DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in response to application filed on 3/10/2026.
Claims 1-2, 5-6, 8, 10-11 & 14 have been examined and are pending with this action.
Priority
Examiner acknowledges that the Applicant claims a priority benefit of PCT/CN2021/092109 filed on 5/17/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/17/2026
are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Arguments
Applicant arguments are not persuasive based on the following arguments.
Applicant:
Applicant argues that PA doesn’t disclose wherein the one or more devices of the second multicast domain include one or more network devices
Examiner:
Examiner cites Dao that discloses the amended limitation
Dao in general discloses session management function (SMF) includes, receiving a request from a network exposure function (NEF) for modifying the session of a previously established packet data unit session for a user equipment. The request from the NEF indicates a switch of a downlink delivery method.
And Dao discloses the amended limitation, a request [(Dao) :[0519] “ an N4 MB session modification request comprising downlink DL tunnel”) of establishing a downlink tunnel for the MBS session, wherein the message comprises the area identifier [(Dao) :[0519] “ a message indicating confirmation of establishment of the MB session, the message comprising RAN tunnel information including RAN address and downlink (DL) N3 tunnel identifier (TEID).”].
Hence the argument proposed by Applicant are not persuasive.
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.
Claim 1-2, 5-6, 8, 10-11 & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over XIONG (CN # 111556539) in view of Dao et al (US Pub # 2021/0105196).
INDEPENDENT CLAIMS:
As per claim 1, XIONG discloses a wireless communication method for use in a wireless network node [(XIONG): “ the multicast/broadcast service, wherein FIG. 8 is a schematic flow of activating the multicast service based on the first activation mode in the wireless communication system”] , the wireless communication method comprising:
Receiving, by the wireless node, from a session management function [(XIONG): wherein receiving from the first type session management function entity for activating the user device multicast service.”] , a session response comprising an area identifier of a multicast broadcast service (MBS) session and location information corresponding to the area identifier [(XIONG): “ the first type SMF (session management function) entity may also send other information to the determined MBSF (Multiple broadcast session function) entity, such as information related to UE location, such as Cell Global Identifier (Cell Global Identifier, CGI), tracking area identifier (TrackingAreaIdentity, TAI), globally unique AMF identifier (Globally UniqueAMF Identifier (GUAMI)”)].
transmitting, by the wireless node, to a multicast broadcast session management function of the MBS session [(XIONG): “ user plane tunnel transmitting the MBSU entity to be sent to the MB UPF entity data (e.g., service data corresponding to the multicast/broadcast service). ”],
XIONG does not explicitly teaches establishing a downlink tunnel.
Dao however discloses a request [(Dao) :[0519] “ an N4 MB session modification request comprising downlink DL tunnel”) of establishing a downlink tunnel for the MBS session, wherein the message comprises the area identifier [(Dao) :[0519] “ a message indicating confirmation of establishment of the MB session, the message comprising RAN tunnel information including RAN address and downlink (DL) N3 tunnel identifier (TEID).”].
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of XIONG in view of Dao to figure out establishing a downlink tunnel. One would be motivated to do so because this enhances the system for group communications with shared downlink data. (Dao: [ABs]).
As per claim 6, XIONG discloses a wireless communication method for use in a session management function [(XIONG): “ wireless communication field, and more specifically relates to a user equipment (UE) executing method and corresponding UE, and a session management function (Session Management Function), SMF) entity executes the method and corresponding SMF entity.”] , the wireless communication method comprising:
receiving , by a wireless network node, a session request associated with a multicast broadcast service (MBS) session [(XIONG): wherein receiving from the first type session management function entity for activating the user device multicast service.”] , and a wireless network node [(XIONG): “ the multicast/broadcast service, wherein FIG. 8 is a schematic flow of activating the multicast service based on the first activation mode in the wireless communication system”], and
transmitting, to the wireless network node, a session response comprising an area identifier of the MBS session and location information corresponding to the area identifier [(XIONG): such as information related to UE location, such as Cell Global Identifier (Cell Global Identifier, CGI) & the MBSF entity can send the second request to the corresponding PCF entity according to the MB-SMF ID, the second request may include TMGI corresponding to the multicast/broadcast service, MB-SMF ID list, information of at least one data stream corresponding to the multicast/broadcast service].
XIONG does not explicitly teaches MBS session and identifier.
Dao however discloses receiving, from a multicast broadcast session management function, information of a correlation between each area identifier associated with the MBS session and corresponding location information [(Dao) :[0275 & 0267] “ The G-SMF 1006 may subscribe to receive MB Session Data that are related to any combination of following parameters: DNN, S-NSSAI, AF Service ID, location, Application ID & a method is provided for the G-SMF to select a MB Session Anchor (MBSA) UPF to serve the MB Session. The selection of MBSA UPF is optimized based on the UE location and AS location”].
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of XIONG in view of Dao to figure out establishing a downlink tunnel. One would be motivated to do so because this enhances the system for group communications with shared downlink data. (Dao: [ABs]).
As per claim 10, XIONG discloses a wireless network node [(XIONG): “ wireless communication field, and more specifically relates to a user equipment (UE) executing method and corresponding UE.”], comprising:
at least one processor and a transceiver [(XIONG): “ a user device, comprising: a processor; and a memory.”], configured to:
a communication unit, configured to receive, from a session management function [(XIONG): wherein receiving from the first type session management function entity for activating the user device multicast service.”] , a session response comprising an area identifier of a multicast broadcast service (MBS) session and location information corresponding to the area identifier [(XIONG): “ the first type SMF (session management function) entity may also send other information to the determined MBSF (Multiple broadcast session function) entity, such as information related to UE location, tracking area identifier (TrackingAreaIdentity, TAI), globally unique AMF identifier (Globally UniqueAMF Identifier (GUAMI)”)].
transmitting, by the wireless node, to a multicast broadcast session management function of the MBS session [(XIONG): “ user plane tunnel transmitting the MBSU entity to be sent to the MB UPF entity data (e.g., service data corresponding to the multicast/broadcast service). ”],
XIONG does not explicitly teaches establishing a downlink tunnel.
Dao however discloses a request [(Dao) :[0519] “ an N4 MB session modification request comprising downlink DL tunnel”) of establishing a downlink tunnel for the MBS session, wherein the message comprises the area identifier [(Dao) :[0519] “ a message indicating confirmation of establishment of the MB session, the message comprising RAN tunnel information including RAN address and downlink (DL) N3 tunnel identifier (TEID).”].
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of XIONG in view of Dao to figure out establishing a downlink tunnel. One would be motivated to do so because this enhances the system for group communications with shared downlink data. (Dao: [ABs]).
DEPENDENT CLAIMS:
As per claim 2, XIONG discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a tracking area identity list associated with the area identifier [(XIONG): “ such as information related to UE location, tracking area identifier (TrackingAreaIdentity, TAI), globally unique AMF identifier (Globally UniqueAMF Identifier (GUAMI)”)], a cell list associated with the area identifier or a multicast address associated with the area identifier [(XIONG): such as information related to UE location, such as Cell Global Identifier (Cell Global Identifier, CGI) & the MBSF entity can send the second request to the corresponding PCF entity according to the MB-SMF ID, the second request may include TMGI corresponding to the multicast/broadcast service, MB-SMF ID list, information of at least one data stream corresponding to the multicast/broadcast service].
Claims 8 and 11 is rejected based on claim 2 rejection.
As per claim 5, XIONG/Dao discloses the wireless communication method of claim 3 [(XIONG): “ the multicast/broadcast service, wherein FIG. 8 is a schematic flow of activating the multicast service based on the first activation mode in the wireless communication system”], further comprising:
receiving, from the multicast broadcast session management function [(XIONG): wherein receiving from the first type session management function entity for activating the user device multicast service.”], a response comprising a multicast address [(XIONG): the IP multicast address can identify a specific one multicast service; .”], associated with the area identifier [(XIONG): “ other information to the determined MBSF (Multiple broadcast session function) entity, such as information related to UE location tracking area identifier (TrackingAreaIdentity, TAI),”)].
Claim 14 is rejected based on rationale provided from claim 5 rejection.
Conclusion
This action is made Final. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. This includes:
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/SIBTE H BUKHARI/Examiner, Art Unit 2449
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