DETAILED ACTION
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Claims 45-64 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Eklof et al. (US 20230284058 A1).
Considering claim 45, Eklof teaches a method of multi-connectivity with quality of experience (QoE) measurement, comprising:
receiving, by a first base station (BS) from a second BS (Fig.5, [0106] gNBs can be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces, such as Xn interface 540 between gNBs 500 and 550), at least one application layer message ([0051] an application layer of the UE) comprising at least one information element (IE) associated with QoE measurement (Fig.16-17, [0173]-[0174] A “TRACE START” S1AP message is used by the LTE EPC for initiating QoE measurements by a specific UE, [0129], [0175] message containing “Application layer measurement configuration” IE in order to configure QoE measurement in the UE, [0133]);
determining, by the first BS and based on the at least one IE ([0289] first RNN can determine that the one more QoE measurements reports received), to add the second BS (SN) as a secondary BS to allocate resources of the second BS for dual connectivity operation of a user equipment (UE) (Fig.20A-B, [0082], [0250] QoE measurement report received from the UE triggers the RNN to add another SN, [0254], [0110] dual-connectivity);
transmitting, by the first BS to the second BS (Fig.5, [0106] Xn interface 540 between gNBs 500 and 550), an addition request message indicating a request for radio resources of the second BS ([0127] MN sends an SN Addition Request message to request the target SN to allocate radio resources for one or more specific PDU Sessions/QoS Flows, indicating QoS Flows characteristics (QoS Flow Level QoS parameters, PDU session level transport network layer (TNL) address information, and PDU session level Network Slice info));
receiving, by the first BS from the second BS (Fig.5, [0106] Xn interface 540 between gNBs 500 and 550), an addition request acknowledge message ([0129] SN decides the PScell and other SCG SCells and provides the new SCG radio resource configuration to the MN in a SN RRC configuration message contained in the SN Addition Request Acknowledge message); and
transmitting, by the first BS to the UE, a reconfiguration message comprising configuration parameters of one or more cells of the second BS ([0130] the MN sends an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message to the UE including the SN RRC configuration message).
Considering claim 59, Eklof teaches a method of multi-connectivity with quality of experience (QoE) measurement, comprising:
transmitting, by a user equipment (UE) to a first base station (BS) (), at least one message associated with QoE measurement or reporting (Fig.9-15, [0015] application layer measurements in UEs and to collect QoE measurement result… sent to the serving eNB, [0130] UE applies the new configuration and replies to MN);
receiving configuration parameters of a plurality of cells comprising a first cell group of the first BS (MN) and a second cell group of a second BS (SN) ([0128]-[0129] MN indicates the requested SCG configuration information…,MN sends an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message to the UE including the SN RRC configuration message, [0289] first RNN can determine that the one more QoE measurements reports received), wherein the second BS is determined by the first BS for addition based on ([0289] first RNN can determine that the one more QoE measurements reports received, (Fig.20A-B, [0082], [0250] QoE measurement report received from the UE triggers the RNN to add another SN, [0254]):
an indication by the second BS to the first BS that the second BS (Fig.5, [0106] gNBs can be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces, such as Xn interface 540) supports QoE measurement or reporting (Fig.16-17, [0173]-[0174] A “TRACE START” S1AP message is used by the LTE EPC for initiating QoE measurements by a specific UE, [0129], [0175] message containing “Application layer measurement configuration” IE in order to configure QoE measurement in the UE, [0133]); and
the at least one message indicating that the UE supports at least one service type or at least one application with QoE measurement or reporting requirement (table 10, [0178] support of more than one QoE measurement type); and
transmitting, by the UE to the first BS, a reconfiguration complete message ([0130] UE applies the new configuration and replies to MN with an RRCConnectionReconfiguration complete message).
Considering claim 64, Eklof teaches a method of multi-connectivity with quality of experience (QoE) measurement, comprising:
transmitting, by a first base station (BS) to a second BS (Fig.5, [0106] gNBs can be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces, such as Xn interface 540 between gNBs 500 and 550), an addition request message ([0127] MN sends an SN Addition Request message to request the target SN to allocate radio resources for one or more specific PDU Sessions/QoS Flows, indicating QoS Flows characteristics (QoS Flow Level QoS parameters, PDU session level transport network layer (TNL) address information, and PDU session level Network Slice info)):
indicating a request for radio resources of the second BS for dual connectivity operation ([0127] indicating QoS Flows characteristics, [0110] dual-connectivity); and
comprising one or more information elements (IEs) indicating that the request is for a user equipment (UE) that requires QoE measurement and reporting (Fig.16-17, [0173]-[0174] A “TRACE START” S1AP message is used by the LTE EPC for initiating QoE measurements by a specific UE, [0129], [0175] message containing “Application layer measurement configuration” IE in order to configure QoE measurement in the UE, [0133]);
receiving, by the first BS from the second BS (Fig.5, [0106] gNBs can be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces, such as Xn interface 540 between gNBs 500 and 550), one of an addition request acknowledge message ([0129] SN decides the PScell and other SCG SCells and provides the new SCG radio resource configuration to the MN in a SN RRC configuration message contained in the SN Addition Request Acknowledge message) or an addition request reject message based on the first base station supporting or not supporting QoE-related functionalities; and
in response to receiving the addition request acknowledge message ([0130] response message for SN), transmitting by the first BS to the UE, a reconfiguration message comprising configuration parameters of one or more cells of the second BS ([0130] the MN sends an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message to the UE including the SN RRC configuration message, [0102] SN provides additional radio resources (e.g., bearers) for radio resource bearers include MCG bearers, SCG bearers, and split bearers that have resources from both MCG and SCG. The reconfiguration, addition, and removal of SCells can be performed by RRC).
Considering claim 46, Eklof teaches wherein the application layer message is an Xn message (Fig.5, [0270] messages sent from MN (e.g., MgNB or Mng-eNB) to SN (e.g., SgNB or Sng-eNB) over the Xn interface).
Considering claim 47, Eklof teaches wherein the application layer message is an Xn setup message ([0270]) .
Considering claim 48, Eklof teaches wherein the application layer message is a resource status message ([0275]).
Considering claim 49, Eklof teaches wherein the application layer message is a retrieve user equipment (UE) context message ([0167]).
Considering claim 50, Eklof teaches wherein the addition request message and the addition request acknowledge message are Xn messages ([0137] Addition Request Acknowledge message).
Considering claim 51, Eklof teaches wherein the at least one information element (IE) indicates that the second base station (BS) supports quality of experience (QoE) measurement configuration ([0174]).
Considering claim 52, Eklof teaches receiving, by the first base station (BS) from the user equipment (UE), a reconfiguration complete message (Fig.9-15, [0130] RRCConnectionReconfiguration complete message).
Considering claim 53, Eklof teaches wherein the addition request acknowledge message comprises the reconfiguration message ([0127] SN Addition Request message to request).
Considering claim 54, Eklof teaches wherein the determining is based on the at least one information element (IE) indicating that the second base station (BS) supports quality of experience measurement or reporting for at least one cell ([0174]).
Considering claim 55, Eklof teaches wherein the one or more second cells of the second base station are grouped in a secondary cell group (SCG) (Fig.9-15, [0126]).
Considering claim 56, Eklof teaches transmitting, by the first base station (BS) to the user equipment (UE), configuration parameters of one or more first cells of the first BS that are grouped in a master cell group (MCG) ([0101]).
Considering claim 57, Eklof teaches wherein the configuration parameters of one or more cells of the second base station ([0101]) comprise quality of experience (QoE) configuration parameters associated with the one or more cells ([0174]).
Considering claim 58, Eklof teaches receiving, by the first base station from one of a core network (CN) and an operation and maintenance (OAM) entity of an operator, the one or more quality of experience (QoE) configuration parameters that are encapsulated in a transparent container ([0226], [0229]).
Considering claim 60, Eklof teaches wherein the at least one message comprises a capability message comprising one or more capability information elements associated with the quality of experience (QoE) measurement or reporting ([0063], [0176]).
Considering claim 61, Eklof teaches wherein the indication is based on at least one information element (IE) in an application layer message.
Considering claim 62, Eklof teaches wherein: the first cell group is a master cell group (MCG); and the second cell group is a secondary cell group (SCG) ([0101]).
Considering claim 63, wherein the configuration parameters of the second cell group comprise quality of experience (QoE) configuration parameters associated with the one or more cells ([0254]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lunardi et al. (US 20240089819 A1) teaches method for managing quality-of-experience (QoE) measurements by a user equipment (UE).
Barac et al. (US 20230216751 A1) teaches methods for a user equipment (UE) to perform quality of experience (QoE) measurements configured by a wireless network. Such methods include receiving, from a radio access network node (RNN) in the wireless network, a QoE measurement configuration for one or more services provided by the UE application layer. Such methods include performing application-layer QoE measurements for the one or more services according to the QoE measurement configuration and sending, to or via the RNN in accordance with QoE measurement configuration, one or more messages comprising: one or more QoE measurement reports comprising results of the QoE measurements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHAI MINH NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-7923. The examiner can normally be reached 6-3.
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/KHAI M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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