DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. Claims 8-14 are pending wherein claims 8, 11, and 14 are in independent form.
3. Claims 8, 11, and 14 have been amended. In view of the amendments, rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant's arguments filed on 03/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The reasons set forth below.
5. On page 6 of the remarks, applicant argues, “However, the teachings of Shrivastava (U.S. 2023/0269828) that the Examiner relied upon to allegedly teach the features of Applicant's claimed invention are not supported by or disclosed in Shrivastava-2021, and thus were not effectively filed before applicant's effective filing date. In particular, the teachings found in at least Fig. 16 and paragraphs [0290] and [0339] of Shrivastava (U.S. 2023/0269828) do not constitute prior art against Applicant's invention.”
In response, examiner respectfully disagrees because:
The filing date of the foreign priority application (IN 202141014450) is March 30, 2021 and therefore, Shrivastava qualifies as prior art based on the disclosure of the foreign priority application (IN 202141014450). The foreign priority application (IN 202141014450) of Shrivastava discloses the same Fig. 16 as that of the US PG-PUB 20230269828. The feature disclosed in [Par 0290] of the US PG-PUB 20230269828 is also described in the [Par 0202-0203] of IN 202141014450.
Therefore, in view of above reason, examiner maintains the rejection.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Di Girolamo et al (US 20230276470, hereinafter referred to as Di Girolamo) in view of Shrivastava (US 20230269828, hereinafter referred to as Shrivastava).
Re claim 8, Di Girolamo teaches a terminal apparatus (UE) for communicating with a base station apparatus (gNB) (Fig. 7-9, Fig. 22, Fig. 26), the terminal apparatus comprising:
(i) a receiver (transceiver 120, Fig. 1B) configured to receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from the base station apparatus (receiving RRC message over DCCH or MCCH) (Fig. 1B, Fig. 24, Par 0055, Par 0333-0336; Provisional application #63168515, Par 0154, Par 0230-0233); and
(ii) a processor (118, Fig. 1B, Par 0055-0056) wherein
(iii) the RRC message is a first RRC message transmitted from the base station apparatus using a Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH) logical channel (UE receiving MBS control information over the DCCH logical channel (Par 0228, Par 0333) for establishing PTP bearer, Par 0155, Par 0219, Par 0228-0229, Par 0333, Provisional application #63168515, Par 0145, Par 0154, Par 0230), and/or a second RRC message transmitted from the base station apparatus using a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) logical channel (UE receiving MBS control information over MCCH for establishing PTM bearer, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336. MBS control information over MCCH includes MBS service identifier, G-RNTI etc., Par 0195-0197 and each PTM bearer is associated with G-RNTI, Par 0307, Par 0310) (Par 0195-0197, Par 0220-0221, Par 0327, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336, Provisional application #63168515, Par 0140 (embodiment 11-13), Par 0146-0147, Par 0231-0233);
(iv) the processor establishes a radio bearer (PTP bearer, PTM bearer) for a Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) based on the RRC message (PTP bearer is established based on control information received over DCCH, Par 0155, Par 0219, Par 0228-0229, Par 0333, Provisional application #63168515, Par 0145, Par 0154, Par 0230; PTM bearer is established based on control information received over MCCH, Par 0195-0197, Par 0220-0221, Par 0327, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336, Provisional application #63168515, Par 0140 (embodiment 11-13), Par 0146-0147, Par 0231-0233),
Di Girolamo discloses that PTP bearer is established based on receiving RRC message over DCCH (claimed first RRC message) and PTM bearer is established based on receiving RRC message over MCCH (claimed second RRC message).
Di Girolamo does not explicitly disclose that
(v) in a case of releasing all of radio bearers, releases the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the first RRC message, and
(vi) does not release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the second RRC message.
Re components (v) and (vi), Shrivastava teaches that
(v) in a case of releasing all of radio bearers (UE transitioning to RRC inactive state), releases the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the first RRC message (releasing PTP bearer in RRC inactive state) (Fig. 16, Par 0290, Par 0339; Foreign Priority, IN 202141014450, Fig. 16);
(vi) does not release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the second RRC message (in RRC inactive state, the UE maintains PTM bearer) (Fig. 16, Par 0290, Par 0339, Foreign Priority, IN 202141014450, Fig. 16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Di Girolamo by including the features that (v) in a case of releasing all of radio bearers, releases the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the first RRC message, and (vi) does not release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the second RRC message, as taught by Shrivastava for the purpose of providing efficient and effective methods for “MCCH configuration and operation and handling idle/inactive mode operation in an wireless communication system”, as taught by Shrivastava (Par 0008-0010).
Claim 14 recites a method performing the functions recited in claim 8 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 8.
Re claim 11, Di Girolamo teaches a base station apparatus (gNB) (Fig. 7-9, Fig. 22, Fig. 26) for communicating with a terminal apparatus (UE), the base station apparatus comprising:
(i) a transmitter (transceiver, Par 0080) configured to transmit a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the terminal apparatus (transmitting RRC message over DCCH or MCCH) (Fig. 1E, Fig. 24, Par 0080, Par 0333-0336; Provisional application #63168515, Par 0154, Par 0230-0233); and
(ii) a processor (91, Fig. 1F, Par 0087), wherein
(iii) the RRC message is a first RRC message transmitted to the terminal apparatus using a Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH) logical channel (UE receiving MBS control information over the DCCH logical channel (Par 0228, Par 0333) for establishing PTP bearer, Par 0155, Par 0219, Par 0228-0229, Par 0333; Provisional application #63168515, Par 0145, Par 0154, Par 0230), and/or a second RRC message transmitted to the terminal apparatus using a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) logical channel (UE receiving MBS control information over MCCH for establishing PTM bearer, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336. MBS control information over MCCH includes MBS service identifier, G-RNTI etc., Par 0195-0197 and each PTM bearer is associated with G-RNTI, Par 0307, Par 0310) (Par 0195-0197, Par 0220-0221, Par 0327, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336; Provisional application #63168515, Par 0140 (embodiment 11-13), Par 0146-0147, Par 0231-0233);
(iv) the processor causes the terminal apparatus to establish a radio for a Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) bearer (PTP bearer, PTM bearer) based on the RRC message (PTP bearer is established based on control information received over DCCH, Par 0155, Par 0219, Par 0228-0229, Par 0333; Provisional application #63168515, Par 0145, Par 0154, Par 0230; PTM bearer is established based on control information received over MCCH, Par 0195-0197, Par 0220-0221, Par 0327, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336; Provisional application #63168515, Par 0140 (embodiment 11-13), Par 0146-0147, Par 0231-0233),
Di Girolamo discloses that PTP bearer is established based on the RRC message over DCCH (claimed first RRC message) and PTM bearer is established based on the RRC message over MCCH (claimed second RRC message).
Di Girolamo does not explicitly disclose that
(v) in a case of releasing all of radio bearers, causes the terminal apparatus to release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the first RRC message, and
(vi) causes the terminal apparatus not to release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the second RRC message.
Re components (v) and (vi), Shrivastava teaches that
(v) in a case of releasing all of radio bearers (UE transitioning to RRC inactive state), causes the terminal apparatus to release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the first RRC message (in RRC inactive state, UE releases PTP bearer) (Fig. 16, Par 0290, Par 0339, Foreign Priority, IN 202141014450, Fig. 16);
(vi) causes the terminal apparatus not to release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the second RRC message (in RRC inactive state, the UE maintains PTM bearer) (Fig. 16, Par 0290, Par 0339, Foreign Priority, IN 202141014450, Fig. 16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Di Girolamo by including the features that (v) in a case of releasing all of radio bearers, causes the terminal apparatus to release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the first RRC message, and (vi) causes the terminal apparatus not to release the radio bearer for the MBS in a case that the radio bearer for the MBS is established based on the second RRC message, as taught by Shrivastava for the purpose of providing efficient and effective methods for “MCCH configuration and operation and handling idle/inactive mode operation in an wireless communication system”, as taught by Shrivastava (Par 0008-0010).
Re claims 9, 12, Di Girolamo teaches that delivery mode 1 is defined for the radio bearer for the MBS established based on the first RRC message (PTP bearer for multicast delivery is established based on the RRC message over DCCH) (Par 0155, Par 0219, Par 0228-0229, Par 0333), and the delivery mode 1 is used for delivery of multicast (PTP bearer for multicast delivery) (Par 0155, Par 0219, Par 0237, Par 0339-0340, Par 0350, Par 0353-0355, Par 0358).
Re claims 10, 13, Di Girolamo teaches that delivery mode 2 is defined for the radio bearer for the MBS established based on the second RRC message (PTM bearer for multicast delivery is established based on the RRC message over MCCH) (Par 0195-0197, Par 0220-0221, Par 0327, Par 0330-0331, Par 0334-0336), and the delivery mode 2 is used for delivery of broadcast (PTP bearer for broadcast delivery) (Par 020-0221, Par 0307-0310, Par 0353-0355, Par 0359-0360, Par 0555-0558).
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 HARUN UR R CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3895. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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, Kwang B Yao can be reached at 5712723182. 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.
/HARUN CHOWDHURY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2473