared spectrum downlink communications signals of multiple service providers to remote units based on shared spectrum input information used to determine spectrum usage coordination between the remote units, including but not limited to the distributed communications systems in FIGS. 3-6 and 8.”).
Regarding Claim 5 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating of the third communication signal and the fourth communication signal comprises communicating the first communication signal and the second communication signal in accordance with a mobile operator radio access network configuration, (see par. 0003 “FIG. 1 can be a small cell radio access node (“small cell”) that is configured to support multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) by distributing a communications signal stream 108(1)-108(S) for the multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) based on respective downlink communications signals 110(1)-110(N) received from a respective evolved packet core (EPC) network CN.sub.1-CN.sub.N of the service provider 104(1)-104(N) through interface connections.” Also see fig. 9 and par. 0025 showing multi-operator configuration “FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary mobile telecommunications environment that includes an exemplary radio access network (RAN) that includes a mobile network operator (MNO) macrocell employing a radio node, a shared spectrum cell employing a radio node, an exemplary small cell RAN employing a multi-operator radio node located within an enterprise environment, wherein any of the radio nodes can employ or be coupled to a shared spectrum DCS configured to selectively route channels of shared spectrum downlink communications signals of multiple service providers to remote units based on shared spectrum input information used to determine spectrum usage coordination between the remote units, including but not limited to the distributed communications systems in FIGS. 3-6 and 8.”).
and wherein the instruction comprises instruction information to utilize the mobile operator radio access network configuration” (see fig. 9 and par. 0025 “wherein any of the radio nodes can employ or be coupled to a shared spectrum DCS configured to selectively route channels of shared spectrum downlink communications signals of multiple service providers to remote units based on shared spectrum input information used to determine spectrum usage coordination between the remote units.” Also see par. 0029 “the routing circuit 308 is configured to selectively distribute the transmitted shared spectrum channels 306(1), 306(2) in the received downlink communications signals 302(1), 302(2) to the remote units 304(1)-304(R) based on shared spectrum input information 312 to accomplish certain goals, such as load balancing and reducing interference as examples.” Here, the spectrum information is equated to the instruction to utilize multi operator configuration).
Regarding Claim 7 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 6, wherein the shared core network equipment comprises a shared central unit coupled to a shared distributed unit” (see fig. 1, 3 and abstract showing shared spectrum distributed communication system with central and distribution unit coupled, e.g. routing circuit 308 coupled to remote units 304).
Regarding Claim 9 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the third communication signal and the fourth communication signal comprises receiving the third communication signal and the fourth communication signal via respective separate core networks of the first wireless provider network and the second wireless provider network.” (see par. 0054 showing multi core downlink signals and see fig. 3 and par. 0029 “shared spectrum distributed communications system (DCS) 300 that is configured to selectively route shared spectrum channels of downlink communications signals 302(1), 302(2) from interfaced multiple service providers to remote units 304(1)-304(4), 304(1)-304(R).”).
Regarding Claim 10 Harel teaches the limitations “The method of claim 1, wherein the second radio spectra comprises radio spectra respectively allocated to the first wireless provider network and the second wireless provider network” (see fig. 3 showing CH1, SP1 etc. allocated to both networks).
Claims 15 and 20 are rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 18 Harel teaches the limitations “The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second different communication signals are received via core network equipment that was respectively managed by the different wireless communication network providers.” (see par. 0004 “The radio node 102 of the communications system 100 in FIG. 1 may be configured to support service providers 104(1)-104(N) that have different frequency spectrum and do not share spectrum. Thus in this instance, the downlink communications signals 110(1)-110(N) from the different service providers 104(1)-104(N) do not interfere with each other even if transmitted by the radio node 102 at the same time. The radio node 102 may also be configured as a shared spectrum communications system where the multiple service providers 104(1)-104(N) have shared spectrum.” Here, the downlink signals are received from different service providers (i.e. managed).
Regarding Claim 14 Harel teaches the radio resource device of claim 12, and central and distributed units, but not does explicitly disclose “wherein the shared core device further comprises a virtual distributed unit equipment hosted by the radio resource device.”
Dutta discloses a system for co-channel coexistence in different radio access technologies for sidelink communication where “An aggregated base station may be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. A disaggregated base station may be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed among two or more units (such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs)). In some aspects, a CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may be co-located with the CU, or alternatively, may be geographically or virtually distributed throughout one or multiple other RAN nodes. The DUs may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CU, DU and RU also can be implemented as virtual units, i.e., a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).” (see abstract, fig. and par. 0056).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement virtual units as taught by Dutta in the system of Harel, in order to enable flexibility in network design (see Dutta par. 0057).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID BILODEAU whose telephone number is (571)270-3192. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:00am-4:00pm Eastern Standard Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David Bilodeau/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648