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
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant assets:
Moon does not disclose or suggest at least the limitation that "wherein the response message indicates whether or not the network node satisfies the TSC configuration parameters in the TSCAI" of amended independent Claim 18.
The Examiner notes that Applicant further contends that “Moon does not teach that they include a field or indication that explicitly reflects whether the gNB satisfies each of the TSC configuration parameters in the TSCAI. Instead, any "indication" inferred in the Office Action is at most an implicit assumption that sending a successful response implies the gNB has made some configuration change. This is not the same as providing a response message structured to indicate whether or not the gNB satisfies the TSC configuration parameters, as expressly required in amended independent Claim 18.” However, the Examiner notes that nowhere in the language of claim 18 is there a requirement for an explicit indication. The claim language merely states that the response message serves as an indication, but fails to detail the nature or contents of the indication. Thus, an implicit indication as disclosed by Moon (and admitted by Applicant) sufficiently reads on the current claim language of claim 18.
The Examiner notes that Applicant further contends that “Moreover, amended independent Claim 18 covers embodiments where the response message may explicitly indicate that some or all TSC configuration parameters are not satisfied (e.g., per flow or per parameter), whereas Moon only discloses a successful N2/N11 response after resource modification, without teaching any negative indication or explicit success/failure reporting against the TSCAI parameters themselves.” The Examiner notes that the claim language of claim 18 uses the phrase “whether or not” without any further detail. Moon discloses ([0181]), that “the gNB 50 may modify a resource to be used for transmitting data to the terminal 40, based on the received TSCAI information and default offset (operation 529)” (emphasis added). In other words, the gNB is not required to modify the resources based on the TSCAI information by may modify such resources. Given the broadest reasonable interpretation of “whether or not” as claimed by the Applicant, the phrase “may modify” would be inclusive of modifying in accordance to TSCAI information or not modifying in accordance to TSCAI information. Therefore, the subsequent N2/N11 messages would be reflective of an implicit indication that the gNB has modified resources which may or may not have been modified based upon TSCAI information.
The Examiner suggests that Applicant consider amending claim 18 (26, and 34) to clearly indicate that the indication is an explicit indication and to further include the manner in which the indication indicates that the network node satisfies the TSC configuration parameters in the TSCAI as well as the manner in which the indication indicates that the network node does not satisfy the TSC configuration parameters in the TSCAI (e.g., a field in the response message as mentioned in Applicant’s remarks).
Thus, the limitations of the claims have been met and the action herein is made FINAL.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 25, 33 is/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 any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to the claim(s), the prior art of record fails to disclose singly or in combination or render obvious all the limitations of the claim(s).
The closest prior art relating to Applicant' s claimed invention is:
US 20200351804 A1 Moon; Sangjun et al.
US 20220255871 A1 Rost; Peter et al.
US 20230068462 A1 Moon; Sangjun et al.
Moon ‘804 discloses a pre-5.sup.th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4.sup.th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). A method for obtaining clock synchronization information in a base station configured to operate based on a reference clock of a wireless communication system in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes obtaining a burst arrival time of TSCAI (time-sensitive communication assistance information) based on a TSN (time-sensitive networking) clock, obtaining offset information indicating the difference between the TSN clock and a reference clock of the wireless communication system, and adjusting the burst arrival time, based on the offset to obtain an adjusted burst arrival time based on a reference clock of the wireless communication system.
Rost discloses an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: identify a stream gate instance associated with a quality of service flow; and determine time sensitive communication assistance information for the quality of service flow based on one or more parameters defining operation of the stream gate instance. Rost further discloses that TSCAI may be useful for a gNB to allow for efficiently scheduling periodic, deterministic traffic flows either via Configured Grants, Semi-Persistent Scheduling or with dynamic grants. The TSCAI is provided from SMF to 5G RAN (e.g. after QoS flow establishment).
Moon ‘462 discloses a 5G or pre-5G communication system to be provided for supporting a data transmission rate higher than that of a 4G communication system such as LTE. The method according to the present disclosure is a time synchronization method for transmitting time sensitive networking (TSN) data in a session management function (SMF) device of a mobile communication system, and may comprise a step of determining a time interval for updating time sensitive communications assistance information (TSCAI), and providing the determined time interval to respective nodes of the mobile communication system.
However, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest transmitting the response message via the one or more network functions of the CN comprises transmitting the response message to a network exposure function (NEF) of the CN.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claim(s) 18-24, 26-32, 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as being anticipated by US 20200351804 A1 to Moon; Sangjun et al.
Re: Claim(s) 18, 26, 34
Moon discloses method of transmission of a response message for a time sensitive communication (TSC), the method performed by a network node of an access network in a wireless communication system, the method (300) comprising: (Fig. 5)
receiving time-sensitive communication assistance information (TSCAI) including TSC configuration parameters from a session management function (SMF) (Fig. 5 – Steps 525 and 527. 0180 - the SMF 80 may deliver the TSCAI information and the default offset to the AMF 90 via N11 Req. message (operation 525), and the AMF 90 may deliver the TSCAI information and the default offset to the gNB 50 via N2 session Req. message (operation 527));
and transmitting a response message intended for at least one network function associated with a core network (CN) and/or an application function (AF) (Fig. 5 – 531 and 533. 0180 - The gNB 50 may modify a resource to be used for transmitting data to the terminal 40, based on the received TSCAI information and default offset (operation 529). Further, the gNB 50 may deliver an N2 session Res. message to the AMF 90 (operation 531), and the AMF 90 may transmit an N11 Res. message to the SMF 80 (operation 533));
wherein the response message indicates whether or not the network node satisfies the TSC configuration parameters in the TSCAI (See Id. The Examiner notes that the N2/N11 responses serve as an indication that the gNB modified the transmission resources based upon the TSCAI information received by the SMF).
Moon further discloses:
A corresponding network node performing the method of claim 18 comprising processing circuitry and memory (Fig. 1B – 240, 230) as required by claim 26; and
A non-transitory computer readable medium corresponding to the method of claim 18 (Fig. 1B – 230 and 0103) as required by claim 34.
Re: Claim(s) 19, 27
Moon discloses transmitting, to the at least one network function and/or to the AF, an indication to adjust configuration of one or more TSC configuration parameters (Fig. 5 – 531, 533).
Re: Claim(s) 20, 28
Moon discloses wherein the TSC configuration parameters comprise one or more of: a direction of a TSC flow; a periodicity; a burst arrival time (BAT); a survival time; a rank indicating a priority for each of the TSC flow and a delay interval for each TSC flow (Fig. 5 – 527 comprises burst arrival time).
Re: Claim(s) 21, 29
Moon discloses wherein the response message comprises one or more of: an indication of whether at least one of the TSC flows is allowed to be established through the network node; a new BAT for a TSC flow; a delay interval for each BAT corresponding to each TSC flow; the rank associated with the respective TSC flow; a quality of service (QoS) flow identifier (QFI) associated with the TSCAI; a periodicity; a delay interval; a survival time (Fig. 5 – 531. The Examiner notes that it is implicit that the response (OK) is indicative of successfully utilizing the TSCAI information to configure a transmission).
Re: Claim(s) 22, 30
Moon discloses wherein transmitting the response message comprises transmitting the response message in response to the reception of the TSCAI (Fig. 5 – 531 is in response to 527).
Re: Claim(s) 23, 31
Moon discloses wherein transmitting the response message comprises: determining availability of resources at the network node for allowing the TSC flows to be established through the network node; and transmitting the response message when the resources are available at the network node (Fig. 5 – 529 and 0180 - The gNB 50 may modify a resource to be used for transmitting data to the terminal 40, based on the received TSCAI information and default offset (operation 529). Fig. 5 – 531. The Examiner notes that it is implicit that the response (OK) is indicative of successfully utilizing the TSCAI information to configure a transmission).
Re: Claim(s) 24, 32
Moon discloses wherein transmitting the response message comprises transmitting the response message via one or more network functions of the CN (Fig. 5 – 531 and 533 are from gNB to AMF to SMF).
Conclusion
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 KASHIF SIDDIQUI whose telephone number is (571)270-3188. The examiner can normally be reached on M-R 6:00 EST to 16:00 EST.
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/KASHIF SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415
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