DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to the claims filed on 07/27/2026.
Application No: 18/577,012.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-9, 11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 (and similarly other independent claims) recites the limitation “ a leave of the UE from the MBS session.” In this limitation, “a leave of” is not positively defining actual connected status of the UE, it could be a temporary disconnected, permeant disconnected, roaming away from , or temporary connected, etc., and hence indefinite. Specification is not clear about “a leave of the UE from the MBS session” explanation.
Dependent claims are rejected for the same reasons as corresponding independent claims.
Appropriate correctio is required in all independent claims for further review and compact prosecution.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-9, 11 and 13-14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Reasons for allowance
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-9, 11 and 13-14 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The reason for allowance is that the prior arts of record fail to teach the limitations along with preamble as a whole claim. The limitations recited in the independent claims comprise a particular combination of elements, functions and preamble, which are neither taught nor-suggested by the prior arts as a whole claim.
The representative claim 1 distinguish featured are underlined and summarized below:
A method of processing a multicast-broadcast service (MBS) session by a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from an access and mobility management function (AMF), a first message to request for updating a packet data unit (PDU) session related to the MBS session,
wherein the first message comprises a PDU session modification request received from a user equipment (UE) via the AMF, and
the PDU session modification request comprises information indicating a leave of the UE from the MBS session;
transmitting, to the AMF, a second message in response to the first message, wherein the second message comprises information associated with removal of the UE is from the MBS session; and
removing an ID for the MBS session related to the PDU session.
The representative claim 6 distinguish featured are underlined and summarized below:
A method of processing a multicast-broadcast service (MBS) session by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a session management function (SMF) through an access and mobility management function (AMF) a first message to request for changing a packet data unit (PDU) session related to the MBS session; and
receiving, from the SMF through the AMF, a second message in response to the first message,
wherein the first message comprises a PDU session modification request and the PDU session modification request comprises information indicating a leave of the UE from the MBS session,
wherein the second message comprises information associated with removal of the UE from the MBS session, and
wherein an ID of the MBS session related to the PDU session is removed.
The representative claim 11 distinguish featured are underlined and summarized below:
A session management function (SMF) processing a multicast-broadcast service (MBS) session in a wireless communication system, the SMF comprising:
a transceiver; and a controller connected to the transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to control to:
receive, from an access and mobility management function (AMF), a first message to request for updating a packet data unit (PDU) session related to the MBS session,
wherein the first message comprises a PDU session modification request received from a user equipment (UE) via the AMF, and
the PDU session modification request comprises information indicating a leave of the UE from the MBS session, transmit, to the AMF,
a second message in response to the first message, wherein the second message comprises information associated with removal of the UE is from the MBS session, and
remove an ID for the MBS session related to the PDU session.
The representative claim 14 distinguish featured are underlined and summarized below:
A user equipment (UE) processing a multicast-broadcast service (MBS) session in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:
a transceiver; and a controller connected to the transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to control to:
transmit, to a session management function (SMF) through an access and mobility management function (AMF),
a first message to request for changing a packet data unit (PDU) session related to the MBS session; and receive, from the SMF through the AMF,
a second message in response to the first message, wherein the first message comprises a PDU session modification request and
the PDU session modification request comprises information indicating a leave of the UE from the MBS session,
wherein the second message comprises information associated with removal of the UE from the MBS session, and wherein an ID of the MBS session related to the PDU session is removed.
Applicant's independent claim 1 comprises a particular combination of underlined features in combination with other recited limitations, which are neither taught nor-suggested by the prior arts as a whole claim. Therefore the independent claim is allowable.
Similarly, other independent claims 6, 11 and 14 comprises a particular combination of underlined features in combination with other recited limitations with analogous wording, which are neither taught nor-suggested by the prior arts as a whole claim. Therefore the independent claim(s) is/are allowable.
Dependent claims are deemed allowable for the same reasons as corresponding independent claim(s).
Prior Art References
The closest combined references of KIM, XuJian and HONG teaches following:
KIM (US 20230319514 A1) teaches a method for performing multicast-related communication by an SMF. The method may comprise the steps of: receiving, from a UE, a join request message for requesting participation in multicast communication; transmitting, to an AMF node, an allocation request message for requesting allocation of an EBI to a unicast QoS flow corresponding to a multicast QoS flow related to the multicast communication; and receiving information of the EBI allocated to the unicast QoS flow from the AMF node.
XuJian (US 20230108178 A1) teaches a method for multicast-broadcast service (MBS) area control in wireless communications. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a distributed unit (DU) in a wireless communication system comprises: transmitting, to a central unit (CU), information informing multicast-broadcast service (MBS) areas supported by the DU; receiving, from the CU, configurations for one or more MBS areas comprising a configuration for a first MBS area and a configuration for a second MBS area; providing an MBS service to a plurality of wireless devices based on the configuration for the first MBS area; receiving, from the plurality of wireless devices, feedback information for the first MBS area; transmitting, to the CU, a status message comprising an identity (ID) of the first MBS area and information obtained from the feedback information for the first MBS area; receiving, from the CU, a message for requesting a change of an MBS area, wherein the message comprises information for the second MBS area; and providing an MBS service based on the configuration for the second MBS area.
HONG (US 20230082017 A1) teaches a method device for receiving multicast/broadcast service (MBS) data. The method may include transmitting a PDU session modification request message comprising MBS session identification information to a core network entity by means of a base station, receiving an RRC message comprising a PDU session modification command message from the base station, and receiving MBS data by means of a radio bearer mapped on the basis of the PDU session modification command message.
Further, KIM teaches a method for performing multicast-related communication by an SMF; however KIM failed to teach one or more limitations, including,
(a) receiving, from an access and mobility management function (AMF), a first message to request for updating a packet data unit (PDU) session related to the MBS session,
(b) wherein the first message comprises a PDU session modification request received from a user equipment (UE) via the AMF, and
the PDU session modification request comprises information indicating a leave of the UE from the MBS session;
(c) transmitting, to the AMF, a second message in response to the first message, wherein the second message comprises information associated with removal of the UE is from the MBS session; and
(d) removing an ID for the MBS session related to the PDU session.
Thus, the invention requires four distinct limitations (a) to (d) in combination with the other elements of the independent claim, which are neither taught nor-suggested by the prior arts as a whole claim.
XuJian and HONG alone or in combination failed to cure the deficiency of KIM.
Thus, the cited references, alone or in any combination, neither discloses nor fairly suggests, combination of features of each of the elements recited by the independent claim1.
The corresponding dependent claims are deemed allowable for the same reasons as the independent claim1.
Therefore, similarly, underline limitations of the other independent claims in combination with the other elements of the independent claims are allowable.
The corresponding dependent claims are deemed allowable for the same reasons as the independent claims.
The present invention provides an improved method for supporting a higher data transmission rate. A method for processing a multicast-broadcast service (MBS) session of a session management function (SMF) in a wireless communication system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprises the steps of: receiving, from an access and mobility management function (AMF), a first message requesting the update of a packet data unit (PDU) session related to the MBS session, if a terminal decides to leave the MBS session; and transmitting, to the AMF, a second message, which is a response to the update of the PDU session, in response to the first message.
Therefore, when taken as a whole application, and incorporating all the respective limitations, none of the prior art discloses the features as claimed.
Conclusion
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no laterthan the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferablyaccompany the issue fee. Such submission should be clearly labeled "Comments onStatement of Reasons for Allowance."
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mahendra Patel whose telephone number is (571)270-7499. The examiner can normally be reached on 9: 30 AM to 5: 30 PM (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Addy can be reached on (571) 272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAHENDRA R PATEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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