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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/19/2023 has been placed in record and considered by the examiner.
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al. (US 20220140884 A1, hereinafter ‘SHI’) with evidence by Rahman et al. (US 20150271852 A1, hereinafter ‘RAHMAN’) and Oroskar et al. (US 9706561 B1, hereinafter ‘OROSKAR’) and in view of Klein et al. (US 20230110429 A1, hereinafter ‘KLEIN’).
Regarding claim 1, SHI teaches a method of managing bandwidth in a wireless network (Fig. 1,
[0032] FIG. 1, a terminal device 110 is connected to a first network device 130 in a first communication system and a second network device 120 in a second communication system. For example, the first network device 130 is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network device, and the second network device 120 is a New Radio (NR) network device.
[0033] The first network device 130 and the second network device 120 may include multiple cells.
[0036] For example, the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 may include one primary network device under the first communication system and at least one secondary network device under the second communication system.
[0037] … the connection established between the terminal device 110 and the primary network device is a primary connection, and the connection established between the terminal device 110 and the secondary network device is a secondary connection. Control signaling for the terminal device 110 may be transmitted through the primary connection, and data of the terminal device 110 may be transmitted through the primary connection and the secondary connection at the same time …), the method comprising:
monitoring a capacity usage of an uplink control channel (
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold);
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is above a threshold, lowering a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more secondary carriers for one or more roaming users and one or more heavy bandwidth users (
[0037] ….. data of the terminal device 110 may be transmitted through the primary connection and the secondary connection at the same time …
(Construed that the terminal device or user is a heavy bandwidth user since data is transmitted using a primary connection and the secondary connection at the same time indicating a heavy or larger bandwidth user for higher data throughput as known in the art, for example see RAHMAN ([0134]), and the terminal device or user can be either a roaming user using heavy bandwidth or a home user using heavy bandwidth as known in the art as well for example see OROSKAR (Col 10 Lines 25-45))
[0398] …. terminal device …. when activating the BWP of the secondary cell …. performing statistics on the link quality of the secondary cell or BWP, is helpful for terminal device to use a suitable secondary cell or BWP for data transmission, and can improve system performance …. the activation and deactivation procedures of the secondary cell or BWP …
[0412] if the first information corresponding to the first secondary cell is transmitted through PUCCHs multiple times, no network response corresponding to the first information is received, and the number of PUCCH transmissions reaches a preset condition, it can be determined that the BFR corresponding to the first secondary cell fails.
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold.
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP. For example, if the BFR procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP fails, the secondary cell or BWP may be deactivated).
RAHMAN discloses-
[0134] the CA configuration of the UE is adapted based on a service required by the UE. .... if the service requires high data rate in the downlink, then the node may use a second CA configuration with larger bandwidth (e.g., 50 RBs or more) or more downlink carriers (e.g., 2 or more SCells) or single carrier CA with larger bandwidth. But if the UE requires higher data rate in the uplink, then the node may select a CA configuration that allows larger number of uplink RBs.
OROSKAR discloses-
Column 2 Lines 51-53:
a base station may be able to serve a UE concurrently on multiple carriers, to help increase the effective bandwidth and associated throughput available to the UE.
Column 10 Lines 25-45:
the eNodeB may also use the PLMN of the UE (e.g., home UE vs. roaming UE) as basis for selecting which of the eNodeB's carriers to use for serving the UE with the determined quantity of carriers and/or, in a scenario where the determined quantity is multiple carriers, for selecting which of the eNodeB's carriers to use as a PCell and which to use as one or more SCells. By way of example, if the eNodeB is serving the UE on just one particular carrier and the eNodeB determines that the UE is a home UE, the eNodeB may responsively use the particular carrier as a PCell and select one or more of its other available carriers to add as SCells (or, alternatively, use the particular carrier as an SCell and add a new carrier for use as a PCell). As another example, if the eNodeB is serving the UE on just one particular carrier and the eNodeB determines that the UE is a roaming UE, the eNodeB may responsively determine that the eNodeB should continue to serve the UE on one carrier, and then select a new carrier, different than the particular carrier, on which to serve the UE.
SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and OROSKAR, does not explicitly disclose lowering a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more secondary carriers for one or more roaming users.
In an analogous art. KLEIN teaches lowering a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more secondary carriers for one or more roaming users (
Fig. 2, [0019] At step 125, analyzer 109 (or another device) may provide instructions to configure network equipment of the first provider network (e.g., base station 104 - base station 106, MME 107, etc.) to allow roaming for one or more UEs of the second provider network. The allowed roaming may be designated for a single base station, multiple base stations (e.g., TAC 101 or smaller defined area), or the like.
Fig. 4, [0020] At step 131, analyzer 109, associated with the first service provider, determines the number of RRC attempts within a period (e.g., within a number of minutes or hours). There may be recordation and consideration of RRC attempts associated with UEs of the first service provider network (e.g., UE 102), UEs of the second provider network (e.g., UE 103), or both.
[0021] At step 132, analyzer 109 may aggregate the RRC attempts per predefined TAC area on the first service provider network, the second provider network, or both per report output period (ROP).
[0022] At step 133, analyzer 109 determines if aggregated RRC attempts exceed a threshold for one or more of the TACs (e.g., TAC 101) of the first service provider network. This may be referred to herein as RRC_RNA (RRC roaming NOT allowed).
[0023] At step 134, when analyzer 109 detects RRC attempts associated with a TAC that exceed RRC_RNA, instructions are provided to the first service provider network to NOT allow roaming on TACs that RRC attempts exceeded RRC_RNA.
[0024] At step 135, analyzer 109 (e.g., self-optimizing network - SON) detects RRC attempts by UEs of the second service provider and subsequently rejects on a site exceed threshold RRC_RAR (RRC roaming activation threshold) for a period (e.g., hysteresis time period).
[0025] At step 136, analyzer 109 also checks against a max allowed aggregated RRC attempt per TAC RRC_MAX before roaming is allowed.
See also Fig. 5 step 153 [Wingdings font/0xE0] No step 151.
(It is obvious that when network determines that aggregated RRC connection requests from home UE 102s and roaming UE 103s to TAC 101 the home network for UE 102, or capacity usage of the uplink control channel by RRC requests is above a threshold, the network does not allow or reduce allocation of radio resources or any available Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more primary or secondary carriers from the multiple base station 104-106, as in SHI above, for one or more roaming UEs 103)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of restricting of resource allocation for roaming UEs based on RRC request to the network of KLEIN to the wireless communication method of allocating or reducing bandwidth for users terminals through activation and deactivation procedure of secondary cell or BWP of secondary cell based on threshold number of transmissions of the PUCCH for user terminals which includes home or roaming heavy bandwidth users of SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and SHIDDHARTH, for an advantage of a method to selectively offer, in near real-time, to open roaming in a network based on uplink control channel messages threshold (KLEIN: Fig. 5, [0004, 0025]).
Regarding claim 2, SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN, OROSKAR and in view of KLEIN, teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after lowering the BWP in one or more secondary carriers for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, downgrading a carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users (
[0398] …. terminal device …. when activating the BWP of the secondary cell …. the activation and deactivation procedures of the secondary cell or BWP …
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold.
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP, the secondary cell ….. may be deactivated.
(It is obvious that after reducing BWP if PUCCH load is still above threshold SCell aggregation level may be reduced by deactivating SCell for terminals/UEs, and terminal/UEs can be a roaming UEs as disclosed in OROSKAR and KLEIN presented for claim 1)).
Claims 3-5, 9, 14-15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al. (US 20220140884 A1, hereinafter ‘SHI’) with evidence by Rahman et al. (US 20150271852 A1, hereinafter ‘RAHMAN’), Oroskar et al. (US 9706561 B1, hereinafter ‘OROSKAR’) and in view of Klein et al. (US 20230110429 A1, hereinafter ‘KLEIN’) with evidence by Smith et al (US 20140355443 A1, hereinafter ‘SMITH’).
Regarding claim 3, SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN, OROSKAR and in view of KLEIN, teaches the method of claim 2, further comprising:
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after downgrading the carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, lowering a BWP in one or more secondary carriers for one or more home network users (
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold.
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP, the secondary cell ….. may be deactivated.
(It is obvious that after reducing BWP if PUCCH load is still above threshold SCell aggregation level may be reduced by deactivating SCell for terminals/UEs, and UEs can be home user or terminals/UEs as disclosed in OROSKAR and KLEIN presented for claim 1).
SHI with evidence by RAHMAN and OROSKAR, does not explicitly disclose upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after downgrading the carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, lowering a BWP in one or more secondary carriers for one or more home network users.
KLEIN teaches upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after downgrading the carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, lowering a BWP in one or more secondary carriers for one or more home network users (
Fig. 5 Step 153, [0016, 0032] aggregated attempts by OpXUEs or home users of TAC 101 < RRC_MAX [Wingdings font/0xE0] No [Wingdings font/0xE0] 151, OpX or first service provider continue to measure RRC Attempts by OpX UEs, without further allocating resources for new home UEs or Roaming UEs as obvious indicating reduction of bandwidth resource allocation for home or roaming UEs, and if TAC 101 < RRC_MAX [Wingdings font/0xE0] Yes [Wingdings font/0xE0] 154, OpX or first service provider allows roaming which indicates further bandwidth resource allocation for home or roaming UEs as obvious as evident from SMITH).
SMITH (Fig. 3, Fig. 4 Steps 302[Wingdings font/0xE0]308, 310[Wingdings font/0xE0]322, 324[Wingdings font/0xE0]336, 400[Wingdings font/0xE0]406) disclosing –
[0131] a first DSC 144a in a first network may monitor user traffic (e.g., call and data traffic, etc.) as compared to the total spectrum resources available to the first network …... In response to determining that additional resources are required (i.e., determination block 306="Yes"), in block 308, the first DSC 144a may send a "request for resources" communication message to the DPC 146.
[0132] In block 310, a second DSC 144b in a second network may monitor user traffic as compared to the total spectrum resources available to the second network, ….. In response to determining that there are no excess resources available in the second network (i.e., determination block 312="No"), in block 310, the second DSC 144b may continue monitoring user traffic and/or performing other DSC operations.
(Indicating bandwidth not available for Roaming user, or reducing bandwidth resources or carriers for roaming Users)
[0133] In response to determining that there is an excess amount of resources available in the second network (i.e., determination block 312="Yes"), in block 314, the second DSC 144b may mark, designate, or allocate all or portions of its excess resources for access and use by other networks (e.g., the first network, etc.).
(Indicating bandwidth available for Roaming user.
See also Fig. 5 steps 516-530 when excess bandwidth available UE 102 of first network/DSC 144a gets roaming service by second network/DSC144b)
[0137] With reference to FIG. 4, in determination block 400, the DPC 146 may determine whether resources are available based on the data (e.g., resources inquiry response message) received from the second DSC 144b in the second network. For example, the DPC 146 may determine that the identified resources are not available in response to determining that all or a portion of the resources were purchased or won by other bidders before they were reserved.
[0138] In response to determining that the resources are not available (i.e., determination block 400="No"), in block 402, the DPC 146 may send a "no resources available" communication message to the first DSC 144a in the first network. In block 404, the first DSC 144a may receive the "no resources available" communication message. In block 406, the first DSC 144a may search (e.g., via the DPC 146) for other available resources, request resources from a different network, request different resources, terminate connections or communication sessions with users to free-up resources ….. to manage network traffic and congestion in the first network.
(Indicating bandwidth resource or carrier reduction for home network users UE 102 when congestion exists after roaming denial as in KLEIN)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of restricting of resource allocation for roaming UEs and home UEs based on RRC request to the network of KLEIN, with evidence by SMITH, to the wireless communication method of allocating or reducing bandwidth for users terminals through activation and deactivation procedure of secondary cell or BWP of secondary cell based on threshold number of transmissions of the PUCCH for user terminals which includes home or roaming heavy bandwidth users of SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and SHIDDHARTH, for an advantage of a method to selectively offer, in near real-time, to open roaming in a network based on uplink control channel messages threshold (KLEIN: Fig. 5, [0004, 0025]).
Regarding claim 4, SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN, OROSKAR and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, teaches the method of claim 3, further comprising:
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after lowering the BWP in one or more secondary carriers for the one or more home network users, downgrading a carrier aggregation level for the one or more home network users (
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP, the secondary cell ….. may be deactivated.
(Secondary cell deactivation is an obvious downgrading a carrier aggregation level for the termina/users which could be the one or more home network users as disclosed in OROSKAR)).
Regarding claim 5, SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN, OROSKAR and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, teaches the method of claim 4, wherein downgrading the carrier aggregation level comprises removing one SCell from the one or more SCells (
See SHI [0436] presented for claim 4).
Regarding claim 9, SHI teaches a system (
Fig. 1,
[0032] FIG. 1, a terminal device 110 is connected to a first network device 130 in a first communication system and a second network device 120 in a second communication system. For example, the first network device 130 is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network device, and the second network device 120 is a New Radio (NR) network device.
[0033] The first network device 130 and the second network device 120 may include multiple cells.
[0036] For example, the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 may include one primary network device under the first communication system and at least one secondary network device under the second communication system.
[0037] … the connection established between the terminal device 110 and the primary network device is a primary connection, and the connection established between the terminal device 110 and the secondary network device is a secondary connection. Control signaling for the terminal device 110 may be transmitted through the primary connection, and data of the terminal device 110 may be transmitted through the primary connection and the secondary connection at the same time …), the system comprising:
an access node including at least one electronic processor configured to perform operations (
[0032] FIG. 1, a terminal device 110 is connected to a first network device 130 in a first communication system…
[0037] … the connection established between the terminal device 110 and the primary network device is a primary connection
(first network device 130 is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network device implies as an access node including at least one electronic processor)), the operations comprising:
monitoring a capacity usage of an uplink control channel (
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold);
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is above a threshold, lowering a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more secondary carriers for one or more roaming users and one or more heavy bandwidth users (
[0037] ….. data of the terminal device 110 may be transmitted through the primary connection and the secondary connection at the same time …
(Construed that the terminal device or user is a heavy bandwidth user since data is transmitted using a primary connection and the secondary connection at the same time indicating a heavy or larger bandwidth user for higher data throughput as known in the art, for example see RAHMAN ([0134]), and the terminal device or user can be either a roaming user using heavy bandwidth or a home user using heavy bandwidth as known in the art as well for example see OROSKAR (Col 10 Lines 25-45))
[0398] …. terminal device …. when activating the BWP of the secondary cell …. performing statistics on the link quality of the secondary cell or BWP, is helpful for terminal device to use a suitable secondary cell or BWP for data transmission, and can improve system performance …. the activation and deactivation procedures of the secondary cell or BWP …
[0412] if the first information corresponding to the first secondary cell is transmitted through PUCCHs multiple times, no network response corresponding to the first information is received, and the number of PUCCH transmissions reaches a preset condition, it can be determined that the BFR corresponding to the first secondary cell fails.
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold.
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP. For example, if the BFR procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP fails, the secondary cell or BWP may be deactivated).
RAHMAN discloses-
[0134] the CA configuration of the UE is adapted based on a service required by the UE. .... if the service requires high data rate in the downlink, then the node may use a second CA configuration with larger bandwidth (e.g., 50 RBs or more) or more downlink carriers (e.g., 2 or more SCells) or single carrier CA with larger bandwidth. But if the UE requires higher data rate in the uplink, then the node may select a CA configuration that allows larger number of uplink RBs.
OROSKAR discloses-
Column 2 Lines 51-53:
a base station may be able to serve a UE concurrently on multiple carriers, to help increase the effective bandwidth and associated throughput available to the UE.
Col 10 Lines 25-45:
the eNodeB may also use the PLMN of the UE (e.g., home UE vs. roaming UE) as basis for selecting which of the eNodeB's carriers to use for serving the UE with the determined quantity of carriers and/or, in a scenario where the determined quantity is multiple carriers, for selecting which of the eNodeB's carriers to use as a PCell and which to use as one or more SCells. By way of example, if the eNodeB is serving the UE on just one particular carrier and the eNodeB determines that the UE is a home UE, the eNodeB may responsively use the particular carrier as a PCell and select one or more of its other available carriers to add as SCells (or, alternatively, use the particular carrier as an SCell and add a new carrier for use as a PCell). As another example, if the eNodeB is serving the UE on just one particular carrier and the eNodeB determines that the UE is a roaming UE, the eNodeB may responsively determine that the eNodeB should continue to serve the UE on one carrier, and then select a new carrier, different than the particular carrier, on which to serve the UE.
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after lowering the BWP in one or more secondary cells for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, downgrading a carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users (
[0398] …. terminal device …. when activating the BWP of the secondary cell …. the activation and deactivation procedures of the secondary cell or BWP …
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold.
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP, the secondary cell ….. may be deactivated.
(It is obvious that after reducing BWP if PUCCH load is still above threshold SCell aggregation level may be reduced by deactivating SCell for terminals/UEs, and terminal/UEs can be a roaming UEs as disclosed in OROSKAR presented above));
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after downgrading the carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, lowering a BWP in one or more secondary cells for one or more home network users (
[0414] … the number of transmissions of the PUCCH reaching a preset condition may include that the number of transmissions of the PUCCH is greater than a first number threshold, or greater than or equal to a first number threshold.
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP, the secondary cell ….. may be deactivated.
(It is obvious that after reducing BWP if PUCCH load is still above threshold SCell aggregation level may be reduced by deactivating SCell for terminals/UEs, and UEs can be home user or terminals/UEs as disclosed in OROSKAR presented above); and
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after lowering the BWP in one or more secondary cells for the one or more home network users, downgrading a carrier aggregation level for the one or more home network users (
[0436] the terminal device can determine the subsequent operation of the secondary cell or BWP according to the execution status of the beam failure recovery procedure corresponding to the secondary cell or BWP, the secondary cell ….. may be deactivated.
(Secondary cell deactivation is an obvious downgrading a carrier aggregation level for the termina/users which could be the one or more home network users as disclosed in OROSKAR)).
SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and OROSKAR, does not explicitly disclose lowering a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more secondary carriers for one or more roaming users, and upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after downgrading the carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, lowering a BWP in one or more secondary carriers for one or more home network users.
In an analogous art. KLEIN teaches lowering a Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more secondary carriers for one or more roaming users (
Fig. 2, [0019] At step 125, analyzer 109 (or another device) may provide instructions to configure network equipment of the first provider network (e.g., base station 104 - base station 106, MME 107, etc.) to allow roaming for one or more UEs of the second provider network. The allowed roaming may be designated for a single base station, multiple base stations (e.g., TAC 101 or smaller defined area), or the like.
Fig. 4, [0020] At step 131, analyzer 109, associated with the first service provider, determines the number of RRC attempts within a period (e.g., within a number of minutes or hours). There may be recordation and consideration of RRC attempts associated with UEs of the first service provider network (e.g., UE 102), UEs of the second provider network (e.g., UE 103), or both.
[0021] At step 132, analyzer 109 may aggregate the RRC attempts per predefined TAC area on the first service provider network, the second provider network, or both per report output period (ROP).
[0022] At step 133, analyzer 109 determines if aggregated RRC attempts exceed a threshold for one or more of the TACs (e.g., TAC 101) of the first service provider network. This may be referred to herein as RRC_RNA (RRC roaming NOT allowed).
[0023] At step 134, when analyzer 109 detects RRC attempts associated with a TAC that exceed RRC_RNA, instructions are provided to the first service provider network to NOT allow roaming on TACs that RRC attempts exceeded RRC_RNA.
[0024] At step 135, analyzer 109 (e.g., self-optimizing network - SON) detects RRC attempts by UEs of the second service provider and subsequently rejects on a site exceed threshold RRC_RAR (RRC roaming activation threshold) for a period (e.g., hysteresis time period).
[0025] At step 136, analyzer 109 also checks against a max allowed aggregated RRC attempt per TAC RRC_MAX before roaming is allowed.
See also Fig. 5 step 153 [Wingdings font/0xE0] No step 151.
(It is obvious that when network determines that aggregated RRC connection requests from home UE 102s and roaming UE 103s to TAC 101 the home network for UE 102, or capacity usage of the uplink control channel by RRC requests is above a threshold, the network does not allow or reduce allocation of radio resources or any available Bandwidth Part (BWP) in one or more primary or secondary carriers from the multiple base station 104-106, as in SHI above, for one or more roaming UEs 103)); and
upon determining that the capacity usage of the uplink control channel is still above the threshold after downgrading the carrier aggregation level for the one or more roaming users and the one or more heavy bandwidth users, lowering a BWP in one or more secondary carriers for one or more home network users (
Fig. 5 Step 153, [0016, 0032] aggregated attempts by OpXUEs or home users of TAC 101 < RRC_MAX [Wingdings font/0xE0] No [Wingdings font/0xE0] 151, OpX or first service provider continue to measure RRC Attempts by OpX UEs, without further allocating resources for new home UEs or Roaming UEs as obvious indicating reduction of bandwidth resource allocation for home or roaming UEs, and if TAC 101 < RRC_MAX [Wingdings font/0xE0] Yes [Wingdings font/0xE0] 154, OpX or first service provider allows roaming which indicates further bandwidth resource allocation for home or roaming UEs as obvious as evident from SMITH).
SMITH (Fig. 3, Fig. 4 Steps 302[Wingdings font/0xE0]308, 310[Wingdings font/0xE0]322, 324[Wingdings font/0xE0]336, 400[Wingdings font/0xE0]406) disclosing –
[0131] a first DSC 144a in a first network may monitor user traffic (e.g., call and data traffic, etc.) as compared to the total spectrum resources available to the first network …... In response to determining that additional resources are required (i.e., determination block 306="Yes"), in block 308, the first DSC 144a may send a "request for resources" communication message to the DPC 146.
[0132] In block 310, a second DSC 144b in a second network may monitor user traffic as compared to the total spectrum resources available to the second network, ….. In response to determining that there are no excess resources available in the second network (i.e., determination block 312="No"), in block 310, the second DSC 144b may continue monitoring user traffic and/or performing other DSC operations.
(Indicating bandwidth not available for Roaming user, or reducing bandwidth resources or carriers for roaming Users)
[0133] In response to determining that there is an excess amount of resources available in the second network (i.e., determination block 312="Yes"), in block 314, the second DSC 144b may mark, designate, or allocate all or portions of its excess resources for access and use by other networks (e.g., the first network, etc.).
(Indicating bandwidth available for Roaming user.
See also Fig. 5 steps 516-530 when excess bandwidth available UE 102 of first network/DSC 144a gets roaming service by second network/DSC144b)
[0137] With reference to FIG. 4, in determination block 400, the DPC 146 may determine whether resources are available based on the data (e.g., resources inquiry response message) received from the second DSC 144b in the second network. For example, the DPC 146 may determine that the identified resources are not available in response to determining that all or a portion of the resources were purchased or won by other bidders before they were reserved.
[0138] In response to determining that the resources are not available (i.e., determination block 400="No"), in block 402, the DPC 146 may send a "no resources available" communication message to the first DSC 144a in the first network. In block 404, the first DSC 144a may receive the "no resources available" communication message. In block 406, the first DSC 144a may search (e.g., via the DPC 146) for other available resources, request resources from a different network, request different resources, terminate connections or communication sessions with users to free-up resources ….. to manage network traffic and congestion in the first network.
(Indicating bandwidth resource or carrier reduction for home network users UE 102 when congestion exists after roaming denial as in KLEIN)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of restricting of resource allocation for roaming UEs and home UEs based on RRC request to the network of KLEIN, with evidence by SMITH, to the wireless communication method of allocating or reducing bandwidth for users terminals through activation and deactivation procedure of secondary cell or BWP of secondary cell based on threshold number of transmissions of the PUCCH for user terminals which includes home or roaming heavy bandwidth users of SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and SHIDDHARTH, for an advantage of a method to selectively offer, in near real-time, to open roaming in a network based on uplink control channel messages threshold (KLEIN: Fig. 5, [0004, 0025]).
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 15, the claim with similar features as in claim 9, is also interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 9 and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 9.
Regarding claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Claims 6-7, 10-12 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al. (US 20220140884 A1, hereinafter ‘SHI’) with evidence by Rahman et al. (US 20150271852 A1, hereinafter ‘RAHMAN’) and in view of Klein et al. (US 20230110429 A1, hereinafter ‘KLEIN’) with evidence by Smith et al (US 20140355443 A1, hereinafter ‘SMITH’) and with further in view of Oroskar et al. (US 9706561 B1, hereinafter ‘OROSKAR’).
Regarding claim 6, SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN, OROSKAR and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH and OROSKAR, teaches the method of claim 4.
SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, do not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more roaming users are identified by determining the one or more roaming users are in a V-PLMN and the home network users are identified by determining the one or more home network users are in an H-PLMN.
In an analogous art, OROSKAR teaches wherein the one or more roaming users are identified by determining the one or more roaming users are in a V-PLMN and the home network users are identified by determining the one or more home network users are in an H-PLMN (
Column 3 Lines 36-42, 50 – Column 4 Line 5:
method for managing carriers while a base station is serving a UE.... making a first determination of a PLMN to which the UE subscribes (e.g., the PLMN ID). Further, the method involves, based at least in part on the first determination of the PLMN to which the UE subscribes ....
the base station may take into account various PLMN-based distinctions to determine the quantity of carriers on which to serve the UE. By way of example, the base station may use the UE's PLMN as a basis for determining whether the UE is a home UE of the base station or a roaming UE of the base station. …… the base station's PLMN matches the UE's PLMN, and may thus consider the UE to be a “home UE” of the base station ….. UE subscribes to another service provider having a roaming agreement with the base station's service provider ….. that the base station's PLMN does not match the UE's PLMN, and may thus consider the UE to be a “roaming UE” of the base station
(It is obvious home network users are identified by H-PLMN same as base station, and roaming users are identified by V-PLMN different PLMN from base station)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of determining the quantity of carrier resource allocation for home and roaming UEs based on PLMN of OROSKAR to the wireless communication method of allocating or reducing bandwidth for users terminals through activation and deactivation procedure of secondary cell or BWP of secondary cell based on threshold number of transmissions of the PUCCH for user terminals which includes home or roaming heavy bandwidth users of SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, for an advantage of a method for managing use of carriers, particularly to manage the number of carriers on which a base station provides service to a UE by adding or removing one or more carriers implementing carrier aggregation using SCell to increase the effective bandwidth and associated throughput available to the UE while PCell carry control signaling related to the SCell and PCell (OROSKAR: Column 2 Lines 51-67, Column 3 Lines 18-32).
Regarding claim 7, SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN, OROSKAR and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, teaches the method of claim 4.
SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, do not explicitly disclose wherein the heavy bandwidth users are identified by a QoS level assigned to each of the one or more heavy bandwidth users.
OROSKAR teaches wherein the heavy bandwidth users are identified by a QoS level assigned to each of the one or more heavy bandwidth users (
Column 10 Lines 46-57:
based on the determined quantity of carriers, the eNodeB may configure the radio-link-layer connection to encompass the determined quantity of carriers so that the eNodeB is then set to serve the UE on the determined quantity of carriers. Further, the configuring may be performed based on and/or in response to additional factors ….. such as considerations of load and/or of channel conditions as noted above (e.g., based on the amount of data to be transmitted over the air interface between the eNodeB and the UE, the level of load on each of one or more carriers, and/or the UE-reported quality of the air interface connection.
(It is obvious the from determined quantity of carriers from the considered amount of data between the eNodeB and the UE, the level of load on each of one or more carriers indicating identified by a QoS level for each of the one or more heavy bandwidth users as known in the art)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique of determining the quantity of carrier resource allocation for home and roaming UEs based on PLMN and amount of data transmission between the eNodeB and the UE of OROSKAR to the wireless communication method of allocating or reducing bandwidth for users terminals through activation and deactivation procedure of secondary cell or BWP of secondary cell based on threshold number of transmissions of the PUCCH for user terminals which includes home or roaming heavy bandwidth users of SHI, with evidence by RAHMAN and in view of KLEIN with evidence by SMITH, for an advantage of a method for managing use of carriers, particularly to manage the number of carriers on which a base station provides service to a UE by adding or removing one or more carriers implementing carrier aggregation using SCell to increase the effective bandwidth and associated throughput available to the UE while PCell carry control signaling related to the SCell and PCell (OROSKAR: Column 2 Lines 51-67, Column 3 Lines 18-32).
Regarding claim 10, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 7.
Regarding claim 16, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Regarding claim 17, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Regarding claim 18, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 7.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 12 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and in intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 8, SHI, RAHMAN, OROSKAR, KLEIN, SMITH or any prior art of record either alone or in combination fails to teach the method of claim 4, wherein the lowering the BWP comprises decreasing the BWP in increments while the capacity usage of the uplink control channel remains above the threshold, until the BWP is a smallest supported size.
Regarding claim 13, the claim with similar features as in claim 8, is also interpreted same as claim 8.
Regarding claim 19, the claim with similar features as in claim 8, is also interpreted same as claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Zhang et al. (US 20250267448 A1), describing TEMPORARY UE CAPABILITY RESTRICTIONS FOR SIMULTANEOUS NETWORK CONNECTIONS
Nader et al. (US 20230422168 A1), describing Strategies For Power Efficient Configuration Of A Wireless Access Network
Pawar et al. (US 11553501 B1), describing Dynamic Control Of Uplink Carrier Aggregation In A Wireless Communication System Based On Spectral Efficiency
Kim et al. (US 20220052829 A1), describing METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVATING AND REACTIVATING SCELL CONSIDERING CURRENTLY ACTIVATED BANDWIDTH PART AND BANDWIDTH PART CONFIGURATION INFORMATION IN NEXT-GENERATION MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Tenny et al. (US 20200100099 A1), describing Carrier And Frequency Specific Capability Restrictions
Seo et al. (US 20200045578 A1), describing CONGESTION CONTROL METHOD FOR CONTENTION-BASED TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Vutukuri et al. (US 20160073428 A1), describing Method And Apparatus To Determine A Pseudo-Grant Size For Data To Be Transmitted
Whinnett et al. (US 20130231118 A1), describing FEMTOCELL ACCESS CONTROL
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAH M RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8951. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30AM-5:30PM PST.
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, UN C CHO can be reached at 571-272-7919. 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.
/SHAH M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413